Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Peace, Be Still

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4: 39 (NIV)

As you see, I have a toy boat this morning. This little boat reminds me that we are entering into the summer months and many people will be getting into their boats and going out onto the lakes.

Some may go fishing, some may go skiing, and others may just be out enjoying the ride in the boat. Boating season is also the season for thunderstorms too, so when you are out in a boat, you must always be watchful for storms. A storm can come up quite suddenly and you may need to get safely to shore.

One day, Jesus and some of his disciples were out on a lake in a boat. Suddenly, without warning, a storm came up. The wind blew so hard, and the waves were so high, that water was coming into the boat and the boat was about to be turned over.

While the winds and waves tossed the little boat about, Jesus slept peacefully at one end of the boat. Some of the disciples became upset that Jesus was sleeping. They went to Jesus and asked him, "Master, don't you even care that we are about to die?"

Jesus got up and spoke to the winds and the sea.

He said, "Peace, be still."

As soon as he spoke, the winds stopped blowing and the sea became calm. Jesus' friends were amazed! They said, "Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey him?"

Sometimes, there are sudden storms in our life. It may be an illness, a family problem, or the death of a friend or loved one. During these times, Jesus can calm the storms of doubt and fear in our life. He doesn't always take away all of the problems, but if we will trust in him, he will give us peace in our hearts even in the middle of a storm.

Jesus, we thank you for those times when you calm the storms that come up in our lives. We also thank you for those times when you give us peace even though we are in the middle of a storm. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

There Is Power in a Touch

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. Mark 5:27-29 (NIV)

As you may know, we have five senses. The five senses are sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Each of these senses is very important to us. This morning we are going to test our sense of touch and discover the power that is ours in the sense of touch.

I have a bag full of different objects. I will ask one of you to close your eyes and I will hand you one of the objects. Without looking, you must to tell me what the object is just by touching it.

(After several minutes of allowing the children to identify various objects by touch, continue with the sermon.)

The sense of touch is very important, isn't it? We can often tell what an object is by its size, shape, and texture -- all of which can be learned by using our sense of touch. This morning I want to tell you about a woman who experienced the power of Jesus -- just by touching him.

One day Jesus was walking through a large crowd of people. The people were crowding around so that he could hardly move. There was a woman in the crowd who had a very bad sore that had been bleeding for twelve years. She had been to many doctors, but none had been able to help her. She had heard about Jesus and she believed that he could heal her, but there were so many who were people crowded around him that it seemed hopeless.

The woman thought to herself, "If I could just get close enough to touch his robe, I would be healed." So she pushed through the crowd and reached out and touched Jesus' clothes. Her bleeding stopped immediately and her suffering was ended.

The Bible tells us that as soon as the woman touched him, Jesus felt the power go out of him. He turned to the woman and said, "Your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free from your suffering."

Won't you reach out to Jesus today? If you will, you too can feel his power in your life today.

Dear Jesus, we long to reach out and touch you and to feel your power in our life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Don't Forget Your Umbrella

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Mark 6:5-6

As you can see, I have my umbrella with me this morning. You might be wondering why I would be carrying my umbrella this morning when there isn't a cloud in the sky. No, I'm not carrying my umbrella to shade me from the hot sun. I am carrying my umbrella because we need rain and I am going to pray and ask God to send the rain we need. How many of you believe that God has the power to make it rain?

Well, I got to thinking about that and I thought to myself, "We say that we believe God can make it rain, but we pray for rain and we don't even carry our umbrella with us." It doesn't seem to me that we really believe that God has the power to make it rain.

Did you know that our lack of faith can limit the power of God? That's what the Bible says.

One time Jesus was in his hometown. When the Sabbath came, he was teaching in the synagogue. Many of the people who heard Jesus' teaching started to criticize him. "Who does he think he is? And where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't he the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Don't his sisters live right here in the same town with us?"

