Make It Visible #3

In the last two blog entries, I shared games that will enhance your teaching about the Holy Spirit. This week, I want to share a few ideas about some props that I use in my teachings.

First, let me share some props that you probably already own.

1. A Swiss army knife. Great prop for teaching how the Holy Spirit is prepared to assist in any and every situation. These knives have every type of accessory needed to remedy practically any need. Jesus showed His dependence upon the "Swiss army knife" Companion in Luke 4:18-19.
2. A flashlight with battery.In going to Walmart or Target, you will discover that flashlights are sold along with the batteries needed to power the flashlight. Why? Because without the needed power, the flashlight can't fulfill its purpose!
3. A dogbone. Sold in the pet stores or department stores. A great prop for illustrating how the Holy Spirit gives you a spiritual backbone. (Acts 1:8) The bigger the dogbone, the better for the illustration!
4. Barbells. Used to illustrate the value of praying in other tongues. Jude 20 and 1Corinthians 14:4 teaches that we grow stronger as we pray in our heavenly prayer language.
5. A GPS (global positioning system). Used to demonstrate that the Holy Spirit has been sent to lead and guide us. (John 16:13)
6. A three-legged easel or tripod. Great for teaching about the Trinity, their responsibilities and dependency upon each other. Each leg of the easel is important and carries equal responsibility. In the Trinity, the Father was dependent upon the Son to express His love. The Son was dependent upon the Father for His leadership. The Son was dependent upon the Holy Spirit to enable Him to fulfill His assignment. The Holy Spirit was dependent upon the Father to lead the Son and speak to the Son. Great illustration!

Here are some props that you can purchase through amazon.com. Just type in the information that I am providing into Amazon's search engine and you will be offered a large selection to choose from.

1. Rubber brain. Great for teaching about being lead by your spirit and not your brain.
2. Rubber tongue. Great for teaching how the Holy Spirit doesn't grab ahold of our tongue and force us to speak in other tongues. Paul wrote, "I will pray in the Spirit." It is a matter of our will.
3. Play Visions Mega Mouth by Play Visions. Great prop for showing the importance of opening up your mouth and using your voice to connect your spirit and the Holy Spirit as we pray in our heavenly language.
4. Plastic ear. Great for teaching about the inward ear that hears the voice of the Holy Spirit.
5. Stiff rope. Great "magic" prop for illustrating how the Holy Spirit will give you a spiritual backbone.

I'll see you next week with more ideas for making the teaching about the Holy Spirit come alive.

Make It Visible #2

Too many ideas ... too little space. This week, I want to share another idea to help make teaching on the Holy Spirit come alive. In Make It Visible #2 I want to provide a game that will show the importance of being filled to overflowing with God's Spirit. Once again I am sharing the game just as it would appear in one of our service curriculums.

“Filled to Overflowing”

Persons: Leader and 6 boys and 6 girls

Props: 12 large disposable cups, Styrofoam peanuts, 2 large clear containers, 2 music stands

BG Music: _______________

Note: The Styrofoam peanuts can be purchased in large bags at Office Depot or any office supply store. One idea for the large clear containers could be the large clear containers that you would find at Sam's Wholesale Club used with the Cheese Balls (Cheetos like snacks). Or you could use large clear drink pitchers.

Logistics: It is important to have a cleaning crew ready to pick up or sweep up the Styrofoam peanuts lying on the ground after the game.
                       

Game: This is a simple relay game with the children standing side-to-side on the platform and holding a cup. At one end of the line is a container of the Styrofoam peanuts. At the other end of the line is the large empty clear container that is placed on a music stand. 

The object of the game is to pass the peanuts down the row (the children pouring the peanuts from one cup to the next) until the clear container is filled to overflowing. To make the game more interesting, have both teams race at the same time.

Application: Filled to overflowing. In order to win, nothing less will do. Will only having a little be enough? No. How about almost being full? NO!!! The winners of our game were those who made sure that their container was FILLED to OVERFLOWING.

Why is this important? Because we see that after Jesus returned to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, the disciples were so filled with the Spirit that they had trouble containing Him on the inside. As they went through their day, these filled-to-overflowing people splashed the overflow on those around them. (Acts 5:15-16) Great things happened when the splashing took place!

That SAME Holy Ghost wants to splash out of filled-to-overflowing people (including boys and girls) TODAY. Let’s be one of those filled-to-overflowing people! 

Make It Visible #1

From time to time, I mention different ideas that I've incorporated in our services to make the teaching come alive. Many of these ideas are shared in our Regional Ignite the Supernatural Conferences when Vickie teaches a workshop entitled Holy Spirit Projectiles. I always hate that time of our conference because I know that when Vickie is teaching this workshop, the majority of the people always gravitate to her class leaving my workshop that is running simultaneously with just a few people. I know that people are looking for ways to make the invisible become visible.

So, for the next few weeks, I want to share some of these ideas with you. Some blog entries will provide ideas for games. Other blog entries will be object lessons. And finally other blog entries will provide information where to find props that will help you.

Let's start with a game that shows the importance of listening to the inward voice of the Holy Spirit. It's called "How Bad Do You Want It?". I am presenting the game to you just like it would appear in a curriculum.

“How Bad Do You Want It”

Persons: Leader and 1 boy and 1 girl
Props: Two $1.00 bills
Slides: Countdown Timer, John 16:13, Proverbs 20:27

Game: Before the service, two $1.00 bills are hidden in the auditorium. One boy and then later one girl will race against time to find the hidden money. Our leader is to only give the clues of “hot”, “hotter”, “burning hot”, “cold”, “colder”, “freezing” to describe how close the child is to their prize. Each child will be given 90 seconds to find their prize.

Application: In order to win the prize, the child had to really pay attention to what was being said. What a shame it would be to hear directions that turn by turn, step by step lead them to the prize and yet totally ignore what was being said. I don’t know about you, I’d be focusing. I’d really want that prize.

In talking to His disciples, Jesus tells us that one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is talk to us and in doing so, He will give us direction. (Show John 16:13 slide) Is it an audible voice that we hear with our ears? Well, it could happen. But, the majority of the time, the Holy Spirit will give us a knowing on the inside of us. In the Book of Proverbs (show Proverbs 20:27 slide) we see that God's Holy Spirit will speak to our spirit giving us direction. It is in our spirit that we will sense and know where to go, how to go, when to go.

How bad do you want God's direction? In listening to His voice and following His direction, we will be blessed, protected, and secure!!! I don't know about you, but I REALLY want to hear and obey the Holy Spirit. 

Pentecost

I recently discovered and then downloaded to my iPad three books written by a great British Pentecostal pioneer Alexander A. Boddy. The first of the books, The Laying on of Hands, was written in 1895 and the remaining two, Pentecost for England and (The True) Pleading of the Blood, were written in 1907. It was through the influence of the Anglican Alexander and his wife Mary that a move of God's Spirit began to sweep across the United Kingdom at the beginning of the twentieth century. Mary often prayed for people to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The most famous of these is Smith Wigglesworth.

It was in the book Pentecost for England that I discovered a thought that I continue to meditate upon and trust that it will be a blessing to you.

Pentecost is a baptism of praise, coming over the balconies of heaven from the glorified presence of our Savior, having an unmistakable relation to His glorification, fills us with His glory striking the chords of praise we never dreamed existed in our souls and finding adequate expression only in the tongues, which come with it the scenes of heavenly praise and adoration above. 

Boddy's statement reminds us that being Pentecostal isn't a denomination. It is ... well, reread the quotation again and allow the Holy Spirit define His presence in your life.