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25 October 2011
What You Will Need:
A stop light prop (If you have an actual stoplight prop great, but if not get some foam core [more durable than poster board] and three circles of construction paper – one yellow, one red, and one green. Glue the circles on the foam core like a stoplight.
Point To Make:
The inward witness is a light like a stop light on the inside of us. It is actually the Holy Spirit trying to guide and direct us
Scripture Verse:
Romans 8: 14, 'The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit.'
Stop lights were designed to aid in traffic control. Could you imagine life without them? It would simply be chaotic. Everyone has their destination in mind, not thinking of the guy next to them. It certainly would spell disaster if there were not controls on traffic. We all know from an early age, that when the light is red it means - STOP, when it is green it means - Go, and yellow means it is getting ready to turn red. The red light is there to protect us and keep us from getting into an accident.
Did you know that you have a stoplight inside of you? When you are born again you have a new and clean heart. God lives inside of you. What is He doing in there? What is His purpose? He is inside of us to lead us and guide us. He has given us His Word - the Bible, and that spells out His will concerning big things, however; He wants us to follow His leading on the inside for personal things.
It's like this: You are hanging out with your friends. Every now and then, one of them tells a joke or says something that makes you feel funny inside. You ignore it, but it keeps happening. What is that? That is what we call the inward witness. It is a leading from the Holy Spirit. It is like a bad or yucky feeling on the inside. That is the RED LIGHT telling you to stay away from that kid. You don't have to ask your mom or dad – you know this kid isn't good for you.
Okay, now a different story. A new kid comes to your school and you don't know him that well. He asks you to go with him and his family to their cabin for the weekend. In your head you're thinking, "I don't know? I hardly know this kid. He isn't very popular." But as you think about it, you feel good inside. You may even have a warm, peaceful feeling inside. Even though you don't know this kid that well you talk it over with your parents and all are agreed - yes. You go up to his cabin and find out how much you both have in common, and a new friendship is born.
It is important that you pick the right friends. The inward witness will help you make those choices. You see, you are at the age that your mom and dad are not standing with you every second. When you were small and in preschool your mom knew everything about you. As you have gotten older things have changed. Your parents are not holding your hands during everything you do. So you need to know how to judge each situation you face. The only way you can do that safely is with God's help.
Spiritual Exercise:
We are going to take a moment and I am going to show you first hand how the inward witness works.
Everyone close your eyes and no talking. (If you have a worship band you can sing a very simple song.) Okay, keep your eyes closed. Now, I want you to listen on the inside when I say these words:
- Jesus loves you, and you are precious to Him.
- God put this sickness on you to teach you a lesson.
Okay, look up at me. When I said, "Jesus loves you, and you are precious to Him," what did it feel like on the inside? (Allow for response from your class) Some say a warm feeling or a good feeling, happy. Now, when I said, "God puts sickness on you to teach you a lesson," what did you feel like on the inside? (Allow for response again.) Some say a yucky feeling, bad, terrible.
This is the inward witness. This is how the Holy Spirit will lead you in the decisions you will make. As you grow older; He will guide you in what college to go to, what job to take, what girl or guy to marry, what house to buy. Right now the Holy Spirit will lead you in what friends to hang out with, what movies to see, what music to listen to.
The important thing to remember is that the inward witness is of the Holy Spirit, to help lead and guide us.