Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 Up, Up and Away!


When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God. Luke 24:50-53 (NIV) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. Acts 1:8-9 (NIV)

I love balloons. There are so many things you can do with balloons. Some people can make balloons into various shapes. That is fun to watch! There are also a lot of different games you can play with balloons. You can tie them around your ankle and play "Stomp the Balloon" or you can fill them with water and have a water balloon fight.

One of the most enjoyable things one can do with a balloon is to fill it with helium. I am sure you know that when filled with helium, a balloon floats in the air. If you don't want it to get away from you, it is a good idea to hold on tight or tie it around your wrist. But it is also quite enjoyable when it does float away from you. It is fun to stand and watch as the balloon floats higher and higher into the heavens until it totally disappears. The only way to experience that is to be willing to let it go.

When Jesus was ready to return to heaven, he took his disciples aside to make sure that they understood everything that had happened to him. He explained why it was important for him to be crucified and to be raised from the dead to fulfill what the Scriptures had said about him. He also told them that he was going to return to his Father in heaven, and that the Holy Spirit would come to be with them.

At first, the disciples were sad that Jesus would be leaving them, but then the Bible tells us that Jesus opened their minds so they would understand. Then, an amazing thing happened. The Bible tells us that Jesus lifted his hands and blessed his disciples. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. (Release your balloon and watch it float to the ceiling.)

I don't know how all of this looked, but in my imagination I can see the disciples standing and watching as Jesus ascended higher and higher until he disappeared into the clouds. Were the disciples sad? No way! The Bible tells us that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the disciples worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. There they stayed continually in the temple, praising God.

We are here today for the very same purpose. We have come into the temple to worship him with great joy!

Dear Father, we thank you for sending Jesus, your only Son, to die for our sin. We know that he has risen from the dead and has returned to heaven. Bless us today as we worship him with great joy! Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Reflecting the Light


There was a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light,so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light: he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. John 1: 6-9 (NIV)

Have you ever sat outside on a bright sunny day and used a mirror to reflect the sun’s light? If one of you will take this flashlight and shine it on me I will show you what I mean. You see, as the light shines on me, I hold up my mirror and I can reflect the light to shine on you. I am not the light, I am just letting my mirror reflect the light to shine on you.

If I am going to reflect the light on you, there are a couple of things that are very important:

    * I must keep my mirror facing toward the light. If I turn away from the light, I cannot reflect the light.

    * I must make sure that nothing comes between the light and me. If that happens, I cannot reflect the light.

The Bible tells us that "There was a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light: he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." Who do you think the true light is that the Bible said was coming into the world? That is right! It was Jesus. Jesus is the light of the world.

You and I need to be like John. The Bible says that we are to let our light shine, but we need to remember that "Our Light" is Jesus. We are not the light, we are just mirrors that reflect His light.

If we are going to reflect the light of Jesus, we must remember a couple of things:

    * We must keep our faces turned toward Jesus.

    * We must not let anything come between us and Jesus.

When we remember those two things, we will reflect His light to the entire world.

Dear Jesus, we want to reflect your light in the world. Help us to keep our faces turned toward you and help us to keep anything from coming between us and you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus and the Three R's


He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.John 1:11-14

Today is the second Sunday after Christmas and, for many of us, it marks the end of our Christmas vacation. This week we will return to school and to the study of the three R's. When most of us think about the 3 R's, we think about Reading, Riting, and 'Rithmatic. Today, I want us to think about a different 3 R's. The 3 R's I am talking about are the 3 R's that stand for the choices that each of us must make about Jesus.

The first R is for REJECT. When faced with the choice of what to do with Jesus, many people choose to reject him. The Bible says that Jesus came to his own people, but his own people refused to believe that he was the Son of God. They refused to believe that he was who he said he was. They chose to reject Jesus. Even today, many people still choose to reject Jesus.

The second R is for RECEIVE. Some people choose to receive Jesus and believe in his name. The Bible tells us that to those who receive him, he gives the right to become the children of God. You and I can choose to receive Jesus, and when we do, we are given the right to become the children of God.

The third R is for REFLECT. Jesus came to be born in a manger to show us what God is like. We have seen the glory of God through the life of Jesus, now we have to make a choice. We can choose to keep it to ourselves, or we can choose to reflect that glory through our words and our actions.

This week we go back to school and back to the three R's, but we need to remember that every day we face the three R's of what to do with Jesus. I pray that we will make the right choices.

Dear Father, for those who have not yet chosen to receive Jesus and believe in him, we pray that they will make that choice today. For those of us who have chosen to receive him, may our lives reflect his glory in all that we do and say. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Gift That Keeps On Giving


Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12-13 (NIV)

This tie I am wearing was one of my Christmas gifts. I really do like it. Did you receive a lot of gifts for Christmas? I'm sure that you did. Of all of the gifts that you received for Christmas, what was the very best one? What was your favorite? (Give the children an opportunity to tell you about their favorite gift.)

