Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Plugged In and Turned On

Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:16

I am sure that you all know the song, “This Little Light of  Mine.”  I want you to help me sing that song this morning.  While we sing it, I’m going to hold this light up and let it shine all around.  (Sing the song, but the light doesn’t shine)  I wonder what is wrong my light isn’t shining.  (Someone will probably notice that it isn’t plugged in.)  Oh, here is the problem, my light wasn’t plugged in.  

Let’s try it again.  (Sing the song, but the light still doesn’t shine.)  Well, I wonder what the problem is now?  (Someone may suggest that the light wasn’t turned on.)  Oh, here is the problem, my light wasn’t turned on.  Let’s try it one more time.  (Sing the song again and this time the light will shine.)

The Bible tells us that we should let our light shine.  Before our light will shine, we must be plugged in and turned on.  We must be plugged in to God’s power supply and we must be turned on for Jesus.  When we invite Jesus into our heart, we have the power.  When we come to Church to worship and praise Him and study His Word, we get turned on for Jesus.  When we are plugged in and turned on, our light will shine.

Dear Lord, we want our light to shine.  We ask you to help us to remember that we need to be plugged in to your power and we need to be turned on for Jesus.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Tails....You Lose!

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.  Matthew 7: 7

What do you do when you have an important decision or a difficult choice to make?  Some people flip a coin and say "If it's heads, I'll do this and  if it is tails, I'll do that."  I can remember doing that when I was a little boy.  If it came up tails and that wasn't what I wanted to do, I'd flip it again and say, "Let's try two out of three."  I'd just keep flipping until I got the answer I wanted.

Here's another way that some people make important decisions.  It is a fortune cookie.  When you break it open, there is a little piece of paper inside that is supposed to tell you what choices to make in your life.  I guess if you don't like what it says, you can just keep opening cookies until you find one that says what you want to hear.

Some people use the "eeney, meeney, miney, moe" method to decide what they will do.  There are a lot of  ways that people use to choose what they are going to do, but I don't think they are very good ways to make an important decision.

What should we do when we have to make an important decision?  The Bible says, "Seek and you will find, ask and it will be given to you, knock and the door will be opened to you."

    * "Seek" - the first thing we should do when we have a decision to make is to look for the answer.  Where should we look?  I think the best place to look is in the Bible.  The Bible is God's word and it is true and reliable.  

    * "Ask" - The next thing we should do is to ask.  When we have an important decision, we should pray and ask God to tell us what we should do.

    * "Knock" - We will face many doors of opportunity in life.  When there are several doors and we don't know which to choose, we should knock on the door and wait to see if God opens that door.  If it is what is best for us, God will open the door of opportunity and let us in.

So, what should we do when we face important decisions?  Seek for the answer in the Bible, ask God in prayer,  knock and wait for God to open the door.

Dear Lord,  help us to remember to ask you for the answers to the difficult decisions that we face each day.

[Soldier4Christ]

Wise or Foolish?

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock ... But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand." Matthew 7:24, 26

I am sure that most of you use books like these in your schoolwork. Let us imagine that you could read all of these books and remember everything in them. You would really have a lot of knowledge, wouldn't you? You would have a lot of knowledge, but you wouldn't necessarily be wise. Do you know the difference between knowledge and wisdom? If we have knowledge, it means we have it up here in our head. If we have wisdom, it means we know how to put all of that knowledge into practice in our daily life.

Some people know a lot about Jesus and they put his teachings into practice in their daily life. Jesus said that those people are very wise. He said they are like a wise man who builds his house on the rock. The storm comes, the rain falls, and the wind blows, but their house stands firm because it is built upon the rock.

There are other people who also know a lot about Jesus and his teachings, but they do not put them into practice in their life. Jesus said they are very foolish. He said they are like a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand. The storm comes, the rain falls, and the wind blows and the their house falls flat.

I am sure all of you know the story that Jesus told about the wise and foolish men building their houses, don't you? In fact, you probably even know a song about it, don't you? (Sing) "The wise man built his house upon the rock, the wise man built his house upon the rock....."

That's great, you know what Jesus said to do. You even know a song about it. Now that you have the knowledge, you would be wise to put it into practice in your daily lives!

Jesus, we want to know what you taught, but more importantly, we want to have the wisdom to take what you taught and put it into practice. 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) )


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.

[Soldier4Christ]

Is There A Doctor in the House?


But when He heard this, He said, "Those who are well don't need a doctor, but the sick do. Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. For I didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners."   Matthew 9:12-13 (NIV)

I am sure that all of you have seen a stethoscope. Who uses a stethoscope? That's right, a doctor. Have you ever been sick? Of course you have, we have all been sick at some time. When you were sick, did you go to the doctor's office, or did the doctor come to your house? You probably went to the doctor's office because that is the way it is done these days. You might be surprised to know that at one time it was quite normal for doctors to make "house calls?" The doctor would carry a little black bag filled with medical supplies and go to the homes of those who were sick.

That's a good example of what Jesus did when he was on earth.  He went where the people were -- especially people who were hurting or had problems in their life.  One such person that Jesus ministered to was a tax collector by the name of Matthew.  Tax collectors were hated in Jesus' day because they were often greedy and dishonest.  Jesus changed Matthew's life and he became one of Jesus' disciples. One day Jesus went to Matthew's home to eat dinner with him.  Many of Matthew's old friends came there to listen to Jesus teach.   The religious leaders of the day were very displeased that Jesus was even talking to such people, much less eating with them! 

