Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

The Wind in Your Socks

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 know what this is? It is a windsock.  A windsock is a type of kite.  The windsock was invented many years ago in Japan and was flown on "Boys Day."  The family would hang one windsock for each son in the family on the end of a pole outside of their house and let it blow in the wind.

Where else would you possibly see a windsock?  You may have seen a windsock at an airport.  Windsocks are used at airports to show which way the wind is blowing to help pilots to take off and land safely.  Windsocks are also used to help predict the weather and they are also used to help guide to Space Shuttle pilots to a safe landing upon their return from space.

No one can see the wind, but we know the wind is there because the windsock shows us that it is there.  The wind is very important to us.  What are some of the ways that the wind helps us?

       •It helps to cool us off when we get too hot.

       •It helps to clean the air we breathe of smoke and smog.

       •It can be converted to electrical power to light our homes.

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 in one place when suddenly there was a sound like a mighty, rushing wind. They saw what looked like tongues of fire that came to rest on each of them and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit.

God's Holy Spirit is somewhat like the wind.  We can't see him, but we know that he is there because we can see the effects of his power in our lives.  The Holy Spirit is very important to us. What are some of the ways that the Holy Spirit helps us?

       •He comforts us when we are sad and alone.  (John 15:26)

       •He guides us in the way of truth. (John 16:13)

       •He helps us when we don't know how to pray.  (Romans 8:27)

       •He lives inside us and gives us life.  (Ezekiel 37:14)

       •He shows us the good things God has for us. (1 Corinthians 2:9-11)

We are thankful for all of the ways that the wind helps us, but we are even more thankful for all of the ways the Holy Spirit helps us every day.  You might say, "He is the wind in your socks!"

Dear Father, we thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to comfort, guide us, and live within us.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Feast for All

They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Matthew 14:20 (NIV)

How many of you enjoy going on a picnic? Oh, so do I! Well, I brought my picnic basket this morning and we are going to use our imaginations and think of things that might be inside if we were going to have a picnic. Let's see, there would surely be sandwiches, chips, cookies, and some soft drinks. Can you think of anything I may have forgotten that you would enjoy eating on a picnic? (Give the children time to tell what they would want to eat on the picnic.)

I think we have enough food in our basket for a pretty nice picnic, don't you? If we had all of the things we mentioned, do you think there would be enough food for our group of children? What if everyone in our church came to our picnic, would there be enough food in our basket for the whole church? What if everyone in our town came to our picnic, would there be enough food to feed the whole town? No way! You couldn't feed the whole town with just this little basket of food.

One day Jesus and his disciples wanted to have some time to relax. They got into a boat and went away to a quiet place to rest. When they arrived, there were people there waiting for Jesus to teach them and heal the sick. Jesus had wanted to rest, but when he saw the people, he loved them so much that he forgot all about being tired. He healed the sick and taught the people about the kingdom of heaven.

Soon it was time to eat. The disciples went to Jesus and asked him to send the people away so that they could get something to eat. "They don't need to go away," Jesus said, "you feed them."

"All we have is five loaves of bread and two fish" the disciples answered.

Jesus told the disciples bring him the loaves and fish and to tell everyone to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the loaves and fish and looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He then gave the food to the disciples to give to the people. Everyone ate until they were satisfied. Then the disciples picked up the leftovers and there were twelve baskets full! The Bible tells us that there were five thousand men who were fed plus all the women and children.

Can you imagine feeding a whole town of people with one little picnic basket full of food? With Jesus, anything is possible!

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that when we give what we have to you, even a little bit is more than enough. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Walkin' on the Water

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. "He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:28-31 [NASB]

As you can see, I have a tub of water and several other things with me this morning. Some of the items that I have with me will float in water and some of them will sink. I am going to show you an item and ask you to vote as to whether you think it will float or sink. Then we will put it in the water to see if you were right or not. Are you ready?

Here is a wooden building block. How many of you think it will float in the water? How many think it will sink? Let's try it and see. Great! Most of you were right. The block is floating in the water.

Here is the second item. A metal spoon. How many of you think it will float? How many think it will sink? Well, let's try it and see. You were right again! It sank!

Here is the another item. A piece of heavy duty foil. How many of you think it will float? How many think it will sink? Okay, let's see. You were right again! It floats!

Here is another piece of foil. It is exactly the same as the other one. (Wad it up into a ball.) Now how many of you think it will still float? How many think it will sink? Right again! It still floats.

