Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Mother Hen

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Luke 13:34 (NIV)

This morning I want to sing a song for you. Some of you may know the song. It is called "Five Little Ducks." I need your help in singing this song. There is a part of the song where the mother duck says, "quack, quack, quack, quack," and I need for you to help me on that part. Maybe we should practice once before we start.

(Sing) Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack." Oh, that was great. Now I'll sing the whole song and every time I get to the mother duck part, you join in with me.

Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.

Four little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only three little ducks came back.

Three little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only two little ducks came back.

Two little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only one little duck came back.

One little duck went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But none of the five little ducks came back.

Sad mother duck went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
The sad mother duck said "Quack, quack, quack."
And all of the five little ducks came back

I love that song. Do you know why I like it so much? I like it because it shows just how much the mother duck loved her little ones. Each time the little ducks went out, one of them got lost. Finally the mother duck had lost all of her little ones -- but she never gave up -- she kept calling them! Do you think mother duck would have been satisfied if one, two, three, or four of the little ducks had come back? I don't think so. I think mother duck would have kept calling, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," until "ALL of the five little ducks came back!"

I think that is a good picture of the love that Jesus has for his children. The Bible tells us that one day Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept. He said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." What a beautiful picture of Jesus. Like a mother hen, Jesus calls his children to come to him so that he can shelter and protect them.

Did Jesus stop calling his children because Jerusalem rejected him? No, he is still calling his children today. Do you think Jesus will stop calling if SOME of his children come back? I don't think so. Will Jesus will stop calling if MOST of his children come back? I don't think so. I think the Bible teaches us that Jesus loves his children so much that he won't stop calling until ALL of his children come back. He may be calling some of you today.

Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you keep calling us to come to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Left Out?

Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous." Luke 14:12-14 (NIV)

Look what I have! I received an invitation to a party. It is going to be a really great party. Listen to this, "You are invited to a party at the (name of your church) this Friday at 6:30 PM. There will be games and fun for all and plenty of delicious food."

Did you receive one of these invitations? You didn't? I wonder why you were left out? How does it make you feel to know that you were left out of what promises to be a great party? Were your feelings hurt? Did you wonder why I got an invitation and you didn't? It isn't a very good feeling to be left out, is it?

Do you ever leave someone out when you are having a party or doing something special? Do you only invite your very best friends? Do you perhaps leave out the child who doesn't have much money and wears old and ragged clothes? Or maybe you leave out the child who is physically handicapped and has to get around in a wheelchair. Maybe you leave out the child who isn't very smart and the other kids make fun of him. Maybe you leave out the child whose skin is a different color. How do you think those children feel when they are left out?

Jesus said that when we are having a party, that we shouldn't just invite our best friends. In fact, he said that we should be sure to invite the very ones that we might leave out--the poor, the crippled, and those who are less fortunate than we are. He said that if we only do good things for those who can do good things for us that we already have our reward, but if we do good things for those who cannot do good things for us in return, that we will receive our reward in heaven. Would you rather have your reward here, or in heaven?

You know this invitation that I told you about? It isn't a real invitation. I just made it up to help us to understand how it feels to be left out. It feels pretty good to know you haven't been left out, doesn't it?

Dear Father, help us to be loving and caring toward those who may not have as much as we have. Help us to include them in the special things that we do. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Counting the Cost


And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' Luke 14: 27-30 (NIV)

How many of you would like to play the piano? Wait! Not so fast! Before you raise your hand and say "yes" to that question, let's see what it would cost to be able to play the piano and see if you are willing to pay the price.

First of all, you would have to buy a piano. It would be rather silly to say that you wanted to play the piano if you weren't willing to go out and buy a piano, wouldn't it? So the first you would need to do is look for a piano. I found a used piano in the classified section of the newspaper for $700. The ad said it needed some repairs, so it probably isn't a very good one, but it's a start. Hmm....$700, do you still want to play the piano?

Next you need to find a teacher. After all, you can't teach yourself. Not if you really want to play well. I looked in the newspaper again to find a piano teacher. I found one for $25 a week. Let's see, that's $100 a month, do you still want to play the piano?