The Bible tells us that because of their lack of faith, Jesus was powerless do any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people.

Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." So, if you really believe that God has the power to make it rain, the next time you ask God to make it rain, don't forget your umbrella!

Dear Jesus, we say we believe, but sometimes our actions don't show it. Help us to show our faith by our actions. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

One Thing Leads to Another!

The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. Mark 6:26-27a (NIV)

I have a bag of potato chips and I would like to share them with you. I'm not sure that I have enough to go around, so just take one chip until I make sure there are enough for everyone. (pass the chips around until each child has one)

Hmm...I think I'll have one too. (eat a chip) Would anyone like another one? You know, that's the trouble with potato chips -- if you eat one, you want another, and another, and another. In fact, there is a company that makes potato chips whose slogan is, "Bet you can't eat just one."® They know that one chip leads to another and before you know it, you have totally lost control and you have eaten the whole bag of chips.

That's the way it is with sin. Satan tempts us to do something wrong by telling us that it won't hurt anyone to do it just one time. Satan knows that if he can get us to do something once, he will be able to get us to do it again, and again, and again. Soon, we have totally lost control.

That's what happened to Herod and Herodias in our Bible story today. Herod had married Herodias and wanted John the Baptist to tell him that it was okay. John would refused to tell him it was okay, because Herodias was the wife of Herod's brother.

Herodias was very angry because John refused to give his blessing to their marriage. She wanted to kill him, but Herod was afraid to kill him because he knew that John was a holy man of God. So, instead of killing him, he had him put into prison.

On his birthday, Herod gave a big feast. He asked the daughter of Herodias to dance for him and his guests. When she danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests so much that he told her that he would give her anything she wanted.

The girl didn't know what to ask for, so she ran and asked her mother. Herodias saw her chance to get rid of John the Baptist, so she told her daughter to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. The girl hurried in to Herod and said, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

Herod was very sad, he didn't want to kill John, but he had promised the girl that he would give her anything she wanted.

It probably started out with Herod looking at his brother's wife and thinking how pretty she was. Then, one thing led to another and it ended up with murder. That's the way it is with sin -- I bet you can't commit just one!

Dear Father, when Satan tempts us, help us to remember that on sin leads to another, and another, and another. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Time for a Vacation


Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6: 30-32

Well, the school year is coming to an end and it is time for summer vacation. How many of you are looking forward to taking a vacation? I am too! We have worked hard this year and we need some time for fun, rest, and relaxation.

My wife and I have been planning where we would like to go on vacation this year. I have some advertisements here for some great vacation spots. Look at this one! it would be great fun to take an ocean cruise on a ship like that, wouldn't it? The ship has a movie theater, a library, and there are a lot of games and activities. I could just relax on the deck or go for a refreshing swim in the pool. I would like that.

Or how about this resort up in the mountains? It would be great to relax and enjoy the cool mountain air and get away from our hot summer sun for a few days. I could take a hike in the woods or go fishing in a mountain stream. That would be fun. Yes, I am really looking forward to my vacation.

Did you know that Jesus taught his disciples that it was important for them to take a vacation? Jesus' disciples traveled from town to town telling others about God and His love for them. They traveled every day preaching, teaching, and healing the sick. They worked so hard that they often didn't even have time to stop to eat or sleep. They became very tired.

When Jesus saw how tired they were, he said to them, "Come with me to a quiet place and get some rest." The Bible then says, "So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place." I think it is important to notice a couple of things about what the Bible says.

First, Jesus said, "Come with me." When we take a vacation, we need to remember to take Jesus with us. Some people never give Jesus a thought when they go on vacation. We should include Jesus in all that we do, even when we are on vacation.

Second, the Bible says the disciples went away to a quiet place. Their main purpose was to rest and renew their strength. Some people plan a vacation that is so full of activities that when they come home, they are more tired than when they left!

