We started our lesson a little silly tonight. We set a fan in front of us that was not plugged in and proceeded to fan ourselves with our hands or a piece of paper instead while we talked about how warm it was in the room. Then we sharpened our pencils for the lesson by turning them by hand in an unplugged electric pencil sharpener. We also commented on how cool our lava lamp looked when the "lava" bubbled up from the bottom. We tipped the unplugged lava lamp upside down to demonstrate this.
Of course it wasn't long before the kids took note that we weren't using the appliances the way they were intended and that plugging them in would make more sense. Acting surprised, we asked the kids why it made more sense to plug the appliances in. They said because the appliances would have the power to do what they were meant to do so we wouldn't have to do their jobs for them and on our own.
So we plugged things in and gave them a try using their intended power source. And guess what? They worked much better!
We talked about how the power the Holy Spirit gives us (that Acts 1:8 speaks of) is similar to the power that the electricity gives each of the appliances in order to make them work more efficiently. We weren't created to function on our own, in our on strength, or by attempting to summon our own power. When we became Christians, Jesus poured the gift of the Holy Spirit into each of us to be our strength, to give us power, to help us determine right from wrong, and help us be His examples and witnesses to the rest of the world watching us.
We passed around a D battery, a flashlight light bulb, and a copper wire then. Each youth got to see how, by holding one end of the copper wire to the bottom of the light bulb (that was also touching the top of battery) and the other end of the wire to the bottom of the battery, they could give the light bulb enough power to light up.
Using a magnifying glass and our light bulb, we also showed the kids the tiny filament of wire inside the light bulb. We explained that when the current (power) flows through that tiny wire, it gets very hot. As it gets hot it glows and that's what makes the light we see.
We asked a few of them to take the end of the bulb off the battery and see what happened. The light went out. This is because an electric current (power) only flows if there is no open space anywhere in our battery, wire and light. This is the same thing as saying current only flows in a complete circuit. When we broke the circuit by taking one of the ends of the wire off the battery, (open space now), then current (power) stopped flowing and the light went out.
We asked the kids then how we could break the current of power that flows from Jesus to us through His Holy Spirit. We talked about priorities and how much time we spend...
- watching television, playing video games or with friends, reading other books, or listening to music
- reading our Bibles, spending quiet time with God, going to youth group or church.
Using a magnifying glass and our light bulb, we also showed the kids the tiny filament of wire inside the light bulb. We explained that when the current (power) flows through that tiny wire, it gets very hot. As it gets hot it glows and that's what makes the light we see.
We discussed how there are Scriptures in the Bible that refer to the Holy Spirit as fire. Fire gives light, warmth, and burns away dross. Dross is the impure waste matter that floats to the surface when certain metals like tin or aluminum are heated up. Think of soda cans being recycled. During the recycling process, the cans are melted down and the coatings and inks on the aluminum float to the surface and are skimmed off and thrown away.
Luke 3:16 - 16 John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Acts 2:1-4 - 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
We talked about ways we can keep our fire burning to ensure that our light keeps glowing as a witness to others and that our dross (sin) is continually brought to the surface so it can be removed. In the end, we all agreed that the only way to stay "on fire for the Lord", remove impurities (sin) from our lives, and let our lights so shine for the world around us, was to remain plugged in to the one and only power source, Jesus Christ.
