Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Three In One


Yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live. 1 Corinthians 8:6 I and the Father are one. John 10:30 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. John 14:16

I'm sure that all of you know what I have brought with me this morning. It is a portable stereo, but most people call it a boom box. Do any of you have a boom box? As you can see, I only have one boom box, but it is really three players in one. Let me explain what I mean.

First, my boom box is a radio. I can turn it on, push this button, and I can listen to the radio. My boom box is also a CD player. I can put in a CD, push this button and I can listen to the CD. Finally, my boom box is a tape player. I can put a tape in in this slot, push the play button, and listen to the tape. I only have one boom box, but it is three boom boxes in one!

How many Gods are there? That's right! There is only one God, but God is like my boom box, He is one God in three persons! Let me explain what I mean.

First, there is God, the Father. The Bible says, "There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come." That is why when Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he told them to pray, "Our Father, which art in heaven."

Second, God came down to earth in human form to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus is God in a human form. He said so himself when He said, "The Father and I are one."

Finally, when Jesus told His disciples that He was going to return to heaven, He told them that the Father would send them a comforter and teacher to be with them forever. That is why God sent us the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God with us today.

Just as I have only one boom box that is three players in one, there is only one God, but He is God in three persons! Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Dear God, our Heavenly Father, our Savior, our Teacher, we praise you and worship you today. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Savior Who Weeps


Jesus wept.  John 11:35

This morning I have a little bottle that I call "My Tears Bottle."  These aren't real tears, it is just water, but it reminds me of the times that I have cried real tears.  In Psalm 56:8, the psalmist asks God to keep his tears in a bottle.  Now, I don't know that God keeps our tears in a bottle like this one, but I do believe that he sees our tears and hears us when we cry.

Do you ever cry?  Of course you do.  Even you big strong boys sometimes cry -- even though someone may try to tell you that "big boys don't cry."  I made a list of some things that make us cry.  Have you ever fallen off your bicycle and hurt yourself so badly that you cried? Have you ever slipped and fallen while carrying a tray of food in the school cafeteria, and though you weren't hurt, you were so embarrassed that you cried?  Have you ever moved to a new school where you didn't know anyone and you were so lonely that you cried?  Has anyone ever said something mean and hurt your feelings so badly that you cried?  Have you ever had a friend that was crying, so you just cried along with them?  I think that we all could answer, "yes" to at least one of these questions.  We all cry, don't we?

Did you know that Jesus cried?  The shortest verse in the entire Bible says, "Jesus wept."  I know of at least three things that made Jesus cry.  (1) The Bible tells us that Jesus cried when he prayed for others.  It says, "He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears."  Hebrews 5:7 (2) The Bible also tells us that Jesus cried when he saw people who were missing out on what God wanted for them.  It says, as he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace -- but now it is hidden from your eyes."  Luke 19:41-42  (3) The Bible tells us that Jesus cried when he saw friends who were hurting.  It says that when he saw Mary weeping because her brother had died, he cried too.  John 11:33-35

I am glad that we have a Savior who weeps.  I am glad that he loves us so much that he hurts when we are hurting.  He sees our tears and, who knows, perhaps he keeps our tears in a bottle.

Dear Jesus, it is comforting to know that when we cry, you cry with us.  But it is even more comforting to know that one day we will be in heaven with you -- and then there will be no more tears.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Giving Him Your Best

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3 (NIV)

If you were to ask me to name my most prized possession, it would have to be this diamond ring. The diamond in this ring was originally in a ring which belonged to my grandmother. About twenty years ago, my wife had the diamond put into this ring and gave it to me for Christmas. It is not only quite valuable, it has a lot of meaning to me because it is the only thing that I own that belonged to my grandmother.

If I were to ask you to name your most prized possession, what would it be? To some of you, it might be a stuffed animal that you have had since you were a baby. To another, it might be a favorite doll. To someone else, it might be a ball autographed by a famous baseball player. If a friend came to visit in your home, would you give your most prized possession to that friend to show your love? That is what a woman named Mary did in our Bible story today.

One day Jesus went to the city of Bethany. That was the city where a man named Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, lived with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. While Jesus was in Bethany, a dinner was given in his honor.  Lazarus was eating at the table with Jesus, while Martha was serving the meal. Mary was just sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach.

As she was sitting at the feet of Jesus, Mary did a very unusual thing. She took a bottle of very expensive perfume and began to wash the feet of Jesus with it. Then she dried his feet with her hair. The Bible tells us that the entire house was filled with the sweet smell of perfume.