What else do we need? Oh yes, we will need some music! I went to the music store and found out that most of the music books cost $10-$15 each. If you want to buy a single copy of sheet music, they usually cost around $5.00 each. Do you still want to play the piano?

Now that you have a piano, a teacher, and some music you must be willing to practice. Most piano teachers require their students to practice at least one hour every day. That means that there will be times when other children will be out playing while you must stay in and practice. Hey boys, one thing I forgot to mention, when other boys see you carrying your piano books, they may make fun of you. They might even call you a "sissy." Do you still want to play the piano? If you want to play the piano, you have to count the cost and make sure you are willing to pay the price!

Did you know that Jesus said that same thing to some people who said they wanted to be his disciples? Jesus told them that if they wanted to follow him, they had to count the cost. He said they had to be willing to take up their cross daily and follow him. To follow him, they might have to be willing to give up their family and friends. Jesus also said that people might make fun of them and call them names and that some people might even want to hurt them. They had to count the cost and make sure they were willing to pay the price.

A lot of people today say that they want to follow Jesus. They join the church and for a while you will see them every week, but when they find out how much it is going to cost, they fall away. Being a true follower of Jesus is not always easy, but it is always worth it, if you are willing to pay the price.

Dear Jesus, it is easy to say that we want to follow you, but it isn't always easy to do. Help us to follow you, whatever the cost. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Lost Sheep

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. Luke 15:3-7

I have a very nice collection of Beanie Babies. I know that they are not quite as popular as they were a couple of years ago, but I still think they are cute. I have been collecting them for several years and brought some of them to show to you. (Show the children the Beanie Babies commenting on each as you show it to them.)

Oh, my! I seem to have lost one of my Beanie Babies. I know I had it when I got here this morning. Would you help me look for it? (Lead the children in a search for the lost toy. When it is found, continue the lesson.) Thank you so much for helping me find the lost Beanie Baby. Even though I have a very large collection, every one of them is very important to me and I would be very upset if one of them was lost.

That reminds me of a lesson that Jesus taught to a group of religious leaders one day. The religious leaders were very upset that Jesus was often seen associating with sinners. He was even sometimes seen eating with them. The religious leaders didn't like that at all and were very critical of Jesus. Jesus told them a story to help them to understand.

"Suppose one of you had a hundred sheep and you lost one of them," Jesus said. "Wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine who were safe, and go and search for the lost sheep? And when you found the lost sheep, wouldn't you joyfully put it on your shoulders and carry it back home? Wouldn't you be so happy that you would tell all of your friends about finding the lost sheep?" I imagine that all of the religious leaders had to agree that they would do just as Jesus had suggested. Then Jesus said to them,"In the same way, there is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."

The Bible teaches us that we are like sheep and sometimes stray away from God. That makes God very sad, but he never gives up on us. He keeps searching for us and calling to us. He wants to draw us back into his arms. He even sent Jesus, his Son, to save those who are lost. Aren't you glad that God doesn't give up on his lost sheep? I am, because "I once was lost, but now I'm found!"

Dear Jesus, you are the Good Shepherd. We are thankful that you came to save those who are lost. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Wearing His Brand

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' Luke 15:4-6

If a rancher had a hundred calves and one of them got lost, do you think he would go looking for him? Of course he would. Every single one of his calves is important to him. In the early days, ranches didn't have fences to keep the cattle from wandering off and they often got lost. That is why the rancher put his brand on every one of his calves. Most of you have seen a branding iron, haven't you? The rancher puts the branding iron into a fire and when it is red hot, he burns his brand into the calf. Then, if the calf gets lost, the rancher can go looking for him and he can easily identify his calf. The brand usually represents the name of the ranch. I have some examples of some brands this morning. See if you can look at these brands and guess what the name of the ranch might be. (Show them some cards on which you have drawn the sample brands and let them try to guess what ranch they represent.) You all did very well, so you can see that it is easy for a rancher to look at a stray or stolen calf and know if that calf belongs to him.

