Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Our Map and Our Guide 


But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. John 16:13a (NIV)

Have you ever been lost? I have, and I can tell you that it isn't a good feeling. One time I was traveling at night and I took a wrong turn. As I drove, I began to get the feeling that I was headed in the wrong direction. Whenever I would come to a new road, I would turn in a new direction and soon I was hopelessly lost. I took out a map like this one. I looked at the map, but it didn't help because even though I could see where I wanted to go, I didn't know what direction I was going. I didn't know whether I was going north, south, east, or west. I was totally confused!

What I really needed that night was a map AND a compass! This is a compass. Most of you have probably seen a compass. The needle on the compass always points north. If a traveler knows which way north is, he will know what direction he is traveling. If I had only had a map and a compass, the map would have shown me the where to go and the compass would have pointed me in the right direction to get there.

As we travel through life, we need a map and a compass too. God has given us both. God has given us the Bible to be our map on the journey through life. But, sometimes the Bible is difficult for us to understand and it is hard to know the way we should go. God knew that, so He sent the Holy Spirit to be our guide. The Holy Spirit helps us to understand the Scripture and guides us in the right direction. That is what Jesus meant when he told his disciples, "But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you in all truth."

Oh...about my journey...I guess some of you are wondering how I ever found my way. Well, I wandered around for so long that it began to get light. When the sun came up, I knew that the sun comes up in the east. That was exactly the direction that I needed to go, so I just followed the sun!

Hey! You know, that's a pretty good idea! When you are lost and confused -- if you can't read the map and you don't have a compass -- just follow the Son...God's Son!

Dear Father, we thank you for giving us Your Holy Word to be our roadmap through life. We also thank you for sending Your Holy Spirit to be our guide. Most of all, we thank you for sending Your Son to be our Savior. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 In the World, but Not of the World


They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. John 17:16,18 (NIV)

There are two things in this bottle. Can you guess what they are? Colored water --- and oil. When we look at this bottle with oil and water in it, the first thing that we notice is that they remain separate from one another. Now, watch what happens when I shake the bottle. The water and oil appear to become one.

Have the oil and water really become one? Let's let the bottle stand for a little while and see what happens. Look! The water and oil have become separate again. That shows us that even when they were all mixed together, they were never really one.

This bottle is a pretty good picture of what Jesus wants us to be like in this world we live in.

Before he died, Jesus prayed for his disciples. He prayed that as they lived in the world, they would not become part of the world. He wanted them to add the gifts he had given them to the world -- just as the water added some color to the oil -- but he did not want them to become stained by the world. He wanted them to remain the person God made them to be. He wanted them to know his love and to share that love with others.

This prayer is for us too. Jesus said that just as his Father sent him into the world, he has sent us into the world. We must live in this world, but Jesus has called us to be separate. Just as this colored water remains separate from the oil, Jesus wants us to be separate from the world.

Dear Jesus, help us, as we live in this world, to remain faithful to your call to be separate from the world.

[Soldier4Christ]

 That All May Be One 

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." John 17:20-23 (NIV)

This beautiful painted doll is called a Matryoshka. It came from Russia and it is made of wood which was painted by hand. These beautiful dolls have been popular in Russia for hundreds of years. They have become a symbol of the very finest Russian art and craftsmanship and are collected by people all over the world.

When you look at the Matryoshka, how many dolls do you see? That's right, when you look at the Matryoshka, all you see is one doll. Now, look what happens when I open the doll. There is another doll inside. Isn't that amazing? Now, you can probably guess what will happen if I open the second doll. You guessed it! There is another doll inside! Most Matryoshkas have three to thirty dolls, one inside the other, but it is still only one Matryoshka!

I think that this Matryoshka doll can help us to understand a prayer that Jesus prayed for his followers. On the night he was betrayed, Jesus prayed "for all of those who would put their trust in him." In his prayer, Jesus said, "Father, I pray that they all may be one as you and I are one. Just as you are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us." Jesus wanted all of his followers to be one.

