Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 The King Is Coming


"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way" -- "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord'" Mark 1:2-3

My mother was a very good housekeeper. You could come to our house at any time and never find a thing out of place. There was never a bed unmade or a dirty dish in the sink. You would never find clothes on the floor or a dirty sock hiding under the bed at our house! There was a place for everything -- and everything was in its place.

Even though our house always looked just fine to me, I can still remember what it was like around our house when my mother found out that company was coming. She brought out the broom, the mop and pail, sponges, window cleaner, bathroom cleaner, dust rags, and furniture polish. Then she called me and my two sisters together and assigned each of us the job that we were to do. When we were finished, mother always checked to make sure that not a speck of dirt or dust remained.

Can you imagine what it would have been like around our house if we had been expecting a visit from a king? Well, that is what I want to talk to you about this morning. A king is coming -- not just any king -- the King of Kings!

Long before Jesus was born, a prophet named Isaiah said that before Jesus would be born, there would be one who would come before him to prepare the way for him. His name was John. The Bible tells us that John was like a voice, crying in the wilderness, telling people that Jesus was coming and that they needed to prepare for his coming.

When John told people that they needed to prepare for the coming of Jesus, he wasn't talking about a clean house. He was talking about a clean heart. He told the people that they needed to confess their sins, repent, and be baptized so that they would be ready to meet the coming King.

Jesus, the King was born. This is the season when we celebrate his birth. The Bible also tells us that he is coming again and that we must be ready for his return. How about you? Are you ready to meet the King?

Dear Jesus, as we remember your birth, help us also to make sure that our hearts are clean and ready for your return. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Preparing the Way

Theme:    Preparing our hearts for Christ's coming. 2nd Sunday in Advent (B-2)
Object:    A sign that says "Under Construction" or a toy truck or road grader.
Scripture:    A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain." Isaiah 40:3-4 (NIV) Also, Mark 1:2-3

Does your family have any travel plans during the Christmas holidays? Do any of you ever go to visit out-of-town family or friends? We did when I was a little boy.

Some of my fondest childhood memories of the Christmas holidays were times when we went to visit my grandmother. I don't know how many times we made that trip to my grandmother's house, but there was always some part of the highway that was being repaired. There were signs that said, "Slow Down -- Construction Ahead" and we would see road graders, gravel trucks, and a lot of men working on the highway. I always thought to myself, "What a nice highway this will be when it us finished it and there is no more construction." That was many years ago and I still travel that highway from time to time. Guess what? They are still working on it! You see, by the time they finish working on one part of the highway, there is another place that needs to be repaired! Even some part they have repaired before may need to be repaired again. They will never finish working on it.

The childhood memory of those holiday trips to grandmother's house reminds me of the story of the first Christmas. The Bible tells us that God sent a man named John to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus. John told the people to make a highway in the desert for their God. He told them to make the crooked ways straight and to make the rough places smooth. John wasn't really talking about building a highway upon which Jesus could travel. He was really talking about the hearts of the people. He was calling people to prepare their hearts to receive Jesus so that he could walk among them and live with them.

During this special season of the year when we celebrate Jesus' birth and look forward to the day when he will come again, you and I need to make sure that we are ready. We need to look into our hearts and ask God to make our crooked ways straight and smooth out the rough places. Oh, I know, we have done it before, but it is just like that highway to grandmother's house, the job is never finished. Every day we do things that we shouldn't do and we need to ask God to forgive us and to make our hearts clean.

Dear Father, prepare our hearts for Jesus' return. Make our crooked ways straight and our rough places smooth. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Soldier4Christ]

 Reflecting the Light

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    * We must keep our faces turned toward Jesus.

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

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

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

[Soldier4Christ]

 "You Shall Call His Name Jesus"

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. Luke 1:31

One of the most exciting times in any couple's life is when they find out that they are going to have a baby. There are many things that must be done to prepare for the birth of a new baby, but none is more important than choosing a name for the baby. A baby's name is chosen very carefully because the baby will live with that name for the rest of his or her life.