Do you think God worries about one of His children when they stray away? Yes, He does! The Bible tells us that if one of God's children strays, He will search for him until He finds him and brings him back home. And when He does, the Bible says that there is great rejoicing in heaven. The Bible even tells us that God puts His brand on his children. It says that God has "put his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts." (2 Corinthians 1:22) I am God's child because I have put my faith and trust in Jesus. I may stray away at times, but I have His brand on me and I belong to Him. When I stray, he always finds me and brings me back home again. If you belong to Him, He will do the same for you.

Heavenly Father, I am thankful that I belong to you and that you have put your brand upon my heart. Seek me when I stray, and bring me back to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Three Wishes


"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:22-24 (NIV)

I am sure that most of you have read the book or seen the movie "Aladdin." As you know, in the story Aladdin found a brass lamp. There was some writing on the lamp, but the lamp was so dirty that Aladdin could not read it. When he rubbed the lantern to clean the dust and dirt off of it, a genie came out of the lamp and told Aladdin that he would grant him three wishes.

Well, we have a similar story today, but it doesn't have a magic lantern or a genie. It is a story that Jesus told about a young man who had three wishes.

1. He wanted a lot of money.

2. He wanted to travel and see the world.

3. He wanted to be his own boss.

The young man got his wishes, but they were not granted to him by a genie. The young man went to his father and asked him to give him the inheritance that would be his when his father died. Even though the father was sad that his son wanted to leave, he gave him his share of the family fortune and the young man left home and traveled all around the world. He visited all of the places he had always wanted to visit and did whatever he wanted to do. He was happy that no one was telling him what to do. Since the young man had a lot of money, if he saw something he wanted, he bought it, and since he had a lot of money, he also had many friends.

This sounds like very happy story, doesn't it? Well, that isn't the end of the story. After a while, the young man ran out of money. When he ran out of money, his friends deserted him. He was so desperate that he went to work for a man who sent him to feed his pigs. The young man was so hungry that he would gladly have eaten the food he was feeding to the pigs. As he looked at the filthy pig pen, he thought about the mess he had made of his life. He thought about his father and the home he had left behind.

"Even a servant in my father's house lives better than this," the young man said to himself. "I will return to my father and tell him that I am sorry for the way I have behaved and ask him to give me a job as one of his servants."

Do you think the father was willing to take him back? Yes, but not as a servant. He welcomed him back home as a son. He called his servants together and told them, "Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was lost, but now is found."

Well, the story had a happy ending after all, didn't it? This story that Jesus told is really a story about you and me and the way we sometimes behave.

Sometimes you and I make bad choices -- just like the young man in our story. We sometimes wish for things that are not good for us. We sometimes don't want to listen to God and obey what the Bible tells us we should do. When we act that way, we really make a mess of our life, Well, I have good news for you! Just like the father in our story, God, our Heavenly Father, is always willing to take us back if we will admit that we were wrong and return to Him.

Dear Father, we sometimes make bad choices. Thank you for being a loving Father who will always take us back when we come home to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Do the Right Thing

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Luke 16:10 (NIV)

What would you do if you were walking by your teacher's desk at school and you saw a dollar on the floor? Would you pick it up and give it to your teacher, or would you look around to make sure no one was watching then slip it into your pocket?

What would you do if you were walking home from school and found a bag like this one -- and when you looked inside, you discovered that it contained a lot of money? Would you tell your parents and report your find to the police, or would you say, "Wow! This must be my lucky day?"

This morning I am going to tell you three true stories about people who found a large amount of money and chose to do the right thing.

Hector Rodriguez is a 15-year old high school student. One day, Hector found a bag of money containing $120 on top of the Coke machine. He took it to his teacher the two of them went to the principal's office to turn in the money. When asked why he turned in the money instead of keeping it, Hector said that he was concerned that the employee who left the bag would get in trouble if he lost this money.

Eddie McLaughlin was walking home one evening when he found a bag on the sidewalk outside of a store. He picked up the bag, looked inside, and saw that it contained a large amount of money. When Eddie got home, he told his wife about finding the bag of money and together they counted it. There was over $4,000 in the bag. Eddie called the police and told them about the money. The manager of the store had dropped the bag while closing up, and without a doubt, he was happy that it was Eddie McLaughlin who found the money.

