Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 Measuring God's Love

 
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

One of my favorite Bible verses begins, "For God so loved the world." I was thinking about that verse and wondering -- just how great is God's love and how could we measure it? This morning I brought several things that we often use in measuring other things. I thought they might help us measure God's love.

Sometimes we use a measuring cup to measure things. If I were making some cookies, I would use a measuring cup to make sure that I put in exactly the right amount of flour, sugar, and milk. I wonder if we might use a measuring cup to measure God's love? The Bible says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want....my cup runneth over." (Psalm 23:1,5) Well, if our cup runs over with God's love, I don't guess we could use a measuring cup to measure it.

If we were building something, we might use a tape measure to measure the length, width, and height of different things. I wonder if we might use a tape measure to measure God's love? The Bible tells us that God's love is higher than the heavens. (Psalm 108:4) If God's love is higher than the heavens, I don't think we could use a tape measure to measure it, could we?

We use a watch to measure time. There will probably be some people here this morning who will use their watch to measure how long the pastor's sermon lasts. I wonder if we could use a watch to measure how long God's love will last. The Bible tells us that God's love is from everlasting to everlasting. (Psalm 103:17) Wow! If God's love is from everlasting to everlasting, I don't guess we could measure it with a watch.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." How do you measure a love like that? We can't measure it -- we don't need to -- but we do need to experience it.

My prayer for you today is, "That you may understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience it, though it is so great you will never fully understand it." (Ephesians 3:18-19)

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love -- a love so great that you gave your one and only Son so that we could have eternal life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Life Saver
 
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,  that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

During the summer months many people like to go boating, fishing, and water skiing.  Do any of you ever go boating?  If so, I am sure that you know what this is.  It is a life jacket.  You know that it is very important to put on a life jacket any time you go out in a boat.  You never know when an accident might happen or when a storm might come up and if you were thrown from the boat, this jacket will save your life.

One day two men and three boys went on a fishing trip.  When they got on the boat, one of the men and the three boys put on a life jacket.  One of the men refused to put on a life jacket.  I guess he thought it was a sissy thing to do, or maybe he thought he could save himself if anything happened.  They were out on the lake when a sudden storm came up and turned the boat over.  The three boys and the man who was wearing a life jacket were saved.  The other man drowned because he had refused to take the one thing that could have saved him.

The Bible tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,  that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Jesus wants to save us and take us to Heaven to be with him, but there are some people who think that it is a sissy thing to admit that they need Jesus.  They think that they can take care of themselves without him.  When the storms of life come up, they are thrown overboard and are lost forever because they refused to take hold of the one thing that could save them.....Jesus.

It is foolish to go out onto the water without a life jacket, but it is even more foolish to try to sail the sea of life without Jesus!

Dear Lord, we know that you sent Jesus to die on the cross to save us.  We pray this morning, that as we sail upon the sea of life, each and every one here will take hold of the one thing that can save us from the storm....Jesus.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Measuring God's Love


For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

One of my favorite Bible verses begins, "For God so loved the world." I was thinking about that verse and wondering -- just how great is God's love and how could we measure it? This morning I brought several things that we often use in measuring other things. I thought they might help us measure God's love.

Sometimes we use a measuring cup to measure things. If I were making some cookies, I would use a measuring cup to make sure that I put in exactly the right amount of flour, sugar, and milk. I wonder if we might use a measuring cup to measure God's love? The Bible says, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want....my cup runneth over." (Psalm 23:1,5) Well, if our cup runs over with God's love, I don't guess we could use a measuring cup to measure it.

If we were building something, we might use a tape measure to measure the length, width, and height of different things. I wonder if we might use a tape measure to measure God's love? The Bible tells us that God's love is higher than the heavens. (Psalm 108:4) If God's love is higher than the heavens, I don't think we could use a tape measure to measure it, could we?

We use a watch to measure time. There will probably be some people here this morning who will use their watch to measure how long the pastor's sermon lasts. I wonder if we could use a watch to measure how long God's love will last. The Bible tells us that God's love is from everlasting to everlasting. (Psalm 103:17) Wow! If God's love is from everlasting to everlasting, I don't guess we could measure it with a watch.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." How do you measure a love like that? We can't measure it -- we don't need to -- but we do need to experience it.

My prayer for you today is, "That you may understand how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience it, though it is so great you will never fully understand it." (Ephesians 3:18-19)

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love -- a love so great that you gave your one and only Son so that we could have eternal life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Dying for a Drink!

