Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Making the Grade



Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.  2 Timothy 2:15

Last week our schools sent out report cards.  How many of you were proud of the grades you got on your report card?  I can remember when I was in school and report card day came around.  As the teacher started to pass out the report cards, I became very nervous and started to worry.  What would the report card say about my work at school?  The events of the last six weeks would begin to flash before my eyes.  Would those days that I told the teacher that the dog ate my homework come back to haunt me?  How about the times when I watched television instead of studying for the test?  Would that  show up in my grades?  Would the teacher remember those times when I was talking in class instead of listening?  How about the day that the teacher had to send me to the principal's office?  Would that show up in my citizenship grade?  My parents will be furious if I don't get a good grade in citizenship.  I wonder if it is too late to pray and ask God to forgive me?  "Dear Lord, if you'll let me get by this time, I promise I'll do better next six weeks!"   I'm sure that none of you had to worry about your report card like I did.   

Just as surely as report card day comes at school, the Bible teaches us that each of us must answer to God for the kind of life we live.  God has given us the Bible to tell us exactly what He expects of us.  It teaches us what we should do and what we should not do.  Just as we have to study and prepare ourselves for the work that we have to do at school, we must study God's word and do our best to follow its teachings.  We must do our best to prepare ourselves so that when we answer to God,  we will not have to be ashamed of what we have done.

My mom and dad weren't always proud of my report card, but I was still their child and they still loved me!  The same is true of God.  Even though He may not be proud of some of the things I have done, I am still His child, and He still loves me.

Dear Lord, help me to study your Word and to prepare myself to be the kind of child of which you can be proud.  Thank you for loving me even when I don't measure up to what you expect of me.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Neglected Gift


How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation.  Hebrews 2:3

This watch is a very expensive watch, but it didn't cost me anything. It was given to me as a gift. It is a beautiful watch. There is only one thing wrong with it. It doesn't work! Let me tell you about my watch.

When I first got this watch, I wore it every day. I was very proud of it and showed it off to everyone. Then I decided that it would stay looking nice longer if I didn't wear it every day. I decided that I would just wear it on Sundays and on special occasions and wear a cheap watch for every day. I did this for a while, but sometimes I would forget to put my nice watch on for Sunday. Pretty soon, I decided that it was just too much trouble to change watches on Sunday and my beautiful watch just stayed in the drawer.

One day I decided to take the watch out of the drawer and wear it. To my surprise, it wouldn't keep time any more. I don't know if the battery is dead or if it just quit working. All I know is that I didn't take care of it and I didn't use it, and now it doesn't work anymore.

God has given us a wonderful gift. It is a very expensive gift, but it doesn't cost us a thing. He has given us His Son, Jesus. Some people treat Jesus the same way I treated my watch. When they first get to know him, they are proud of him and they take him with them everywhere. But then they decide that they really only need him on Sundays and special occasions. They stray away, and after while, they forget all about him and don't even come to see him on Sundays. When trouble comes into their life, they start looking for Jesus to help them, but they don't even know where to find him any more.

Jesus is still there, he just isn't working in their life because they have neglected this wonderful gift that God has given them. Some of you have already received the gift of salvation from God. Some of you will recieve it when you get a little older. I hope you will take it and use it every day.

Dear Lord, thank you for the wonderful gift of your son, Jesus. When we receive this gift, help us to keep him in the very center of our life each and every day.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Shot in the Arm 


Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:11  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another.  Hebrews 10:25  For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  Romans 3:23

Do you know what this is?  That's right, it is a needle like the one a doctor uses to give you a shot.  I have trouble with allergies.  Every week I go to the doctor and get a shot to try to keep my allergies under control.  You would think that a shot every week would do that, but it doesn't.  I also have to take one of these pills every day.  Even with a shot every week and a pill every day, I still sometimes have trouble my with allergies, but they sure are a lot better.

Sometimes we have trouble with sin in our lives.  You know what sin is, don't you?  It is when we do something that the Bible tells us we shouldn't do.  Like when we tell a lie or refuse to obey our parents.  Or it may be when we don't do something that we know we should do.  We all have a problem with sin, don't we?  The Bible says that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."  That is why we need to come to church every week to get a good shot of Bible study, prayer, and encouragement  The Bible tells us that we should come together and encourage one another.  That will help to keep the sin away!