I hope that you have a great summer vacation. Don't forget to take Jesus with you, and don't forget to set aside some time for rest and relaxation. Then come back home refreshed and renewed!

Dear Lord, thank you for vacation time when we can rest and renew our strength. Help us to remember to include you in everything we do. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Getting Away from It All!

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6:30-32 (NIV)

How many of you have taken a vacation? Would some of you like to tell us where you went? (Allow some time to share.) I have been on vacation too. I brought some pictures that I took while I was on vacation. We went to the mountains and I got a lot of beautiful pictures of trees, lakes, and rivers. It was so quiet and peaceful and I really enjoyed getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

We all need to get away, don't we? Some people really have a hard time doing that. They think that when they go on vacation they have to take their cell phones and laptop computers so that they can check their voice mail and email, and maybe even get caught up on some work that they didn't get finished before they left. They might as well stay at home!

Some people say that they think that children should go to school all around. I disagree. I think that even children need some time to get away and rest. It will help them to do better work when they start back to school.

Did you know that even Jesus recognized that we sometimes need to take some time off to get caught up on our rest? One day the disciples went to Jesus and told him how busy they had been teaching and ministering to the needs of people. "There have been so many people coming and going that we sometimes don't even have time to stop and eat," they told Jesus.

"Come with me to a quiet place so that you can get some rest," Jesus said to the disciples. So the Bible tells us that they got in a boat and went away with Jesus to a quiet place.

Yes, we all need a time to get away from it all, but we can't get away from it all if we try to take it with us!

Dear Father, we thank you for work, for play, and for school. We also thank you for those times when we can get away from it all -- and get some rest. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

True Worship

"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Mark 7:6b-7 (NIV)

Do you know what this is? (hold up the "Worship Plan") It is our "worship guide." We print one of these every Sunday. We do that so that everyone will know what we are going to do next in our worship service. Sometimes I wonder if we really need to print one of these every Sunday. After all, we do the same thing every Sunday. I think I could do in my sleep. In fact, I see some people every Sunday who do it in their sleep! Not really...I was only kidding. Or was I?

Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with having a worship plan unless the plan becomes more important to us than worship. I heard about a church that got into a huge argument because the pastor changed the time when they took the offering during the worship service. "We've never done it that way before," the people cried. You see, some people are more concerned with WHEN and HOW we take the offering than they are with WHY we take the offering. Their traditions are more important to them than worshipping God.

This isn't a new problem. Even Jesus faced this problem. One day a group of people gathered around Jesus to listen to him as he taught. Some of the religious leaders noticed that Jesus' disciples had forgotten to wash their hands before they ate. They were really upset and asked Jesus why his disciples were not keeping the tradition of washing their hands before eating.

Jesus answered those religious leaders by telling them that a clean heart was more important than clean hands. I don't think that Jesus was saying it isn't important to wash your hands before you eat. He was saying that keeping the commandments of God is more important than keeping our own traditions.

I hope that we never become more concerned about WHEN and HOW we do things in our worship services than we are about WHY we do them. I hope we will always remember that true worship comes from our heart, not from our "worship plan".

Dear Father, help us to remember that we are in this place to worship you and that true worship comes from the heart. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

"He Does All Things Well!"

People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak." Mark 7:37

I have several different objects with me this morning. One of the things I brought is a soccer ball. How many of you would say you are a really good soccer player? Well, some of us may be very good soccer players, but some of us may not play very well at all.

Isn't this a beautiful painting? How many of you think you could paint a picture just as beautiful as this one? I wish that I could paint a picture as beautiful as this one, but I can't. The truth is, I really don't paint very well at all.

This is a music book. I hope you enjoy music. How many of you would say that you are a really good singer? Now, there may be some things that I can't do well, but that is one thing I think I can do pretty well.

All of us have some things that we can do very well, but none of us can do everything well, can we? I only know one person that does everything well. You probably know who that person is. His name is Jesus!