When a couple is choosing a name for their baby, they will sometimes go to a bookstore or a library and get a book like this one that I have this morning. It has thousands of names from which to choose. Not only that, but many names have a special meaning and a book like this will tell you what those names mean. I looked up a few popular names to see what they mean. (Note: These names are given as an example. Choose names that are popular in your area, or if time permits, look up the names of some of the children in your group.)

John - God gave
Mary - the perfect one
Caleb - faithful, bold
Alex or Alexis - helper
Michael or Michaela - one who is like God
Elizabeth - God's promise
Daniel or Danielle - God is my judge

When Mary and Joseph found out that they were going to have a baby, they didn't go to the bookstore and get a book to help them choose a name for Mary's baby. In fact, they didn't choose the baby's name at all! God chose it for them! God sent an angel to tell Mary what to name her baby. The angel said to Mary, "You will have a son, and you will call his name Jesus" You see, the name Jesus means "the Lord saves." Was it important for Mary's baby to be named Jesus? Yes it was, because the Bible tells us that there is no other name that can save us from our sin. (Acts 4:12)

Dear Father, thank you for sending your Son. During this season when we celebrate his birth, help us to remember that there is salvation in the name of Jesus. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Mary Had a Little Lamb

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. Luke 1:30-31 (NIV)

Many years ago, a woman named Sarah Hale wrote one of the best-known and best-loved children's poems ever written. Most of you probably know that poem. It is "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It goes like this:

    Mary had a little lamb,
    Its fleece was white as snow.
    And everywhere that Mary went
    The lamb was sure to go.

Christmas will be here soon -- the day we celebrate the birthday of Jesus. In our Bible reading today, we read about an angel who appeared to Mary and told her that she would have a child and that she would name him Jesus. Sometimes, Jesus is called "The Lamb of God," and since Jesus' mother was named Mary, I thought I would read a new poem called "Mary Had a Little Lamb." It may never be as popular as the original poem, but it might help us to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

    Mary had a little Lamb,
    He was born on Christmas day.
    She laid him in a manger bed
    To Sleep upon the hay.

    Angels filled the night-time sky
    And they began to sing.
    Shepherds heard them all proclaim
    The birthday of a King.

    Wise men saw a blazing star
    Up in the sky that night.
    They followed it until they found
    The King of love and light.

    Mary had a little Lamb,
    But He wasn't hers, you know,
    He was the very Son of God,
    The One who loves us so.

    The Father of this little Lamb
    Loved the world so much
    That He sent his only Son to earth
    So we could feel His touch.

    He came to give us joy and peace
    And take away our sin.
    So when He knocks on your heart's door,
    Be sure to let Him in.

    Why do I love this precious Lamb?
    What can the reason be?
    The answer is quite plain to see,
    It's because He first loved me!

Dear Lord, thank you for sending your precious Lamb to take away our sin. Help us to remember as we celebrate His birthday, that He was the greatest gift of all. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

When God Says, "No"

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  2 Corinthians 12:8-9a (NIV)

Would you like a cookie?  I think have enough for everyone to have one.  I just love cookies!  When you ask your mom if you can have a cookie, do you always get the same answer?  Probably not.  Sometimes the answer may be, "yes" and sometimes it may be "no."  If you ask for a cookie and it is almost time to eat dinner, the answer might be, "not right now, it would spoil your dinner."  You see, your mom wants what is best for you and when you ask for something, "yes" might not always be the answer that is best for you.

Did you know that same thing is true when we pray to God?  Sometimes we ask God for something and He answers, "Yes" right away.  Other times he may say, "No." There are also times when we ask God for something, and he says, "Not right now." The reason God doesn't always say, "yes" is that He wants what is best for his children -- and what we are asking for may not be what is best for us.

You may be surprised to learn that even some of God's most faithful servants sometimes got a "no" in answer to their prayers.  The apostle Paul wrote about a time when God answered "no" to his prayer. In a letter he wrote to his friends in the church at Corinth, Paul told them that had a physical problem which he described as a "thorn in his flesh." We don't know exactly what it was because he didn't say, but it was something that Paul wanted God to take away.  Paul said that he begged God, not once, not twice, but three times to take away this "thorn in the flesh," but God said, "No, my grace is all you need."