One of Jesus' disciples, whose name was Judas, was very upset by what Mary did. He said, "What a waste! This perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. It was worth a year's wages."  Judas wasn't really worried about the poor. The Bible tells us that he was worried about the money because he often stole money from the treasury for himself.

Jesus came to Mary's defense and answered Judas. "Leave her alone. She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial."

Jesus said that because he knew that it was only a few days before he would be crucified and buried. I don't know if Mary knew that or not, but I do think that Mary wanted to give Jesus the very best that she had to show her love for him. That perfume was the very best thing that Mary had to offer.

Jesus has given us the most wonderful gift imaginable -- the gift of everlasting life. It is free, but it was a very costly gift. It cost Jesus his life.

What can we give to Jesus to show our love for him? I don't think he wants a diamond ring, a stuffed animal, a doll, or an autographed baseball. I think he wants us to give him our very best. He wants us to give him our life!

Dear Jesus, you gave your life to show your love for us. May we also give our lives to you as an expression of our love. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

"I Love A Parade"


The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" John 12:12-13

I love a parade! There is something about a parade that really gets my heart to pumping. We often have parades to celebrate special events such as a circus coming to town or the opening of a fair. Sometimes we have a parade to honor an important person who has come to our town.

I have some flags and some noise makers. This morning I want us to imagine that we are watching a parade. Our city is honoring the very first astronaut from our city to ever walk on the moon. I will describe the parade and when the astronaut passes by, I want everyone to wave their flags and blow their noise makers. Let's practice blowing our noise makers to make sure they are working. Okay, everybody blow! Wow! That was great. Now, get ready, because the parade is about to begin.

Listen...I can hear the band. It is leading the parade and behind the band there are floats carrying a lot of important people...our congressman, our senator, and the mayor of our city. As they pass by, we smile and wave. Finally, here comes the astronaut -- our hero! The crowd cheers, waves their flags, and blows their noise makers! (Wave and blow on the noise makers.) Then as the parade moves on down the street, the sound of the band fades away in the distance. It is over. The celebration is over.

That is a little bit like something that took place in the city of Jerusalem about 2000 years ago. A king was visiting their city. People lined the streets of the city hoping to get to see the King. The King came riding on a small donkey, and as he rode through the streets of the city, the people waved palm branches and shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

I'm sure that you know who that King was -- it was Jesus. Today is Palm Sunday. Today we remember the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the people cheering and waving palm brances. It was a day that marked the beginning of a week that would see Jesus cheered, then arrested, tried, beaten, and put to death on a cross. But as that week came to an end, another week began just as the previous week had begun -- with a celebration.

Dear Jesus, our voices join with the voices of the people in Jerusalem some two thousand years ago. Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "My Heart Is Troubled"

"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28a

I don't know where I got this stone. Perhaps I found it on the ground or maybe someone gave it to me. I have had it for a long time, but had forgotten about it until I found it a few days ago in a desk drawer in my office. As you can see, it is small and flat and fits into my hand in such a way that I can rub it with my thumb. Many people carry a stone like this in their pocket. They call it a "worry stone." Whenever they are troubled about something, they just reach into their pocket and rub the worry stone. They believe that rubbing the smooth surface of the stone gives them a peaceful feeling and helps them to quit worrying about their troubles.

I don't carry this worry stone in my pocket. That doesn't mean that I never have any trouble in my life, it is just that I don't find that rubbing on a stone helps keep me from worrying about the troubles in my life. If we really want to know what we should do when we face trouble in our life, we should look at what Jesus did.

Just a few days before he was to be crucified, Jesus said, "Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" Jesus knew that he was going to die on the cross. He could have asked God to save him. Instead, he only asked that his Father's name would be glorified.

Why do troubles come into our life? I believe that troubles come for the very reason that Jesus said -- so that God's name will be glorified. I have known people who followed the example of Jesus when they faced trouble in their life. I have even known people who faced death with such courage and faith that God's name was glorified. Wouldn't it be pleasing to God if all of us faced trouble in such a way that His name is glorified?

Dear Father, we all face trouble in our daily life. Instead of asking you to take them away, let us ask that you help us to face those troubles in such a way that your name will be glorified. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Building a Model Life


I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  John 13: 15  Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.  1Corinthians 11:1

Have you ever built a model?  They are a lot of fun and are also quite a challenge.  When you build a model, there are several things that are very important.  First of all, you will notice that there is a picture on the box of what it is supposed to look like.  It would be almost impossible to build a model if we didn't know what it was supposed to look like when we finished.  Even after you know what it is supposed to look like, you must have instructions on how to put it together.  There are many pieces and you need the instructions to tell you how they all fit together.  Finally, you need some glue.  I would hate to spend all of that time to put a model together and then have it to fall apart.  Those are the three things that are important to building a model.

