*Optional*
SUPPLIES: Bible, helium-inflated balloon with ribbon tied to it, use a permanent marker to write “Jesus” on the balloon
RESOURCES: God’s Big Story Video

Last time, we learned about how Jesus died and then came back to life. Today, we’re learning what
happened after Jesus came back to life! Let’s find out from the Bible what happened!

Watch the God’s Big Story video, read the story from the Bible (Matthew 28; Acts 1) or use the script provided.

Jesus Gives the Great Commission and Ascends Script
After Jesus died, God brought Him back to life. (Hold up the balloon.) Jesus then appeared to His
disciples. He ate and drank with them and let them touch His hands so they would know He was
alive again. After 40 days, Jesus told His disciples to meet Him on a mountain.

There, Jesus shared an important message—He would go to heaven to be with God and would
come back one day. While He was gone, His disciples would have a special mission to complete.
They should tell people all about Him, the things He taught and the miracles He did.
Most importantly, they were to tell everyone how He died and came back to life so that every
person could have a relationship with God. Jesus told them to carry this message all over the
world!

(Stand, hands on hips.) Whew! That sounds like a really hard thing to do! Jesus knew His followers
would need some help, so He promised a helper—the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would give the
disciples power to share the message of Jesus with everyone!

But the disciples were confused. Why was Jesus leaving? Jesus replied that one day He would rule
the world. But for now, Jesus would go to heaven, the Holy Spirit would come, and the disciples
should work to complete the mission Jesus gave them. The mission is to share the good news of
Jesus with the entire world!

And then, before their eyes (let go of the balloon and allow it to float to the ceiling), Jesus rose into
the air and disappeared behind clouds! The disciples returned to Jerusalem, and there they waited
for Jesus to fulfill His promise to send the Holy Spirit. We’ll hear more about that in our next story.

But this special job was not just for the disciples back a long time ago. Jesus gave this special
mission to all of His followers—that’s us too!

Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to help us with this mission!

SUPPLIES: Bible
Wonder Ink RESOURCES: God’s Big Story Video

God’s big story today is a great story from the Bible about the disciples who were filled with
power from the Holy Spirit. Encourage the kids to say, “Holy Spirit.” Let’s find out from the Bible
what happened in the house where the disciples were gathered!

Show the kids the God’s Big Story Video, read the story from the Bible (Acts 2), or use the Script provided.

Jesus died and came back to life. But before He went to heaven, Jesus promised to send a helper. No one knew when or how the helper would come.

One day, a lot of Jesus’ followers were gathered in a house celebrating a day called Pentecost. Suddenly, the whole house filled with the sound of a strong wind blowing! What do you think it sounded like? Have kid(s) make their best impersonation of a strong wind sound).

The Holy Spirit filled every person there. Something that looked like flames rested on top of each person in the room. The Holy Spirit caused them to speak in languages they had never learned! 

The people were so filled with power by the Holy Spirit they left to share the story of Jesus with
everyone else. When we trust Jesus as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in us. The Holy
Spirit gives us power too! We can tell our family and friends about Jesus!

SUPPLIES: Bible
Wonder Ink RESOURCES: God’s Big Story Video

Our God’s big story today is a great story from the Bible about when God sent a special gift. It
came in a loud wind. Encourage the kids to make a wind sound. Let’s find out from the Bible what
happened!

Show the kids the God’s Big Story Video or use the Script provided.

The Role of the Holy Spirit Script

Before Jesus went up to heaven, He told His disciples that He would not leave them behind like
children without their parents. The Holy Spirit was coming to be with them.

One day, Jesus’ friends gathered in a house on the holiday of Pentecost when suddenly the house
was filled with the sound of a strong wind blowing! What sound does the wind make? Guide kids
to make a blowing wind sound with their mouth. The Holy Spirit filled Jesus’ friends and helped them
to share God’s story with anyone who would listen.

The Holy Spirit gave them the power to talk to many other people! Many people believed God’s
story and decided to follow Jesus that day.

God gives the Holy Spirit to everyone who trusts in Jesus and follows Him! The Spirit guides us
each day to become more like Jesus! 

Today, we learned about when God sent a gift, the Holy Spirit, to help all of us. God knows we
need a guide to help us listen to and follow Him. The Holy Spirit guides us and helps us become
more like Jesus!