One day some people brought a man to Jesus who could not hear and could hardly talk. The people begged Jesus to heal their friend. The Bible tells us that Jesus put his fingers in the man's ears and touched his tongue. Then he called out, "Be opened!" As soon as Jesus spoke these words, the man's ears were opened and he could hear -- his tongue was loosed and he could speak. The people were amazed and said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

Then Jesus did something unusual, he told the people not to tell anyone what they had seen him do. Do you think they followed Jesus' instructions? No! They told everyone about this man who did everything well.

Jesus has done many great and wonderful things for you and me, but he didn't tell us not to tell anyone. In fact, he told us to tell everyone. Have you told anyone?

Dear Jesus, you do all things well. We thank you for all that you do for us each and every day. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Am I?

Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."  Mark 8:27-29 (NIV)

Do you like to play games? I have always enjoyed playing games. One game I like to play is called, "Who Am I?" I thought it would be fun to play the "Who Am I?" game this morning.

Here is how you play the game. I will give you clues about a person in the Bible. I have four clues for each person. I will read the clues one at a time. Whenever you think you know who the person is, raise your hand, and I will call on someone to guess. If you are wrong, you are out of the game until we start trying to guess another person.

Are you ready? Here is the first clue:

    * I was a tax collector
    * I cheated people out of their money
    * I was very, very small
    * I might be found up a tree

(Continue playing the game as time permits. When you are ready, end the game with the "Jesus" clues and then continue with the sermon.)

You know, I think Jesus liked to play the "Who Am I?" game too. One day he was with his disciples and he asked them, "Who do men say that I am?"

"Some say you are John the Baptist," said one of the disciples.

"Some say you are Elijah or one of the prophets," answered another.

"But who do you say that I am?" asked Jesus.

"You are the Christ," answered Peter.

Good old Peter! He got it right, didn't he? Did you know that there are still many people today who don't know who Jesus is? If you ask, they might say, "He was a great teacher." Or some might say, "He was a great religious leader." They don't know what Peter knew. They don't know what you and I know. They don't know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Dear Jesus, we know who you are. You are God's only Son, the Savior of the world. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Playing for Keeps

Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Mark 8:34-36

When I was a child, one of my favorite games was the game of marbles. I don't see children playing marbles any more. Some of you may not even know how to play marbles. Let me explain how we used to play marbles when I was a child.

First, you draw a big ring in the dirt. Then each player puts the same number of his own marbles into the ring. The players then take turns shooting a marble, like this, (demonstrate) trying to knock the other marbles out of the ring. When a shooter knocks a marble out of the ring, he picks it up and puts it in his pocket. If his shooting marble stays inside the ring, he was allowed to keep shooting. If not, the next shooter takes his turn. When all the marbles have been knocked out of the ring, they are counted and the one with the most marbles is the winner.

Before a game of marbles begins, one player will sometimes ask the other players, "Are we playing for fun, or are we playing for keeps?" If you just play for fun, when the game is over, the winner gives the marbles back. But if you play for keeps, the winner gets to keep all of the marbles he has won.

Some people live their life as if it were a game of marbles. They spend their whole life trying to be the one with the most marbles. They think that the one with the biggest house, the fanciest car, and the most money in the bank is the winner. They think they are playing "for keeps," but when they come to the end of their life, do you know how many of their marbles they get to take with them? None of them! They spend their whole life trying to win all of the marbles, but in the end, they are left with nothing!

Jesus said that if we want to be real winners we must be willing to give up everything and follow him. When we follow Jesus, we may not have a lot of the things that some people think are important. We may not live in a big house or drive a fancy car, but we will have something that is much better than that, we will have treasures laid up for us in heaven. When we get to heaven, there will be a mansion waiting for us to move in and we will walk around on streets of gold. Best of all, we will have everlasting life with Jesus. You see, when we give our lives to Jesus, HE "plays for keeps."