You know, there is one thing that I have learned about Christmas gifts. No matter how much you enjoy receiving them, they just don't last. Some of you may have received new clothes. They look nice and you enjoy wearing them, but sooner or later, they wear out, go out of style, or you outgrow them. I am sure that many of you received toys. You really enjoy the toys, but eventually, they either get broken or you get tired of playing with them. Perhaps you got some candy. Well, when you eat it, it is gone. Except for what you wind up wearing around your waist.

There is one Christmas gift that is different. It never wears out. It never goes out of style. You will never become tired of it. It is like the Energizer Bunny -- it is a gift that keeps on giving year, after year, after year. Do you know what that gift is? It is the true gift that Christmas is all about. It is God's gift to us. His Son, Jesus.

The Bible tells us that all who receive Jesus and believe in his name become the children of God! When we become the children of God, we have all of the rights and privileges of being His child. He will love us, protect us, and provide everything that we need. The best part is that it never ends. The Bible says that "kindness and love will be with us every day of our life, and we will live forever in the house of the LORD." (Psalm 23:6 paraphrased)

I enjoy giving and receiving gifts at Christmas, but I think it is important for us to remember that the greatest gift of all was God's gift to us. It is the gift that keeps on giving!

Dear Father, we thank you for loving us so much that you gave your Son so that we too could become your children. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Greatest


He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. John 1:27

Have you ever imagined what it would be like to be the greatest singer in the world, or the greatest athlete in the world? Have you ever thought about what it would be like hear the cheers of people as they watched you perform?

I heard a story about a little boy who walked out into the backyard wearing his baseball cap and carrying a ball and bat. "I'm the greatest hitter in the world," he said. Then he tossed the ball into the air, swung at it, and missed. "Strike One!" he yelled.

He picked up the ball and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" Again, he tossed the ball into the air, and again he swung at it and missed. "Strike Two!" he cried.

The boy looked at his bat and ball, straightened his cap and said again, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world!" A third time he tossed the ball up in the air and swung at it. He missed again. "Strike Three!"

The little boy picked up the ball, looked at it, and cried out in a loud voice, "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world!"

I guess all of us at some time have dreamed of being the greatest. This morning I want to tell you about a man who had no desire to be thought of as being the greatest. In fact, he wanted to make sure that everyone knew that he was NOT the greatest. The man's name was John.

John was very popular in his day and people would travel for miles to see John and to hear him speak. He was so popular that many people began to think that he might be the Savior that had been promised -- or that he must at least be Elijah or one of the great prophets who had come back from the dead.

John assured people that he was not the Christ, or even one of the great prophets. He told them that he was just a man who had come to tell them about one who was coming who truly was the greatest. "The one who is coming -- why, I'm not even worthy to unbuckle his sandals," John said. Of course, the one he was talking about was Jesus.

Most of us will probably never be known as "the greatest anything," but we can, like John, tell others about the One who is The Greatest. We can tell them about Jesus. I can't think of anything that we could do that would be greater than that!

Dear Jesus, you are truly the greatest. During this season when we celebrate your birth, may we eagerly share with others the true meaning of Christmas. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Show and Tell



The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."  John 1:29, 34

What do you like best about school?  Is it reading?  Writing?  Math?  Spelling?  Recess?  Well, when I was in school, I think my favorite thing was "Show and Tell."  I always looked forward to the days when we had "Show and Tell" because it gave me the chance to show and tell others about something that was really important to me.

I have asked several of you to bring something this morning to show to the other children and tell them something about it.  Who would like to go first?  (Depending on how much time you have, allow several of the children to have their time of "Show and Tell.")  I want to thank those who shared with us in "Show and Tell" time this morning.  I really enjoyed seeing what you had to show us and I learned a lot from what you told us.  It is really fun to show and tell others about something that is really important to you, isn't it?

The Bible tells us about a man named John who loved to "show and tell" others about Jesus.  The Bible says that one day John was standing with a group of people when he saw Jesus coming.  He said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  I have seen him and I tell you that this is the Son of God."

Because John loved to show and tell others about Jesus, many people came to know Jesus and follow him.  It is important for you and me to show and tell others about Jesus too.  We can show others about Jesus by doing the things that Jesus taught us to do -- things like loving one another and being helpful and kind.  Then people will see that we know Jesus and that will give us a chance to tell them about Jesus.  We can tell them about what he has done for us and what he wants to do for them.  Yes, each day we should show and tell others about Jesus!

Dear Jesus, help us this week to "show and tell" others about you and your love.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Come and See!


"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. John 1:46

A few weeks ago, my wife came home and told me about some new cookies she had eaten. "They were called Chocolate Cream Oreos" she said.

"Were they good?" I asked her.

"Good? They were delicious. They were so good I wanted you to try one. Here, just taste and see how good they are," she said as she offered me a cookie.

