THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

memory verse for this unit

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NIV*).

objectives of this unit

This unit will help your students:• Understand who the Holy Spirit is, and the importance that He has in our lives• Know that the Holy Spirit helps us to understand the teachings of Jesus• Understand that it is important to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our life• Appreciate the power that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians to proclaim the message of salvation and defend their faith.

the reason we teach this unit

Maybe many of your preadolescent students have heard about the Holy Spirit. Some may even say something about him. However, very few understand clearly who he is and why he is important. To experience healthy spiritual growth, young people need to understand the identity of the Holy Spirit and his role in the life of the believer. In these lessons, your students will study the doctrine of the Trinity.

These teachings are part of a process of spiritual development that will help them better understand the essence and identity of Christians and their relationship with God. When they were little, their learning focused on God the Father. Then at the beginning of elementary school, the focus was Jesus Christ. Now, they need to understand that the Holy Spirit is God with us.

They will also study some misconceptions that exist about the Trinity. For example, some may believe that the Holy Spirit is separate from the Father and the Son, or that he has less value than the Father and the Son. In addition, they will learn about the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. It is our prayer that through these lessons, you will teach your students that the Holy Spirit is real and wants to work in their lives to help them live in holiness.

The concept of the Trinity may seem complex and mysterious. Even so, there is a practical and easy way to understand the foundations of this doctrine. The most important principle for preadolescents is to know that God wants to be part of our life every day. God does this by living in us, through the Holy Spirit.

In summary, the fundamental truths about the Holy Spirit are the following. He is a person, not a thing. We must refer to him personally, not as an object. One of the tasks of the Holy Spirit is to help us understand the teachings of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will never teach anything contrary to the ministry of Christ, or to the testimony of the Bible. The Holy Spirit comforts us and helps us to have peace and harmony with God. The Holy Spirit gives us courage and power to have a life that pleases God. Before the Holy Spirit came, the disciples lived their faith in an inconsistent way. At that time they were not willing to commit fully to the kingdom of God. However, after their experience with the Holy Spirit, they were transformed and received strength, courage and authority from God.

* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™