Just as the different dolls are nested one inside the other to make a Matryoshka, we who trust in Jesus must become one in Jesus to make up his Church. We may be different in the way we look and we may speak different languages. We may have different customs and traditions, but if we have put our trust in Jesus, he wants us to be one in him, just as he is one with the Father. We must put aside our differences and be united in him so that the world may know his love.

Dear Jesus, may we be united in our love for one another -- just as we are united in our love for you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Crown Him King!

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." John 18:37a

The crown is a symbol of power and authority. Who wears a crown? That's right! A king or queen wears a crown. Being a king is different from being the president of a country. A president is elected by the people, but a king is is not elected, he is born to be king.

Have you seen the movie "Lion King?" As a lion, Simba was born to be the "King of the Beasts." In one scene from the movie Simba sings, "I Just Can't Wait to Be King." If you have seen the movie, you will remember that one reason why Simba was so anxious to become king was that he didn't want anyone telling him what to do. He didn't want to hear anyone saying, "do this" or "stop that." He wanted to be free to run around all day doing everything his way.

It wasn't just that Simba didn't want anyone to tell him what to do, he was also looking forward to telling everyone else what to do. Just listen to what he says! "I'm gonna be a mighty king so enemies beware! I'm gonna be the mane event like no king was before. I'm brushing up on looking down. I'm working on my ROAR! Oh, I just can't wait to be king!"

I think that Simba had a very poor idea of what it means to be a king. You see, the real role of a king is to look after the needs of his people. A good king is more concerned with caring for his people than he is in being served.

During his last days on earth, Jesus was arrested and put on trial. When asked if he was a king, Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world." Yes, Jesus was a king, but he wasn't interested in running around free and doing things his way. He was only interested in doing the will of his Father. He was born to be king, but his kingdom is not on this earth -- it is in heaven. He only came to earth to make a way for us to live with him in heaven.

Jesus "Just can't wait to be your king." He has invited you to enjoy eternal life in his heavenly kingdom. If you haven't already accepted his invitation, I hope you will crown him as your King today.

Dear Jesus, we invite you to rule our hearts as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

I’ve Just Seen Jesus

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.  John 20:18 (NIV)

Stare at the four dots in the center of this picture for about thirty seconds.  Then, close your eyes and wait for an image to appear.  What did you see?  Did you see Jesus?  Some people see the image of Jesus and some do not.  It is just like it is in real life.  Some people don’t see Jesus because they are looking for Him in the wrong places.

That  is what happened to a woman in our Bible story today.  The Bible tells us that on the third day after Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary went looking for Jesus in the tomb where He had been buried.  When she got there, the tomb was open and Jesus was not in the grave.  Thinking that His body had been stolen, Mary stood by the empty grave crying.

Then, Mary saw a man standing beside the grave.  It was Jesus, but Mary did not recognize Him.  Jesus spoke to her and called her by name and, when she heard his voice, she recognized Him.  After she saw that it was Jesus, she went to the disciples and said to them, “I’ve just seen Jesus!  He is alive!”

Some people, like Mary, can’t see Jesus because they are looking for Him in a grave or on a cross.   He isn’t there!  He is risen and is seated at the right hand of His Father in heaven.  If you want to see Jesus, look in His Word, He will reveal Himself to you, just as He did to Mary!

Dear God, we thank you that Jesus, our Savior, is not in a grave.  He is alive!  We serve a risen Savior!  Hallelujah!  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Believe It or Not!


Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.  So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!"   But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it."  John 20:24-25

There is an interesting book called "Believe It or Not." It was written by Robert Ripley. Mr. Ripley enjoyed collecting strange and amazing bits of information that were unbelievable, but true. Let me share some examples from his book.

According to Mr. Ripley, a boy went to the doctor because he had a pain in his foot. The doctor discovered that the boy had a tooth growing in the bottom of his foot. Can you believe that? I think I would have to see it to believe it!

You may be surprised to know that a man by the name of James Cook once had a chicken that laid a perfectly square egg. Now, I have seen white eggs, brown eggs, even spotted eggs, but I have never seen a square egg. I think I'd have to see it to believe it!