Why would God say, "No" to Paul's request?  Paul was convinced that it was to help him to be humble and to put his trust in Jesus rather than in his own strength.  If he had been trusting in his own strength, he might not have been able to do nearly as much as he could when he was trusting in Jesus.  "I am glad to boast that I am weak," said Paul, "so that the power of Christ may work through me."

God wants us to pray.  He wants us to ask him for everything that we need, but we must remember that what we want may not always be what we need.  God loves us and wants what is best for us.  That is why when we pray and ask for something, the answer is sometimes "no."

Dear Father, we know that you love your children and want what is best for them.  Help us to remember that when we ask for something and the answer is, "No."  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Our God Is Faithful, 100%!

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke 2:25-26 (NVI)

Have you ever read the story, "Horton Hatches the Egg" by Dr. Seuss? It is a wonderful story about an elephant named Horton. The story begins with a lazy bird named Mayzie sitting on her egg in a tree. Sitting on the egg was tiresome and boring and Mayzie hated it. "I'd take a vacation, fly off for a rest if I could find someone to stay on my nest!" said Mayzie.

That’s when Horton walked by. Mayzie asked Horton if he would sit on her egg while she took a little rest. Horton objected at first, but Mayzie promised that she would not be gone long, so Horton finally agreed and soon he was sitting on the nest while Mayzie flew off to Florida for a vacation.

In Florida, Mayzie had such fun that she decided she would never return to her nest. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, but Horton kept sitting there, day after day. Winter came and icicles hung from Horton's trunk and his feet, but still he remained faithful to his promise to Mayzie.

"I'll stay on this egg and I won't let it freeze," he said with a sneeze. "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. An elephant is faithful, 100%."

Now, I don't know if elephants are really faithful 100% or not, but I know someone who is. God is faithful, 100%! The Bible is full of the promises of God, and God is always faithful to keep his promises.

In the Bible, there is a story about a man named Simeon. Simeon was a very old man who had faithfully served God all of his life. Simeon was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Christ, the promised Messiah. A few days after the birth of Jesus, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the temple to dedicate him to God. Simeon was in the temple. As soon as Simeon saw the baby, he knew that Jesus was the Christ and that God had kept his promise that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. God is faithful to his promises, 100%!

We are at the beginning of a new year. Many of us will make promises to God about things that we will do in the new year. I'm afraid that many times they are promises made, but never kept. If God is faithful to keep his promises to us, don't you think that it is important for us to keep our promises to him?

This year, as we make our promises to God, let us say, like Horton, "I meant what I said and I said what I meant. I'll be faithful to God, 100%."

Dear Father, as you are faithful in keeping your promises to us, may we be faithful in keeping our promises to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Promise Is a Promise

It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Luke 2:26 (NIV)

It is the beginning of a New Year. A brand new calendar for a fresh start on life. Most people start the new year by making some New Year Resolutions. Making a resolution is like making a promise to ourselves that we are going to do certain things. Usually it is a promise to do better next year than we did last year. Here is a list of resolutions that might be good for children to make.

    * I will watch less TV and get more exercise.


    * I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car.


    * I will be nice to other kids. (Even my brothers and sisters!)


    * I will put away my toys when I am through playing with them.

Can you think of some more resolutions you could make?

Some people don't take New Year's resolutions very seriously. After all, they are just promises to yourself. If you don't follow through, it's no big deal. Well, it is a big deal! A promise is a promise -- and it is important to keep your promises -- even if it is just a promise to yourself.

God is always faithful in keeping His promises. In the Bible, there is a story about a man named Simeon. Simeon was a very old man who had faithfully served God all of his life. Simeon was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. God had promised Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Christ, the promised Messiah.

A few days after Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took him to the temple to dedicate him to God. Simeon was in the temple as he usually was. As soon as Simeon saw the baby, he knew that Jesus was the Christ and that God had kept his promise that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. God was faithful to his promise to Simeon just as he is faithful to his promises to you and me.

