Holy Spirit — Fight for Your Family

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Theme Verse

‍“God the Holy Spirit will help you follow Him” (Ezekiel 36:27).

Objective

God loves me.

Teach

Providing your children with a focus on God and Jesus will prepare the foundation for teaching about the Holy Spirit when they are older. For this week’s lesson, focus on love. The sentence “I love you,” and variations will be used in this lesson: “Mommy loves you,” “Daddy loves you,” and “God loves you!”

Select a few of your child’s favorite toys, items, or snacks. This lesson can take place at any moment, but it would be most opportune to engage your child with one of their favorite things. “(Child’s name), you love your bunny! And mommy loves you!” Make an enthusiastic emphasis on the word “loves,” and spread out your arms demonstrating that your love is big. This emphasis implicitly teaches how God desires the love between people to be greater than the love of objects. Next, make an even bigger emphasis with enthusiasm in your voice and gestures with your hands saying, “God loves you!”

Discussion Questions

Whether or not your child repeats the words you say, it is helpful to model this. Ask the question “(Child’s name), who loves you?” and then answer, “God loves you!” Repeat this several times with enthusiasm and big gestures with your hands stretched out to show that God’s love is big. Provide your child the opportunity to attempt to answer the question “Who loves you?” with the answer “God!” Repeat the answer multiple times to model this for your child. Repeat this process multiple times.

Play

During this time, either use your child’s favorite toy or activity and play with them. Narrate periodically for your child about how you can see that they love this toy or activity. Or another option is to use some of your child’s toys and act out a scenario where one toy tells the other that they love them.

Live it Out

During the upcoming week repeat asking the question, “Who loves you?” and help them answer with “God!” Continue to use opportunities when your child is engaged in their favorite toy, eating a favorite food, or playing a favorite game to teach how God’s love is the greatest kind of love.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for (Child’s name). I love him so much! You love him so much! Thank You for loving the whole world so much! Amen.

Theme Verse

‍“God the Holy Spirit will help you follow Him” (Ezekiel 36:27).

Objective

God helps people.

Teach

Have you ever needed help doing or understanding something? Who helped you? How did they help you? In Acts 8:26–40, the Bible teaches about a man from Ethiopia. He oversaw the queen’s treasury. He had been in Jerusalem to worship the Lord and was now heading home. While traveling, the man was reading from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. He was having a very hard time understanding what it said.

In the meantime, the Lord spoke to Philip, one of Jesus’ helpers, and told him to go south to the road where the man was traveling. When Philip arrived, the Holy Spirt told Philip to go and join the man in his chariot. The Holy Spirit used Philip to explain the verses to the Ethiopian man. The scriptures were about Jesus. After listening to Philip, the Ethiopian man trusted Jesus as his Savior. As they were traveling, they came to some water. He asked to be baptized. They stopped the chariot, and Philip baptized the man in the water. Afterward, the Holy Spirit took Philip away, and the Ethiopian man continued traveling home.

Today, our verse is “God the Holy Spirit will help you follow Him” (Ezekiel 36:27). Repeat the verse several times. Instruct your child(ren) to carry an object around the table while everyone says the verse. Have someone help them carry the object while everyone says the verse. Allow each person to carry the object by themselves and then with someone. Everyone should repeat the verse while the object is being carried.

Discussion Questions

How did the Holy Spirit help the Ethiopian man? (He sent Philip to explain the Scriptures.)
Who was Isaiah referring to in the Scriptures? (Jesus)
How does the Holy Spirit help you? (Allow the children to explain.)

Play

Pass the Ball!

Materials:

Two sets of 10 ping pong balls
Sharpie/marker
Two paper sacks or containers

Directions:

Divide the family into two teams.
Decide on some keywords about the lesson.
Write one letter of the word on each ball. (Make two sets.)
Place the balls in a bag or container.
Have each person on the team select a ball.
Pass the balls down to the last person.
The last person should guess the word.
Pick a different word and repeat steps two through five.
Now have everyone on the team guess the word.
You may want to give a list of words for the teams to use while guessing the word.

Live it Out

What was the easiest way to find the correct word? (When we had helpers and the list of words.) We need to remember when we have problems or need help, we need to pray and ask God for help. He will send the Holy Spirit to help us. Remind the children that God works in His timing and in His way.

Closing Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for sending us the Holy Spirit to help us. We need You to do the right thing in Your way. Help us to always ask and listen to You for the answers we need. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Theme Verse

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances” (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

Objective

The Holy Spirit helps people understand God’s plan for salvation.

Teach

Can you think of a time when you were in school or on a sports team, and while the teacher or coach was actively teaching, you began talking with your friend? You may have been talking about something the leader was saying or something completely different, and then you suddenly realized the whole room had become silent. You were the only one still talking, and then you noticed everyone was looking at you. At that moment, you also realized you were supposed to be listening to the leader and not talking with your neighbor.

Let’s look at what just happened. Something was going on around you, and you were not fully aware of it. Circumstances changed, and you became aware of the situation. The whole room was looking at you. In this case, it may have been embarrassing, but the Bible says the Holy Spirit helps us by doing the same thing. You have heard that we all sin. We all do things that are displeasing to God. The Bible says the Holy Spirit will help us understand that we are sinners. The Bible word for this is “conviction.” Conviction means that we become aware or are brought to a sense of knowing or belief. The Holy Spirit will help you to recognize when you sin. It’s no fun to be told that you are wrong, but this is a good thing. God, in His grace, gives the Holy Spirit who helps us ask for His forgiveness. God is forgiving and abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon Him. The Holy Spirit is a helper to show you how to seek forgiveness.

