JOIN THE JOURNEY JR.
Families Abiding in Jesus together
With shorter reading assignments and kid-specific focus areas, Join The Journey Jr. is designed to help parents disciple their kids and engage with Scripture in the best ways for their age.
This month's memory verse
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
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But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts of the Apostles 1
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1In my first book* I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. 3During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
4Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5John baptized with*1:5 Or in; also in 1:5b. water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The Ascension of Jesus
6So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. 10As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. 11“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”
Have you ever stepped into a very dark room and tried to walk through it without seeing? What helped you find your way? Maybe you listened carefully or felt around with your hands. Those senses helped you move forward, even when you weren’t sure where you were going. The Holy Spirit is like that for us! He’s our guide from God, helping us when we listen closely to him.
The Holy Spirit is God, living inside everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus as their Savior. He shows us the right way, helps us fix our mistakes, gives us bravery, and teaches us what’s good or not so good. He also helps us understand the Bible and live the way God wants us to. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit makes us feel sorry when we do something wrong and motivates us to make good choices the next time—this is called repentance. The Spirit might use a grown-up or a friend to gently correct us when we’re not acting kindly. He can even give us courage to tell another kid about Jesus, even if we feel shy!
To follow the Holy Spirit, who’s also called The Spirit of Jesus, we need to pay attention to his quiet nudges. Let’s be ready to listen and do what he shows us, like being brave, saying sorry, or cheering someone up! When the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts, he will always speak with the tone of a loving father, and his words will always agree with what the Bible says.
Right now, take a moment to pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to be active in your life, to help you be bold, say sorry when you need to, and encourage others. Ask him to help you know when he’s nudging you to do something or remember something that’s true. Trust him, because he’s always there to guide you!