Did you know that the world's largest weenie was over 3000 feet long, weighed 885 pounds, and took 103 butchers to carry it. That's a lot of baloney! I don't know if I believe that or not. This book is filled with a lot of things that I think I would have to see to believe, but if they are true, they are true, whether I believe it or not!

On the Sunday that Jesus rose from the grave, he appeared to a group of his disciples. One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not with them. When the disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus and that he was alive, Thomas said, "I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes." He said he wanted to see the nail-prints in Jesus' hands -- and the place where the spear was thrust into his side.

A week later, Thomas saw Jesus. Jesus invited Thomas to touch his hands where the nails had been. He told Thomas to put his hand in the wound in his side. Then Thomas believed! Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

A lot of people today won't believe that Jesus really rose from the grave because they haven't seen him with their own two eyes. Do you know what? It is true whether they believe it or not! You and I have never seen Jesus, we have to accept him by faith. The question is, will you believe it -- or not?

Dear Jesus, help us to accept by faith that you have risen from the grave and that you are alive.  Help us to believe, because it is true, whether we believe it or not.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 It's Empty!


So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" John 20:2 (NIV)

Well, we solved that problem, didn't we? Now everyone who looks at this glass would say that it is empty, but guess what? Everyone still wouldn't look at the glass in the same way. Some would look at the glass and grumble and complain because it empty. Others would look at the glass and see it as a glass just waiting to be filled with good things to drink. I guess there are always different ways to look at any situation.

On the Sunday morning after Jesus was crucified, a woman named Mary went to visit the grave where the body of Jesus had been laid. When she got there, she found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. She ran to find someone to tell them what she had seen. She found two of the disciples, Peter and John, and she said to them, "They have taken our Lord out of the tomb and we don't know where they have put him."

The three of them immediately ran to the tomb. When they got there, they all saw the same thing, but they didn't all look at it in the same way.

Peter looked and was curious. The Bible says Peter went in the empty tomb and looked around. He saw strips of linen laying around and the cloth that Jesus had been buried in folded neatly and placed where the body had been. "Hmmm, very interesting," Peter might have said to himself.

Mary looked and was sad. The Bible tells us that Mary didn't even go inside the empty tomb. She just stood outside the tomb and cried because she feared that someone had stolen the body of Jesus.

John looked and believed. The bible says that John went inside the tomb and he saw and believed. Now, I don't know exactly how much John understood, but I think he believed that Jesus had risen from the grave just as he said he would.

Three people -- they all saw the same thing -- one was curious, one was sad, and one believed. I think that is pretty much the same way people react to the story of Jesus today. Some people hear the story and they are curious, others hear it and think it is sad, others hear it and believe. How do you look at it?

Dear Lord, today we look into an empty grave. Help us all to see and believe that Jesus has risen just as he said he would. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 May I See Some Identification, Please?

Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." John 20:24-25 (NIV)

It happens all the time. I go into a store to buy something and when I have found the item I am looking for, I take it to the cash register, write out a check, and hand it to the cashier. The cashier takes my check and then asks, "May I see your driver's license please?"

I have my name and address printed on the check. It even has my driver's license number printed right there on the check. Why does the cashier need to see my driver's license? The answer is quite simple. The cashier wants to see if I match the picture on the driver's license. Am I really who I claim to be?

There may be other times when you will be asked for proof of identity. You may need a picture ID to get a library card. You might even need a picture ID to sign up for youth soccer. Many schools are now requiring students and teachers to wear a picture ID at school. Almost every day of our life we are asked to prove that we are who we say we are.

On the Sunday that he rose from the grave, Jesus appeared to a group of his disciples. One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not with them. When the disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus and that he was alive, Thomas said, "I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes." He said he wanted to see the nail-prints in Jesus' hands -- and the place where the spear was thrust into his side.

A week later, Thomas saw Jesus. Jesus invited Thomas to touch his hands where the nails had been. He told Thomas to put his hand in the wound in his side. Then Thomas believed!

A lot of people today won't believe that Jesus really rose from the grave because they haven't seen him with their own two eyes. They want "proof of identity" before they will believe. Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."

