Children’s Message (John 14:15-21) The Holy Spirit Comforter

This Bible Object Lesson will teach kids about the Holy Spirit. It’s based on John 14:15-21 where Jesus promised to send a comforter from God when he leaves the disciples. Download the teachers notes, watch our Children’s Message example, and gather your supplies. Then you’re ready to share this message in your church next Sunday!

Children’s Message: The Comforter

Jesus sends the Holy Spirit

Main Objective: In times of difficulty and trouble, it is a blessing to recognize that God loves us and cares about us no matter what. The goal of this message is to remind children that we can feel comforted by the presence of God. We can’t always hear or see Jesus in our midst, but He has given us the Holy Spirit, who helps and comforts us. We can rejoice in that, and we can also demonstrate Christ’s work in us by loving one another. 

Law/Gospel Theme: Jesus not only promises us to be always with us, but He reminds us that His love should be appreciated and shared. We know that we cannot see God with our eyes, but through the comfort of the Holy Spirit we are given a way to have His presence near.

Optional Materials: Blanket, stuffed animal, pictures, “souvenirs” of loved ones

Bible Passage: John 14:15-21

Message: Note: As with most messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. Use your judgment and ideas to best serve students. This is a message that should take on a personal flair to it.

More teaching ideas about the Holy Spirit

• See our video playlist with teaching ideas about the Holy Spirit
• Browse all the Holy Spirit related resources on our website
• See the Holy Spirit Pinwheel craft project for kids
• See our four lesson series for Sunday School “Who is the Holy Spirit?”

Children’s Sermon (John 14:15-21) The Holy Spirit

Greet children, beginning with a few questions for kids.

Hello, children of God! Have you ever spent time away from someone you love? Maybe you had a sleepover, or a trip where you weren’t in your home. You might miss the people that you’re separated from in those circumstances, right? It’s challenging.

Have you ever taken something with you to remind you of those loved ones? Or, if you’ve gone away from home, have you taken something that felt like home? Perhaps you have a special blanket or stuffed animal that does this job, comforting you and reminding you of things and people you love (hold up blanket or toy as example).

Sometimes having a little something with you helps, because it makes you think of what has been left behind, and it lets you rest assured that you’ll be together again sometime.

(*Feel free to use personalization here. You can offer anecdotes of items or pictures you used as a kid when away, or you can use photos of family members from whom you are separated, or things that belong to students and help them when they are separated from family or home. Describe how those items or pictures bring comfort when you miss someone or something you love.)

So even though you might not see your family or home for a little while, these items give you a little part of them, and bring you peace because you know they still care for you. Did you know that Jesus did something similar for us? Before He died, He told His disciples that He was going to send them a special helper. He said that He would be physically gone, and they wouldn’t see Him, but that He wasn’t leaving them forever. Jesus said He would give His spirit to comfort.

That message was not just for the disciples, but it’s for us, too! We don’t see God with our eyes, but we know that His Spirit lives in us, and we can feel that. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray, guides us, and comforts us. We know that God is present always. We also know that we can experience God when we continue to pray, read our Bibles, and participate in worship services. He is always at work in our lives, and He will come back one day!

For now, we will take the comforting reminder that He never leaves us. We can also show evidence of having that Holy Spirit within us. As we demonstrate love to one another, and as we follow God’s rules and commandments, we prove that the Spirit is alive and working everywhere, and we prove our love for Jesus. Let’s share that today, and every day! What a blessing to be thankful for. Why don’t we say a prayer to our great God for that?

Children’s Prayer Moment

(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
Thank you for all of the words of Jesus
Thank you for the comfort of your Spirit
Help us to remember what that means
And to live always in your presence
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!

John 14:15-21 English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

“If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will bein you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”   -John 14:15-21