God has done exactly the same thing for us to help us to build our life into what He wants us to be.  First of all, He gave us a picture.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to show us how to live.  Then He gave us the Bible as a set of instructions on how to put all of the pieces together.  Then he gave us prayer.  Prayer is the glue that holds it all together.  That is what we need to build our life to be a model of Jesus.  Then we can say with Paul, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

Dear God, we thank you for sending your Son to be our example of how you want us to live.  We thank You for the Bible that gives us instructions on how to put all the pieces of our life together.  And finally, we thank you for prayer, the glue that holds it all together.   Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

He Loves Us All 


"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

This morning I have a bag of “Dum-dums.” As you can see, “Dum-dums” come in many different flavors. There are lemon, cherry, grape, watermelon, orange, and butterscotch. I sometimes give “Dum-dums” to the children who come to Sunday School. One thing I have noticed is that when I allow the children to choose the flavor they want, some children are very picky about which flavor they choose. It seems I always wind up with all of the butterscotch left when all of the other flavors are gone. Children seldom ever choose the butterscotch suckers.

I don't know why the children don't like butterscotch. I guess butterscotch is a little bit different. Maybe it isn’t quite as sweet as grape or cherry, or some of the other flavors, or maybe they just don't like the color of the paper wrapper. Do you know what I do with the leftover butterscotch suckers? I eat them myself, because I love all the flavors!

These “Dum-dums” remind me of children. Have you ever noticed that when children play games, some children are always the last to be chosen? Maybe they are just a little bit different or maybe their skin is a different color and the other children just won’t choose them.

We all need to remember that Jesus loves ALL the children and he said that you and I should do the same. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so must you love one another.” Have you ever been the one who was left out? It isn't a very good feeling, but if you are ever the one that feels left out, you can know that Jesus loves you just as much as He loves the other children.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that you have told us to love one another just as you have loved us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Finding the Way


Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 (NIV)

If you are going on a trip, you need to know where you are going and how to go to get there. I have a two things with me this morning that you might use to help you to find your way when you are traveling. I have a map and a compass.

I'm sure all of you have seen a map, but perhaps some of you have never seen a compass. The map will show you where you want to go, and the compass will point you in the right direction. The compass shows you whether you are going north, south, east, or west.

I heard about a lady who was taking a group of children to a soccer game in another city. She knew the right road to take, but she became confused and turned east instead of west. They had traveled for almost an hour before one of the children told her that they were going the wrong direction.

When we are trying to find your way through the journey of life, we need some help in finding the right way to go too, don't we? Each day we face many difficult decisions and it is sometimes hard to know which way to turn.

Some people use their feelings to make decisions. They say, "Im going to do this, because it just feels like the right thing to do." That's no good. Our feelings may change from day to day, and just because we feel good about something doesn't mean that it is the right thing to do.

Some people make choices by what's popular. That is no good either. Just because everyone else is doing it doesn't mean that it is the right thing to do, does it? Besides, tomorrow everyone might be doing something else.

There is only one way to know if we are going the right direction in life and that is to follow Jesus. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Well, we know where we want to go. We want to go to heaven. And now, we know the way. Jesus is the way. If we follow him, we know we are on the right path and headed in the right direction.

Dear Father, help us each day as we journey through life to follow Jesus, because we know he is the way, the only way. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Show Your Love


If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15   If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

I am sure that all of you know that it is Mother's Day.  Did you give your mother a card or a present for Mother's Day?  This Mother's Day card says, "Mom, I love you!"  Do you think your mother likes to hear you tell her that you love her?  Of course she does!  But do you know what your mother would like even more?  She would like for you to show her that you love her.  How do you think you might do that?  Well, you might help around the house, you could clean your room, you could empty the trash, you could show her you love her by obeying her when she tells you to do something.  It is easy to tell your mom that you love her, but if you really love her, your actions will show it!

Do you think that Jesus likes to hear us tell Him that we love Him?  I know He does.  But He likes it even better when our actions show Him that we love Him.  How do we do that?  The Bible says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."  One of the best ways to show our love for Jesus is to love one another.  The Bible says, "Anyone who does not love his brother, cannot love God."  Yes, Jesus likes to hear us say, "I love you," but He would rather see us say, "I love you."

