Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 Mountaintop Experiences

About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what he was saying.) Luke 9:28-33 (NIV)

One of the happiest days of my life was the day my son was born. This is a picture of me holding my new-born son. I think you can tell by the smile on my face that it was a very happy day for me. It was such a happy day that I found myself wishing that it would never end.

Even though the birth of my son was a very happy day, would it have been a good thing if it had never ended? No! That day was not a stopping place, it was a starting place. It was the start of a wonderful journey with my son. There would be many happy days to come...his first tooth, watching him take his first steps, his first day of school, his graduation from high school.

Have you ever had a day that was so wonderful that you wanted it to last forever? I am sure you probably have. Did you know that Jesus' disciples had days like that too? Our Bible lesson today is about one of those days.

One day, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him up onto a mountain to pray. As Jesus was praying, something very strange happened. The Bible says that the appearance of his face began to change and that his clothing became as bright as a flash of lightning. Then, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. When Peter saw this, he was so excited that he told Jesus that he thought that they should just stay up there on the mountain and build three tabernacles -- one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.

Peter didn't understand that this wonderful experience on the mountain was not a stopping place -- it was a starting place. It was a starting place for God's greatest gift -- the gift of salvation. Following this moment on the mountain, Jesus died on a cross, was buried, and rose from the grave so that you and I could have eternal life in heaven.

God sends a lot of happy days into our life. The day that we meet Jesus is, without a doubt, the happiest day of our life, but it isn't a stopping place -- it is a starting point for a journey that leads to eternal life in heaven with Him.

Dear Father, we thank you for all of the happy days that you send our way, but most of all, we thank you for the happiest day -- the day we met Jesus and invited him into our heart. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 What Did Jesus Do?

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Luke 4:1-2 NIV

How many of you have ever seen a bracelet like this one? It is a WWJD bracelet. Can any of you tell me what the letters WWJD mean? The letters WWJD stand for "What Would Jesus Do?" WWJD bracelets were very popular a few years ago and many people were wearing them. When a person was tempted to do something wrong, the bracelet was supposed to remind them to stop and ask, "What would Jesus do?"

I must say, I have seen some people doing some very naughty things while wearing their WWJD bracelets! You know, the most important thing is not what I THINK Jesus would do -- the most important thing is -- WHAT DID JESUS DO? If you and I want to know what we should do when the devil tempts us, we should read our Bible and do what Jesus did when the devil tempted him.

Hey! Wait a minute, does that mean that Jesus was tempted by the devil just as we are? Yes he was. The Bible tells us that one time Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Do you know what Jesus did when the devil tempted him? He answered him with Scripture!

Jesus had not had anything to eat for forty days. Satan knew he was hungry, so he said to him, "If you are really the Son of God, turn these stones into bread."

Jesus could have easily done what Satan suggested, but he didn't. Instead, he answered, "It is written, 'Man does not live by bread alone.'"

Then the devil took Jesus up to a high place and showed him the worldly kingdoms below. He said, "All of this belongs to me. If you will bow down and worship me, I will give it to you."

Jesus answered, "It is written, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

Next, the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem and led him up to the highest point on the temple. He said to Jesus, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here. God will send his angels to rescue you."

Again, Jesus quoted the Scripture, "'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Do you know what the devil did? He gave up! He said, "I'll come back and try another day."

The next time the devil tempts you to do something wrong, look in the Bible and see what the Bible says. Then...Do What Jesus Did...answer Satan with Scripture!

Dear Father, help us to learn what the Bible teaches us to do so that when the devil tempts us, we can do what Jesus did...answer him with Scripture. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Skin Deep or from the Heart?

He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about
you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their
lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" Mark 7:6 (NIV)

Isn't this a beautiful apple?  The skin is so red and shiny.  Just
look how smooth it is.  It has a beautiful shape and I don't see any
spots that look like the bugs or worms have eaten into it.  Yes, this
is a really good apple.
 Oh, I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, "You can't tell
if an apple is good by looking at the outside.  You have to look on
the inside to know if it is a good apple.  Well, perhaps you are
right.  Let me tell you a story.

One day, while walking through an orchard, a man stopped under an
apple tree. It was loaded with big beautiful apples just waiting to
be eaten. The man picked what he thought looked like the best apple
on the tree.  He couldn't wait to eat it.  He took out his pocket
knife and cut it open for a taste. To his surprise, the apple was
rotten to the core.

