Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

We're Number One!


"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Matthew 22:36-39

How many of you like to play sports? What sport do you enjoy playing the most?  Football?  Soccer?  Basketball? Maybe you are like I was when I was your age -- my favorite sport was always whatever season we happened to be in at the time. Well, since we are right in the middle of football season, today I am going to teach you something about football. You will want to pay careful attention, because what I am going to teach you is the very most important part of the game of football.

Do you think I might be planning to teach you about blocking, or tackling?  No, those things are important, but what I want to teach you is even more important. I am going to teach you what to do after you score. Sooner or later, you are going to score, and when you do, you need to know how to celebrate!

Some players do a special dance.  Others may jump up in the air giving "high fives" to their teammates.  No matter how you celebrate, there is one thing that every good celebration must include. You must run around with your finger up in the air so that everyone will know that you are number one! Your team may be behind by a score of 40-7, but you are number one!

Do you know what I think?  I think that is the biggest problem in our world today. We all think we are number one and the most important thing in life is our own happiness. Very few of us give much thought to the happiness of other people.

One day Jesus was asked which of the commandments was the greatest. He said that the most important thing was to love God with all your heart. He then added that the next most important thing was to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Jesus didn't tell us to love ourselves, he knew that we would do that without being told.  But he knew that the only way we could love others as we love ourselves was when our greatest love was for God. When we love God more than we love ourselves, then we will be able to love others as much as we love ourselves.

Dear Father, help us to love you with all our hearts and help us to love others as we love ourselves. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "All You Need Is Love"

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV)

I don't know for sure, but I think that there have probably been more songs written about love than just about anything else in the world. Here is a list of some of my favorites: "Love Makes the World Go Round," "Love and Marriage," and "When I Fall in Love," and oh, I almost forgot one of my favorites! Barney's "I Love You" song. You know that one, don't you? (Sing it, if you can. It is sung to the tune of "This Old Man.")

I love you, You love me
We are one big family
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too
(Lyrics by Lee Bernstein BMI)

Well, I guess that shows how up to date I am! Barney was long ago replaced by SpongeBob SquarePants. In fact, SpongeBob is probably out of date by now, but I know one thing that never goes out of style, and that is love. As much as ever, "What the World Needs Now Is Love."

One day a lawyer asked Jesus, "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment?" Do you remember how many commandments there are? There are ten, aren't there? Well, there were ten commandments on the tablets of stone that God gave to Moses, but the Jews actually had 613 laws. There were 248 do's and 365 don'ts. Wow! That is a lot of do's and don'ts isn't it? Can you imagine trying to remember all of that? I don't think we need to. Listen to what Jesus said to the lawyer.

Jesus answered, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,' this is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."  In other words, Jesus was saying that if we could keep these two commandments, we would not have any trouble keeping the others.

You know, that reminds me of another love song, "All You Need Is Love." Let's pray and ask God to help us to love as we ought.

Dear Father, help us to love you with all of our heart and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

All Puffed Up!
 
For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Matthew 23:12

This morning I have some balloons with me. A balloon is a simple toy, but it brings a lot of pleasure to people of all ages. There are so many things you can do with a balloon. You can use balloons for decorations at a party or you can bat them around in the air like a ball. If you have a long, skinny balloon, you can even make it into the shape of different animals. Yes, a balloon can bring a lot of happiness, but it can bring sadness and disappointment too. Haven't you ever seen a small child cry when his balloon bursts?

You and I are sometimes like a balloon. We sometimes get all puffed up with our own importance. (Start blowing up the balloon) We think we are great and we expect everyone else to think so too. (Blow) Maybe it because we are so good looking, (Blow) or maybe it is because we are so smart. (Blow) Maybe we are really good in sports, (Blow) or perhaps we are the best singer in the choir. (Blow) Sooner or later, if we keep getting puffed up with our own importance, something will happen to burst our balloon. (prick the balloon)

Jesus warned us that this would happen. The Bible teaches us that if we are too proud and think too highly of ourselves, we are headed for a fall. On the other hand, if we are humble, and realize that it is through God's strength that we are able to do great things, we will be given a place of honor in the kingdom of God.