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." John 4:10

Just look at this plant. It really looks sad, doesn't it? Do you know what is the matter with this plant? This plant is dying for a drink of water. Plants just cannot live without water. Whenever it doesn't rain for a long time, you will see plants, trees, shrubs, flowers and grass dying for a drink of water. Even if you wanted to water the plants, without rain the rivers and lakes would dry up and soon it may be too late for many of the plants. They will be dead.

People cannot live without water either. We can live for several weeks without food, but without water, a person will die within 3-4 days. Every day I look around and see people who are dying for a drink of water. Oh, I don't mean the kind of water that this plant needs. I am taking about the kind of water that only Jesus can give. Living water!

One day Jesus saw a woman at a well, and He asked her for a drink. Then He said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is asking you for a drink, you would ask Him for a drink, and He would give you living water." Of course, Jesus wasn't talking about the kind of water that we drink. He was talking about eternal life in heaven!

I hope that you will receive the Living Water that Jesus offers because if you do, you will have eternal life in heaven with him. I also hope that you will tell others about it too, because without it, they will surely die.

Dear Jesus, we are thirsty. Not for the water that comes from a well, but for the living water that comes from you. Amen.

 

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Thirst Quencher

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."  John 4: 13-14

I am sure that most of you play some sports and are familiar with the sports drink called Gatorade.  How many of you have ever drunk Gatorade?  There are many sports drinks on the store's shelves today, but Gatorade is the one that started it all.  It claims to satisfy your thirst better than anything in the world -- even better than water.

Listen to what I read about Gatorade in one of their ads, "All kinds of athletes reach for Gatorade.  Nothing fuels them better - not water, not juice, not other sports drinks. Professional athletes get going and keep going, with Gatorade.  You can too."

Wow!  They have me convinced, but one thing I have noticed -- in all of the claims made by Gatorade, not once have they ever claimed that if you would drink their product, you would never be thirsty again.  If somebody had something that would do that, they would really have something, wouldn't they?  Well, Jesus claimed to have that very thing!

One day Jesus was walking through a town in Samaria.  He was hot and tired so he sat down beside a well to rest.  A woman came to the well to get some water and Jesus asked her if she would give him a drink.  The woman was surprised that Jesus spoke to her because Jews would not usually speak to Samaritans.  She said to him, "Why do you ask me for a drink since you are a Jew and I am a Samaritan?"

Jesus answered and said, "If you knew who was asking you for a drink, you would ask him for a drink and he would give you living water."

The woman replied, "You don't even have anything to get water in, how can you give me living water?"

Then Jesus said, "Whoever drinks from the water from this well will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst again."

Wow!  Water that would satisfy your thirst so that you would never be thirsty again!  Jesus wasn't talking about our thirst for water from a well, he was talking about our thirst for God.  The Bible teaches us that we have a thirst in our heart for the living God -- and that is a thirst that only Jesus can satisfy.  So when we have Jesus in our heart, he satisfies our thirst for God and we will never thirst again!  Jesus is life!  Drink it up!

Dear Lord, you have given us Jesus, the Living Water.  May we drink of that Living Water so that we will never thirst again.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Rainbow of Promise

"I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth...  I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."  Genesis 9: 11, 13 (NIV)

I'm sure that everyone has seen a ring like this one. (hold up wedding band) It is a very special kind of ring.  Do you know what kind of ring it is?  It is a wedding ring.  It is a very simple ring.  It has no diamonds or any other precious stones.  It is just a plain, simple band of gold, but it is very special because it is a reminder of a promise that is made when a couple gets married.  On the day that they are married, a husband and wife make a promise that they will love and stand faithfully beside one another "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, for as long as they live."  Each of them wears a wedding band as a reminder of that promise that they made.  The ring also tells everyone who sees it about the promise that the couple made.

We all make promises, don't we?  You might promise your mother that you will clean your room and do your chores before you go out to play.  Or you may promise to keep a secret told to you by your best friend.  You may promise to return something that you borrowed from a neigbor.

Has anyone ever broken a promise they made to you?  How did that make you feel?  What did you say?  You were probably very disappointed and said something like, "But you promised!"  Sometimes we aren't very good at keeping our promises.

God makes promises.  Our Bible lesson today is about a promise that God made to a man named Noah.  I'm sure that you know the story of how God sent a great flood to destroy the earth because the people had become so wicked and evil.  He destroyed everything he had created except for two of every kind of bird and animal and Noah and his family.  He spared them because Noah was a good and righteous man who walked with God.

After the flood waters went down and Noah's family and all the animals could leave the ark, God made a promise to Noah.  He promised Noah that he would never again destroy the whole earth with a flood.  Then he did something to remind Noah of that promise.  He placed a rainbow in the sky and he said to Noah, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the promise between me and all life on the earth."  God said that every time he saw the rainbow, he would remember the promise that he made.