How about you? Do you have to have "proof of identity" before you will believe in Jesus, or will you accept him by faith?

Dear Jesus, help us to accept by faith that you have risen from the grave and that you are alive. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

"Seeing Is Believing!


Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29

Do you find it easy to believe what someone tells you, even if what they tell you seems impossible? For example, suppose I said to you, "I am going to take this paper strip and cut it in half -- but after I cut it in half it will still be in one piece." Would that be easy for you to believe? It doesn't make sense, does it? If I cut this paper in half, it should be in two pieces, shouldn't it? Well, let's try it and see what happens. (Cut the Mobius strip along the center line that you have drawn on it.)

Well, look at that! I cut the paper in half, but instead of having two pieces, I have one longer piece. Now that you have seen it, do you believe it? Sometimes we must see something before we believe it, don't we?

On the evening of the first Sunday after Jesus had been crucified, his disciples were together in a locked room. They were afraid that those who had crucified Jesus would also want to put them to death. Suddenly, Jesus appeared there in the locked room with the disciples. It was hard to believe, but they saw him and Jesus showed them his wounds in his hands and his side, so they knew it was him.

One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. When they told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, he did not believe them. He had seen him crucified and buried, how could he be alive? Thomas said, "Unless I see the wound in his side and put my finger in the holes where the nails were in his hands, I will not believe it!"

A week later, the disciples were in the locked room again and this time Thomas was with them. Again, Jesus came and stood among the disciples. Jesus, said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas fell on his knees and answered Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

You and I have never seen Jesus with our own eyes. The question is, will we be a doubter, or will we be one of those who Jesus said were blessed because they believe, even though they have not seen?

Dear Father, help us to believe in our heart those truths we find in your Holy Word, even though we have not seen them with our eyes. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Love in Any Language 


The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. John 21:17 (NIV)

A few years ago, there was a song that became very popular. The name of the song was "Love in Any Language." Can you say, "I love you" in any different languages? This morning we can learn at least three different ways to say, "I love you."

In German, you would say, "Ich liebe dich!" Can you say that?

In Spanish, you would say, "¡Te amo!" That is pretty easy -- try it.

In sign language, you would say, "I love you" like this. (Hold up the "I love you!" sign.) I know that you can all say, "I love you!" in sign language! (See bottom of page.)

You know, it is pretty easy to say, "I love you," but it is sometimes a lot harder to show it by our actions. That is what our Bible story is about today.

After Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples several times. On the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples, he was with them on the shore by the Sea of Galilee. He turned to Peter and said, "Peter, do you love me?"

Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Then, Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my lambs."

Jesus asked Peter again, "Do you love me?"

Again, Peter answered, "Yes Lord, I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Take care of my sheep."

A third time Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?"

Now Peter was very sad that Jesus asked him this question again, but he answered Jesus again, "Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."

Why did Jesus ask Peter the same question three times? I think he wanted Peter to understand -- and he wanted you and me to understand -- that it isn't enough just to say, "I love you." We must show our love for Jesus by showing our love for one another and caring for one another.

Do you love Jesus?

Then feed and take care of his sheep! Now, that is love that can be understood in any language.

Dear Jesus, help us to show our love for you by loving and caring for one another. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A New Wind Blowing

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

How many of you like to fly kites? It is great fun to watch a kite soaring high into the sky. What is it that keeps the kite up there? It is the wind, isn't it? How many of you have ever seen the wind? That was a trick question! No one has seen the wind. We can't see the wind because it is invisible. Well, if we can't see the wind, how do we know that it is there?

One way we can know the wind is there is that we can hear it. When I wake up in the morning, I sometimes turn on the TV to see what the weather is doing. There are some mornings that I don't even have to look at the TV to know that the wind is blowing because I can hear it! I can hear it whistling through the trees, down the chimney, and around the windows and doors. We can't see the wind, but we know it is there because we can hear it.

Another way we can know that the wind is there is that we can see it moving things. (Take some bits of paper in your hand and blow them into the air.) We can see it moving the leaves on the trees and blowing bits of paper around. We can't see the wind, but we know it is there because we can see what the wind is doing.