From now on, when you see a balloon, I hope it will remind you that we should not become too puffed up with our own importance -- or something may come along and burst our balloon!

Jesus, help us to not become too puffed up with our own importance. Remind us that whatever abilities we have are a gift from you and that you are the one who deserves the praise! Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Playing Church"

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. Matthew 23:2-3 (NIV)

Have you ever played "Dress Up" or "Let's Pretend?" You know, that is when you dress up like your mom and dad and pretend to be a grown-up. We did that when I was a little boy, and when we did, one of my favorite things was when we "played church." One of the children would be the preacher, another would be the song leader, and the others would pretended to play the piano and collect the offering. It was great fun.

I especially liked playing church when it was my turn to be the preacher. Everyone wanted to be the preacher because we thought he was more important than anyone else. When you were the preacher, you could tell everyone else what to do and walk around looking very important.

In our Bible lesson today, Jesus had something to say about "playing church." Oh, he wasn't talking about little children dressing up in their parent's clothes and playing "let's pretend." He was talking about the teachers of the law and the pharisees in the synagogue where people went to worship. Jesus said that everything that they did was done so that others would see them and think how great they were. They loved to have a special seat of honor in the synagogue and they especially liked it when people called them 'Rabbi.' That means 'Master' or 'teacher.'

What did Jesus tell us to do about teachers like these? You might think he would say, "Don't listen to them ! You don't have to do what they say." But he didn't. He said, "Obey them and do everything they say. But do not do what they do, because they do not practice what they preach."

"Practice what you preach!" Has anyone ever said that to you? Well, I must admit I have heard it a few times, and even though it hurts when someone says it to you, it is good advice. When it comes to living the Christian life, we need to make sure that we mean what we say and that we aren't just "playing church."

Here is a little poem that it would be good to remember.

You can know a lot of Scripture
And have the gift to teach,
But what is more important --
Is to practice what you preach!

Dear Father, it is important for us to tell others about Jesus and his love for them, but help us to remember that it is even more important for others to see the love of Jesus in us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Be Prepared

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:13

When I was your age I was in the Boy Scouts. I imagine some of you are probably in Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. One thing that I still remember about my days in the Boy Scouts is the motto. Do you know the motto of the Scouts? Their motto is, "Be Prepared." That means that a good Scout must try to be prepared to handle anything that might happen. For example, when we went on a camping trip, we had to make sure that we had all of the equipment we would need -- like this lantern. If we were going to camp out over night, we would need a lantern to be able to see.

A lantern like this is not much good if you don't have fuel to put in it. So, not only did we have to remember to take our lantern, we also had to be sure we took enough fuel for our lantern. If we didn't have enough fuel for the lantern, we weren't very well prepared were we? Be Prepared -- that is a pretty good motto, don't you agree?

Jesus once told a story about ten bridesmaids who took their oil lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Jesus said that five of them were foolish because they had their lamps, but they didn't bring any extra oil to put in their lamps. When it was time to go out and meet the bridegroom, they were out of oil. The other five were very wise and well prepared. They had brought plenty of oil for their lamps. When it was time to go out and meet the bridegroom, they were ready.

In this story, the bridegroom is Jesus and you and I are the bridesmaids. The story is teaching us that one day we are going to go to meet Jesus. It teaches us that we must be prepared, because we don't know exactly when that time is coming. Do you know what we must do to be prepared? We must invite Jesus to come into our hearts. When we do that, we are ready!

Dear Jesus, one day we are going to meet you face to face. We pray that we will all be ready. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Expecting the Expected

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Matthew 25:13 (NIV)

In the past year we have seen many natural disasters in our world. Things such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, and even forest fires. One thing that we are hearing over and over again these days is that it is very important for us to be prepared in case of an emergency. Here are a few of the things we are told that we should do to make sure we are prepared.

BE INFORMED

Knowing what to do during an emergency is an important part of being prepared.

HAVE A PLAN

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations.

HAVE A SURVIVAL KIT

Your survival kit should include things like water, food, medicine, a first aid kit, blankets, candles and matches, flashlights, and batteries.

