SPLINK for the week of June 3

June 3-9 Holy Spirit       Completing the Task   Item Needed: cell phone Instructions for a scavenger hunt   Write out tasks for a simple scavenger hunt.   Ideas: Go to the gas station and find out the price of gas. Go to the store, buy a candy bar, and give it to the clerk. Stop at the park and run around the swing set. Go to a neighbor's house and tell them how nice their yard looks. Sing a song while sitting in the closet. End with: Go the ice cream store/McDonald's and enjoy a cone.   Arrange for someone (a neighbor or friend) to call on your cell phone and read you the next task to complete. (Estimate about how much time each task will take so they will know when to call. You may have to wait a few minutes for the next task, but that's okay.)   Gather the family together and wait for the first call to tell you what to do. Complete each task and end up at a fun place—the ice cream store.   Talk about it: What did you like about this? What did we need to do to complete each task? (Wait until we were told what to do, wait and listen for the instructions, etc.)   What would have happened if we chose NOT to listen to the instructions? (We wouldn't be able to complete all the tasks, we would have missed out on the treat at the ice cream store, etc.)   God gives us the Holy Spirit to live inside us and guide us.   What can we do to find out His instructions? (Read the Bible, wait until we know what is right and do it, listen and obey when He speaks to us, etc.)   The early church followed the Holy Spirit's instructions and chose Paul and Barnabas to do a special work for God. The Holy Spirit was at work in the church calling men to tell others the truth about Jesus and to help people believe.           Fear Not!     Items Needed: pieces of copy paper Marker Masking or duct tape   Students are learning Isaiah 41:10. Assign kids to write each of the different phrases (Fear not, I am with you, etc.) of the verse on a separate piece of paper. (If you have lots of time, let them decorate their page.) Stick each one to a different tree or spot in the back yard.   Say the verse together a couple of times to review it. Then time the kids as they run from the first phrase to the second phrase to the third phrase to . . . etc. They must say the phrase aloud at each stop. If you have younger children, you may want to number them. Run the course several times to help them learn the verse.   Why don't we need to be afraid? (God is with us, the Holy Spirit guides and helps us, He will give us strength to do what is right, etc.)   How can remembering this verse help us? (It can give us confidence to face anything that comes our way, it can give us courage, and it can help us do what we need to do)   We need to remember that God is always with us and will help us.        Getting the Message   Just as the early church and Paul and Barnabas listened to the Holy Spirit, we also need to listen to Him.   Act out a situation. Person A is trying to tell Person B an important message. Person B is listening to loud music or watching TV or is distracted with a video game.   Do you think Person B got the message?(Probably not)   What does Person B need to do? (Be quiet, focus on Person A's message, pay attention to the message not the other things, etc.)   Pick a time every day this week and listen to the Holy Spirit. (He is the author of the Bible, which is the main way He speaks to us.)   Choose a quiet spot. Turn off electronic gadgets. (Parents too) Read what He has said to you in the Bible. DO what He says.   He wants to guide us, but we must be quiet and listen. On this journey with you, Pastor Beau