Today, as we begin a new year, let's remember that just as God is faithful in keeping his promises, we should be faithful in keeping our promises. It doesn't matter whether it is a promise to ourselves, a promise to a friend, or a promise to God. After all, a promise is a promise!

Dear Father, just as you are faitful to keep your promises, help us to be faithful in keeping our promises. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Wise Men Still Seek Him
   

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. Matthew 2:9

If I were going to go to visit someone in another town or city, I might first ask someone who knew how to get there to give me some directions. They could give me some general directions and tell me what roads they would recommend that I take. The next thing I would do would be to look it up on a map. The map would show me exactly how to get there. As I traveled, I would keep looking at the map so that I would know exactly where I was and where I was going. If I followed the directions that I had received and used the map to guide me, I would surely find my way.

After Jesus was born, some wise men heard that a King had been born. They wanted to find the King so that they could worship and honor him. They went to Jerusalem and asked some priests there if they knew where to find the King. The priests knew where Jesus was to be born, because they had been told by the prophet Micah, so they told the wise men that they would find the new King in Bethlehem. As you know, the wise men did not have a map to guide them to Bethlehem, but they had something even better. God gave them a star to guide them. So the wise men followed the directions that the priests had given them and followed the star that God gave them and it led them right to Jesus. When they found him, they gave him gifts and bowed down and worshiped him.

Wise men today are still seeking for Jesus. We don't look for him in Bethlehem, because he is no longer there. He is on his throne in heaven. We don't need a map to help us find him -- we don't even need a star to help us find him. We can find our way to Jesus by reading God's Holy Word! The Bible is our map and our star that leads us to Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus, we seek you today because we want to worship you and crown you as our King. We are thankful for the Bible which we have been given to lead us to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 "Make Your Father Proud!"

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."  Mark 1:9-11

This is a photo album that has some pictures we took of our son as he was growing up.  We started taking pictures of him the very first day he was born and we haven't stopped to this day.  Even though he is grown, we still take pictures of him when he comes home for a visit.

Do you know why we have so many pictures of our son?  It is because we love him and we are proud of him.  We were proud of him on the day he was born and We were proud of him when he learned to walk and talk.  We were proud of when he played Little League baseball and when he played on the soccer team.  We were proud of him when he gave his heart to Jesus and when he was baptized.  We were proud of him when he played his first piano recital and when he played in the high school band.  We were proud of him when he graduated from high school and college.

Do you think God was proud of his Son?  I know he was!  How do I know? The Bible tells me so!  The Bible says that when Jesus was baptized, there was a voice from heaven that said, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Why do you think God was proud of his Son?  I think it made God proud to watch him grow.  The Bible tells us that "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." (Luke 2:52)  It always makes a father proud to watch his children grow in maturity and become wiser.  And, of course, a father is always proud when his child is well-liked and respected by other people.

Another reason that God was proud of his Son is that Jesus always did what his Father told him to do.  Do you always do what your father tells you to do?  I doubt if any of us could answer "yes" to that question -- but Jesus could.  Jesus said "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me."  (John 6:38)  That would make a Father proud, wouldn't it?

The Bible tells us that when we trust in Jesus as our Savior, we become the children of God.  Wouldn't you like to be the kind of child that would cause God to look down from heaven and say, "My child, I'm proud of you!"

Dear Lord, help us to be more like Jesus, so that we will be the kind of child of which you can be proud.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A New Life in Jesus

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. Mark 1:4-5 (NIV)

Sometimes, when we meet a friend we may say, "What's new?" It has only been a couple of weeks since Christmas, so if I were to ask you, "What's New?" you would probably have a lot to tell me about. (If time permits, allow the children to tell about something new that they have.) All of us like new things, don't we? Don't you just love the look and feel of new clothes? Well maybe children don't get as excited about new clothes as we adults do, but I am sure you get excited about new toys! You have probably spent hours playing with the new toys you received for Christmas.

One thing I really enjoy is a new beginning. Last Sunday was the first Sunday of a new year. What an exciting time! It is a chance to start over. It is a time to try to do things better than we did last year.