Some people will give anything to get more marbles, but Jesus asked "What good will it do them if they gain the whole world, but lose their soul?"

Dear Jesus, help us to realize that the only life that lasts is a life lived for you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 On the Mountain Top

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Mark 9:2-9

I have some beautiful pictures to show you this morning. They are pictures taken of some of the most beautiful mountain peaks you can imagine. Have you ever taken a vacation in the mountains? Of all the vacations that I have ever taken, the ones that I enjoyed the most were the ones that I took in the mountains.

Why do you think people enjoy vacationing in the mountains? One reason I enjoy the mountains is that I want to get away from the heat we so often have in West Texas. In the summer months, the heat can become almost unbearable at times and it feels good to get up into the cool mountain air.

Another reason I enjoy vacationing in the mountains is for the beautiful view. When you are down in the valley, it is often difficult to see and appreciate the beauty around you, but from the mountain top, you can clearly see all of the beauty of the world below.

One more reason that I enjoy vacationing in the mountains is to get away from hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is good to get away from the pressure of work and busy schedules, and just sit back and relax.

Did you know that even Jesus enjoyed getting away for a mountain retreat? The Bible tells us that one day Jesus took Peter, James and John high up into the mountains so that they could be alone. While on the mountain top, Jesus' appearance was changed and his clothes became a dazzling white. Then the disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus. Peter became so excited that he told Jesus that he thought they should just stay up on the mountain.

Did Jesus and the disciples stay up on the mountain? No, Jesus knew that the purpose of their experience on the mountain top was to renew their strength for the difficult days that were ahead of them, so he led the disciples back down into the valley.

You and I sometimes need a vacation in the mountains to help us cope with the heat and stress of our every day life. We also need mountain top experiences in our daily walk with Jesus. We need those experiences to renew our strength for the difficult tasks that we face as we follow Jesus each day.

Dear Jesus, we are thankful for the wonderful mountain top experiences you give us to renew our strength for our daily walk with you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Is the Greatest?

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all." He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." Mark 9:35-37 (NIV)

Have any of you ever read "The Rainbow Fish?" This book is about the most beautiful fish in the ocean. His scales were every shade of blue, green, and purple with sparkling silver scales mixed in. He was very beautiful, but he was also very selfish and self-centered. He was so beautiful that he thought he was too good to play with the other fish in the ocean.

One day a little blue fish asked Rainbow Fish for one of his beautiful, shimmering scales -- but he refused. Because of his selfishness, he was very unpopular with the other fish. He was not only the most beautiful fish in the ocean, he was also the loneliest fish in the ocean.

He told Starfish about his problem and Starfish sent him to talk to a wise old octopus. The octopus told Rainbow Fish that if he wanted to be happy, he should give one of his beautiful scales to each of the other fish. Rainbow Fish just could not imagine giving away his beautiful scales.

Once again, the little blue fish asked for one of Rainbow Fish’s scales. He hesitated for a moment, but finally pulled off one of his scales and gave it to the little blue fish. When the other fish saw the little blue fish with a shiny scale, Rainbow Fish was surrounded by fish asking for one of his shiny scales. Before he knew it, he had given away all of his shiny scales except for one. Suddenly he realized that although he was no longer the most beautiful fish in the ocean, he was happier than ever before.

This story reminds me of something that Jesus said to his disciples. One day He heard his disciples arguing about which of them would be the greatest in God's kingdom. Jesus said to them, "If you want to be first, you must be last and you must be the servant of all." He then put his arms around a little child and told his disciples, "If you welcome one of these, you welcome me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the one that sent me."

Sometimes we think the most important thing is to be the first, to be the most beautiful, to be the smartest, or to be the GREATEST! That isn't what Jesus said. He said that the most important thing was to think of others first and ourselves last. If we want to be great in God's sight, we should seek to be a servant rather than seeking to be served.