Driving home from work one night, Jason Baxter crossed a well lit intersection and saw what he thought was a book lying in the road. He stopped and picked it up. It turned out to be an appointment book with zippered pockets. Looking in the first pocket, Jason found six dollars and a driver's license. When he opened the second pocket, there was a big wad of cash! When he arrived home, Jason counted the money. There was more than $9,000 in cash. For some, the decision might have been difficult, but not for Jason. He called the police and reported his find. When asked why he turned the money in, he answered, "It was just the right thing to do."

When we hear stories like these, it may make us stop and ask ourselves, "What would I have done if I had found all of that money?" To find the answer to that question, ask yourself, "What would I do if I found a dollar on the floor beside my teacher's desk?" You see, honesty is not a question of how much money is involved, it is a matter of doing the right thing.

Jesus said, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." If we make sure that we are honest in the small things, then we can be sure that we will be honest in the big things. If people know that they can trust us in small things, they will know that they can trust us in the big things too.

Dear Father, help us to remember what Jesus taught about honesty -- and help us to be honest in every situation -- big or small. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Rich Man and Lazarus

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' Luke 16:19-24 (NIV)

Do you use an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning? A lot of alarm clocks have a button on them called a snooze alarm. When your alarm goes off, you can hit that button and go back to sleep. In about ten minutes, the alarm will go off again. You can just keep on doing this and go right on sleeping.

Maybe it is nice to get that exra sleep, but there are two problems with snooze alarms. The first is that if you keep on hitting the snooze alarm, you may be late or miss out on something completely. The second problem is that if you keep hitting the snooze alarm, you may get so used to the sound of the alarm that you don’t even hear it at all and you will sleep right through the alarm.

Did you know that God sometimes sounds a "wake up" alarm in our lives? He speaks to our heart and says, "It is time to wake up and follow me." Some people hit the snooze button and say, "Not now Lord, call me again -- a little bit later." Some people hit that "snooze button" so many times that they get to where they don’t even hear God’s voice. When they finally wake up, they find out that it is too late. That is what happened in our Bible story today.

Jesus told a story about a rich man who wore the finest clothes and lived in luxury. A beggar named Lazarus lay outside the rich man's gate. Lazarus was hungry and his body was covered with sores. He was hoping that the rich man might have pity on him and that he might be able to satisfy his hunger with the leftovers from the rich man's table. But every day the Rich man passed by Lazarus without even giving him a thought. I imagine that he passed by Lazarus so many times that he eventually got to the point that he didn't even see him at all.

The Bible says that Lazarus died and went to heaven. The rich man also died, but he went to hell. In hell, he looked up and saw Lazarus in heaven with Abraham. He asked Abraham to let Lazarus dip his finger in water and come and touch it to his burning tongue, but Abraham said, "No." Then he reminded the rich man how he had enjoyed such good things on earth while Lazarus had nothing.

The rich man then asked Abraham to allow Lazarus to go back to earth and warn his five brothers so that they would not end up in hell with him, but again, Abraham said, "No." The rich man finally woke up, but it was too late.

God is still sending "wake up" calls to people today. Let us pray that they will listen to his voice and follow him before it is too late.

Dear Father, when you sound the alarm telling us it is time to wake up and follow you, may we never be guilty of hitting the snooze alarm saying, "Later, Lord." Instead, let us rise up and follow you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Exercising Your Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Luke 17: 5-6

One day my wife brought a jar and asked me to open it for her. I tried and tried to open that jar, but my hands just weren't strong enough to hold the jar tightly and turn the lid. It is a little embarrassing to a man when a woman asks him to open a jar and he can't do it, so I decided that I needed to increase the strength in my hands. I got this hand exerciser to help me. You have probably seen one of these. You just squeeze the two sides together, like this. If you don't have one of these, you can do the same type of exercise by squeezing a rubber ball. By exercising my hands every day, they will get stronger and stronger. Then maybe I won't be embarrassed the next time my wife asks me to open a jar for her.

