Children's Sermon: How Can You Tell?

Children’s Sermon

How Can You Tell?

Object: A fan & a streamer or small flag

Objective: We cannot see God’s Holy Spirit except through the changes he brings in our lives.

Hi guys! It is sure good to see you today!

I have this fan up here with us today because I sometimes get warm and the fan helps me cool off. I only wish that I could see the breeze coming out of the fan so that I would know exactly where to stand to get the most effect.

I cannot see the wind coming out of the fan. Can you? No, of course not. We cannot see the air or wind … it is “invisible.”

But, we can know when and where the wind is blowing can’t we? Do you know how? We look at the “effects.” For example, if we are in the woods we can look at the leaves on the trees and see which way they are blowing. Or with this fan we can look at the streamer I have attached to it. Watch what happens when I turn the fan on … now you can tell exactly which direction the wind is blowing.

Speaking of “wind.” Did you know that the words in the Bible for the Holy Spirit are the same word that we would use for wind? The word means breath or wind. In fact, when the Holy Spirit came upon God’s people in the book of Acts it was like a “violent” wind (Acts 2:2). The people could not see the Holy Spirit, they saw the “effects” of the Holy Spirit.

That’s how people can tell if you have God living in your heart today too. They cannot look into a window and see God. They can only tell if God is REALLY there by the “effects” that God’s presence has on you. If there is no effect, if we are not acting like God, then there is reason to question God’s presence isn’t there? God’s presence is always evident in a person just like the streamer shows the wind blowing through this fan.

What does God’s presence look like? There are a lot of places in the Bible where we could find that answer but the one I want to read to you today in from Galatians 5:22-26.

The Bible says [T]he fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:22-26)

God bless you very much. Let’s pray together and thank God that He will come and live within us and make us like Jesus.

This Children’s Sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell

Potsdam Church of the Nazarene

Potsdam, New York

www.potsdam-naz.org