These are all good things for us to remember. It is wise to be prepared, isn't it?

Jesus once told a story to teach us the importance of being prepared. In Jesus' story, ten bridesmaids took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Jesus said that five of them were foolish because they had their lamps, but they didn't bring any extra oil to put in their lamps. When it was time to go out and meet the bridegroom, they were out of oil. The other five were very wise and well-prepared. They had brought plenty of oil for their lamps. When it was time to go out and meet the bridegroom, they were ready.

In this story, the bridegroom is Jesus and you and I are the bridesmaids. The story is teaching us that one day we are going to go to meet Jesus. It teaches us that we must be prepared, because we don't know exactly when that time is coming. Do you know what we must do to be prepared? We must invite Jesus to come into our hearts. When we do that, we are ready!

Dear Jesus, one day we are going to meet you face to face. We pray that we will all be ready. Amen.

Note:  Use good judgment in the use of this message. It is not our aim to frighten children, but to reassure them.

[Soldier4Christ]

Five Smooth Stones

Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd's bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17:40 (NIV)

What do you think I have in this little bag?  Well, let's take a look and see.  Hmm... how about that... it is some rocks.  Five smooth stones.  Do these five smooth stones remind you of a Bible story?  When I think of five smooth stones, I think of the story of David and Goliath.

I'm sure you probably know the Bible story of how a boy named David fought and killed a giant named Goliath.  Now, Goliath was a mighty warrior who was more than nine feet tall!  He was protected from head to toe by a suit of armor made of bronze.  His armor alone weighed more than one hundred pounds and he was armed with a sword and spear.

David, on the other hand, was a young shepherd boy.  He had no armor for protection. It would have been much too heavy for him to carry.  And how about a sword and spear?  No, David's weapon was a sling and his ammunition was five smooth stones which he picked up from a nearby stream.  And yet, David was able to defeat a giant that all of the soldiers of the Israelite army were afraid to face.

You and I may never face a giant such as Goliath, but we face giants of another kind in our daily life.  We face giants such as fear, insecurity, loneliness, and failure.  How can we overcome those giants that want to defeat us?  These five stones can help us to remember the story of how David defeated the giant he faced.  They can also help us to know how we can defeat the giants which we face.

• The first stone represents COURAGE - David was not afraid to face the enemy.  "Don't worry about a thing," David told Saul. "I'll go fight this Philistine!" (1 Samuel 17:32 NLT)  It also takes courage to fight the giants you will face in your life.

• The second stone represents CONFIDENCE - As a shepherd, David often had to protect the sheep from wild animals.  This gave him the confidence he needed to face the giant.  "The LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!" (1 Samuel 17:37 NLT)  Like David, you can have confidence that God will help you overcome the problems you face each day.

• The third stone represents PREPARATION - David didn't go to face the giant unprepared.  He went down to the stream and picked out five smooth stones and put them in his shepherd's bag. Then, armed with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started out to fight Goliath. (1 Samuel 17:40 NLT)  It is important for you to do everything possible to be certain you are prepared to face the challenges which you will meet in your daily life.

• The fourth stone represents TRUST - David did not trust in his own ability to slay the giant.  When Goliath shouted at David, cursed him, and was ready to kill him, David said, "You come to me with a sword and spear, but I come to you in the name of the LORD God Almighty." (1 Samuel 17:45 NLT)  When you face problems, put your trust in God, not in your own ability.

• The fifth stone represents VICTORY - "It is God's battle, not ours," David said. That is why David was able to win the victory over the giant with only a stone and sling. (1 Samuel 17:50 NLT) When you turn your battles over to God, you will have the victory over the giants in your life.

So, the next time you are facing a giant in your life, remember the story of David and Goliath... and five smooth stones.

Dear Father, just as you gave David the victory in his battle with Goliath, we know that when we put our trust in you, you will give us the victory over the giants we face in our daily life.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Three Toolboxes
 
For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Matthew 25:29

Look what I have brought with me this morning -- a tool box. My toolbox is full of useful things. Many of the tools can be used for building things and some of them are great for mending things that are broken. This morning I want to tell you a story about tools. I call it, "The Three Toolboxes."