God has kept that promise, hasn't he?  God keeps all of his promises.  In fact, the Bible says that, "No matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:20)  The next time you see a rainbow, remember the promise God made to Noah, and remember that just as he has kept that promise, he keeps all of his promises.

Dear Father, we are thankful that you are faithful to keep your promises.  Help us to be faithful in keeping ours.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

There's No Fear in Jesus

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; don't be afraid." Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. John 6: 16-21 (NIV)

I must confess that when I was a small child, I was afraid of the dark. At the end of the day, when it was time to turn out the lights and go to bed, I wanted to know that I was not alone in the darkness. That is where my friend "Teddy" came to the rescue. Somehow, the darkness was not so frightening with "Teddy" in the bed with me.

Have you ever been afraid? Of course you have. We have all been afraid at some time or another. It is nothing to be ashamed of -- even adults are sometimes afraid. Some of us may be afraid of high places, some may be afraid of the water, some may be afraid of spiders, but all of us are afraid of something.

One day Jesus' disciples got into a boat and started to the other side of the lake. Before they got to the other side, it became dark. The wind started to blow and the water became very rough. The disciples were already beginning to be a bit afraid when they looked and saw someone coming toward them walking on the water. The Bible says that the disciples were terrified!

Then, they heard the voice of Jesus. He said, "It is I, don't be afraid." The Bible tells us that when they realized that it was Jesus, they were willing to invite him into the boat with them and they were no longer afraid.

When it comes to being afraid, we are all in the same boat. But when we invite Jesus into our boat, we have nothing to fear, because we are not alone.

Dear Father, all of us are afraid at times. Help us to remember that with Jesus we have nothing to fear. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "The Bread of Life"

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." John 6:51 (NIV)

I see them every day as I drive to and from work. Dirty people in ragged clothes standing on a busy street corner holding up a sign like this one that says, "Will Work for Food." You've seen them, haven't you? What do you think when you see them? I must be honest and admit that some of the things that come to my mind are, "I wonder if they would really be willing to work, or are they just looking for a handout?" Or I might think to myself, "If I gave them money, would they buy food, or would they just spend it on drugs and alcohol?"

What do you think Jesus might want us to do when we see these people? Perhaps he might want us to pull into the McDonald's across the street and buy them a Big Mac® and a Coke.® Jesus was always concerned about the physical needs of people. That is why he spent so much of his time healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and feeding the hungry. Don't you think he wants us to do the same?

Jesus wasn't just concerned about empty stomachs -- he was even more concerned about empty hearts. One day, after filling the empty stomachs of over 5,000 people, Jesus said to them, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever." Jesus was telling them that he came to give his life so that they could have everlasting life -- if they would believe and trust in him.

Jesus wants us to be concerned about empty stomachs, but he also wants us to be concerned about empty hearts. As we share our bread with the hungry, let us also share the story of Jesus, the Bread of Life, so that they may eat and never die.

Dear Father, we thank you for sending Jesus, the Bread of Life, so that we may eat and never die. Help us to share the story of Jesus with others. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Do You Know This Man?

"You do not know me or my Father," Jesus replied. "If you knew me, you would know my Father also."  John 8:19  If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

How many of you know this man? (hold up the poster)  Who can tell me who he is?  That's right, it is Mark McGuire and anyone who knows anything at all about baseball knows who Mark McGuire is, but I didn't ask you if you knew who he is, I asked you if you knew him.  Most of us know who he is and something about him, but we don't actually know him.  We have never met him face to face.  Knowing about someone is not the same thing as knowing them.

I guess just about everybody knows who Jesus is.  Almost everyone has  heard about how he was born in a manger.  They have heard about some of the things He did while he was on earth.  They may have even heard about how He died on a cross.  They know a lot about Jesus, but they don't know Jesus.   How do we get to know Him?  The Bible says that when we can say "Jesus is Lord," and believe in our hearts that He died and was raised from the dead to save us, then we can say that we really know Him.  Do you know Jesus, or do you just know about Jesus?   He wants you to know Him as your own personal Lord and Savior.  You can know Him if you will invite Him to come and live within your heart.

Lord, we know all about you.  Now we want to know you.  We want you to come and live within our hearts and be our Lord and our Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

To God Be the Glory!


As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. John 9:1-3

Music has always been an important part of my life. I love all kinds of music, but the music I love the most is the music that we sing about Jesus. I have a hymnal this morning and I have marked a few of the hymns that are among my favorites.

