Romans 8:1-17

[This is the 4th part in a series on Romans 4-8 for our Junior Church]

Romans 8:1-7 for 3-5s

Theme: Only the person who has the Spirit can do what God wants

Activities:

·        God says – variation on Simon says. Purpose: doing what God wants.

·        Heart biscuits – decorate and help them to write ‘Spirit’ on in icing.

·        Sticking activity – picture of Robby and Ronny and help them to stick on thought bubbles and thumbs up etc from story.

Story:

I wonder if you can remember the name of our friend here? Ronny the Roman. And look here’s another person I want you to meet [have another wooden spoon person, both have hearts stuck on]. This is Robby the Roman. Do you remember that Ronny here became a friend of Jesus’? Because of this Ronny has God’s Spirit in His heart [write ‘Spirit’ on heart.]

I wonder what difference being a friend of Jesus makes?

Well, they think about different things: Robby thinks about himself and what he wants to do all the time. Whereas Ronny thinks about what God wants him to do. [Stick on thought bubbles]. You see God doesn’t want us to think about ‘me, me, me’ all the time, He wants us to think about Him. And God’s Spirit helps us to do that.

And that makes a difference to what Robby and Ronny do. Because Ronny is always thinking about himself, thinking ‘me, me, me’, he is not able to do what God wants. He keeps disobeying God and doing naughty things which he knows he shouldn’t. [Stick thumbs down on Robby.]

But for Ronny, because he’s always thinking of what God wants Him to do, the Spirit helps him to please God, to do what God wants. [stick thumbs up on Ronny]

And the same is true of you and me, God’s Spirit will help us to do what God wants us to do. So although it will be hard and we need to work hard to do what God wants, the Spirit will help us if we’re Jesus’ friends.

And because Ronny is Jesus’ friend and has God’s Spirit he can call God his Daddy! Isn’t that amazing? Ronny is God’s child. [Stick on a call out with ‘Daddy’ written on]

And the same is true of us if we’re Jesus’ friends and have the Spirit. We can call God ‘Daddy’. We are his children. That means we want to do what makes God happy. ‘If we are God’s children, then we will receive the good things God has for us (v17).

Let’s say together ‘Only the person who has the Spirit can do what God wants’.

Romans 8:1-17 for 5-11s

Theme: Only the person who has the Spirit can please God.

Recap – looking at letter Paul wrote to people in Rome. Last time we met Ronny. This week we’ll meet his friend Robby.

[Get two of them dressed up in Roman costumes, Ronny and Robby. Stick on a heart]

Here is Ronny – [stick up v1] because he’s a follower of Jesus that means God says he’s not guilty,  he is free from God’s anger at all the things he’s done wrong. Jesus has died for him, taking all of God’s anger at his sin.

Whereas Robby isn’t a friend of Jesus. Therefore he is still captured by sin and can’t fight it. [tie up Robby]

And what that means is that their hearts are different. [perhaps get stethoscope?] Ronny has the Spirit of God to help him please God. Robby doesn’t.

[put up v5-8] What does Robby spend his time thinking about? Himself. Me, me, me! And so there’s no way he can do what God wants and that’ll only lead to death. But Ronny spends his time thinking about what God wants him to do. And so the Spirit helps him to obey God. And that gives him life and peace.

Because Ronny is free from being tied up by sin he can fight against the things that sin wants him to do. [give him a sword or spear] So, when sin wants him to steal a chocolate muffin he can battle against it with the Spirit’s help. But Robby can’t, he’s stuck. [Put up v12-13]

Here’s the big difference between Ronny and Robby; Ronny can call God His Father, he knows that he is God’s child and that one day he’ll be with God forever.

Robby doesn’t belong to God, he’s still God’s enemy, he doesn’t have the Spirit living in him and helping him.

So for us, if we’re followers of Jesus then we’re just like Ronny; we have been freed to battle sin in our lives, with the Spirit to help us please God. We don’t live for ourselves anymore only thinking ‘me, me, me!’ Instead we can now live for God.

If we’ve not decided to follow Jesus then we’re like Robby, which is a terrible thing.