Once upon a time there was a man who had a construction business. The man had to go away on a long trip and so he called his three employees together and said, "I have to go on a long trip and so I am leaving you three in charge. I have put together a tool box for each of you to use to keep the business going while I am gone."

The man then gave each of his employees a tool box. The tool boxes contained all the tools the employees needed to do what the man expected of them, but since the three employees didn't all have the same abilities, each toolbox was different. To the first employee, he gave a very large tool box filled with every tool that you can imagine. To the second employee, he gave a smaller toolbox, but one that still had a very good assortment of tools. To the third employee, he gave a very small tool box with just a few tools, but enough tools for the employee to do what was expected of him.

The man then left to go on his trip. When he returned, he called his employees together to see what they had done while he was gone.

The first employee said, "I knew that you had a great love for the homeless people of the world, so I used the toolbox that you gave me to build homes for the homeless.

"That is great!" said the employer. "You have done so well that I am going to put you in charge of all new construction for the entire company."

The second employee said, "I knew that you had a great love for the elderly, so I used the toolbox you gave me to fix up the homes of old people who can no longer do the work themselves."

"That is wonderful!" said the employer. "You have done such a good job, that I am putting you in charge of all the repair and maintenance work for the entire company."

Then he turned to the third employee and asked, "What did you do with the tools that I left for you?"

"I knew that you are a very demanding boss and that you expect a lot from your employees. I was afraid that if I used the tools you gave me that one of them might get broken or that I might lose one of them and make you angry. I put the tools in a very safe place. They were there all the time you were gone. Look, here they are, just like new."

"What a worthless employee you are! I didn't give you the tools for safekeeping, I gave them to you to use in my business. You are fired!"  Since they had proven that they would make good use of them, he took the man's toolbox and divided the tools between the other two employees.

I think this story is a good picture of what God has done in us. He has given each of us tools to use in building His kingdom. We don't all have the same tools, but God expects us to use whatever tools He has given to us. If we do, He will give us even more, but if we don't, He may take them away and give them to someone who will use them.  Listen to the words of Jesus, "For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."

Dear Lord, help us to be faithful in using the gifts that you have given to us to help others and to build up the kingdom. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Don't Bury Your Talent


For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Matthew 25:29 (NIV)

As you know, this is a Frisbee. In a few minutes, this Frisbee will help us to learn more about what God expects from you and me, but first, a word from God's Word.

This morning, our Bible story is a familiar story that Jesus told. It is called the Parable of the Talents. In the Parable of the Talents, a very wealthy man was going to go on a trip. He called his three servants together and told them that he would be gone for a long time and that he was leaving them in charge of all of his wealth. He divided up his wealth and gave it to the three servants.

To the first servant, he gave five talents. Now, that might not sound like much to you, but in Jesus' day, that was a lot of money. To the second servant, he gave two talents. Not as much as the first servant received, but still a large sum of money. To the third servant, he gave one talent. Even one talent was worth quite a lot!

The first servant took the five talents his master had given him and put it to work and earned five more talents. The second also invested his two talents wisely and earned two more talents. The third servant took his one talent and buried it in the ground for safe keeping.

When the master returned, he was very pleased when the first two servants told him that they had doubled his money. "Well done," he said. "Because you had been faithful with what I have given you, I will give you much more."

"How about you?" he asked the third servant. "What did you do with the money that I left with you?"

The third servant said to the master, "I knew that you were a hard man and I was afraid, so I went out and hid your treasure in the ground so that it would be safe. See, here it is."

The master was angry. "You are a wicked and lazy servant. You could have at least put my money in the bank where it would earn more." He then took the one talent from the lazy servant and gave it to the one who had ten talents.

In this Parable of the Talents, God is the Master and you and I are his servants. The talents that the master gave to his servants in this story was a form of money. But God has given us talents too, hasn't he? God created each of us with special gifts and he expects us to use those gifts for the purpose for which he gave them to us.

