The Unseen Power

(Out of kids’ sight, place the car in front of the cardstock and the magnet behind the cardstock, holding the car in place.) 

I have something really cool to show you this morning. Are you ready? (Pause for children to respond. Hold the cardstock vertically on a flat surface with only the car visible to kids.)

I can move the car from this spot to another spot on the card without touching the car at all. Do you think I can do it? (Pause for responses.) I’ll need some help from you first. (Choose two children to hold the sides of the card, and then move the car by moving the magnet from behind.) 

Wow! That was pretty amazing, wasn't it? (Invite the children who weren’t holding the card to tell how you did it.)

I didn’t do it with any special powers; I used a magnet. Magnets attract metal objects like this car; so I just stuck the car to the magnet from behind the paper, and moved it! (Invite the children to gather closely, and show them how it works. If time allows, let each of them take a quick turn moving the car from behind the cardstock.) 

We can’t see the magnet from behind the card, but we know that it’s there because we can see its power by what it does.

Did you know that we can have a power within us that will guide us just like the magnet guided this car across the card? (Pause for responses.) That power comes from the Holy Spirit. 

The Bible says when Jesus knew it was time for Him to leave the earth and return to Heaven, He called His friends, the disciples together. He said He would leave His Holy Spirit to live in them. When we believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us, too. (Invite the children to share if they believe in Jesus and why they do.)

We can't see the Holy Spirit Jesus puts in us, but we know He’s there because we can feel His power. Just like we could see the power of the magnet guiding this metal car, we can see the Holy Spirit guiding us each day. (Hold up the magnet, cardstock, and car again. Share a few examples of how the Holy Spirit can guide us, each time, moving the car using the magnet. For example, you might say, “Maybe we come to church and people start singing. The Holy Spirit might guide us [move the car] to sing to God with thankfulness and joy.” Or “Maybe we see a lonely boy. The Holy Spirit might guide us [move the car] to talk to him and share Jesus love with him.”)

The car has to be close to the magnet before it feels the effects of its power. Like that, when we stay close to God, we feel the power of His Holy Spirit guiding us. Let's pray and thank God for sending the Holy Spirit to be our guide.

God, thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to guide us in the way You want us to go. Help us to stay close to You, so that we can feel the power of Your Holy Spirit in our life. In Jesus’ name, amen.