Today, we are going to talk about another new beginning. It is better than the beginning of a new year -- it is the beginning of a new life. A new life in Jesus.

In the Bible we read about a man called John the Baptist. John went all around the countryside in Judea telling people to repent and ask God to forgive them of their sins. When they confessed their sin and asked God to forgive them, John baptized them in the river Jordan. They were baptized to show the world that God had forgiven their sins and they were washed clean. This was a new beginning for them.

We still baptize people today. Perhaps some of you have been baptized. When we are baptized, it is a picture of what Jesus has done for us. He died, was buried, and rose again to wash away our sin and give us a new life in him. Now, that's what I call a new beginning!

Dear Father, we thank you that Jesus, who was without sin, washes away our sins and gave us a new life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Come and See!

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

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

"Were they good?" I asked her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Soldier4Christ]

God's Adopted Children

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)

Do you have a dog?  How about a cat?  Where did you get your pet?  Did you buy it from a pet store?  Was it given to you by a friend?  Perhaps you got it as a gift.  I'll tell you a really great place to get a pet -- from the animal shelter.  That is where I got one of the best dogs I've ever had.

I had heard that they had some really nice dogs at the animal shelter.  Some had strayed away from home and some had been brought there by their owner because they didn't want them anymore. There were all types and breeds of dogs.  There were big dogs, little dogs, pure bred dogs, and plain old mutts, but they all had one thing in common.  They were without anyone to care for them and if no one wanted them -- well, their future wasn't very bright.

After looking at several dogs, I decided on a beautiful German Shepherd.  I just couldn't help myself when she looked at me with those big, sad eyes.  I told the person in charge that I had decided which dog I wanted and was told that I could adopt her, but I would have to pay the cost of her shots.  I was happy to pay it and, just like that, she belonged to me.  I even got an adoption certificate to prove that she was mine.  I think there is something special about adopting a pet, because you know that because of you, that pet now has a future.

Did you know that you and I have been adopted?  The Bible tells us that long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us to be his own. His plan, from the very beginning, was to adopt us and to make us a part of his family through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Without God, we don't have much of a future, but as his child, our future is bright.  We praise him for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us as his adopted children. He gives us everything we need.

Dear Father, thank you for loving us and adopting us into your family. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 He Knows You by Name!

"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." John 1:48 (NIV) (Also, Psalm 139:1-4)

Who can tell me who this is? (hold up Elmo doll or picture) Right! This is Elmo. Even though some of you are too "grown up" for Elmo, you still know his name, but does Elmo know your name? Yes! I saw a "He Knows Your Name Elmo" doll at the toy store that can be programmed to say your name. When you squeeze Elmo's hand, he will say things like:

    Elmo loves you [child’s name]
    Elmo thinks you’re great!
    Elmo thinks you’re terrific!
    Elmo thinks you’re the best!
    Elmo thinks you’re super!
    [child’s name], Elmo thinks…you’re…special!

How about that! Elmo knows your name and he thinks you're special!

Today, I want to tell you something even more amazing than that. The Bible tells us about a man named Philip who took his friend Nathaniel to see Jesus. When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming, he said, "Here comes an honest man -- a true son of Israel."

When Nathaniel heard what Jesus said, he asked him, "How do you know me?"

Jesus answered, "I could see you sitting under the fig tree before Phillip even found you."

Now, that is pretty amazing, but that isn't all. The Bible tells us that God knows everything about you. He knows when you sit down... and he knows when you stand up... he knows what you are thinking... and he knows what you are going to say before you even say it... and he guides you with his hand.

Elmo doesn't really know your name. He has to be programmed to say your name. But God knows your name and he thinks you're special. How do I know he thinks you're special? I know because he sent Jesus, his only Son, to die on the cross so that you could have everlasting life in Heaven with him.

Here is a little poem that will help us to remember that God knows our name.

    If you think that God doesn't hear you,
    then that is really a shame.
    Not only does He hear you,
    but He knows you by your name.

Dear Father, we are thankful that you know us by name and that you thought we were so special that you gave us your Son so we could have everlasting life. Amen.