Tag: Holy Spirit

Weekly Lessons

April 18, 2021: God Dwells with His People

Today’s lesson is based on Exodus 25-40

Let’s Start!   

Let’s Watch!

We’ve been following the story of Moses and the Israelites for a few weeks now. Last week, we talked about how God made a covenant with his people – He would be their God, and he would bless them as His people; and they agreed to live the way He wanted them to. For a long time, it was just Moses who talked to God and spent time with Him – Let’s watch a video to see how, and then we’ll talk about what changed!

Woah, pretty cool for Moses, right? But, God had made a covenant with all of His people. He wanted to be in relationship with them (not just with Moses). So he told the people to build a tabernacle. What is a tabernacle? Glad you asked!!

Parents, if you want to explore the idea of a covenant relationship and the tablernacle God asked His people to build in more depth, check out this video from The Bible Project.

Let’s Talk!  

For today’s lesson, grab a large blanket or sheet and some tall chairs to make a tent while you are talking about the tabernacle!

  • Open your Bible to Exodus 25 and read verses 8-9
  • What is a tabernacle? A tent
  • With the tabernacle, God would dwell with his people! Now, do you think God actually lives in a tent or a house? He’s God, so he’s everywhere! He can’t just be in only one spot.
  • That’s right! But, when he chose to dwell among his people, his presence came to the tabernacle. He came close to his people there so that they could spend time with Him.
  • Have you ever built something out of legos? When you open up a new box of legos, what else is in the box besides the bricks? (the instructions!)
  • You can build some pretty cool things out of legos on your own, but you won’t be able to build exactly what the set is supposed to be unless you follow the instructions, right?
  • The Tabernacle was the same way! God gave his people specific instructions for how to build his tabernacle. They brought fabric to make beautiful curtains to hang inside, they brought incense and spices to burn to create a nice smell, and olive oil to put inside lamps and burn, kind of like a candle.
  • The people could come inside the courtyard of the tabernacle (or the outside area) to spend time with God. Who do you like to spend time with?
  • Then, God told his people to make something else. Let’s read Exodus 25:10-11 to find out what it was!
  • So the Ark of the Covenant was like a huge, shiny gold covered box. God’s presence would dwell above the box in the tabernacle.
  • But the ark sat in a room called the Holy of Holies and a thick curtain separated it from everything else. What does holy mean? Holy means set apart, which means that God, because he is Holy, can’t dwell with sin.
  • In the Old Testament, when the tabernacle was built, Jesus hadn’t come to defeat sin yet, so the big curtain separated God’s presence from most of the people. He was too holy for them to come too close to Him. But God had a plan. One day, Jesus would come so that we didn’t have to be separated from God’s presence. And when he died and rose again, that big thick curtain got torn in two. Now, God sends the Holy Spirit to dwell inside everyone who chooses to trust in Jesus.
  • God dwells with US!

Let’s Do! 

God chose to dwell with his people in the tabernacle – and gave them some pretty specific instructions for what it was supposed to be like! Think about your perfect place to live (or dwell), what would it be like? Would it be a house, a tree house, a huge building, a large tent?

  • Grab a piece of paper and draw your ideal dwelling place!

Let’s Memorize!

Let’s Pray! 

  • God wanted to be with his people, so he asked them to build the tabernacle. But that wasn’t all. He wanted to be even closer to us than in a tent, and he knew that our sin would get in the way. So Jesus came to die for our sins. So that we don’t have to be separated from God. When we trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of us! We are never alone because he is ALWAYS with us!
  • Is there anything you want to talk to Him about today? Tell him what’s on your mind, and then thank Him for always being with you!

Let’s Bless!

Parents, end your prayer time by praying the following blessing over your child(ren):

May you know that God dwells with you no matter where you go. May you sense Him with you today, and every day!

Weekly Lessons

October 25, 2020: God’s Spirit Changes Everything

This week’s lesson is based on Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1-2

Let’s Start!

Let’s Watch!

Video 1: Jesus’ Ascension and the Great Commission (by Saddleback Kids)
Video 2: God Sends the Holy Spirit (by Saddleback Kids)

Let’s Talk!

PARENTS/GUARDIANS: before you begin, find a flashlight and remove the batteries (but keep them close by!) If you don’t have a flashlight, anything that requires batteries – or electricity – will work. Just adjust the questions below to fit your item!

  • What is this? A flashlight!
  • A flashlight has a really, really important job. What is it? To give light.
  • When would you use a flashlight? Have you ever needed one in order to see? What happened?

Instruct your child to turn on the flashlight. (It won’t work).

  • Why do you think it won’t work? It doesn’t have any batteries!
  • Without batteries, can the flashlight do its job? No
  • Jesus gave the disciples a pretty big job when He left too. Do you remember what that was? To go into all the world and tell people about Him.
  • Could they do the job on their own? No.
  • Who did Jesus say he would send to be with them and help them? The Holy Spirit!

Place the batteries inside of the flashlight, (or plug in your item).

  • Jesus knew that the job he was giving the disciples was too big for them to do on their own. He knew they would need the Holy Spirit to give them His POWER and wisdom. It’s kind of like when you put batteries inside of the flashlight! Now see what happens when you try to use it! Have your child turn the flashlight on and shine it around.
  • After the disciples received the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, what happened? They could speak in other languages, they performed signs and miracles, they worked together and helped others – and more and more people came to know Jesus!
  • The Holy Spirit wasn’t just for the disciples! Jesus’ death on the cross made a way for you to be in relationship with God, and receive the Holy Spirit too. And the Bible says he’s with us always. He comforts us, guides us, gives us power, teaches us, and helps us to be more like Jesus!

Let’s Pray!

  • How does it make you feel to know that God is always with you?
  • Can you think of a time when you heard the Holy Spirit speak to your heart, or when you knew God was with you and helping you? What happened?
  • What do you need the Holy Spirit to help you with this week? (Choosing kindness, to not be scared about something, to tell someone about Jesus).
  • Let’s take some time right now to pray for the Holy Spirit to be with you and help you! While we pray, let’s spend a few minutes being quiet and listening for Him to talk to us.

Let’s Do!

Option 1: [For older children] Flashlight Tag

  • If you want, you can play this like a game of normal tag after dinner in your backyard, once it’s dark! The person with the flashlight is “it.” When their flashlight beam touches another family member, they are now “it,” and the game continues.
  • You could also play this in your house, like hide and seek. Turn off all the lights and let the “seeker” use a flashlight to try and find the rest of the family. Take turns being “it” and hiding.

Option 2: [For younger children] Catch the Light

  • Turn off all the lights in the room that you are in, and – using a flashlight beam – dart the light around the room: including on the ceiling, walls, and floor.
  • At random times, stop the light. When the light stops, your child has to run to stomp on it, jump up to smack it on the wall, etc. to make the light move again.

Let’s Memorize!

“So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”

Matthew 28: 19-20 NIRV

>> To help you memorize today’s verse, practice saying it in a dark room, using a flashlight behind you to make shadow puppets or your silhouette on the wall to act it out! (for example: run really fast for “go,” lay down and stand back up for baptize, open a “book” for teach. . . etc). See what creative movements or shadow puppets your family comes up with!

EGC KIDS TIP: For younger children, use just the second half of verse 20 this week: “You can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”

Let’s Bless!

Parents/Guardians, close out your lesson time by speaking this blessing (based on Ephesians 3:16-19) over your child(ren):

May you truly know how wide and long and high and deep Jesus’ love is for you. May you be changed by His Spirit from the inside out, and be filled with his joy, his presence, and his power – and may you share His love with those around you wherever you go.