Unfortunately it is sometimes the same with people. Some people go to
church every Sunday.  They carry their Bibles, they bring their
offering, they sing every hymn, they listen to every word the
preacher says, but it doesn't change anything in their heart.  They
look good on the outside, but their goodness is only skin deep. Their
worship is for appearance only and not from the heart.

This isn't anything new.  Jesus faced the same problem in his day.
One day some religious leaders complained to Jesus that they had seen
some of his disciples eating without first washing their hands.
Religious laws and traditions were very strict about washing your
hands before eating.  The religious leaders asked Jesus, "Why don't
your disciples follow our customs? They eat without first performing
the hand-washing ceremony."

Jesus answered, "You are nothing but a bunch of hypocrites.  The
prophet Isaiah must have been talking about you when he said, 'These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is has no meaning because they have replaced God's laws
with their own traditions.'"

Those religious leaders were very concerned about clean hands, but
Jesus was more concerned about a clean heart.  We should be too!

Dear Father, help us to be as concerned about being clean on the
inside as we are about being clean on the outside.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Mother Hen

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!" Luke 13:34 (NIV)

This morning I want to sing a song for you. Some of you may know the song. It is called "Five Little Ducks." I need your help in singing this song. There is a part of the song where the mother duck says, "quack, quack, quack, quack," and I need for you to help me on that part. Maybe we should practice once before we start.

(Sing) Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack." Oh, that was great. Now I'll sing the whole song and every time I get to the mother duck part, you join in with me.

Five Little Ducks

Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.

Four little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only three little ducks came back.

Three little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only two little ducks came back.

Two little ducks went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only one little duck came back.

One little duck went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But none of the five little ducks came back.

Sad mother duck went out one day,
Over the hill and far away;
The sad mother duck said "Quack, quack, quack."
And all of the five little ducks came back

I love that song. Do you know why I like it so much? I like it because it shows just how much the mother duck loved her little ones. Each time the little ducks went out, one of them got lost. Finally the mother duck had lost all of her little ones -- but she never gave up -- she kept calling them! Do you think mother duck would have been satisfied if one, two, three, or four of the little ducks had come back? I don't think so. I think mother duck would have kept calling, "Quack, quack, quack, quack," until "ALL of the five little ducks came back!"

I think that is a good picture of the love that Jesus has for his children. The Bible tells us that one day Jesus looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept. He said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." What a beautiful picture of Jesus. Like a mother hen, Jesus calls his children to come to him so that he can shelter and protect them.

Did Jesus stop calling his children because Jerusalem rejected him? No, he is still calling his children today. Do you think Jesus will stop calling if SOME of his children come back? I don't think so. Will Jesus will stop calling if MOST of his children come back? I don't think so. I think the Bible teaches us that Jesus loves his children so much that he won't stop calling until ALL of his children come back. He may be calling some of you today.

Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you keep calling us to come to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Fruitful Life


 ..."A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any.  So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'   " 'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it.  If it bears fruit next year, fine!  If not, then cut it down.' " Luke 13:6-9 (NIV)

How many of you like apples? A nice, juicy apple is one of my favorite snacks. Here are a few facts about apples.

•  Apples not only taste good, they are good for you. Apples are fat-free, salt-free, cholesterol-free, and a good source of vitamins to help you grow.

•  The apple I have this morning is called a "Red Delicious," but you may be surprised to know that there are over 7500 different types of apples in the world.

•  The top five apple-producing countries in the world are China, the United States, Turkey, Italy and France.

There are a lot of different ways to enjoy apples. For example, you might enjoy some apple juice or apple cider. Some children like to take applesauce in their school lunches. Have you ever had some tasty apple butter on your toast in the morning? Apple slices dipped in caramel are a delicious treat. My all-time favorite, of course, is apple pie!

I am sure that all of you know where we get apples. They come from apple trees. Well, what would you do if you planted an apple tree in your garden, watered it, and took care of it and it never produced any apples? It wouldn't be much good as an apple tree, would it?

Jesus told a story about a man who had a fig tree in his vineyard that didn't produce any figs. For three years he waited for the tree to produce fruit -- but still no figs. He went to the man who took care of the tree and told him to cut it down. The caretaker asked the owner to give him one more year to dig around the tree and fertilize it to see if the tree would produce some figs. The owner agreed to give the tree another chance.