Discussion Questions

Think about the story in the teaching; have you ever suddenly realized the whole room was looking at you?
How did this realization spur you to action?
Sometimes the Holy Spirit urges us to acts of kindness. Talk about a time when you were prompted and acted to be kind or help someone. (Parent, you might start with a story about how you were prompted to give a special tip to a waiter or help a homeless person.)

Play

The Holy Spirit helps prompt us about our actions or recognize opportunities to help others. See if you can silently prompt your child(ren) into action with only nonverbal communication. These actions might be hand motions, facial expressions, or eye movements. Some ideas: follow me, thirstiness, stop misbehaving, etc.

Live it Out

Listen for the Holy Spirit to give you thoughts about actions and people. As you go this week ask God to show you how you can impact your community for Him. Look for needs in your neighborhood and listen for needs when you talk to friends and family.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help us live for You. Thank You that the Holy Spirit urges us to seek forgiveness, so we can live for You even more today. Amen.

Theme Verse

Objective

The Holy Spirit urges people to receive God’s salvation.

Teach

Discussion Questions

Think about the story in the teaching; have you ever suddenly realized the whole room was looking at you?
How did this realization spur you to action?
Sometimes the Holy Spirit urges us to acts of kindness. Talk about a time when you were prompted and acted to be kind or help someone. (Parent, you might start with a story about how you were prompted to give a special tip to a waiter or help a homeless person.)

Play

Live it Out

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help us live for You. Thank You that the Holy Spirit urges us to seek forgiveness, so we can live for You even more today. Amen.

Theme Verse

Objective

The Holy Spirit is given to a person when he/she trusts Jesus as his/her Savior and Lord.

Teach

We experience most of life through one of our five senses. Immediately, we recognize familiar sounds, sights, smells, tastes, or feelings. Memories rush to our minds when we encounter certain smells, and we respond quickly when we touch something hot. Because we rely so much on our senses, it is difficult to trust in the existence of something that cannot be seen, touched, heard, tasted, or smelled.

When we repent of our sins, believe that Jesus died and rose from the grave to save us, and receive Him as our Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit to live inside of us. We cannot see or hear him with our eyes or ears, but we can definitely sense His presence in our lives. The Holy Spirit comforts us, encourages us, convicts us of sin, and leads us toward truth.

What a privilege and blessing it is to have a personal guide helping us through the ups and downs of life. In fact, before Jesus left the earth to return to Heaven, He said that it is better for us to have the Holy Spirit than to have Jesus remain on the earth (John 16:7). The Holy Spirit is not seen with our eyes, but we can clearly sense His working in us and around us.

Discussion Questions

‍Allow time for family discussion.

Have you ever felt like lying, but you didn’t? Why do you think you made the right choice?
Why do you think it makes you feel good to make the right choices?
Think about a time that a familiar Bible verse finally made sense to you. Discuss the Holy Spirit’s role in your understanding of God’s Word.
When have you gone through a difficult time and felt the Holy Spirit’s comfort?

Play

Gather several items from around the house and place them in individual bags. Have your child close his or her eyes and reach in each bag to feel the items. See how many items he or she can identify. Explain that although the Holy Spirit cannot be seen, touched, or heard, we can become better at identifying His voice as we experience His presence.

Live it Out

Talk about your own salvation story and what it has looked like growing in your faith. How has the Holy Spirit convicted you of sin, helped you to interpret Scripture, and encouraged or comforted you? Help your child(ren) understand that you desire to help them learn to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Closing Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for “a new heart, and a new spirit that You put within me” (Ezekiel 36:26). Thank You that Your Holy Spirit guides me even though I cannot see Him with my eyes. Help me to recognize His work in my life.

Theme Verse

Objective

Each person who comes to faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit and is given a spiritual gift.

Teach

The Holy Spirit can be a difficult person to describe. Just because we cannot see Him, that does not minimize His existence or significance. When Jesus left the earth, He said that something greater was coming! He was referring to the Holy Spirit. When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and become a follower of His, then we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding the Bible, discerning His will, or fighting off temptation. He is the number one advocate in our personal walk with God. The Holy Spirit is not seen with our eyes, but we do sense His working all around us. As we learn more about God, we will grow to understand and see the Holy Spirit at work. The Holy Spirit is always there with us as Christians, but we must learn to recognize His work.

Discussion Questions

‍Allow time for family discussion.

Have you ever felt like lying, but you didn’t? Why do you think you made the right choice?
Why do you think it makes you feel good to make the right choices?
Think about a time that a familiar Bible verse finally made sense to you. Discuss the Holy Spirit’s role in your understanding of God’s Word.
When have you gone through a difficult time and felt the Holy Spirit’s comfort?

Play

Live it Out

Closing Prayer

Theme Verse

"Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances” (Ezekiel 36:26–27).

Objective

Each person who comes to faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit and is endowed with a spiritual gift to be used to serve the Church.

Teach

Discussion Questions

Allow time for family discussion.

Have you ever felt like lying, but you didn’t? Why do you think you made the right choice?
Why do you think it makes you feel good to make the right choices?
Think about a time that a familiar Bible verse finally made sense to you. Discuss the Holy Spirit’s role in your understanding of God’s Word.
When have you gone through a difficult time and felt the Holy Spirit’s comfort?

Play

Live it Out

Talk about your own Salvation story and what it has looked like growing in your faith. How has the Holy Spirit convicted you of sin, helped you to interpret Scripture, and encouraged or comforted you? Help your child(ren) understand that you desire to help them learn to listen to the Holy Spirit.

Closing Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for “a new heart, and a new spirit that You put within me” (Ezekiel 36:26). Thank You that Your Holy Spirit guides me even though I cannot see Him with my eyes. Help me to recognize His work in my life.

FAQ