Object Lesson | Holy Ghost Power
Supplies
A Bible, an ordinary battery-powered flashlight with an accessible battery compartment, and the correct batteries. You can teach this alone or have a helper play the person who proudly brings the flashlight.
Optional teaching adaptation: Prepare small paper labels reading “selfishness,” “unkindness,” and “love of money.” Use them as removable props beside the flashlight, or loosely inside an empty compartment only if there is room without forcing anything or touching electrical contacts.
Preparation
Test the flashlight with its correct batteries, then remove the batteries before the lesson. Keep them within reach. Practice opening and closing the compartment so the demonstration moves smoothly. If you use paper props, make sure every piece can be removed easily before inserting the batteries. Keep loose batteries with the teacher and never point the beam into anyone’s eyes.
1. Introduce the Challenge
Begin with a simple question: “Have you ever wanted to invite someone to church, but you were nervous about what to say?” Let a few children respond. Explain that God wants us to be witnesses, telling others about Jesus and showing His love through our lives.
Hold up the flashlight and announce, “Well, I brought some help. This is the Super Illuminator 5000!” A fancy name and a confident presentation make the next moment more memorable. Keep it light, but let the children see that you expect the flashlight to work.
2. Try the Flashlight
Press the switch. Nothing happens. Check the switch again and look puzzled. Ask, “What is wrong with this thing? It looks like a flashlight. It has a switch. Why won’t it shine?” Listen to their ideas before opening the compartment.
Explain that looking ready on the outside is not the same as having what we need on the inside. A flashlight’s job is to give light, but it cannot do that just because it looks impressive.
3. Remove What Does Not Belong
If you prepared paper labels, reveal them one at a time. Ask, “Is this what a flashlight needs to work?” Connect selfishness, unkindness, and the love of money with attitudes that do not belong in a life surrendered to God. Clarify that money itself is not wrong. The problem is loving it more than God or other people.
Say, “When something is wrong inside, we do not throw the whole flashlight away. We deal with the problem. God does not throw us away either. He loves us and calls us to repent.” Explain repentance as being sorry for sin and turning away from it toward God. Remove all the paper props.
4. Show That Empty Is Not Enough
Close the flashlight without putting in the batteries and try the switch again. Ask, “We took the wrong things out. Why is it still not working?” Give the children a chance to identify the missing batteries.
Say, “Getting the wrong things out matters, but this flashlight still needs power. We need more than an empty space where the wrong things used to be. We need God working inside us.”
5. Add the Right Power
Show the batteries and insert them according to the flashlight’s markings. Do not force them or deliberately install them incorrectly. Close the compartment and turn on the light, aiming it toward a wall or the floor.
Read Acts 1:8 and explain that the Holy Ghost gives us power to be witnesses. Use Acts 2:38 as a supporting passage to teach repentance, baptism in Jesus’ name, and receiving the Holy Ghost. Say, “The batteries help us picture the need for power. The Holy Ghost is God’s Spirit, not something we can put inside ourselves like a battery. We ask God, trust His Word, and respond to Him.”
6. Shine Where You Are
Ask, “What changed? Did we buy a better flashlight, or did this one receive the power it needed?” Bring the lesson back to the person who was nervous about inviting others to church. The answer is not a bigger name, better equipment, or pretending to be brave. We need God’s help and His Spirit working through us.
Read Matthew 5:14-16 as a supporting passage. Talk about everyday ways to shine: invite a friend to church, tell a family member what Jesus has done, include someone who is left out, speak kindly, and choose honesty. Encourage children to ask a parent, pastor, or teacher for help when they have questions about receiving the Holy Ghost.
Discussion Questions
What kept the flashlight from working? Why did taking the wrong things out still leave it without light? What does repentance mean? What power did Jesus promise in Acts 1:8? Who could you be a witness to this week? What is one way your actions can help someone see the love of Jesus?