In telling this story about the fruit tree, Jesus was really talking about us - and about God. God has "planted" us on this earth and he expects us to produce good fruit in our life. What kind of fruit does God expect? Things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and gentleness. When He doesn't see these things in our life, He is very disappointed -- but He is willing to give us another chance.

Jesus wants to care for us and help us to be the kind of fruit-bearing children that God wants us to be. If we will trust in him, read his Word, and pray -- he will help us to produce a lot of good fruit.

Dear Jesus, help us to have the kind of fruit in our lives that would be pleasing to our Heavenly Father. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Three Wishes

"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. Luke 15:22-24 (NIV)

I am sure that most of you have read the book or seen the movie "Aladdin." As you know, in the story Aladdin found a brass lamp. There was some writing on the lamp, but the lamp was so dirty that Aladdin could not read it. When he rubbed the lantern to clean the dust and dirt off of it, a genie came out of the lamp and told Aladdin that he would grant him three wishes.

Well, we have a similar story today, but it doesn't have a magic lantern or a genie. It is a story that Jesus told about a young man who had three wishes.

1. He wanted a lot of money.

2. He wanted to travel and see the world.

3. He wanted to be his own boss.

The young man got his wishes, but they were not granted to him by a genie. The young man went to his father and asked him to give him the inheritance that would be his when his father died. Even though the father was sad that his son wanted to leave, he gave him his share of the family fortune and the young man left home and traveled all around the world. He visited all of the places he had always wanted to visit and did whatever he wanted to do. He was happy that no one was telling him what to do. Since the young man had a lot of money, if he saw something he wanted, he bought it, and since he had a lot of money, he also had many friends.

This sounds like very happy story, doesn't it? Well, that isn't the end of the story. After a while, the young man ran out of money. When he ran out of money, his friends ran out on him. He was so desperate that he went to work for a man who sent him to feed his pigs. The young man was so hungry that he would gladly have eaten the food he was feeding to the pigs. As he looked at the filthy pig pen, he thought about the mess he had made of his life. He thought about his father and the home he had left behind.

"Even a servant in my father's house lives better than this," the young man said to himself. "I will return to my father and tell him that I am sorry for the way I have behaved and ask him to give me a job as one of his servants."

Do you think the father was willing to take him back? Yes, but not as a servant. He welcomed him back home as a son. He called his servants together and told them, "Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was lost, but now is found."

Well, the story had a happy ending after all, didn't it? This story that Jesus told is really a story about you and me and the way we sometimes behave.

Sometimes you and I make bad choices -- just like the young man in our story. We sometimes wish for things that are not good for us. We sometimes don't want to listen to God and obey what the Bible tells us we should do. When we act that way, we really make a mess of our life, Well, I have good news for you! Just like the father in our story, God, our Heavenly Father, is always willing to take us back if we will admit that we were wrong and return to Him.

Dear Father, we sometimes make bad choices. Thank you for being a loving Father who will always take us back when we come home to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Giving Him Your Best

Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:3 (NIV)

If you were to ask me to name my most prized possession, it would have to be this diamond ring. The diamond in this ring was originally in a ring which belonged to my grandmother. About twenty years ago, my wife had the diamond put into this ring and gave it to me for Christmas. It is not only quite valuable, it has a lot of meaning to me because it is the only thing that I own that belonged to my grandmother.

If I were to ask you to name your most prized possession, what would it be? To some of you, it might be a stuffed animal that you have had since you were a baby. To another, it might be a favorite doll. To someone else, it might be a ball autographed by a famous baseball player. If a friend came to visit in your home, would you give your most prized possession to that friend to show your love? That is what a woman named Mary did in our Bible story today.

One day Jesus went to the city of Bethany. That was the city where a man named Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, lived with his two sisters, Mary and Martha. While Jesus was in Bethany, a dinner was given in his honor.  Lazarus was eating at the table with Jesus, while Martha was serving the meal. Mary was just sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to him teach.

As she was sitting at the feet of Jesus, Mary did a very unusual thing. She took a bottle of very expensive perfume and began to wash the feet of Jesus with it. Then she dried his feet with her hair. The Bible tells us that the entire house was filled with the sweet smell of perfume.

One of Jesus' disciples, whose name was Judas, was very upset by what Mary did. He said, "What a waste! This perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor. It was worth a year's wages."  Judas wasn't really worried about the poor. The Bible tells us that he was worried about the money because he often stole money from the treasury for himself.