How many of you know what faith is?  Faith is believing and trusting in God. Faith is like a muscle, you have to exercise it every day to make it strong. Sometimes we say that we have faith in God. We say that we believe that He can do anything, but then we act as if everything depends on us. That isn't a very strong faith, is it?

Jesus told his disciples that if they had as much faith as a tiny mustard seed, they could tell a tree to move from one place to another and the tree would obey them. Now, that is a strong faith, isn't it?  I wish I had as much faith as a mustard seed. Maybe I will if I keep exercising it. I do know my faith will grow stronger if I exercise it by trusting in God each and every day. How strong is your faith?  Does it need a little daily exercise?

Dear Lord, help us to exercise our faith each day so that it will become strong. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Mustard Seed Faith

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you." Luke 17:5-6 (NIV)

Have you ever seen a mustard seed? The mustard seed is one of the smallest of all seeds. Here, let me show you one. The mustard seed is so small that you can hardly even see it. Some people wear a necklace that has one of these tiny mustard seeds inside of a piece of glass. They wear this necklace as a symbol of their faith in God. Do you know why the mustard seed is considered a symbol of faith?

One day, Jesus was talking to his disciples when one of them turned to him and said, "Lord, increase our faith." Jesus answered and said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you." Can you imagine what it would be like to have that kind of faith?

I heard a story about a man who read this verse in the Bible and decided to put it to the test. There was a large tree in his front yard, so he went out to that tree and said, "In the morning when I wake up from my sleep, I want you to be gone." That night the man went to bed. When he woke up the next morning, he went to front door, opened it, and looked out into his front yard. "Just as I thought!" the man said. "It's still there."

Well, first of all, the man didn't have mustard seed sized faith, did he? In fact, he didn't have any faith at all. When he told the tree to be moved, he never expected it to happen. In the second place, I think that the man misunderstood what Jesus was trying to teach his disciples.

Jesus was not suggesting that you and I go around trying to move trees just to prove that we have faith. What Jesus was trying to teach his disciples -- and what he wants you and me to learn -- is that it doesn't take a great faith to produce great results. Why? Because the results don't depend on us, they depend on God. If the results depended on the size of our faith, I have no doubt that we would probably go around bragging about our great faith.

What have we learned about faith today? This is what I hope we have learned: Don't ask for a great faith so that we can do great things -- ask for faith the size of a mustard seed so that we can see God do great things!

Dear Father, we ask for a mustard seed sized faith. Help us to believe and never doubt your mighty power. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Thankful Leper

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?" Luke 17:17 (NIV)

Last week I received this "Thank You" card. A friend of ours recently had a baby and we sent them a gift for the new baby. Inside of the card it says, "Thank you so much for your gift. It was just what we needed for our new baby." You know, it really made me feel good that our friends took the time to send us a card to say, "Thank You."

Don't you just hate it when someone does something nice for you and your mother prompts you by saying, "Now, what do you say?" You knew what to say, didn't you? We all know what to say, but unfortunately, we sometimes forget to say it. That is what happened in our Bible lesson today.

Our Bible story today is about ten lepers. Do you know what a leper is? No, it is not an animal with spots on it. That's a leopard! However, a leper does have spots. A leper is a person who has a disease called leprosy. This disease causes sores all over the body. Leprosy was very common in Jesus' day, and people who had this disease were thought to be unclean. They were required to stay away from other people because of the fear that they might infect them with their disease.

One day, Jesus was walking through a small village when he saw a group of ten lepers. They stood far away from Jesus and called to him, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us." Obviously, they knew who Jesus was and that he had the power to heal them. When Jesus heard them, he called back to the lepers and said, "Go, show yourself to the priest."

As the lepers went on their way to see the priest, they looked at their skin and the sores were gone. Jesus had healed their disease. They were so happy that they ran up and down the streets singing and dancing. Suddenly, one of them stopped and went back. Praising God with a loud voice, he threw himself at Jesus' feet and said, "Thank You." Jesus said to him, "Weren't there ten who were healed? Where are the other nine?" Only one out of ten remembered to say, "Thank You."

God does so much for us! Every day he provides everything we need: food, clothing, and a place to live. Do we ever forget to say, "Thank You?" Let's stop right now and say "Thank You" and ask God to help us remember to thank Him every day.