Some people think that going to church once a week is enough to keep sin away, but it isn't.  In addition to a weekly shot of Bible study and prayer, we need a daily dose too.  We need to read our Bible and pray each day to keep sin away.  The Bible says "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee."  Even with a weekly shot in the arm and a daily dose of Bible reading, we will still have some problems with sin, but we sure will do a lot better!

Dear Lord, help us to remember that we need to come to church, read your word, and pray to keep sin out of our life.  We realize that even when we do our best, we will still sin, so we ask your forgiveness in Jesus' name.    Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Things I Don't Understand


Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

I have a bag full of things I don't understand.

CD's: I don't understand CD's. When I look at them, I can't see any songs in there, but when I put one in my CD player, I hear beautiful music. I don't understand it, but I know it works!

I don't understand how He did it, but God put a song in my heart. When I am sad, there is a song to cheer me up, and when I am happy, there is a song to praise Him. I don't understand how He did it, but I know it's there.

TELEPHONES: I don't understand how I can pick up a telephone and talk to someone hundreds of miles away from me and they can talk to me. Oh, I know about telephone lines and fiber optics, but I still don't understand how it works, but I know it does!

I don't understand prayer. I don't know how I can talk to God in Heaven and He can talk to me. I don't understand it, but I know it works.

MEDICINE: I don't understand how medicine works. When I take a pill, how does it know where to go and what to do when it gets there? I don't know how it works, but I know it does!

I don't understand how God can heal the deepest hurt and pain in my life. I don't know how He does it, but He does!

CALCULATORS: I don't understand how I can push some buttons on a calculator and it will give me the answer to a problem. I don't understand it, but it works!

I don't understand how God has all the answers to the problems of my life. I don't understand it, but I know He does!

FLASHLIGHTS: I know this seems pretty simple, but I don't understand flashlights. I know there is a bulb and batteries, but I still don't understand why it works, but I know it does!

I don't understand how, but I know that in the darkest days of my life, God is my light. I don't know how He does it, but He lights every path I take!

REMOTE CONTROLS:  I don't understand how I can sit in my easy chair and control my TV or VCR all the way across the room. I can change channels, adjust the volume, fast-forward, or reverse. I don't understand it, but I am in complete control!

I don't understand how God can sit on His throne in Heaven and control everything here on earth. I don't understand it, but I know that God is in control!

Thank you, God, that I don't have to understand your ways. I only have to know that you are in control. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Run the Race


Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

Our Bible reading today says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Have you ever run a race? Have you ever won a medal or a trophy for running a race? This medal reminds me that the 2004 Olympics have already begun. Athletes from all over the world have gathered together in Athens, Greece. They are there for one reason -- to compete for a medal.

Several years ago when the Olympics were held in Barcelona, Spain, the world saw one of the greatest moments in Olympic history.

Derek Redmond, a young man from Britain, had dreamed all his life of winning a gold medal in the 400 meter race. He had worked hard to get to the Olympics and his dream was within his reach. He was in the semi-finals and was running the race of his life. He could see the finish line just ahead as he rounded the final turn. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his leg and he fell to the track with a torn muscle in his right leg.

As the medical attendants ran toward him, Derek struggled to his feet. He started to hop toward the finish line on one foot in an attempt to finish the race. Suddenly, a large man came out of the stands, pushed aside a security guard and ran to Derek's side. It was Jim Redmond, Derek's father. "You don't have to do this," he told his son. "Yes, I do," said Derek. "Well, then," said his father, "we're going to finish this together."

And they did. They stayed in Derek's lane all the way to the end. At first, the crowd watched in silence. Then they rose to their feet and cheered -- and wept.

Derek Redmond didn't win the gold medal, but he walked away with the incredible memory of a loving father who, when he saw his son in pain, left his seat in the stands to help him finish the race.

That is what our Bible lesson is about today. It teaches us that life is like a race that has been set before us. We may struggle and face many obstacles, but we have a great crowd of witnesses who are cheering us on. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and will help us when the pain is too great. We have a Savior, who left his place in heaven and came to earth to show us how to run the race. If we will keep our eyes on him, how can we help but finish the race?