You all know what this is, it is a Frisbee, but pretend for a moment that you do not know what it is and that you have never seen one before. You might think it was a dinner plate... or a hat... or perhaps a tool for digging in the sand. It could be just about anything, but it isn't. It is a Frisbee and the person who created the Frisbee created it for a purpose. The purpose of a Frisbee is to fly!

The Frisbee isn't very impressive to look at, is it? In a world full of high-tech electronic toys, it is pretty low on the totem pole. But boy, can it fly!

Sometimes you and I may look at the talents that God has given to others and think that God hasn't given us very much talent. We might even be tempted to hide our talent. But when we use our God-given talent to be all that God intended for us to be... boy, can we fly!

Dear Father, help us to use the talents that you have given us to be what you intended for us to be. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Don't Bury Your Talent

For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Matthew 25:29 (NIV)

As you know, this is a Frisbee. In a few minutes, this Frisbee will help us to learn more about what God expects from you and me, but first, a word from God's Word.

This morning, our Bible story is a familiar story that Jesus told. It is called the Parable of the Talents. In the Parable of the Talents, a very wealthy man was going to go on a trip. He called his three servants together and told them that he would be gone for a long time and that he was leaving them in charge of all of his wealth. He divided up his wealth and gave it to the three servants.

To the first servant, he gave five talents. Now, that might not sound like much to you, but in Jesus' day, that was a lot of money. To the second servant, he gave two talents. Not as much as the first servant received, but still a large sum of money. To the third servant, he gave one talent. Even one talent was worth quite a lot!

The first servant took the five talents his master had given him and put it to work and earned five more talents. The second also invested his two talents wisely and earned two more talents. The third servant took his one talent and buried it in the ground for safe keeping.

When the master returned, he was very pleased when the first two servants told him that they had doubled his money. "Well done," he said. "Because you had been faithful with what I have given you, I will give you much more."

"How about you?" he asked the third servant. "What did you do with the money that I left with you?"

The third servant said to the master, "I knew that you were a hard man and I was afraid, so I went out and hid your treasure in the ground so that it would be safe. See, here it is."

The master was angry. "You are a wicked and lazy servant. You could have at least put my money in the bank where it would earn more." He then took the one talent from the lazy servant and gave it to the one who had ten talents.

In this Parable of the Talents, God is the Master and you and I are his servants. The talents that the master gave to his servants in this story was a form of money. But God has given us talents too, hasn't he? God created each of us with special gifts and he expects us to use those gifts for the purpose for which he gave them to us.

You all know what this is, it is a Frisbee, but pretend for a moment that you do not know what it is and that you have never seen one before. You might think it was a dinner plate... or a hat... or perhaps a tool for digging in the sand. It could be just about anything, but it isn't. It is a Frisbee and the person who created the Frisbee created it for a purpose. The purpose of a Frisbee is to fly!

The Frisbee isn't very impressive to look at, is it? In a world full of high-tech electronic toys, it is pretty low on the totem pole. But boy, can it fly!

Sometimes you and I may look at the talents that God has given to others and think that God hasn't given us very much talent. We might even be tempted to hide our talent. But when we use our God-given talent to be all that God intended for us to be... boy, can we fly!

Dear Father, help us to use the talents that you have given us to be what you intended for us to be. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Unto the Least of These
 
'I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink'...Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?...'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' Matthew 25:35, 37, 40

Have you ever heard someone say, "Wait just a minute?" Well, sometimes a minute can seem like a long time. Other times, a minute seems to just fly by. This morning I have brought a timer with me. You have probably seen one of these. When you turn this timer over, it takes one minute for the sand to trickle down from one end of the timer to the other. I am going to turn this timer over and for one minute, I want you to see how many things you can think of that you like to eat. Are you ready? Okay -- ready, set, go!

Did you think of a lot of good things to eat? I did. I thought about fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, cake, cookies, ice cream, candy, and a lot more. What did you think of that you like to eat? (Give them time to name some if time permits.)

Did you know that in that one minute while we were thinking about all the good things we like to eat, seventeen people in the world died from hunger? Of those seventeen people that died, thirteen of them were children...boys and girls just like you.

One day, Jesus was speaking to a group of people and he said to them, "I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat...I was thirsty and you gave me a drink."