Jesus came to Mary's defense and answered Judas. "Leave her alone. She has kept this perfume for the day of my burial."

Jesus said that because he knew that it was only a few days before he would be crucified and buried. I don't know if Mary knew that or not, but I do think that Mary wanted to give Jesus the very best that she had to show her love for him. That perfume was the very best thing that Mary had to offer.

Jesus has given us the most wonderful gift imaginable -- the gift of everlasting life. It is free, but it was a very costly gift. It cost Jesus his life.

What can we give to Jesus to show our love for him? I don't think he wants a diamond ring, a stuffed animal, a doll, or an autographed baseball. I think he wants us to give him our very best. He wants us to give him our life!

Dear Jesus, you gave your life to show your love for us. May we also give our lives to you as an expression of our love. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Rock Concert

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40

You are probably wondering why I have this bucket of rocks with me this morning. Well, I had heard that we might have a "rock concert" this morning. I see some of you smiling, don't you believe that these rocks could sing? Well, let me tell you a story about Jesus and tell you what he said about it.

One day, Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a small donkey. His followers were lining the streets and they were praising Jesus and shouting, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" They were creating quite a stir and some of the religious leaders didn't like it. They asked Jesus to keep his followers quiet. Jesus answered them and said, "If they remain silent, the stones would immediately begin to cry out!"

If these rocks would cry out this morning, I wonder what they would say? One might tell how a little shepherd boy named David used a small stone to slay a giant to show that we can do anything when God is with us!

Another might tell how the prophet Elijah used stones to build an altar to God. The altar was used to offer a sacrifice to God to prove that He is the one, true God.

This rock might tell how Solomon had used stones to build a beautiful temple for people to worship God.

Still another rock might remind us that Jesus once told a story about a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the storms came, the house on the rock stood firm.

Yes, these stones might have a lot of stories to tell, but we won't let them. Just as the followers of Jesus lined the streets to praise their King, you and I are here today to praise our King. As long as we praise him, there will be no need for these stones to cry out.

Dear Lord, we know that you would rather hear us praise you than to hear a "rock concert." So Lord, we lift your name on high! Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Surprise! 

On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: Luke 24:1-6

Do you enjoy surprises? I do! I have a surprise for you this morning. (Bring out the Jack in the Box toy. If you are using a commercial type, start to turn the handle and act surprised when "Jack" pops up. If you use a Jack in the Box that you have made, tell the children that this little box has a special surprise in it. Then, make a big production of opening the lid and act surprised when the toy pops up.)

When I was a child, one of my favorite toys was a Jack in the Box. I can remember sitting for hours, turning the handle, and waiting for the moment when the lid would open and Jack would pop out. Even though I should have known what was going to happen, I was always surprised to see "Jack" pop out of the box.

This Jack in the Box reminds me of a story in the Bible -- a story about a very special surprise.

Early in the morning, on the first Sunday after Jesus had been crucified, two women went to the grave where Jesus had been buried. When they arrived, they found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance to the grave. The grave was empty. They were surprised to find an empty grave and wondered what had happened to the body of Jesus.

Suddenly, two men in dazzling bright clothes appeared to the two women. Now the two women were not only surprised -- they were also afraid. The men spoke to the women and said, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead? Jesus is not here, he has risen just as he told you he would."

When the women heard these words, they remembered what Jesus had told them and they were no longer surprised at finding an empty grave. They immediately went to tell others that the grave was empty and that Jesus had risen from the dead.

Some surprises, like this Jack in the Box, make us happy, but the best reason we have to be happy this morning is that the grave is empty, Jesus is alive, and he loves us very much! That is what we celebrate today!

Dear Father, we praise you! Jesus has risen -- just as he said he would! Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Playing Favorites

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus
Christ, don't show favoritism.... If you really keep the royal law
found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing
right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the
law as lawbreakers.  James 2:1, 8-9 (NIV)

It's back to school time again.  It is such an exciting time of year.
You will be meeting new kids and learning a lot of new things.  Are
you ready?  Do you have all of the school supplies you need?  One
thing that many of you will need is a box of crayons.  I brought my
big box of crayons with me this morning.

Look at all of my crayons.  I have a lot of them and they are all
different sizes and colors.  Some are sharp and some of them are a
little dull.  Some have strange-sounding names.  Some of my crayons
are brand new and some have been around for quite a while.  The
wrappers on some of them are fresh and clean while some of the
wrappers are torn and dirty.

