Title:  The Power Source

Theme:  The Holy Spirit is our power source. Pentecost - Yr. C

Object:  An iPod, a small portable radio, or portable CD player

Scripture:  I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  John 14:12 (NIV)  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4 (NIV)

I love to listen to music. Whenever I go for a walk, I like to take along my iPod so I can enjoy listening to music as I walk.  Listening to music before I go to sleep at night helps me to relax.  Listening to music when I am working in the yard helps take my mind off of the work.

Some of you may have a portable music player. If you do, then you know that before it can make music, it must have batteries in it. If the player has built-in batteries they must be charged. The batteries give the player the power that it needs to be able to play. Without batteries, the player can do nothing. Without batteries, it has no power to do what it was created to do.

Before Jesus returned to heaven to be with his Father, he told his disciples that they would do even greater things than he had done when he was on earth. Now Jesus did some pretty great things, didn't he? He healed the sick. He turned water into wine. He made the blind to see and the lame to walk. Where were the disciples going to get the power to do such great things? Jesus promised them that he would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit would give them the power to do great and mighty things.

It happened just as Jesus said it would. On the day which is called Pentecost, the disciples were all together in one place. The Bible tells us that there was a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the place where the disciples were gathered. Then, there were flames of fire that appeared and rested upon each of them. When these things happened, the disciples were filled with power and began to preach and teach about Jesus. They were able to do things that they had never done before because of the power of the Holy Spirit in them.

Did you know that you and I have that very same power available to us today? The Bible says that "all who are led by the Spirit are children of God." We who are the children of God have the power to do great and mighty things, not in our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit that is within us.

Dear Father, we pray that we will be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit just as the disciples were on the day of Pentecost. In Jesus' name we pray.   Amen.