Are you a floater or a sinker? Don't worry, I'm not going to throw you into a tub of water to find out, but I think we can find the answer in the Bible. Do you remember the story in the Bible when Jesus fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish? After he had finished feeding the five thousand, Jesus told his disciples to get into their boat and go to the other side of the lake while he went up into the mountains to be alone and to pray.

While the disciples were going to the other side of the lake in their boat, the wind came up and the water began to get rough. The disciples became afraid that their boat would sink and they would be drowned. Then they looked, and they saw Jesus coming toward them and he was walking on the water. When Peter saw Jesus, he became excited and he said to him, "Lord, if that's really you, let me walk to you on the water. Jesus answered Peter and said, "Come."

Well Peter climbed over the side of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. Then he began to look around, he felt the strong winds and saw the waves and he became afraid and started to sink. He cried out to Jesus, "Help, save me!" Jesus reached out his hand and saved Peter and he said to him, "Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was walking on the water, but when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink. As we go through life, there will be some storms. We will encounter some pretty rough water. As long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus and put our trust in him, we will be okay. But when we take our eyes off of Jesus and put our confidence in our own ability, we will surely sink!

Dear Jesus, when the storms of life come against us, help us to keep our eyes on you and to put our trust in you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Crumbs from the Table


The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."   Matthew 15:26-27 [NIV]

Do any of you have a dog? I once had a dog named Mac. When we were at home, Mac was usually in the house. When we sat down at the table to eat, Mac would take his place and sit quietly beside my son's chair. Can you guess why he always sat beside my son? He knew that our son was the most likely person at the table to drop some tasty bit of food on the floor, and when he did, Mac was right there to clean it up

There was another reason why Mac always sat patiently beside my son's chair. You see, my son loved Mac very much, and he always made certain that when he finished eating, he always left something on his plate for Mac to clean up. Even though the dinner was not prepared especially for Mac, it sure did not keep him from enjoying it.

When Jesus came to earth, he came to preach and teach first to the Jews. That does not mean that He didn't love the other people of the world, but the first priority in his ministry on earth was to bring God's chosen ones to repentance.

When other people saw Jesus healing the sick and lame, they followed him wherever he went. One day there was a woman from Canaan who came to Jesus and asked him to heal her daughter. Jesus explained to the woman that his first mission on earth was to preach to the people of Israel.

The woman refused to give up. She came closer, knelt down, and begged, "Please help me, Lord!"

Jesus replied, "It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs."

The woman answered Jesus and said, "Lord, that's true, but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table."

Jesus was so touched by the faith of that woman that he told her that because of her faith, her daughter would be healed.

Even though Jesus came first to the Jew, he loved us so much that he shared his love with all of us. I guess I am a little bit like my dog Mac -- even though the meal was not prepared especially for me, it doesn't keep me from enjoying it. I will gladly sit at my Master's feet and thankfully receive whatever crumbs might fall from the table.

Dear Father, thank you for loving us so much that you shared your son with the whole world, so that through him we could be saved. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Back to School
(Peter's Confession)

Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Matthew 16:15-16 (NIV)

It's back to school time again! Some of you are probably feeling excited. Some of you may be a little sad that summer is over. You may feel nervous or a little scared about going back to school because of all the new things that you will have to face. You will have new teachers, some new friends, and some of you may even be going to a new school.

On the first day of school, the teacher will probably ask some questions to see how much you already know. When the teacher asks a question to which you know the answer, you might wave your hand excitedly in the air and say, "I know! I know!" It is a great feeling when you know the answer, isn't it? It sure helps to take away those "Back to School Jitters."

In our Bible lesson today, the disciples are going "back to school." Can you guess who their teacher is? Right! Jesus is their teacher. Jesus often took his disciples aside to teach them important lessons about the Kingdom of God. This was one of those days. Jesus began his lesson that day by asking his disciples a question.

"Who do men say that I am?" Jesus asked.

I imagine that one of the disciples raised his hand and said, "I know! I know! Some people say that you are John the Baptist."

Then another of the disciples raised his hand and said, "I know! I know! Some people say you are Elijah."

A third disciple raised his hand and said, "Some people say that you are Jeremiah or one of the other prophets."

"Very good," Jesus said, "that is what other people are saying, but who do you say that I am?"

You know, I think that Peter was so excited that he forgot to raise his hand. I think he just called out to Jesus, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus said, "You are right, Peter. You didn't learn that from listening to other people. It was taught to you by my Father in heaven."