Still another way we can know that the wind is there is that we can feel it. Blow onto the back of your hand. Did you see anything? No, but you could feel something, couldn't you? We can't see the wind, but we can feel it blowing against our faces and blowing through our hair.

Today, many churches celebrate a special day called Pentecost. It was on the day of Pentecost that God sent his Holy Spirit to the church. The Bible tells us that the apostles were all gathered together when suddenly there was a sound like a mighty, rushing wind. Then, it says, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is like the wind, we can't see him, but we can know that he is there, just like we can know that the wind is there.

We can know that the Holy Spirit is there because we can hear him. The Bible says, "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him." (Revelation 3:20) We can't see the Holy Spirit, but we know he is there because he speaks to our hearts.

Another way we can know that the Holy Spirit is there is that we can see him moving people to do God's will. The Bible says that the Spirit of God moves his people to speak and to do things for him. (2 Peter 1:21) We can't see God, but we can see people doing things that God's Holy Spirit has moved them to do.

We can know that the Holy Spirit is there because we can feel his presence. The Bible says, "I will fear no evil for Thou art with me." (Psalm 23:4) The Bible also says that "if we love one another, God lives in us." We can't see the Holy Spirit, but we know he is there because we can feel his presence in our life.

Father, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit. Even though we can't see him, we are thankful that we can hear him speak to our hearts, feel his presence in our daily lives, and see him moving us to do your will. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Taking the Easy Way Out

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  Mark 8:31,34 (NIV)

I have a really cool card trick to show you this morning.  (Shuffle the cards a couple of times.)  First, I need a helper.  (Choose a helper and continue.)  I want you to pick a card out of this deck.  Don't show it to me, but you can show everyone else.  I'll cover my eyes so I can't see it.  Now, I want you to carefully slide that card right into the middle of the deck.  Don't let me see it!  Now,this is the amazing part.  I am going to snap my fingers, and the card that you selected will move from the middle of the deck to to top of the deck.  Are you ready?  (Snap!)  Here it is!  Here is your card right on top.  (Pick up the card and show it to your helper.)

That is your card, isn't it?  It isn't?  Well, I don't understand what happened.  I bought this book to teach me how to do this trick and it didn't work.  It said I should let you choose a card and put it in the middle of the deck and when I snapped my fingers it would move to the top.  Oh, there was a bunch of other stuff I was supposed to do, but that stuff was all too complicated.  I skipped over that part.  It is supposed to be a magic trick, so I thought it would work at the snap of my fingers.

That was pretty foolish of me, wasn't it?  Well, sometimes we think life should be that easy too, don't we?  We think that everything should happen at the snap of a finger.  When life is hard, we look for the easy way out.

That isn't anything new.  People were like that in Jesus' day too.  One day Jesus was talking to his disciples and he was telling them all he was going to have to suffer to save the world from sin.  He told them how he was going to be made fun of, beaten, crucified, and buried, but that he would rise again on the third day.  That was what his Father had sent him to do.

Peter had other ideas.  He knew that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and that wasn't what he wanted for Jesus.  There had to be an easier way.  Well, it is true.  There was an easier way.  Jesus had the power.  He could have taken the easy way out.  He could have set up his kingdom right here on earth with the snap of his fingers.  But that was not God's plan.

Jesus turned to Peter and scolded him.  "Get behind me, Satan!" Jesus said to Peter.  "You don't have your mind on the things of God, you have your mind on the things of men!"

Jesus wasn't interested in taking the easy way out and he doesn't want us looking for the easy way out either.  He said, "If anyone would follow me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Being a disciple of Jesus is not easy.  It doesn't happen with the snap of our fingers.  It isn't easy, but the reward is great!

Father, help us to be willing to take up our cross and follow Jesus.  We know it won't be easy, but it will be worth it.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Pentecostal Power

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:1-4 (NIV)

On a hot summer day, an electric fan can really help to keep us cool. How does a fan help to keep us cool? That's right, it keeps us cool by blowing air. I think I will turn the fan on now. Do you see any air coming out of the fan? Well, if we can't see the air, how do you know the fan is working? There are several ways we can tell that this fan is working.