Here is one of my favorites, "To God Be the Glory." What a great hymn of praise to God. Here is another that has always been a favorite of mine, "All the Way My Savior Leads Me." It tells about how Jesus leads us through the difficult times in our life. Oh! This is one song that is definitely on my list of all-time favorites, "Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine." Did you know that all of these favorites that I have named this morning have something in common? They were all written by the same person. In fact, there are many hymns in our hymnal written by that person. Her name was Fanny Crosby.

When Fanny was six weeks old, she had an eye infection. Her regular doctor was out of town, and a man posing as a doctor gave her the wrong treatment. Within a few days, she was blind. If that happened to me, I am afraid I would be very bitter and I would probably spend a lifetime feeling sorry for myself. Fanny was never bitter and she never felt sorry for herself. When she was only eight years old, she wrote this poem:

Oh, what a happy child I am,
Although I can not see.
I am resolved that in this world,
Contented I will be.
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't.
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot and I won't!

Instead of being bitter and feeling sorry for herself, Fanny used the gifts that God had given her to write over 8,000 hymns and poems to praise and glorify God.

One day Jesus was walking with his disciples when they passed by a blind man. When they saw him, the disciples asked Jesus who was to blame for the man's blindness. Was it because of his sin or was it because of his parent's sins? Jesus answered them and told them that no one was to blame, he was blind so that God's works could be shown in him. Then Jesus healed the man and the people praised and glorified God for his goodness.

What about Fanny Crosby? God didn't heal her blindness. Perhaps if God had healed her, she might never have written all of those beautiful hymns -- and the world would never have heard of Fanny Crosby. She used the tragedy of her blindness to glorify God. I pray that tragedy will never come into your life, but if it does, remember that everything that happens can be used to praise and glorify God!

Dear Lord, the difficulties in our life seem small when compared to what others may be facing. Help us not to grumble and complain, but to praise and glorify you in every situation. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Master's Voice


The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.  When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.  They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers."   John 10: 3-5

How many of you have a dog?  I don't have a dog now, but I used to have a dog.  My dog's name was Mac and he was a Border Collie.  This is a picture of my dog Mac.  When we were not at home, Mac stayed in the back yard, but when we got home, I would open the back door and call his name.  When I called his name, he would come running.

Do you know what would have happened if you had opened the door and called Mac?  Nothing!  Mac would not come because he didn't know you and wouldn't recognize your voice.  Sometimes I would open the back gate and call Mac to take him for a walk.  If a stranger had come to the gate and called him, do you think Mac would come to him?  No way!  A dog knows his master's voice and will only do what his master tells him to do.

Did you know that same thing is true of sheep?  Jesus said that sheep know the shepherd's voice and they will follow him.  He then went on to say that he is the shepherd and we are his sheep.  If Jesus is our master, we will know his voice and will do what  he wants us to do.  Sometimes, other people will try to get us to do something we should not do.  If Jesus is our master, we won't listen to their voice. Sometimes, Satan tries to get us to do something that we should not do.  If Jesus is our master, we won't listen to Satan's voice.

The shepherd always wants what is best for his sheep.  He leads them into green pastures where they have plenty to eat.  He leads them to water so that they have plenty to drink.  He leads them to the shelter where they will be safe from the storm.  Jesus wants what is best for us.  He said that he came so that we could have life and have it abundantly.  We will, if we listen to his voice and follow him.

Jesus, you are the good shepherd and we are your sheep.  Help us to listen to your voice and to follow you.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 He Knows Your Name


He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." John 10:3b-5 (NIV)

Some of you may have seen a branding iron. A branding iron is used to put an identifying mark on cattle and sheep. When a calf is branded, they put the branding iron in a fire and burn the brand into the side of the calf. Ouch! I'll bet that hurts! When a brand is put on sheep, they dip the brand into a special paint and put the brand on the sheep's back. That sounds a little better, doesn't it? Okay, let's talk about branding sheep.

Do you know why they put a brand on the sheep? They do it so that they will know who owns the sheep. Each rancher has his own special brand. So, if a sheep wanders off and becomes lost or stolen, the brand will prove who owns the sheep.

I don't know whether they put brands on sheep in Jesus' day or not, but Jesus once told about a shepherd who went to a sheep pen to get his sheep. He said that the shepherd knew his sheep and called them by name. When he had called them out, he walked ahead of them and they followed him because they recognized his voice. Jesus said that if a stranger called to the sheep, they would not follow him. In fact, Jesus said they would run away from him because they did not recognize the stranger's voice.