SUPPLIES: Bible
Wonder Ink RESOURCES: God’s Big Story Video

Our God’s big story today is about two men named Peter and John who were bold and brave
when they told people about Jesus. They showed Jesus’ love to a man who couldn’t walk, even
when some leaders told them not to. We are going to hear how we can be as brave as Peter and
John were!

Show the kids the God’s Big Story Video, read the story from the Bible (Acts 3-4), or use the script provided.

Peter and John at the Sanhedrin Script

One day Peter and John were walking to the temple to pray. The temple was the place where
Jewish people went to worship God. Peter and John saw a man at one of the gates. This man had
never been able to walk, and he was being carried to the gate to ask people for money.
The man asked Peter and John for money. Peter told the man he didn’t have any money to give,
but he had something even better.

Peter said, “In the name of Jesus, walk!” And the man walked! He walked, and he jumped, and he
praised God, too. When other people saw this man walking and praising God, they were surprised
he had been healed.

Then Peter and John told the people all about Jesus. Peter and John weren’t afraid to talk about
Jesus because the Holy Spirit helped them be bold.

Some of the leaders at the temple didn’t like that Peter and John were teaching about Jesus. So,
they put the men in jail.

That feels like it could be kind of scary, huh? But Peter and John didn’t have to worry or feel
scared because the Holy Spirit helps us be bold and brave. The Holy Spirit helped Peter be bold
when he told the leaders the man was healed in the name of Jesus!

When the leaders realized that Peter and John were not scared and that they knew a lot about
Jesus, they let them go! Peter and John kept boldly sharing about Jesus everywhere. The Holy
Spirit helps us be bold!

SUPPLIES: stuffed animals, bed sheet or blanket

Our God’s big story today is a great story from the Bible about Peter and Cornelius. Encourage the
kids to say “Peter” and then “Cornelius.” Let’s find out from the Bible what happened!

Show the kids the God’s Big Story Video, read the story from the Bible (Acts 10), or use the script provided.

Peter and Cornelius Script

Have kids hold onto sides of the sheet or blanket and put the stuffed animals on the sheet.

In the book of Acts in the Bible, we learn about a man named Cornelius who believed in Jesus. He
was not Jewish, but he loved God and wanted to follow God. One day God told Cornelius to invite
Peter (a Jewish believer) to Cornelius’ home. Meanwhile, Peter was praying and had a vision from
God. Peter saw a big white sheet being lowered from heaven! The sheet was filled with all kinds of
animals.

Encourage the kids to raise and lower the sheet with stuffed animals as you tell this part of the story.
When you finish, collect the sheet. If the kids want to sit with the stuffed animals (and don’t get
distracted!), they can sit with the stuffed animals while you finish the story.

Then, Peter went downstairs and met three men Cornelius had sent. They all went to Cornelius’
house and then Peter understood the vision God had given him!

God wasn’t trying to teach Peter about animals. God was saying He wants everyone to know
Him and follow Him, even people who are not Jews. People don’t have to like the same animals to
know and follow God, they just have to believe.

Peter shared the story of Jesus with Cornelius and all the people living in his house. We are all
different too, and there are lots of people in the world; some who are like us and some who are
different. God loves every one of them. The Holy Spirit is for everyone who believes! 

SUPPLIES: Bible
 Wonder Ink RESOURCES: God’s Big Story Video 

Our God’s big story today is a story from the Bible that tells us how we can be protected. Let’s find out from the Bible how we can be protected!

Show the kids the God’s Big Story video, read the story from the Bible (Ephesians 6), or use the script provided.

The Armor of God Script
 
I need your help to tell today’s God’s big story! Every time I say a part of your body, I want you to point to it. So, if I say mouth, where would you point? Point at mouth. Right, you would point at your mouth! 
God’s big story tells us just like a soldier wears armor to protect herself during battle, we should wear a kind of armor, too. This special armor helps God protect us! The helmet of salvation goes on our heads (point at head) to help us remember God loves us!

The shoes of peace go on our feet (point at feet) to remind us to go tell others about Jesus.
 
The breastplate of righteousness goes on our heart (point at heart) to remember Jesus came to save us and to love God and others.

The sword of the spirit (point at a Bible) is the Bible, which helps us know God and His truth. We can hear God’s word with our ears (point at ears) and see it with our eyes (point at eyes).
 
The Holy Spirit is like our invisible armor, living inside us and protecting us. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and strength. A soldier’s armor protects the solider so the solider can be strong and brave. When we trust in Jesus and have the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit makes us strong and brave too!