The lesson that the disciples learned that day is just as important today as it was then. Many people in our world today still do not know who Jesus is. You and I need to be ready with the answer, "He is the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Dear Father, when people are searching for the answer to the question, "Who is Jesus?" help us to be ready with the answer. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Whistle

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26 [NIV]

Have you ever wanted something so badly that you would give just about anything to have it? This morning I am going to tell you a story about a little boy and a whistle. The little boy in the story is named Ben. His full name was Benjamin Franklin. Benjamin Franklin later grew up to be one of the wisest men our world has ever known, but in our story today, he was a little boy who did something very foolish.

When Ben was seven years old some of his friends gave him some money. It was quite a bit of money for a small boy. As Ben told it, "They filled my pockets with coppers." That is what they used to call pennies. With his pockets full of money, Ben headed straight for a store where they sold toys. On the way to the store, he met a boy who had a whistle. Perhaps it was a whistle like this one that I have with me this morning. When Ben heard the whistle, he liked the sound of it so much that he told the boy he would give him all of the money he had in his pockets if he would give him the whistle. The boy gave Ben the whistle and took the money.

Ben headed for home and when he got there, he went all around the house playing his whistle. His brothers, sisters, and cousins asked Ben where he got the whistle and he told them that he had bought it with the money he had been given. They all started to laugh at Ben and make fun of him. They told him that he had paid four times as much as the whistle was worth. Ben was so hurt and felt so foolish that he began to cry, but he learned a lesson that day that he would remember for the rest of his life. From then on, whenever he saw someone who had made a foolish choice in life, he would say, "That man paid too much for his whistle."

Some boys and girls want to be popular with a certain group of kids at school. They may do things that they know are wrong because they think it will make them popular. They are paying too much for their whistle.

Some boys and girls want to be a winner more than anything. They are even willing to cheat if that's what it takes to win. They are paying too much for their whistle.

Some boys and girls think the most important thing in life is to have fun, so they spend all of their time playing and they never have time for God. They are paying too much for their whistle.

Is there something that you want so much that you are willing to do almost anything to get it? Jesus once asked the question, "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet loses his soul?" Are you paying too much for your whistle?

Dear Jesus, we don't want to pay too much for our whistle. Help us to give You first place in our lives. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The 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.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:16-17 (NIV)

Many people enjoy boating, fishing, sailing, and canoeing on lakes, rivers, and streams.  Have you ever gone out in a boat?  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. If you are thrown from the boat, a life jacket can save your life.

One day, some men and boys went fishing on a lake.  Before they got into the boat, they began to put on their life jackets.  One of the men refused to put on a life jacket.  Perhaps he thought it made him look like a sissy, or maybe he thought, "I know how to swim.  If anything happens I can save myself."  They had only been on the lake for a short time when a sudden storm came up.  The wind blew and the waves became so high that they turned the boat over.  The ones who were wearing life jackets made it to shore and were saved.  The man who was not wearing a life jacket 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 they might look like a sissy if they 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 that as we sail upon the sea of life, each and every one here today will take hold of the one thing that can save us from the storms which we are sure to encounter... Jesus, our Savior.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Building Bridges

"If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him--work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend." Matthew 18:15 (The Message) Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:10 (NLT)

Once upon a time, there were two brothers. Their father had a large farm and when he became too old to work, he called his sons to him. "I am too old to work anymore," he said. "I will divide my farm in half and give each of you one half. I know that you will always work together and will be good friends."

When the brothers first started farming on their adjoining farms, they were the best of friends and would share everything together. Then, one day there was an argument between the two brothers and they stopped speaking to one another. For many years, not a word was spoken between them.

One day, one of the brothers was at his house when a carpenter came to his door and said, “I would like to do some work. Do you have any work that I can do?” The brother thought for a moment and then replied, “I would like for you to build a fence on my property. Build it down near the stream there that separates my farm from my brother’s. I don’t want to see my brother any more and I would like for you to build a high fence there please. I’m going into town and I’ll be back this evening.

When he came back that evening, he was shocked to see that the carpenter had not followed his instructions. Instead of building a high fence there, he had built a bridge over the stream. The man walked down to take a look at the bridge, and as he did, his brother walked toward him from the other side. His brother said, “After all the terrible things I’ve done to you over the years, I can't believe that you would build a bridge and welcome me back.” He reached out to his brother and gave him a big hug.