Dear Lord, we have come to your house today to say, "I love you."  Help us to go out of here today and show you that we love you by our actions.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Power Source 



I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12 (NIV) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4 (NIV)

I love to listen to music. Whenever I am driving in my car, I always have the radio turned on -- or I am listening to a tape or a CD. Whenever I go for a walk, I like to take along this portable radio so I can enjoy listening to music as I walk.

Some of you may have a portable radio, tape player, or CD player similar to this one. If you do, then you know that before it can make music, it must have batteries in it. The batteries give the radio the power that it needs to be able to play. Without batteries, this radio can do nothing. Oh, it will still look like a radio, but without batteries, it has no power to do what it was created to do.

Before Jesus returned to heaven to be with his Father, he told his disciples that they would do even greater things than he had done when he was on earth. Now Jesus did some pretty great things, didn't he? He healed the sick. He turned water into wine. He made the blind to see and the crippled to walk. Where were the disciples going to get the power to do such great things? Jesus promised them that he would ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit would give them the power to do great and mighty things.

It happened just as Jesus said it would. On the day which is called Pentecost, the disciples were all together in one place. The Bible tells us that there was a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind and it filled the place where the disciples were gathered. Then, there were flames of fire that appeared and rested upon each of them. When these things happened, the disciples were filled with power and began to preach and teach about Jesus. They were able to do things that they had never done before because of the power of the Holy Spirit in them.

Did you know that you and I have that very same power available to us today? The Bible says that "all who are led by the Spirit are children of God." We who are the children of God have the power to do great and mighty things, not in our own strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit that is within us.

Oh, one more thing about my radio -- even if it has batteries, it won't make music until it is turned on. That is true of you and me too. Some of us have the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised, but we haven't turned it on. Isn't it about time that we turned on the power that is within us?

Dear Father, help us to be turned on for Jesus so that we can do great and mighty things through the power of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Comforter


And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever. John 14:16 (NIV)

This morning I brought my Teddy Bear. A lot of children have a Teddy Bear or some other stuffed toy that they like to hold close when they are afraid, sick, or upset. Some people may have a favorite blanket called a "security blanket" that they like to snuggle up to when they need some comfort. Have you ever had a favorite cuddly toy or a security blanket? Did it ever help you to feel better when you were afraid or when you were sick?

Some of you may be embarrassed to admit that you have a security blanket or that you ever had one. Well, there is no reason to be embarrassed. Did you know that studies have shown that more than half of all children become attached to a Teddy Bear, a favorite blanket, or some other object that helps to comfort them whenever they are afraid, sick, or upset? Even scientific studies have proven what kids have known for a long time. A Teddy Bear or a security blanket can give great comfort -- especially at bedtime, when you are sick, or when you are separated from your parents.

Jesus understood that we all need help in times of trouble. When he was here on earth, he was a source of help and comfort to his disciples. When he was preparing to return to heaven, he knew that there would be times when his disciples would need help and comfort and that he would not be there to give it to them. He told the disciples that he would ask his Father to send them another comforter who would stay with them forever. That is exactly what he did. He asked the Father, and He sent the Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is with us in times of trouble. He is there to comfort and to guide us.

I don't know about you, but I am glad that Jesus asked God to send His Holy Spirit to comfort me when I am afraid or sick. My Teddy Bear may get lost, or become ragged and torn, but Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would be with us forever.

We may outgrow our need for a Teddy Bear or a security blanket -- at least, we don't carry it around with us all the time -- but we never outgrow the need for the comfort and guidance of God's Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, we thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to be our comfort and our guide. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 I'll Be Back! 


But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.  John 14:26,28 (NIV)

Has your family ever moved from one city to another? Sometimes, a move to a new city can be very difficult for a family. It can be especially hard for children. There have been many books written to help children adjust to moving to a new city. There was one move that my family made that I remember very well. My mom and dad had to go to a new city so that my dad could start a new job and find a place for us to live. I had to stay behind to finish the school year.

It was hard for me to be left behind, but my father explained that they had to go ahead and find a place for us to live and make sure that it was ready when it was time for me to join them. He told me that there was nothing to worry about because he was leaving me with some very good friends who would look after me and make sure that I had everything I needed.

During the time that I was separated from my parents, they called to talk to me on the phone every day. They told me about our new home and how much I was going to like it. It helped me a lot to talk to them and know that they would soon come for me and I would join them in our new home.

That is very much like what Jesus has done for us. Before Jesus returned to heaven to be with his Father, he said that he was going to heaven to prepare a place for us. He promised that he would come again and take us to our new home in heaven.