You and I could learn a lot from these crayons. Even though they have
a lot of differences, they all fit very nicely in the same box.  That
is a good picture of the way the church should be.  The people that
make up the church come in all sizes and colors and some may have
strange-sounding names.  Some are old and some are young.  Some are
pretty sharp and some may be a little dull.  Some are dressed in very
nice clothes while others may wear clothing that is a little soiled
and worn.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote in the Bible that the
followers of Jesus should not show favoritism.  He said, "My friends,
if you have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, you won't treat some
people better than others. Suppose a rich person wearing fancy
clothes and a gold ring comes to one of your meetings. And suppose a
poor person dressed in worn-out clothes also comes. You must not give
the best seat to the one in fancy clothes and tell the one who is poor
to stand at the side or sit on the floor. That is the same as saying
that some people are better than others.  If you treat some people
better than others, you have done wrong, and the Scriptures teach
that you have sinned."

We must be careful not to show favoritism in our church.  We are all
God's children whether we are rich, poor, red, brown, yellow, black,
or white.  As James said, "You will do all right, if you obey the
most important law in the Scriptures. It is the law that commands us
to love others as much as we love ourselves."

Father, help us to love one another as you have loved us --
regardless of the color of our skin or whether we are rich or poor.
Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 May I See Some Identification, Please?


Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." John 20:24-25 (NIV)

It happens all the time. I go into a store to buy something and when I have found the item I am looking for, I take it to the cash register, write out a check, and hand it to the cashier. The cashier takes my check and then asks, "May I see your driver's license please?"

I have my name and address printed on the check. It even has my driver's license number printed right there on the check. Why does the cashier need to see my driver's license? The answer is quite simple. The cashier wants to see if I match the picture on the driver's license. Am I really who I claim to be?

There may be other times when you will be asked for proof of identity. You may need a picture ID to get a library card. You might even need a picture ID to sign up for youth soccer. Many schools are now requiring students and teachers to wear a picture ID at school. Almost every day of our life we are asked to prove that we are who we say we are.

On the Sunday that he rose from the grave, Jesus appeared to a group of his disciples. One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not with them. When the disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus and that he was alive, Thomas said, "I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes." He said he wanted to see the nail-prints in Jesus' hands -- and the place where the spear was thrust into his side.

A week later, Thomas saw Jesus. Jesus invited Thomas to touch his hands where the nails had been. He told Thomas to put his hand in the wound in his side. Then Thomas believed!

A lot of people today won't believe that Jesus really rose from the grave because they haven't seen him with their own two eyes. They want "proof of identity" before they will believe. Jesus said, "Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed."

How about you? Do you have to have "proof of identity" before you will believe in Jesus, or will you accept him by faith?

Dear Jesus, help us to accept by faith that you have risen from the grave and that you are alive. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Love in Any Language 

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. John 21:17 (NIV)

A few years ago, there was a song that became very popular. The name of the song was "Love in Any Language." Can you say, "I love you" in any different languages? This morning we can learn at least three different ways to say, "I love you."

In German, you would say, "Ich liebe dich!" Can you say that?

In Spanish, you would say, "¡Te amo!" That is pretty easy -- try it.

In sign language, you would say, "I love you" like this. (Hold up the "I love you!" sign.) I know that you can all say, "I love you!" in sign language! (See bottom of page.)

You know, it is pretty easy to say, "I love you," but it is sometimes a lot harder to show it by our actions. That is what our Bible story is about today.

After Jesus was raised from the dead, he appeared to his disciples several times. On the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples, he was with them on the shore by the Sea of Galilee. He turned to Peter and said, "Peter, do you love me?"

Peter answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Then, Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my lambs."

Jesus asked Peter again, "Do you love me?"

Again, Peter answered, "Yes Lord, I love you."

Jesus said to him, "Take care of my sheep."

A third time Jesus asked Peter, "Do you love me?"

Now Peter was very sad that Jesus asked him this question again, but he answered Jesus again, "Lord, you know all things, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."

Why did Jesus ask Peter the same question three times? I think he wanted Peter to understand -- and he wanted you and me to understand -- that it isn't enough just to say, "I love you." We must show our love for Jesus by showing our love for one another and caring for one another.

Do you love Jesus?

Then feed and take care of his sheep! Now, that is love that can be understood in any language.