That is a beautiful picture of our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is our shepherd. He loves us and cares for us -- he even knows our name. Jesus calls us to follow him and if we belong to him, we will know his voice and we will follow him.

Sometimes, Satan may try to get us to follow him. He may try to get us to do things that will do us harm. If we belong to Jesus, we will not follow Satan. In fact, we will run from him.

Dear Jesus, we are thankful that we have a shepherd who knows our name. Help us to follow you when you call. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Good Shepherd


"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep." John 10:14-15 (NIV)

How many of you have a pet? There are many animals that make good pets. The most popular are cats and dogs, but birds and fish are also quite popular. Some children like hamsters or Guinea pigs for a pet. If you live in the country and have a lot of room, you might even own a large animal such as a horse.

If you choose to have a pet, it is a big responsibility. You must be willing to take care of it. You have to feed it and make sure it has plenty of water. You must keep it clean and take it to the veterinarian when it is sick. You have to make sure your pet is kept in a safe place and, if it wanders off and gets lost, you must go and look for it and bring it back home.

As I think about having a pet and taking care of it, I am reminded about something that Jesus said about himself. Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd." A shepherd is a person who takes care of sheep. Sheep can't take care of themselves. They need someone to watch over them and care for them. They need someone to protect them from harm. Jesus said he knows his sheep and his sheep know him. He said that he was even willing to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus must really love his sheep!

As you might have guessed, Jesus wasn't really talking about sheep. He was talking about you and me. We are his "sheep." He loves us, he takes care of us, he makes sure that we have everything that we need. He was even willing to give his life so that you and I could live with him forever in heaven.

There is no doubt about it. Jesus really loves his sheep!

Dear Jesus, we are thankful to you for being our Good Shepherd. Thank you for loving us and taking care of us. Most of all, we thank you for laying down your life for us so that we can have everlasting life in heaven with you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 In the Palm of His Hand


I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

Do any of you have a yo-yo?  Do you know how to do any tricks with your yo-yo?  I brought my yo-yo this morning.  I thought I would give a little demonstration.  I'm not really very good, but I can do a few simple tricks.

The first thing that most people learn how to do is just your basic "up and down."  I'm sure that all of you can do that.

Next, I'll do the "out and back."  As you can see, it is very similar to the "up and down."

My next trick is called the "sleeper."  Do you see how the yo-yo stays down at the bottom and spins?  When I am ready, just a slight tug pulls it right back up into the palm of my hand.

For my final trick I will do "Around the World."  This one is a little bit more difficult and sometimes I mess up.  Ready?  Here goes!  Oh wow!  I really messed up on that one, didn't I?  Well, no problem.  I'll just pick up my yo-yo, rewind it, and then I'll be ready to go again.

Did you notice that every one of my tricks started and ended exactly the same way?  Each trick began and ended with the yo-yo in the palm of my hand.  Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."  When we give our heart to Jesus and place our life in his hands, we know that we are safe and that nothing can snatch us from his hand.  Oh, we may have our "ups and downs."  We may even stray away  at times, but just a little tug will pull us right back into His hand.  Even when we really mess up, like I did on the "around the world" trick, he picks us up and dusts us off and there we are, right back in the palm of his hand.

Isn't it great to have the assurance that Jesus has put us in the palm of his hand and that nothing can harm us or take us from his hand!

Dear Jesus, we thank you for holding us in your hand and for giving us the promise that nothing can take us from your hands.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Guaranteed Forever! 


I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. John 10:28-29 (NIV)

Last week I went to the store and bought a new hammer. Do you know why I bought this particular hammer?   It is because it is guaranteed forever. The guarantee on this hammer says, "If this tool ever fails to provide complete satisfaction, return it for free repair or replacement."

That is great, isn't it? If I ever break this hammer, all I have to do is take it back to the store and they will either fix it or give me a new hammer.

Wait a minute! What if I lose my hammer? This guarantee doesn't say that they will replace the hammer if I lose it. What if someone steals it?  I guess if I lose my hammer, or someone breaks into my garage and steals it, I'm out of luck.

Wouldn't it be great if something was guaranteed to last forever -- and was guaranteed that you couldn't lose it and nobody could steal it?   Well, there is!

Jesus has promised everlasting life to those who trust and believe in him. Listen to his guarantee!

"I give them eternal life, and they shall never die!"

Is it guaranteed that no one can steal it? It sure is!

Jesus said, "No one can snatch them out of my hand."

Eternal life that you can't lose and no one can take it away. That's a guarantee that no one can match!

Dear Jesus, we thank you for your guarantee of everlasting life. Amen.