Dear Jesus, sometimes life is difficult. Help us to keep our eyes on you and to run the race that is before us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus Never Changes


Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.  Hebrews 13:8

Most of you probably know what this is.  It is a kaleidoscope.  When you hold a kaleidoscope up to the light, you see beautiful colors and designs. When you twist the end of the kaleidoscope, the designs are constantly changing.

I can remember when I was a child  I would spend hours looking at the beautiful colors and designs in a kaleidoscope.  Sometimes I would see a design that was so beautiful that I would want to save it, but when I would move the kaleidoscope ever so slightly,  the image would change.  No matter how long or how hard I tried, I could never recapture that image again.  That is the way it is with a kaleidoscope, it is never the same.  It is always changing.

We live in a world that is like that.  Our world is constantly changing.  People change, the seasons change, knowledge changes.  Nothing ever seems to stay the same.  In a world that is constantly changing, it would be nice if there was at least one thing that  we could count on to stay the same when everything around us is changing.

Well, there is something that never changes.  The Bible tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  When everything around us is changing and we don't know what to believe or what to think, we can always know that Jesus remains the same.  His love for us remains the same.  His truth remains the same.  That is one thing we can count on.

Thank you, Jesus, for your love that never changes.  We are so thankful that we can count on you to remain the same when everything around us is changing!

[Soldier4Christ]

Pumping Up!


Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  James  1:2-3

My mind is made up.  I am going to shape up.  I am going to lose some weight by eating the right foods and getting plenty of exercise.  I have also decided that I am going to increase my strength by lifting weights.

This morning I have some weights with me.  As you can see, these aren't very heavy weights.  They are small and pretty light.  Do you think I would increase my strength by lifting these weights if I do it every day?  No, I could lift these little weights every day and I would not increase my strength one bit.  The only way that I can increase my strength is to lift weights that are very difficult for me to lift.  When those weights start to become easy for me to lift, I need to increase the amount of weight I am lifting.  That is the only way for me to increase my strength.  I have to push myself to the limits.  When I do that, I will become stronger and stronger.

Some people want everything in life to be easy.  They don't like it when trouble comes their way and times are hard.  The Bible tells us that we should be happy when hard times come our way because by exercising our faith in God, our faith becomes stronger.  When a small problem comes our way, we should trust God to handle it.  Then when a little bigger problem comes along, we trust Him to handle that as well.  If we keep on doing this, our faith will become stronger and stronger until we will realize that there is no problem too big for God to handle.  Now that's a strong faith!

Let's make up our mind that we are going to get into good spiritual shape by exercising our faith each and every day.

Lord, we are thankful that we can trust you to handle the problems that come into our lives.  Help us each day to exercise our faith so that our faith will become strong.

[Soldier4Christ]

Turn to the Source


Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. James 1:17 Unto Thee lift I up mine eyes, O Thou that dwells in the heavens. Psalm 123:1

One night I decided I wanted to check on the scores of some of the football games in our area. I got out my little portable radio and turned it on. I tuned it to a station that I know gives high school football scores. This isn't a very powerful radio and when I turned it on, the signal was very weak and there was a lot of static and interference. I discovered that if I turned the radio around until it was facing the direction of the radio station, the signal was much stronger and I could hear it much better.

The Bible teaches us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights." If our Heavenly Father is the source of all that we need, we will be better able to receive His gifts if we will keep our hearts turned toward Him. The Bible tells us to lift our eyes to Him who lives in the heavens. He is the one who supplies all of our needs.

  Lord, help us to keep our hearts turned toward you. We know that you are the source of all that we need in our life.

[Soldier4Christ]

What's Cooking?


Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.  James  1:22

I have quite a few cookbooks at my house.  I have brought just a few of them to show you this morning.  We have cookbooks on how to make just about anything you can imagine.  I like to look through these cookbooks and read the recipes and think about all of the delicious foods that I could prepare.  The recipes in these books tell me step by step exactly what I need to do to prepare these wonderful foods.  Some of them even have a picture of what it will look like.  It makes me hungry just to look at the pictures.

You might think that with all of these cookbooks that I must be a great cook, but I'm not.  You see, I don't cook at all!  I just read the cookbooks and look at the pictures.  I can read all of the cookbooks in the world, but that won't make me a cook.  To be a cook, I not only have to read the recipe, I have to actually do what it says.