"When did we do that?" they asked.

Jesus answered them, "If you did it for one of the least of my children, you did it for me."

We have a lot to be thankful for, don't we? The question is, are we willing to share it with those who are not so fortunate? Will you share what you have with those who are in need? Remember, it is the same as doing it for Jesus!

Lord, you have given us so much. May we be willing to share it with those in need. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Thanks Living

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

When someone does something nice for you, what do you do? You say, "Thank you," don't you? Sometimes that just doesn't seem to be enough. Has someone ever done something for you that was so nice that you wanted to do more than just say, "Thank You." I have. When that happens, I sometimes send them a "Thank You" card. Everyone enjoys receiving a "Thank You" card.

Another way you can show your thanks when someone does something really nice for you is by doing something nice for them in return. For example, if someone invites you to spend the night and you have a really good time, you should return their kindness by inviting them to come and spend the night with you.

It is always important to show our appreciation when someone does something for us, isn't it?

Well, I don't know anyone who has done more for us than God has. God provides food when we are hungry and water when we are thirsty. He heals us when we are sick and he comforts us when we are sad. The Bible tells us that he is an ever-present helper in times of trouble.

Because of all God has done for us, we say, "Thank you." But somehow that doesn't seem to be enough. We could write him a "Thank You" card, but I don't think the Post Office could deliver it, do you? I have a good idea, why don't we do something nice for him in return? But how?

Jesus told us how to do it. Jesus, said, "Whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you do it for me." That means when we feed someone who is hungry, it is the same as doing it for Jesus. When we visit someone who is sick, it is the same as doing it for Jesus. When we give clothes to those who are in need, it is the same as doing it for Jesus.

There is a very special name for this way of saying, "Thank you." I call it "thanks living." "Thanks living" is when we show our thanks by the way we live. "Thanks living" is when we look at the many ways God has blessed us, and we thank him by being a blessing to others.

Let's pray and ask God to help us to offer our thanksgiving by "thanks living."

Our Father, we come into your presence with thanksgiving. Help us to turn our thanksgiving into "thanks living." Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Watching and Waiting

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. Mark 13:33 (NIV)

Today marks the beginning of the most exciting time of the year. Today we begin the countdown to the day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I always look forward to this time of year and to all of the beautiful music, lights, and decorations of the Christmas season. One decoration that we will see everywhere during this season is the star. The reason we will see so many stars during the holiday season because a star was so very important to the very first Christmas.

I'm sure that all of you know the story of the wise men. You know about how the wise men, sometimes called Magi, saw a star in the sky and followed that star to find Jesus.

The Magi studied the stars and planets night after night looking for signs that might predict the coming of a great leader. I wonder why the Magi choose this particular star to follow? Did they just say to themselves, "Hey that is a really bright star. Why don't we follow it and see where it leads us?" I don't think so. God's prophets had written about that star hundreds of years before. They had told when and where it would appear and that it would announce the birth of the Messiah. I think that perhaps the wise men had heard about those prophecies, so when they saw the star, they knew where that star would lead them.

If the Christmas story ended with the star leading the wise men to Jesus, it wouldn't bring much hope to to us today would it? Well, it doesn't end there. In fact, it hasn't ended at all! The Bible tells us that just as surely as Jesus came to be born in a manger, he is going to come again. The next time Jesus comes, he will take us to heaven to live with him. Now, that is a message of hope! That is what this season is really about! Just as the wise men were watching and waiting for the star that would lead them to Jesus, you and I are watching and waiting for his return.

Dear Jesus, during this season when we look back and remember your birth, we are also watching and waiting for your return. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Waiting Place

Theme:    Celebrating Jesus' birth and waiting for his return. - 1st Sunday in Advent
Object:    "Oh, the Places You'll Go" by Dr. Seuss
Scripture:    "Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: 'Watch!' " Mark 13:35-37 (NIV)

I have heard that if you live to be seventy years old, you will spend three years of your life just waiting. Waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting in the doctor's office, waiting for lunch to be ready, waiting for recess time at school.

