(pages provided with scripture references refer to the LIVE Teen Study Bible, New Living Translation.)

People think that the shark’s skin is really smooth, but it’s not. They have denticles on their skin, made from the same material as their teeth. If you rub your hand one way, it feels smooth, but the opposite way it feels like sandpaper. On large sharks, you could actually get cut by their skin. That has nothing to do with our lesson, but be warned: Be careful when you pet a shark.

When we dissected our shark (Yes, we dissected a real dogfish shark), we looked at some key features: nares, spiracles, gill slits, lateral line, dorsal spines, Ampullae of Lorenzini, stomach, liver, and intestine. We are going to focus on a few of these features:

–  Gills – take oxygen out of the water and let water carry away carbon dioxide. Fish force water through their gills, where it flows past lots of tiny blood vessels

–   Nares – a pair of openings at the front of the head that function to detect chemicals in the environment. Water is taken into the smaller opening and expelled through the larger opening.

–  Spiracles –small openings behind the eyes that allow water to pass through the gills even when the shark’s mouth is closed.

– Lateral Line – A pale line that extends the length of the shark. The line is actually a group of tiny pores that open into the underlying canal. Water circulates through this canal and allows the shark to detect various signals such as water movement.

What is common with all these functions? (water has to flow through in order for these systems to function.)

What do the nares, spiracles, and Ampullae of Lorenzini have in common? (they detect chemicals/changes in their surroundings. They can sense what is coming and what they want to move towards.)

– Liver – An enormous organ composed of three lobes. It is extremely oily – the oil helps the shark maintain buoyancy (float).

You can see that the shark is perfectly equipped. God created it to thrive in its environment. Guess how he created you?

p. 1164 – Ephesians 2:10

p. 610 – Psalm 139:14-18

God created us with intricate detail to equip us for all He has for us to do.

p. 1055 – John 7:38-39

If you have made Jesus Lord of your life, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you. God in you.  The Bible says the Holy Spirit is a river of living water. Not a puddle – a river. A river is always on the move. The shark needs water to flow through its body to breathe. You need this living water of the Holy Spirit flowing through you. What would it mean for you to have living water flow from you? (God’s very life coming from you. You could help people around you. Just as water is life to the shark, this water of the Holy Spirit is life to you and your environment.)

What happens to the shark if it has no water flowing through its gills or spiracles? (dies)

If the shark has no water flowing to it, will it be able to use its lateral line, nares,  and Ampullae of Lorenzini to detect chemicals around it? (no) Would it be able to sense where its food is? (no)

If you don’t have the Holy Spirit flowing through you, you will not be able to detect what you should move towards, what will be good for you. Also, you won’t be able to detect the devil’s schemes – you won’t have that sensitivity to them. He could easily blindside you.

How do you keep the Holy Spirit flowing?  (Read and DO God’s Word. The Holy Spirit will instruct you; listen.)

Another symbol of the Holy Spirit is oil, referred to in the Bible as the anointing. To anoint someone is to authorize or set apart a person for a particular work or service.

1 John 2:20 NIV – But you have an anointing from the Holy One and all of you know the truth.

What would happen if there wasn’t enough oil in the shark’s liver? (It wouldn’t be buoyant and wouldn’t be able to swim up at all.)

What do you think happens to people if they don’t have the anointing oil of the Holy Spirit in them?   They cannot thrive. They start to sink. What is the only way to make them buoyant again? (get more oil in them) How would a person do that?

Can a shark swim backwards? (no) Does anyone know what happens to a shark if it stops swimming? (Water is no longer flowing and it can’t breathe.  Also, if it isn’t moving, it starts to sink) If it starts to sink, what can it do to fix it? (just keep swimming… just keep swimming…)

In our walk with God, we MUST keep moving forward. The second we stop moving toward God, we start to sink, we start to fall away. A person cannot stay in the same spot when it comes to a relationship with God. We have to keep drawing nearer to Him, or we will fall. How can we draw near to God?   Is it a hard thing to do, really?

Has anyone ever had a point in their life when they just felt like they were sinking? Maybe you had a moment that you just couldn’t feel the life of the Holy Spirit in you? What do you do in a moment like that? Start moving toward God again. Have that river of living water flow through you again.  Just keep swimming.

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