The brother then walked back up to his farmhouse to talk to the carpenter. “Can you stay?” he asked. “I have more work for you to do.” The carpenter answered, “I’m sorry but I can’t stay. I have to go, for I have many other bridges to build.”

Sometimes you and I have a disagreement with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When that happens, we often build a fence between ourselves and them. We stop talking to them. We don't want to see them. We don't want to be around them. That isn't what Jesus wants us to do. Instead of fences, he wants us to build a bridge of love between us.

Dear Father, we know it is your desire for us to live together in peace and harmony. Help us to love one another. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Over and Over Again

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.* Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV)

Just look at all of these pencils! There are short pencils, long pencils, skinny pencils, and fat pencils. There are yellow, red, black, and white pencils. There are many different shapes, sizes, and colors of pencils but there is one thing that all of these pencils have in common. The eraser is worn off of every one of them. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me that I make a lot of mistakes. When I make a mistake, I erase it and start over, and over again, until I get it right! I don't know why I keep these pencils, because as many mistakes as I make, a pencil without an eraser is pretty useless.

These pencils remind me of people. People come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors too, but we all have one thing in common, we all make mistakes! We make a lot of mistakes. That is why God sent Jesus to die on the cross -- to erase our mistakes. When we do something wrong, we can ask God to forgive us and because of Jesus, He will erase our mistakes and we can start over again, and again, and again. Unlike these pencils, God's eraser never wears out!

Just as God forgives us over and over again. Jesus taught us that we should forgive other people over and over again.

One day, Peter asked Jesus, "How many times should I forgive someone who sins against me? Should I forgive him seven times?" I imagine that Peter was pretty proud of himself for being willing to forgive someone seven times.

Jesus answered, "Not seven times, but seventy times seven times!"

I think Jesus knew that if he said we should forgive seventy times seven times, we would never be able to keep count and we would forgive over, and over again, just as he forgives us.

It doesn't matter if we are short or tall, skinny or fat, red, white, yellow, or black, we all need God's forgiveness. We also need to remember that Jesus taught that we are to forgive others just as God forgives us.

Dear Jesus, we all make mistakes, thank you for coming to erase those mistakes. Help us to forgive others the same way you forgive us -- over, and over, and over again. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 That's Not Fair!

"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?' Matthew 20:13-15 (NIV)

This morning I have a treat for you. (Begin passing out the treats, commenting as you go.) "There's one for you, two for you, one for you. Here are three for you, and one for you." (Continue until all of the children have been given one or more treats.)

Did you notice that I gave some children one treat, others received two, and some even got three treats? I imagine that some of you were thinking to yourself, "That isn't fair! He gave some children three treats and I only got one!" Well, maybe it wasn't fair, but they were my treats -- don't I have the right to give them to whomever I please?

Jesus told a story about a landowner who was hiring men to work in his vineyard. He hired some of them early in the morning, some in the middle of the day, and some he hired just before quitting time.

When it was time to pay the workers, he paid them all the same. The workers who were hired early in the morning began to complain, "Hey! That's not fair! You paid the workers who worked only one hour the same as those of us who worked all day."

The owner of the vineyard said, "I am not being unfair to you. I paid you what I agreed to pay you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Are you jealous because I am generous?"

What is the point of the story that Jesus told? The point is that there are some people who trust in Jesus and serve him all the days of their life. What is their reward? Their reward is eternal life in heaven.

There are other people who live most of their life in sin. They don't serve the Lord at all. Then, just before their life comes to an end, they put their trust in Jesus and accept him as their Savior. What is their reward? Their reward is the same as one who has served the Lord all their life -- eternal life in heaven.

Is that fair? We might not think it's fair, but if we got what was fair, none of us would go to heaven. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." I don't know about you, but I'm glad that God doesn't give me what is fair, but gives me his love and grace, in spite of what I deserve!

Father, we thank you for your love and grace that gives us everlasting life -- in spite of what we deserve. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Riddle Me This

Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you this authority?" Jesus replied, "I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism -- where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or from men?" Matthew 21:23-25 (NIV)

Do you like riddles? I have some riddles to ask you this morning. They aren't too difficult, but you will have to think a little. I will tell you this, I have the answer to each and every riddle right here in my bag -- and it will be something you have all seen before.

Here is the first riddle. What holds water even though it is full of holes? If you think you know, raise your hand. I have the answer right here in my bag. It is a sponge!

I have another riddle for you. What gets wet when it is drying? Surely someone will guess this one. It is a towel!