In his book, "Oh, the Places You'll Go," Dr. Seuss talks about a place called "the waiting place." He describes it as a useless place where people are just waiting.

    Waiting for a train to go
    or a bus to come, or a plane to go
    or the mail to come, or the rain to go
    or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
    or waiting around for a Yes or No
    or waiting for their hair to grow.
    Everyone is just waiting.

I don't particularly like waiting, do you? I don't like it, but I don't know of any way to avoid it. We all have to spend some time in this "waiting place" that Dr. Seuss talks about, but I don't think it has to be a useless place. While we are waiting, life goes on, and we must make good use of our time. What can we do? Well, we could read a good book or call a friend on the cell phone. We could make a list of things we need to do today or, we could even study for our weekly spelling test. Well, maybe that's going a bit too far, but there are many things we can do besides just waiting.

Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means "to come." Do you know what's coming? Of course, Christmas is coming. This is an exciting time, but it may also be a difficult time of waiting -- especially for children. Waiting for the day when you can open the gifts that you see under the tree. What can we do to make this time of waiting for Christmas more than just a useless time in the waiting place? Well, we can think about the true meaning of Christmas. We can think about Jesus and his love. We can think about giving instead of receiving. We can enjoy all of beautiful music and the decorations of the season. When we do those things, we will find joy in the waiting place.

We are waiting for Christmas, but we are also waiting for something else. We are waiting for Jesus' return. He told us that he would come again and he told us to watch and be ready for him. What should we do while we are waiting? We should worship and praise him, love and serve him, and share his love with others. When we are doing those things, we will be ready for his return, and we will find joy in the waiting place.

Heavenly Father, as we spend time in this waiting place, we look forward with great joy to the celebration of Jesus' birth and to the day when he comes again. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Only Believe

Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."  Mark 5:36 (NIV)

If you were sick, what would your parents do?  If you just had a tummy ache or a headache, they might give you some medicine that they could buy from the drug store and wait to see if it would make you feel better.  But what if you didn't get better?  What if you were so sick that your parents thought you might die?  What would they do then?  They would take you to the doctor right away!  They would do everything possible to help you get well.

Today, our Bible story is about a man named Jairus.  Jairus had a daughter who was very ill.  In fact, he was certain that she was going to die and he would have done anything in his power to help her get well. Jairus was a ruler in the temple and he had heard about how Jesus had been healing many people, so when he saw Jesus, he ran to meet him right away.  He fell at the feet of Jesus.  "My daughter is sick and is about to die," he said. "Please come and place your hands on her; heal her so she can live."

What did Jesus do?  Did he say, "Give the girl two aspirin and if she isn't better by morning, give me a call?" Of course not!  Jesus immediately began walking with Jairus toward his house so that he could heal the girl.

As they walked through the streets of town, some men came up to Jairus and said to him, "Your daughter is dead, there is no need to bother Jesus now."  Oh no!  What bad news.  Jairus had found Jesus and they were on the way to heal his daughter -- and now she was dead.  Jairus was heart broken, but Jesus paid no attention to what the people said.  He turned to Jairus and said, "Don't be afraid, only believe,"

When they arrived at the home of Jairus, there were many people there and they were all crying.  Jesus said, "Why are you crying?  The girl is not dead, she is asleep."  Do you know what the people did?  They laughed at Jesus!  Can you imagine that?  They laughed at Jesus!

Jesus told all of the people to leave and he took the mother and father into the room where the girl was.  He took the girl by the hand and said, "Little girl, get up!" Immediately the girl stood up and began walking around the room.  Her parents were amazed!

What can we learn from the story of Jairus?  In his story we saw how Jairus loved his daughter and would do anything for her.  That is even more true of the love of our Heavenly Father.  God loves his children and will always do what is best for them.

Another thing we learn from this story is that with God, all things are possible.  Jairus' daughter was dead -- the situation was hopeless!  But Jesus said, "Don't be afraid, only believe!"  When you face what seems to be a hopeless situation, remember the words of Jesus, "Only believe!"

Dear Father, we are thankful for the love that you have for your children.  Help us, your children, to remember that all things are possible if we only believe and trust in you.  Amen.