The Bible is like a cookbook.  The Bible has God's recipe for becoming a Christian and living a life that is pleasing to Him.  A lot of people read the Bible every day.  Many of them even go to Sunday School and study the Bible.  But it isn't enough just to read the recipe.  Reading the Bible won't make you a Christian any more than reading a cookbook will make you a cook.  We must follow the recipe in our daily life.

How about you?  What's cooking in your life?  Do you just read the recipe, or are you using it to live a life that is pleasing to God? 

Lord, help us to not only read and study your Word, but to follow its teaching to live a life that will be pleasing to you.

[Soldier4Christ]

Things That Go Together


But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  James 2:18

Do you like to play games?  This morning we are going to play a game.  It is called the "Things That Go Together" game.  I have several items in my bag.  When I pull one out, you try to see if you can tell me what goes with it.  Let's see what I have in my bag....here is a jar of peanut butter.  What goes together with peanut butter?  That's right!  Jelly!   Let's see what else I have in here....a hammer.  What do you think goes with a hammer?  Right again!  Nails.  Let's try another one....here is some salt.  Can you think of something that goes with salt?  Of course!  You are right again.  Salt and pepper go together!  You all are pretty good at this game.  It is actually pretty easy, some things just naturally go together, don't they?

When we say that we love Jesus, the Bible tells us that there is something that just naturally goes with it.  Do you know what it is?  The Bible says that if we say we love Jesus, we will show it by the way we act.  Those two things go together just like peanut butter and jelly.  If we say we love Jesus, and then lie to our parents, those don't go together, do they?  If we say we love Jesus, and then take something that doesn't belong to us, do those two things go together?  No, of course not.  If we say that we love Jesus and then say something mean or hateful about someone, do those go together?  No!  The Bible says, "Someone will say, 'You have faith; I have deeds.'   Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do."

Father, help us to make what we say go together with what we do.  Help us to show our love for you by doing the things you have taught us to do in your Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Look on the Inside



Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.  1 Peter 3: 3-4  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16: 7

Some of you  have probably seen one of these before.  It is an x-ray.  Many times when we go to the doctor, he cannot tell if we have something wrong just by looking at us.  We may look just fine on the outside, but there might be something wrong on the inside.  To see what is on the inside, the doctor takes an x-ray.  By looking at the x-ray, he can see what's on the inside and helps us to get well.  You can't always tell by looking at the outside.

The Bible tells us that man looks at outward appearance, but God looks on the inside.  You can't always tell what a person is really like by looking at the outside.  Some people may be beautiful on the outside, but they may be very mean, selfish, and hateful on the inside.  Some people may not be very beautiful to look at, but on the inside they are loving, gentle, and kind.

We spend a lot of time making sure we look good on the outside, but what are we doing to make sure we look good on the inside?  (Read 1 Peter 3: 3-4)  When we look at others, we need to remember that we can only see what's on the outside, but God can see what's on the inside - and it's what's inside that counts.

Lord,  help us to be more concerned with our own inner beauty than with our outward appearance and help us not to judge other people by what we see on the outside.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus Is All You Need!


 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  2 Peter 1:3

Look at what I have this morning. How many of you have ever seen one of these? Did you know that these knives have been around for over 100 years? In the late 1800's, a knife maker in Switzerland named Karl Elsener designed a pocketknife that he called the Soldier's Knife. He sold it to the Swiss Army in October 1891 and soon they were being sold not only in Switzerland, but around the world. They became even more famous in the 1940's when they were shipped to the United States to be sold on U.S. Army bases. In fact it was American soldiers who gave them the name by which they are known today, the "Swiss Army Knife."

The purpose of these little knives was to give the soldiers an all-in-one tool which would meet their every need. It has a can opener, a screwdriver, scissors, and of course, a knife. There is a tool there to do just about anything you might need to do. There a lot of cheap imitations of the Swiss Army knife, but the real thing is still made in Switzerland. It is one of the finest pocketknives available, and is backed by a lifetime guarantee.

The Swiss Army knife reminds me of Jesus. Every day we face many difficult situations. The Bible tells us that Jesus will meet every need that we have in life. It doesn't matter what situation we may face, Jesus is the answer. There are a lot of cheap imitations out there that claim to have the answer to our problems, but the real thing is Jesus, and He comes with an everlasting life guarantee! He is the only one that can make that promise!