I have one more riddle. Now listen very closely. When I am filled, I can work or play; when I am empty, I do nothing all day. What am I? That's a hard one, isn't it? It's a glove. With your hand inside, it can do many things, but when it is empty, it can do nothing.

I think Jesus must have liked riddles too. Sometimes he used a riddle to teach people a lesson. One day Jesus was teaching in the temple. The priests and elders of the temple didn't believe that Jesus was the Son of God and they were upset because he had been performing miracles.

"Who gave you the authority to do these things?" they asked Jesus.

Jesus said, "I will ask you a question and, if you can answer me, then I will answer you. Here's my question. Did the baptism of John come from heaven or from men? Where did he get his authority?"

The priests couldn't answer Jesus' riddle. If they said it was from heaven, Jesus might ask them why they didn't believe John when he said that Jesus was the son of God. And if they said it was from men, the people would turn against them because they believed that John was a prophet of God.

The only way they could answer was, "We don't know."

Well, maybe the priests and elders didn't know who gave Jesus the authority to perform miracles, but we do. It was God, his Heavenly Father!

Dear Lord, we thank you for sending us Jesus, your only Son. And we thank you that you gave him the power and authority to do all things. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Staying Within the Lines

And God spoke all these words: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me." Exodus 20:1-3 (NIV)

Do you remember when you first started to learn how to color? If you were like most children, you probably colored all over the page without staying in the lines. I imagine that some of your pictures looked a lot like this one (show picture colored without staying in the lines). And your choice of colors probably wasn't very good either. You might have colored the cow purple! I've never seen a purple cow, have you?

As you got older, your pictures probably looked more like this one (show a picture colored in the lines). You began to stay in the lines and your color choices were much better too. There aren't any purple cows in this picture. This picture is much prettier than the other one, isn't it?

These pictures remind me of the way some people live their lives. God gave us the ten commandments to tell us the things that we should and should not do. Some people don't pay any attention to these guidelines that God has drawn for them. They just do whatever they want to do. Often their choices are not very good. They are like the child who doesn't stay inside the lines on the coloring page. They think their life is beautiful, but when God looks at it, He sees that it is just a big mess.

There are other people who read the Bible and follow God's rules. They try to stay within the guidelines that God has set. Oh, they may still get outside the lines at times, but most of the time they make pretty good choices. When God looks at their life, He is pleased.

Do you want your life to be like this one (show the messy picture) or do you want it to look like this one? (show the pretty picture) Let's pray and ask God to help us.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that you set boundaries for us. Help us to stay within those boundaries so that our lives will be pleasing to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 You Are Invited
Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. Matthew 22:9-10 (NIV)

How many of you have ever given a party? Of course you have! We have all given a party at some time. Perhaps it was a birthday party, or a slumber party. Maybe you had a picnic or a costume party. No matter what kind of party you give, it is a lot of work to get ready for a party, isn't it? First, you have to decide what kind of a party you are going to have. Then you have to go out and buy the decorations or make them yourself. You have to plan what games you are going to play and make sure that you have all of the proper equipment for the games. Next you have to decide what you are going to serve and go to the store to buy refreshments. After you have made all the plans, you make a list of who you are going to invite and send out the invitations.

Have you ever planned a party and sent out the invitations, but no one showed up? Oh, I hope not! If that happened, how do you think it would make you feel? Would you be angry? Would your feelings be hurt? What do you think you might do?

Jesus once told about a king who threw a party, but none of the people he invited showed up for his party. In Jesus' story, the king was going to have a party for his Son who was getting married. Since he was a king, and this was his only son, you can imagine that it was going to be quite a celebration and it was a tremendous honor to be invited!

All of the plans had been made, the food was prepared, the invitations had been sent. The day of the celebration came, but no one showed up! The king sent his servants to see where the people were and why they had not come to his celebration. The people all began to make excuses about how busy they were.

The king was very upset, so he told his servants to go out into the streets and invite everyone they saw to come to his son's wedding celebration. They did exactly what the king told them to do and the Bible tells us that the wedding hall was filled with guests.

In this story, the King is God and, of course, Jesus is His Son. God is going to have a great celebration for His Son in Heaven and we have all been invited. I can't imagine why, but some people will turn down God's invitation. You've been invited -- I hope you will accept God's invitation.

