Kara Hackert, Director of Children & Family Ministries
Kara Hackert 0:09
Welcome to Elmhurst CRC's daily dose of the Word of God. It's Tuesday, May 14th, it's the season of Easter and we're walking with Jesus. I'm Kara Hackert and today we're reading from Acts 2, verses 1 through 13. We'll be reading the first half of the story of Pentecost. I would like to read it to you from the Children's Bible in 365 stories.
Kara Hackert 0:35
God's spirit comes. The disciples met to talk and pray together while they waited for the Holy Spirit to come. They knew that Jesus would no longer appear suddenly to talk to them. But once the spirit came, he'd be with them in a new and closer way. Seven weeks after Passover, the Jewish people celebrate the festival of Pentecost. It's a harvest thanksgiving for the first right crops. Soon, Jerusalem was packed with pilgrims once again, as Jews from all over the world returned for the happy celebration. Early that Sunday morning, on the day of Pentecost, Jesus' disciples were all together when something extraordinary happened. They described it afterwards, as a great rushing wind that swept down from heaven and filled the whole house with the noise it made. Then, separate little tongues of flame settled for an instant on every person there. But what they could see and hear was nothing compared to how they felt inside themselves. The warmth and life that Jesus always brought with him, surged into them again and they knew that his promised Holy Spirit had come to live inside them, forever - close and real. They were bursting with joy and began to pour out aloud their thanks and praise to God. Meanwhile, a huge crowd had collected outside the house. They had seen and heard some of the strange happenings and are curious to know what was going on. But when the disciples came out of the house and onto the street, they were even more amazed. Everyone there (whatever country he came from), understood perfectly what the disciples were saying as they praised and thanked God for his wonderful gift to them. "Whatever could have happened to them?" The people asked one another. But some of the bystanders were not impressed. They've been drinking too much wine they said. Peter made up his mind to explain.
Kara Hackert 2:46
Tomorrow, you will hear the rest of the story.
Kara Hackert 2:50
Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, you sent your Holy Spirit to breathe life into your church. Please send your spirit to move throughout our church family, our community, our world and in each one of our hearts. Live in us and fill each of us with your love and joy. Thank you for your wonderful gift. Amen.