Mmmm, Mmmm! They were good! They were so good that I couldn't wait to tell you about them. In fact, I wanted to share some with you. I have a whole package of them this morning so that you can taste them and see how good they are. (Pass out some of the cookies for the children to try.)

Don't you agree that those are really good cookies? That is why my wife couldn't wait to share them with me and I couldn't wait to share them with you.

Have you ever found something so good that you couldn't wait to share it with a friend? This morning I want to tell about a man named Philip who couldn't wait to tell a friend about something good that he had found. What Philip found was much more important than cookies. Philip had met Jesus. When Phillip met Jesus, he knew that Jesus was the Savior that God had promised, and he became one of Jesus' disciples.

After Philip met Jesus, he couldn't wait to tell his friend Nathanael. He found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

"Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked.

"Come and see," answered Philip. Then he took Nathanael to see Jesus and Nathanael also became a follower of Jesus. That is how the good news of Jesus is spread. Friends telling friends!

When we find a really good cookie, we can't wait to tell a friend about it. Shouldn't we be even more anxious to tell our friends about Jesus?

Dear Father, nothing can compare to the Good News of Jesus. Help us to share the Good News with others.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Water into Wine


This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. John 2:11 (NIV)

I try to find time to read the newspaper every day. It is a good way to keep up with what is happening in the world around us. Have you ever thought about being a newspaper reporter when you grow up? Just think! If you were a sports reporter, you would get to go to all of the sports events. Not only that, you would get in free get paid for going! If you were a news reporter, you could just walk around town and see what was going on, then you would write a news story about it.

I thought it would be fun to take our Bible lesson today and re-write it as if I were a reporter writing an article in a daily newspaper. The story is actually from the gospel of John, but the word gospel means "good news," so let's imagine that we are reading an article from the "Daily Galilean" or perhaps "The Jerusalem Times."

Wow! Listen to this headline! "Wedding guest turns water into wine."

Hmmm...That sounds interesting. Let's read the rest of the story!

On Tuesday, a woman named Mary was in Cana to attend a wedding. A large number of guests, including her son, a man named Jesus, also attended the wedding. Guests at the wedding were reportedly having a good time until the host ran out of wine. At that point, it seemed that the happy celebration might turn into a disaster.

Some of the wedding guests thought that perhaps Jesus might have a solution to the problem, so they reported to him that they were out of wine. When told about the problem, Jesus at first seemed unwilling to do anything, but after some encouragement from his mother, he finally agreed to help.

Eye witnesses at the wedding reported that Jesus noticed several large water jars nearby and instructed some servants to fill them with water. After the jars had been filled with water, he told them to dip some of the water out of the jars and take it to the man who was in charge of serving the wine. When the wine steward tasted the water, he discovered that the water had been turned into wine.

Wedding guests were amazed at the turn of events and said that the wine was the best that they had ever tasted.

As a result of this miraculous event, many people are following Jesus everywhere he goes, and many believe that he might even be the long-awaited Messiah.

Well, that made a pretty good news story, didn't it? Do you know what is really great about this story? Just as Jesus performed a miracle by changing the water into wine at the wedding celebration two thousand years ago, he is still working miracles in the hearts and lives of people today. If you will let him, he will work a miracle in you.

Dear Jesus, worker of miracles, work a miracle in us today. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Butterfly



In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

One night a man named Nicodemus came to talk to Jesus. As Jesus was talking to him, he said something that Nicodemus didn't understand. He told Nicodemus, "No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." Nicodemus was really puzzled by what Jesus said. He just couldn't understand how someone could be born again. To this day, a lot of people still have trouble understanding how that can be possible.

This morning I have brought something that might help us to understand what Jesus meant. I have brought a butterfly. Just look at my butterfly! Isn't it beautiful? I think the butterfly is one of the most beautiful things that God has ever created, but it wasn't always so beautiful.

As you probably know, the butterfly started out as a fuzzy little caterpillar. Now some people may think caterpillars are cute, some may think that they are funny, but probably no one would say that they are beautiful. A caterpillar is a worm -- and worms are not beautiful! Then, one day the caterpillar spins a cocoon about himself and stays there for several weeks. When it comes out, it is no longer a caterpillar, it has been miraculously changed into a beautiful butterfly.

God didn't just take a caterpillar and stick some wings on him and paint the wings all different colors. When the cocoon opens and the butterfly crawls out, it is a new creation. The caterpillar is gone! It has now become a butterfly.

That is a good picture of what Jesus meant when he said we had to be "born again." The Bible says, "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" When we invite Jesus to come into our heart, we become a new creation. God doesn't just clean us up and slap on a little paint, he makes us into a new person. Would you rather be, a worm or a butterfly? Jesus will make you into a new creation if you will invite him into your heart.

Dear Lord, we thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross so that we, like the butterfly, can become a new creation. We ask you to change us and to make us beautiful. 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]

 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]

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.