When Jesus went to heaven, he didn't leave us alone. He asked his Father to send the Holy Spirit to watch over us, teach us, and remind us of all that he has told us in the Bible. Not only that, we can talk to Jesus every day in prayer. In fact, I would like to talk to him right now.

Dear Jesus, we are thankful that you are in heaven preparing a home for us. We thank you for the Holy Spirit who guides us and comforts us each day and we look forward to the day when we join you in our new home in heaven. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Branch on the Tree or a Stick in the Mud?


"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 (NIV)

Recently I was working in the yard and I found this branch underneath a tree. I guess it had been broken off by the wind. As you can see, the leaves have all started to wither and die. I also found this branch nearby. As you can see, there are no leaves at all. It is completely dead. In fact, I wouldn't even call it a branch, I would call it a stick.

Do you think that if I took these branches out into the yard and planted them in the ground and watered them they would come back to life? No, that wouldn't work, because the branches get the nutrients that they need to live from the tree. Branches cannot live or grow without the tree. Without the tree, there will never be leaves on the branches. If the branch comes from a fruit tree, there will never be fruit on the branch if it is separated from the tree. If I take this dead branch and plant it in the ground and water it, it won't come back to life, it will just be an old stick in the mud.

That same thing is true about our life with Jesus. Listen to what Jesus said, "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

If we keep our life connected to Jesus, we will grow. Our life will produce beautiful leaves and delicious fruit. But if we are separated from Jesus, our leaves will wither and die and we will never put forth any fruit.

What will your life be? Will you be a beautiful branch on the tree...or will you just be a stick in the mud?

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that apart from you, we can do nothing. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 As I Have Loved You



My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. John 15:12 (NIV)

This morning I have a bag of suckers. As you can see, they came in many different flavors. There are lemon, cherry, grape, watermelon, orange, and butterscotch.

Sometimes I give a sucker to my students at school when they have done something special. One thing I have noticed is that when I allow the students to choose the flavor they want, some children are very picky about what flavor they choose. I almost always end up with butterscotch suckers left over when all of the other flavors are gone.

I don't know why my students won't choose the butterscotch suckers. Maybe it is because their flavor is different from the other suckers. Maybe it is because they don't like the color of the wrapping paper on the suckers. Whatever the reason may be, I always end up with butterscotch leftovers. Do you know what I do with the leftover suckers? I eat them myself! You see, I love them all!

Sometimes we treat people the same way my students treat these suckers. When children play games, some children are always the last to be chosen. Maybe it is because they are just a little bit different. Perhaps they have a physical handicap or maybe their skin is a different color. Whatever the reason might be, the other children just won’t choose them.

Have you ever been the one that wasn't chosen? It isn’t a very good feeling, is it? We all need to remember that Jesus loves ALL the children and He said, "Love each other as I have loved you." If you are ever the one that is left out, don't worry, Jesus loves you just as much as He loves the other children. He loves us all!

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that you have told us to love one another just as you have loved us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Unseen Power




"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you." John 16: 12-15

I have something pretty amazing to show you this morning. I am going to move this little car from this spot on this card over to this spot on the card without ever touching it. I'm not going to tip the card to make it slide over there either. In fact, I want a couple of you to hold this card for me so that you won't think I am tipping the card. Okay, are you ready for this amazing feat? (Place the magnet under the card where the small metal object is and move it to the point where you want it on the card.)

Wow! That was pretty amazing, wasn't it? How did I do that? Oh, I can't fool you. I used a magnet, didn't I? Most of you know about the power of a magnet and you know the effect that it has on metal objects. You couldn't see the magnet, but you knew that it was there because you could see the power of the magnet working on this metal car, guiding it across the card.

Did you know that we can have a power within us that will guide us in our life just like the magnet guided this car across the card? That power comes from the Holy Spirit. When Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave the earth and return to Heaven, he called his disciples together to teach them about what they could expect when he was gone. He told them that when he left, the Holy Spirit would come to be their guide. When we decide to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes into our life. We can't see him, but we know that he is there because we can feel his power and see him working in our life. Just like we could see the power of the magnet guiding this metal car, we can see the Holy Spirit guiding us in our daily life and leading us to the place God wants us to be.

If I hold the magnet way over here, it doesn't have any effect on the car, does it? The car has to be close to the magnet before it feels the effects of its power. You and I have to stay close to God before the power of His Holy Spirit can work in our lives. The closer we are to God, the more we feel the power of the Holy Spirit working in our life. Let's pray and thank God for sending the Holy Spirit to be our guide.

Dear Lord, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to guide us in the way you want us to go. Help us to stay close to you, so that we can feel the power of your Holy Spirit in our life. Amen.