Dear Father, thank you for inviting us to join you in your heavenly celebration. If there are any here today who have not accepted your invitation, we pray that today will be the day. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Chooses a King



But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."  I Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

I really enjoy playing sports.  Do you?  Some of the best memories of my childhood are of gathering at the city park on Saturday morning with a group of my friends and playing a game of baseball. (Substitute the sport of your choosing.)  The first thing we did was to choose teams.  Two players would be chosen as the team captains and they each took turns choosing players for their team.

How did the captains choose the players for their team?  Did they choose the players who were the best looking?  Did they choose the ones who had the coolest clothes?  Did they choose the ones who were most popular with other kids in their class at school?  No way!  They chose players with speed and skill.  They chose players who could think quickly and make good decisions.  They chose players that could get the job done when the game was on the line.  It didn't matter how popular they were or what they looked like.

I have other memories of those Saturday mornings that are not quite so happy.  I remember standing there and being afraid that I would be the last to be chosen -- or that I would not be chosen at all.  You see, I wasn't the tallest, I wasn't the strongest, and I wasn't the fastest. But I had a lot of heart, and I knew I could do the job if someone would just choose me.

In our Bible story today, God has decided to choose a new King for Israel.  He told the Prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse, because He had chosen one of Jesse's sons to be the next king of Israel.  When Samuel arrived in Jerusalem, he went to Jesse's house and told him to bring his sons so that God could tell him which one He had chosen.  As each of Jesse's sons passed by, God told Samuel that he was not the one.  Samuel could not understand it.  They were all such handsome men and very strong.  Surely one of them must be the one.  But God said to Samuel, "Don't consider his looks.  I have rejected him.  Man looks at outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

After seven of Jesse's sons had passed before him, there were no more sons in the house.  Samuel turned to Jesse and asked him, "Are these all of the sons you have?"

"Well, there is David, my youngest son," Jesse replied,  "but he is just a boy.  He is out taking care of the sheep."  Samuel told Jesse to send for David.  In a little while, David came in and stood before Samuel.

"He is the one," God said. "He will be the next king of Israel.  Rise and anoint him with oil."

He wasn't the oldest, he wasn't the tallest, and he wasn't the strongest.  He was only a shepherd boy. But when God looked at David, He saw a king.  Why?  Because God does not look on outward appearances, God looks at the heart.

Sometimes boys and girls may think that they are too young to do anything important for God. If those thoughts ever come to your mind, remember the story of David.  When others looked at David, they saw a shepherd boy. When God looked at David, He saw a king.

Dear Father, help us to remember that you don't judge people by how big they are or what they look like.  You judge a person by what is in their heart.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Kids Pay Taxes, Too!

Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Matthew 22:21

Have you ever heard your parents or other adults complaining about having to pay taxes? You probably have. Most people are not too fond of having to pay taxes. Do any of you pay taxes? Well, it might surprise you to learn that kids pay taxes, too!

How many of you receive an allowance from your parents? Have any of you ever received some money as a birthday gift from your grandparents? How many of you have ever earned some money for doing some chores around the house? How many of you have ever bought anything with your very own money?

If you answered, "Yes" to any of these questions, you have probably paid some taxes. Did you know that every time you buy something, you pay a sales tax? In our state, that tax is eight I wonder what Jesus would say if we asked him about it? That is a tough question. If he answered, "Yes," all the kids would probably get mad at him. If he answered, "No," the politicians who make our laws would probably get mad at him because the state needs that money to operate. It seems that someone would get mad at him no matter which way he answered! It looks like a no-win situation, doesn't it?

Did you know that something like that actually happened?  In Jesus' day, the people were required to pay a poll tax. It was not a very popular tax with the people. One day some religious leaders came to Jesus and asked him if he thought the people should pay the poll tax. They were actually trying to trick Jesus, because they knew if he said, "Yes," the people would be angry. But if he said, "No," he would get into trouble with the authorities.

Jesus saw right through their plan and he did a very wise thing. He asked them for a coin, then he said, "Whose picture is on this coin?"

They answered, "It is Caesar." Caesar was the Roman ruler and all taxes had to be paid to him.

Jesus then said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God."

Look at this dollar. Whose picture is on it? It is a picture of George Washington, our first president. What does it say right above his picture? It says, "The United States of America." Well, I guess that means that this dollar belongs to "George" and we will have to pay our taxes.

But what about God? Jesus also said "Give to God what belongs to God." The Bible says that we were created by God and that we were created in the image of God. If we are created by God, and we were created in His image, we must belong to Him. That means we must give ourselves to Him!

Dear Father, you created us in your image and we belong to you. Because of that, we give our hearts and lives to you. Amen.