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Igbesi aye Tuntun - Igba #7

(To be translated into Yoruba for the children in Nigeria)

He is in Heaven now.

Welcome, as the children arrive get them to colour the colouring pages and visual aids that will be used during the session. DOWNLOAD Yoruba Visual Aids DOWNLOAD Session #7 Yoruba Teaching

Numerous Yoruba Music videos have been downloaded to assist you with the children's Praise and Worship DOWNLOAD Yoruba Music videos

REVIEW: Last session we learnt that He rose from the dead, and He is in Heaven now, offering us the FREE gift of eternal life. DOWNLOAD Review using last Session's 'Bible for Children' Colouring Book

This week we will learn about Him ascending into Heaven and the promise that is ours from God.

FUN ACTIVITY PREP: (Today's Bible verses Acts 1: 8-11, typed on slips of paper or downloaded, printed and cut into 6 verses, rolled up and placed inside 6 deflated balloons prior to the beginning of class.) DOWNLOAD Yoruba Bible Verses

TEACHING:In today's Bible lesson in the book of Acts, we learn that when Jesus was ready to return to heaven, He took His disciples aside to make sure that they understood everything that had happened to Him. He explained why it was important for Him to be crucified and to be raised from the dead to fulfill what the Scriptures had said about Him. He also told them that he was going to return to His Father in heaven and that the Holy Spirit would come to be with them.

DOWNLOAD 'Bible for Children' 'Heaven God's Beautiful Home' Teaching material, including PowerPoint teaching aid, Audio and Colouring Book.

At first, the disciples were sad that Jesus would be leaving them, but then the Bible tells us that Jesus opened their minds so they would understand. Then, an amazing thing happened. The Bible tells us that Jesus lifted his hands and blessed His disciples. While He was blessing them, He lifted up and was taken up into heaven "up, up and away."

FUN ACTIVITY: " Up, up and away ."

(Remind kids to release their balloon, play a game to try and keep the balloons up in the air until teacher ends the game.)

The children can then pop their balloon, retrieve the Bible verses and tape or glue them either onto the printed balloon colouring page or onto a piece of paper, have children draw a big round balloon around the verses and cut the "balloon" out. Add a curly ribbon to the balloon verse and hang on the classroom wall or take home, as desired. Let children take turns reading/reciting the verse together. DOWNLOAD Balloon Visual Aid

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I don't know how all of this looked, but in my imagination I can see the disciples standing and watching as Jesus ascended higher and higher until He disappeared from view. Were the disciples sad? No way! The Bible tells us that when Jesus had gone up into heaven, the disciples worshipped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. They stayed continually in the temple, praising God.

They had to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a noise came from heaven. It sounded like a strong wind blowing. This noise filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw something that looked like flames of fire. The flames were separated and stood over each person there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak different languages. The Holy Spirit was giving them the power to speak these languages.

When Jesus told his disciples that he was going to return to heaven, he promised them that he would ask the Father to send another helper to be with them. That was a wonderful promise that Jesus gave his followers, but Peter, James, John, Andrew, and the rest of the disciples weren't really sure exactly what that meant.

After Jesus had ascended into heaven, the Bible tells us that his followers were gathered together in one place. They were gathered to celebrate a festival called Pentecost when they gave an offering to God of the firstfruits of their harvest.

Suddenly, they heard a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind. Next, they saw what appeared to be tongues of fire that came to rest upon the heads of each one of them. That would have been pretty amazing if that had been all that happened, but it wasn't. The Bible tells us that, after the wind and fire, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak in other languages. Everyone there could understand what was being said regardless of what language they spoke.

That is an amazing story about God sending the Holy Spirit, isn't it? What is really amazing is that the Holy Spirit didn't come that one time and then go away. The Spirit still lives in the hearts of Christ's followers and the Spirit is with us here today. The Holy Spirit guides us in the decisions we make each day. He is the comforter who calms our fears and fills us with hope. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Scripture and helps us to understand what we read. The Holy Spirit is to help us, so let us listen to Him and do what he leads us to do.

This is very exciting! I think it would be good for us to have a celebration to thank God for sending us the Holy Spirit. I have some red, orange, and yellow streamers to pass out to you. Can you guess why I chose those colors? That's right! Those colors represent the fire that rested on the followers of Jesus on the day of Pentecost. When all of you have your streamers, we are going to celebrate by waving them above our heads as we sing and praise God.

Optional:DOWNLOAD English 'Bible for Children' 'The birth of the Church' Teaching material, PowerPoint and Colouring Book.

MEMORY BIBLE VERSE:

(Use Yoruba Bible Verse Visual Aid to teach the Memory Verse and give each child a small Memory Verse Track to take home) DOWNLOAD Yoruba Bible Verse Visual Aid

DISCUSSION:

•  How do you think the disciples felt when they say Jesus going up to Heaven?

•  Maybe they felt fearful and alone almost abandoned, have you ever felt that way?

PRAYER:

Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus, Your only Son, to die for our sin. We know that He has risen from the dead and has returned to heaven. Bless us today as we worship Him with great joy! Heavenly Father, we are thankful to you for sending the Holy Spirit to live within us and to be our comforter, teacher, and guide. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

NEXT SESSION: In this last session we are going to help you share your faith using the same Gospel Presentation that we have been using over the last seven sessions.

A DROP OF HOPE

GROW AND GO CURRICULUM

ENGLISH/YORUBA

ENGLISH

ENGLISH/EFIK

ENGLISH/SHONA

CHICHEWA

ENGLISH/NUER

SWAHILI

DUTCH

PORTUGUESE

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FRENCH/HAITIAN