Don't accept a cheap imitation. Choose Jesus. He is the only one who can meet your every need!

Dear Jesus, may each of us choose you to be our "all in all" and to accept your everlasting life guarantee. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Don't Be Afraid


God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1: 5  The LORD is my light and my salvation-- whom shall I fear?  Psalm 27: 1

I'm sure that most of you know what this is.  It is a night light.  Sometimes our parents put one of these in our room so that we won't be afraid.  Are any of you ever afraid of the dark?  When I was a boy, one of my jobs was to take out the trash every day.  Sometimes I would put it off too long and I would have to take out the trash after it was dark.  If I heard a strange sound, I would sometimes set a world speed record getting back to the house!

Are you ever afraid when there is a storm?  Are you ever afraid of the thunder?  One night last week we had a thunderstorm. The next day I was talking to one of my students at school and she told me that she and her brother had been frightened by the thunder so they went and got in bed with her mom and dad.  I think that all of us have times when we are afraid.  We have probably all gone and gotten in bed with our parents during a storm.

Sometimes there are dark and lonely nights in our life.  We aren't sure what is ahead of us or what is behind us and we often feel afraid.  Sometimes there are storms in our life and we are afraid.  When we are afraid, we have a light to make us feel safe.  That light is Jesus.  The Bible tells us that "God is light and in Him is no darkness."  The Bible also says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?"  In the dark and stormy days of our life, we have Jesus to be with us.  If  Jesus is with us, we don't have to be afraid!

Dear Lord, help us to remember that when the dark and stormy nights come into our life, you are there, and we have no need to fear.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who has seen the wind?


No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.  1 John 4:12

Today is the first Sunday in March.  Since March is one of the windiest months of the year, one activity that children often enjoy during the month of March is flying kites.  How many of you like to fly kites?  It is great fun to watch them 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.  You can't see the wind because it is invisible.  Well, if you can't see the wind, how do you know that it is there?

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

You can know that the wind is there because you can feel it.  (Blow onto the back of your hand.)  You can feel it blowing against your face and you can feel it blowing through your hair.  You can't see the wind, but you know it is there because you can feel it.

Finally, you can know the wind is there because you can hear it.  When I wake up in the morning, I like to know if the wind is blowing.  Sometimes I turn on the Weather Channel and check to see if it is blowing.  There are some mornings that I don't even have to look at the TV.   I can hear the wind whistling through the trees, down the chimney, and around the windows and doors.  I can't see the wind, but I know it is there because I can hear it.

How many of you have ever seen God?  The Bible says that no one has seen God.  Well if we haven't seen him, how do we know he is there?  I think we can know that he is there the same way we know the wind is there.

First, we can see Him moving.  The Bible says that the Spirit of God moves men to speak and to do things for him.  (2 Peter 1:21)  We can't see God, but we can see men doing things that God's Holy Spirit has moved them to do.

We can know that God 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 God, but we know he is there because we can feel his presence in our life.

Finally, we can know He 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 God, but we know he is there because he speaks to our hearts.

Lord,  we can't see you, but we know you are there because we can see you moving, we can feel your presence, and we hear you speak to our hearts.  Thank you for being there!

[Soldier4Christ]

The Water of Life


Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.  Revelation 22:17

I have something this morning that we never think much about until we don’t have it.  Water!  Right now in our part of the country we hear a lot about water because we haven’t had much rain.  Our lakes are getting low and people are being asked to cut back on watering their lawns and to be careful not to waste water.  Did you know that you can live for quite a few weeks, or even months, without food but you can only live about four days without water?  When it is hot and you are playing outside and sweating a lot, you can’t even live that long without water.

We can’t live very long without water, and we can’t live very long without Jesus either.  One time Jesus told a woman, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst.”  Jesus wasn’t talking about this kind of water; He was talking about living water.  The Bible says, “Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”  Jesus is the water of life.  If we are filled with Him, we will never be thirsty again!  Without Jesus, we can’t live for very long, but with Jesus we can have everlasting life.

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that just as our bodies cannot live without water, our spirit cannot live without You…the water of life.  Amen.