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that to be the greatest, we must be willing to be the least. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Pass the Salt, Please

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." Mark 9:50 (NIV)

Everyone knows about salt -- we use it every day to make our food taste better. Can you imagine eating a hamburger and fries without salt? They would be pretty tasteless, wouldn't they?

Some of you may not know that making our food taste better is just one of many uses for salt. I read that salt is used in making over 14,000 different products. Here are just a few of the many uses of salt.

• Salt is used in fixing the dye in fabrics like this pretty shirt. Without salt, the bright colors that we wear today would quickly wash out of our fabrics. What a dull place the world would be without salt!

• Salt is also used in making leather. Without salt we would not have many of the leather products that we use every day-- like this belt.

• Salt is used in the chemical industry to make plastics. Without salt, we might not have many of the toys that we play with every day which are made from plastic.

Man has known about the usefulness of salt for many years. At one time, salt was so important that people were paid with salt. Since salt is so important, is it any wonder that Jesus told us that we were to be like salt to the world? Listen to the words of Jesus. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other." I think that he was saying that we should flavor our world with love and that we should allow him to use us in making the world a better place.

How about you? Are you allowing Jesus to use you to be salt to the world?

Dear Jesus, help us to flavor our world with love and to allow you to use us in making the world a better place. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

What God Has Joined Together
 

"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." Mark 10:6-9

Have you ever seen one of these puzzles? This is really great. These two nails have been joined together, and the object is to get them apart. Watch, I'll show you how it's done.

Let's see now...you turn them this way and then you pull. No, that isn't it. Let's see...maybe you turn them this way and then that way...and then you pull. No, that wasn't it either. I know I can do this, let me try again. (Keep on trying -- without success -- and perhaps even let one of the children try it.)

Well, I give up. Do you know what I think? I think that once these two nails are joined together like this, they are just supposed to stay that way!

You know, that is what Jesus said about marriage. One day some men asked Jesus if it was all right for a man to divorce his wife. Jesus told them that God created man and woman to be joined together as man and wife. When they are, Jesus said, they are no longer two, they become one. Then he told them that what God has joined together, man should not try to separate.

In our world today, families are being twisted, turned, and pulled in all directions -- just like this puzzle. Many families are coming apart, but the simple truth is, when God puts a family together, it was just meant to stay that way!

Even though God meant for families to stay together, it doesn't always happen that way. There are some here today from families that have been "pulled apart." If you are one of those, there is good news for you, because God still loves you just the same!

Dear Jesus, we pray for our families. Some of them are coming apart. Help our families to stay together, the way you meant for it to be.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Let the Children Come"

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

How did you get to church this morning? I imagine that most of you came with your parents. Perhaps others came with grandparents. Some children may have come with aunts, uncles, cousins, or an older brother or sister. Maybe some of you had a Sunday School teacher or a friend who brought you to church. One thing I am pretty sure of -- unless you live close enough to walk to church, someone had to bring you here. I don't think any of you are old enough drive your own car are you? I didn't think so!

I think it is great that someone cared enough about you to bring you to church today. That tells me that they wanted to make sure that you would learn about Jesus and his love for you. Because you are here today, it is possible that Jesus might touch your heart and change your life.

One day, Jesus was teaching his disciples and a large crowd of other people were following him to hear what he was teaching. He was teaching about marriage and divorce and how God wanted them to have happy homes.

As Jesus was teaching, people started to bring their children to him so that he could touch them. The disciples didn't like these children interupting Jesus and his. They told the people to get the children away. When Jesus saw what they were doing, he was very upset. "Let the children come to me, and do not stop them," Jesus said. "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these little ones." Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them.

Let us hope that we will always remember that Jesus loved the children and took them into his loving arms. We are thankful for each of you who are here today and thankful that someone loved you enough to bring you.

Dear Father, we love the children just as Jesus loved them and we are thankful that these children have someone who loves them enough to bring them to Jesus. Amen.