Dear Lord, you give us everything we need, but we often forget to say "Thank You." We thank you now, and ask you to help us to remember to give thanks every day for all that you do for us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Persistence in Prayer
 
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1

Have you ever wanted something so much that you kept asking your mom and dad for it over and over again until finally they said "yes?" Maybe you wanted a special toy, a pet, or a new bicycle. If it was something that you really wanted, you didn't just mention it once, you asked for it over and over again.

Once there was a little boy who wanted more than anything to play in the band at school. The boy went home from school one day and asked his parents if they would buy him an instrument and let him sign up to play in the band. Well, the boy's parents didn't say yes, and they didn't say no. They said, "We'll have to think about it. After all, a musical instrument costs a lot of money and we aren't sure you will stick with it."

A few days went by and the boy's parents still hadn't said anything, so the boy decided he should ask again. The boy's parents didn't say yes and they didn't say no. They said, "We are still thinking about it."

On his way home from school the next day, the boy decided to stop by the local music store to check out the musical instruments. When he walked in the store, the first thing that caught his eye was a beautiful, shiny trumpet. It wasn't new, but it was in very good condition and it had a really cool fake alligator skin case. It was just what he wanted.

That night at supper the boy said to his parents, "I went by the music store today after school and they have a really nice used trumpet. It is exactly what I want and it only costs $100." The boy's father turned to his wife and said, "I guess we had better go take a look at that trumpet or we are never going to hear the end of this." The next day, the boy went to the music store with his parents and they bought him that trumpet.

The boy joined the band -- and he did stick with it. He played in the band all through high school and when he graduated from high school, he went on to college and studied music. After graduating from college, he became a music teacher. I wonder how differently his life might have turned out if he had asked his parents for that musical instrument one time and never mentioned it again.

The Bible teaches us that just as our parents want what is best for us and will give us what we ask for, God, our heavenly Father, also hears and answers our requests. Sometimes we ask God for something one time and never mention it again. Maybe that is our impatience showing. When we ask for something, we want God to say "yes," and we want Him to say it right now! Jesus said that we should always pray and not give up. Perhaps God just wants us to show that we are really serious about what we are asking of Him. Does this mean that if we keep asking for something over and over again that God will always give it to us? No, but He loves us and wants what is best for us, and He will answer, "yes" if He can.

Oh, by the way, the boy in the story ... in case you haven't already guessed, that boy was me!

Dear Father, teach us to pray -- and teach us to be patient and persistent in prayer. If we desire good things, remind us that we need to pray and pray again. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Headed For A Fall


For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.  Luke 18: 14

Every child at some time in their life has played with building blocks.  I still remember the fun I had as a child building different things from these blocks.  One thing that I remember very well is that I used to enter into a contest with another child to see who could build the tallest tower.  The one who could stack up the most blocks without their tower falling was the winner.  Did you every play that game?  I thought it might be fun to play the tower game this morning.  Here is the way we will play.  For every good thing I can say about myself, I will add a block.  Let's see, where shall I start?

Well, I go to church every Sunday...I even go to prayer meeting on Wednesday night...I read my Bible every day...I say my prayers before I go to bed at night...I even give thanks before every meal...I give an offering in Sunday School every week...I even gave a little extra this week for the World Hunger Offering...I pay my bills on time...I almost always tell the truth...I don't talk about my friends behind their back...I keep my room clean and put my dirty clothes in the hamper...I have one of the best-kept lawns in my neighborhood.  (Keep going as long as necessary to make the tower fall.)  Crash!  Well, my tower got just a little too tall, didn't it?

Jesus taught his disciples that whenever people boast and brag about the great things that they do, they are headed for a fall!  He told about two men who went to the temple.  One of the men bragged about all of the great things he did and thanked God that he wasn't like those other sinners in the temple.  The other man, instead of bragging about how great he was, humbly asked God to forgive him for all of the times he failed to be the kind of person that God wanted him to be.