One way that we can tell that the fan is working is that I have tied some bright red streamers on the front of the fan. Even though we can't see the air, we can see the air blowing those streamers. That is one way we know the fan is working.

Another way we can know that the fan is working is that we can feel the air from the fan blowing against our faces. We can't see the air, but we can feel it.

Finally, we can know that the fan is working because we can hear the sound of the air and the rattling sound of the streamers as they blow. We can't see it, but we can hear it.

Today is a special day which many churches celebrate. It is called the day of Pentecost. Here is the story of how it all began.

The Bible tells us that on the day of Pentecost, the Jesus' followers were all gathered together in one place and God sent the Holy Spirit to give them the power to teach others about Jesus. Now, they couldn't see the Holy Spirit, so how did they know the Holy Spirit was there?

The Bible says that they knew the Holy Spirit was there because they could hear the sound of a mighty rushing wind coming from heaven. They couldn't see the Holy Spirit, but they could hear the sound of the wind just as we can hear the air blowing from this fan.

Then the Bible tells us that they saw what seemed to be flaming tongues of fire that came and rested on their heads. They couldn't see the Holy Spirit, but they knew that the Holy Spirit was there because they could see the flaming tongues of fire just as we can see these red ribbons on our fan.

Finally, the Bible tells us that they knew the Holy Spirit was there because they could feel his power. When they were filled with the Holy Spirit, he gave them the ability to speak in languages that they didn't even know, so that they could tell everyone about Jesus. They couldn't see the Holy Spirit, but they could feel his power in their life just as we can feel the air from this fan.

The Holy Spirit is still with us today. We can't see him, but we can hear him as he speaks to our hearts, we can see his moving in our life, and we can feel the power of his presence as he guides us through each day.

Dear Father, thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to be our teacher and guide. Help us to listen and obey as he teaches us how to tell others about Jesus.

[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 Cookie Jar


Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.  Acts 3:19
 
When I was a boy, my mother had a cookie jar much like this one.  Most of the time it was filled with cookies.  My mother would sometimes tell me not to eat any cookies before dinner because it would spoil my appetite.  Has your mother ever told you that?  I am sure she probably has.  Well, I remember on time when I didn't listen to what my mother told me.  I climbed up on a stool so that I could reach the cookie jar and very slowly removed the lid, being careful not to make a sound that my mother might hear.  I reached into the jar and got a hand full of cookies.  Just at that moment, I heard my mother coming.  I quickly tried to pull my hand out of the jar, but it was stuck.  I pulled and pulled, but it was no use!  My hand was stuck in the cookie jar.  My mother walked into the kitchen and there I stood on the stool with my hand hopelessly stuck in the cookie jar.
 
"What are you doing with your hand in the cookie jar?" my mother asked.
 
I answered, "I know you told me not to eat any cookies before dinner, but I was so hungry and the cookies looked so good that I just couldn't resist.  Now my hand is stuck in the cookie jar."
 
"Let go of the cookies," my mother said.  When I turned loose of the cookies, my hand easily came out of the cookie jar!
 
That is the way it is with the sin in our lives.  Sometimes we do things that we know are wrong and we want God to forgive us, but we don't want to turn loose of the sin.  We want to be forgiven, but we want to keep on doing the same things we are doing.  It just doesn't work that way.  As long as we hold onto our sins, we are held captive and cannot receive God's forgiveness.
 
When Jesus was crucified, there were two men who were crucified with him.  These men were robbers.  They had done some terrible things and deserved to be punished.  One of the men looked at Jesus and mocked him.  He said, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
 
But the other criminal said, "We are criminals and we deserve to die, but this man has done nothing."  Then he turned to Jesus and said, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."
 
Jesus replied, "Today you will be with me in paradise."
 
One man refused to let go of his sin and he died and without Jesus.  The other man turned from his sin, and he went to heaven to be with Jesus.  Each of us has the same choice.  We can choose to remain in our sin and turn our back on God, or we can choose to turn from our sin and receive eternal life in Jesus.  Which will it be?