Dear Jesus, help us to show our love for you by loving and caring for one another. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 In the Palm of His Hand


I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. John 10:28

Do any of you have a yo-yo?  Do you know how to do any tricks with your yo-yo?  I brought my yo-yo this morning.  I thought I would give a little demonstration.  I'm not really very good, but I can do a few simple tricks.

The first thing that most people learn how to do is just your basic "up and down."  I'm sure that all of you can do that.

Next, I'll do the "out and back."  As you can see, it is very similar to the "up and down."

My next trick is called the "sleeper."  Do you see how the yo-yo stays down at the bottom and spins?  When I am ready, just a slight tug pulls it right back up into the palm of my hand.

For my final trick I will do "Around the World."  This one is a little bit more difficult and sometimes I mess up.  Ready?  Here goes!  Oh wow!  I really messed up on that one, didn't I?  Well, no problem.  I'll just pick up my yo-yo, rewind it, and then I'll be ready to go again.

Did you notice that every one of my tricks started and ended exactly the same way?  Each trick began and ended with the yo-yo in the palm of my hand.  Jesus said, "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."  When we give our heart to Jesus and place our life in his hands, we know that we are safe and that nothing can snatch us from his hand.  Oh, we may have our "ups and downs."  We may even stray away  at times, but just a little tug will pull us right back into His hand.  Even when we really mess up, like I did on the "around the world" trick, he picks us up and dusts us off and there we are, right back in the palm of his hand.

Isn't it great to have the assurance that Jesus has put us in the palm of his hand and that nothing can harm us or take us from his hand!

Dear Jesus, we thank you for holding us in your hand and for giving us the promise that nothing can take us from your hands.

[Soldier4Christ]

He Loves Us All 

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:34-35

This morning I have a bag of “Dum-dums.” As you can see, “Dum-dums” come in many different flavors. There are lemon, cherry, grape, watermelon, orange, and butterscotch. I sometimes give “Dum-dums” to the children who come to Sunday School. One thing I have noticed is that when I allow the children to choose the flavor they want, some children are very picky about which flavor they choose. It seems I always wind up with all of the butterscotch left when all of the other flavors are gone. Children seldom ever choose the butterscotch suckers.

I don't know why the children don't like butterscotch. I guess butterscotch is a little bit different. Maybe it isn’t quite as sweet as grape or cherry, or some of the other flavors, or maybe they just don't like the color of the paper wrapper. Do you know what I do with the leftover butterscotch suckers? I eat them myself, because I love all the flavors!

These “Dum-dums” remind me of children. Have you ever noticed that when children play games, some children are always the last to be chosen? Maybe they are just a little bit different or maybe their skin is a different color and the other children just won’t choose them.

We all need to remember that Jesus loves ALL the children and he said that you and I should do the same. Jesus said, “As I have loved you, so must you love one another.” Have you ever been the one who was left out? It isn't a very good feeling, but if you are ever the one that feels left out, you can know that Jesus loves you just as much as He loves the other children.

Dear Lord, help us to remember that you have told us to love one another just as you have loved us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 I'll Be Back! 

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.  John 14:26,28 (NIV)

Has your family ever moved from one city to another? Sometimes, a move to a new city can be very difficult for a family. It can be especially hard for children. There have been many books written to help children adjust to moving to a new city. There was one move that my family made that I remember very well. My mom and dad had to go to a new city so that my dad could start a new job and find a place for us to live. I had to stay behind to finish the school year.

It was hard for me to be left behind, but my father explained that they had to go ahead and find a place for us to live and make sure that it was ready when it was time for me to join them. He told me that there was nothing to worry about because he was leaving me with some very good friends who would look after me and make sure that I had everything I needed.

During the time that I was separated from my parents, they called to talk to me on the phone every day. They told me about our new home and how much I was going to like it. It helped me a lot to talk to them and know that they would soon come for me and I would join them in our new home.

That is very much like what Jesus has done for us. Before Jesus returned to heaven to be with his Father, he said that he was going to heaven to prepare a place for us. He promised that he would come again and take us to our new home in heaven.

When Jesus went to heaven, he didn't leave us alone. He asked his Father to send the Holy Spirit to watch over us, teach us, and remind us of all that he has told us in the Bible. Not only that, we can talk to Jesus every day in prayer. In fact, I would like to talk to him right now.

Dear Jesus, we are thankful that you are in heaven preparing a home for us. We thank you for the Holy Spirit who guides us and comforts us each day and we look forward to the day when we join you in our new home in heaven. Amen.