Jesus was not the least bit impressed with all of the boasting of the first man.  Most of the things he did, he did to impress other people.  Jesus said that we should be humble -- like the second man.  After all, when we compare our goodness to the goodness of Jesus, it just doesn't stack up, does it?

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that when we build our life upon our own goodness, we are headed for a fall.  Instead, let us put our trust in your righteousness,  for then we will find favor in your sight.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Big or Small - It Doesn't Matter at All


When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."  Luke 19:5

I know that many of you like to play basketball. Basketball is a very popular sport for both boys and girls. There are several things that are very important if you want to be a good basketball player. First, you need good hands so that you can catch the ball and dribble up and down the court. A good player should be able to dribble equally well with their right or left hand and can dribble behind their back and between their legs. It also helps to have quick feet and to be a good shooter. Those are skills which many people can develop with a lot of determination and hard work.

There is another thing that is very helpful if you want to play basketball -- and it is something that you can't develop no matter how hard you work. Do you know what that is? It is very helpful if you are TALL! Most professional basketball players today are close to seven feet tall. It is helpful to be tall, but you can be successful in basketball without being tall.

Several years ago there was a player by the name of Nate Archibald at the University of Texas at El Paso. When he finished college, most of the professional teams ignored Nate because he was too short. In fact, his nickname was "Tiny." The Cincinnati Royals decided to take a chance on Nate and signed him to play on their team. Well, Nate made it big in the NBA because he was lightning fast, had good hands, and he was a great shooter. He played in the NBA for fourteen seasons and became known as the player who proved that a "little man" could play in the NBA. Just listen to some of the honors he won:

    * He was named to the All-NBA team five times
    * He was named to the NBA All-Star team six times
    * He was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame on May 13, 1991

Not too bad for a man that most people thought was too short to play in the NBA.

The Bible tells us about another man who became great even though he was not very tall.  His name was Zacchaeus.  I know that most of you know the story of Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was not only short, he was also hated by almost everyone because he was a tax collector.  As a tax collector, he often cheated people and collected more taxes than they owed.

One day Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to town.  He had heard about Jesus and he wanted to see him, but he was so short that he couldn't see over the crowd.  He climbed up in a tree so that he could see.  As Jesus passed by, he called to Zacchaeus, "Come down, because I am going to your house today."   Zacchaeus climbed down and took Jesus to his house.  While Jesus was there, Zacchaeus told Jesus that he was sorry for the wrong things he had done and that he would give half of all he owned to the poor.  He also said that he would repay anyone he had cheated four times that amount.  He may not have been very tall, but Zacchaeus became a giant in God's kingdom that day because he decided to follow Jesus.

You may not be very tall right now -- and you may never be very tall, but you can be a giant in God's eyes if you will follow Jesus.

Dear Lord, we are thankful that you don't care whether we are big or small.  Help us to be willing to follow Jesus and stand tall for Him.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Rock Concert

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40

You are probably wondering why I have this bucket of rocks with me this morning. Well, I had heard that we might have a "rock concert" this morning. I see some of you smiling, don't you believe that these rocks could sing? Well, let me tell you a story about Jesus and tell you what he said about it.

One day, Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a small donkey. His followers were lining the streets and they were praising Jesus and shouting, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" They were creating quite a stir and some of the religious leaders didn't like it. They asked Jesus to keep his followers quiet. Jesus answered them and said, "If they remain silent, the stones would immediately begin to cry out!"

If these rocks would cry out this morning, I wonder what they would say? One might tell how a little shepherd boy named David used a small stone to slay a giant to show that we can do anything when God is with us!

Another might tell how the prophet Elijah used stones to build an altar to God. The altar was used to offer a sacrifice to God to prove that He is the one, true God.

This rock might tell how Solomon had used stones to build a beautiful temple for people to worship God.

Still another rock might remind us that Jesus once told a story about a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the storms came, the house on the rock stood firm.

Yes, these stones might have a lot of stories to tell, but we won't let them. Just as the followers of Jesus lined the streets to praise their King, you and I are here today to praise our King. As long as we praise him, there will be no need for these stones to cry out.

Dear Lord, we know that you would rather hear us praise you than to hear a "rock concert." So Lord, we lift your name on high! Amen.