They asked his disciples, "Why does your master eat with these sinners?"

Jesus heard them and answered, "It isn't those that are well that need a doctor, it is those that are sick.   I did not come to call the righteous.   I came to call sinners to repentance."   Just like our doctors used to, Jesus went to the homes of the people who needed him and he touched them and made them whole.

I think that we sometimes sit in our churches and wait for the people who need Jesus to come to us so we can tell them about Jesus and his love.   We should be doing what Jesus did, we should be going out to where the people are and taking the good news of Jesus to them.   I wonder, "Is there a doctor in the house?"

Dear Jesus, help us to be willing to go to those who need you and tell them of your love.   Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The "Gos-pill" of Jesus Christ

The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.  Matthew 11:5

One day this week I was looking for something in our medicine cabinet at home.  I was amazed to see how many different types of pills there were in there.  I've brought a few examples to show you this morning.  These are pills I take for allergies.  Here are some pills that I take to relieve the pain that I have been having in my feet recently.  Here are some pills that I take when I have a headache.  These are some pills the doctor gave me to cure an infection.  These are just a few of the pills that were there.  As I looked at all of these pills, I started thinking, wouldn't it be wonderful if someone could develop a pill that would cure everything!  No matter what was wrong with you, this one pill would cure it.  That would be wonderful, wouldn't it?

Look at all of the people here this morning.  When there are this many people together, they have a lot of different problems in their lives.  Some may be hurting because a loved one has died.  Another may be hurting because his family has broken apart.  Someone else may be hurting because he has lost his job and doesn't know how he is going to pay his bills and provide for his family's needs.  Some may be hurting because someone they are seriously ill.  Or, perhaps, someone they love is seriously ill.

I was thinking, wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a pill that would help people with all of those different hurts?  Well, thanks to God, there is such a pill.  It is called the "Gos-pill."  It is the "Gos-pill" of Jesus Christ.  The word gospel means "good news" and the good news is that Jesus loves us, cares for us, died for us, and He is able to take away the suffering and pain in our life.  The one pill that can help us through all the hurt and pain in our life is the "Gos-pill" of Jesus.

Dear Lord,  there are many here this morning who are hurting.  We thank you for the good news that Jesus can take away their pain.

[Soldier4Christ]

When Your Load Is Heavy

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11: 28 [NIV]

How strong are you? Do you think you are pretty strong? How many of you think you could pick up this brick? How about a dumbbell like this one? Well, you must be pretty strong then. How many of you think you could pick up a car? Oh, you don't think you could pick up a car? Well, I think you could if you had some help. Here is something that would help you. It is an automobile jack. If you put this jack underneath the car and pump the handle, you can easily lift a car that weighs over 3,000 pounds! Yes, with the help of a jack, you can lift a car, but you couldn't do it alone, could you?

Some of you have some pretty heavy burdens to carry in life. Perhaps you have a physical handicap that makes your life difficult. Or, perhaps your father has lost his job and your family is having financial difficulties. Maybe someone in your family has cancer or some other serious illness and you are worried about them. You may be having a hard time making passing grades in school. I don't know what the burdens are that you have in your life, but I do know that there are some that you just can't handle by yourself. Well, guess what? You don't have to!

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." There is no reason for you to struggle with burdens that are too heavy for you. If you will turn to Jesus and trust in him, he will help you.

Does that mean that if we will ask him, Jesus will take all of our troubles away? No. In fact, we may need some of those struggles to help us to grow and become stronger. We may need those burdens to help us to learn to trust in Jesus. But when the load is too heavy, he will help us to carry it. And there is no burden that is too heavy for Jesus.

Dear Jesus, we are thankful that when we struggle under the load of life's burdens, you are there to help us carry the load. Amen.

[nChrist]

When Your Load Is Heavy

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11: 28 [NIV]

Amen Pastor Roger!

Brother, I really think that many of these sermons for kids are just as good for adults. We all have some of the same problems, and the answers from God's Word are for all of us. I mainly wanted to tell you that I am enjoying these sermons.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 3:20-21 NASB  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen Pastor Roger!

Brother, I really think that many of these sermons for kids are just as good for adults. We all have some of the same problems, and the answers from God's Word are for all of us. I mainly wanted to tell you that I am enjoying these sermons.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 3:20-21 NASB  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;  who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Amen Brother,

I love reading these mini sermons myself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Weighed Down by Selfishness

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30

I like balloons, don’t you? My favorites are the helium-filled balloons like this one. Do you know why? Because I enjoy watching them as they float up high. That also means that you have to be careful. If you are not careful, the balloon can get away from you and float up, up, and away! Right out of sight!

Jesus wants you to feel like this helium balloon. He wants your spirits to be lifted up and your problems to be light as air. If we put our trust in Jesus and do as he tells us, we can feel as light as this balloon. But when we don’t listen to Jesus, we get all weighed down.

These little weights are like the wrong things that we do. Sometimes we think only of ourselves and don’t share. We insist on going first and we want to keep everything for ourselves. See what happens when I put the selfish weight on the balloon? Then there are those times when we don’t want to be good helpers. We just sit back and let others do all of the work. See how the unhelpful weight pulls the balloon down? Sometimes we may be ill-tempered and pout and whine. If we don’t get our way we can get pretty grumpy. What will happen when I put this grumpy weight on our balloon? It just keeps going lower and lower just like our spirits.

Let’s get rid of our “grumpies;” you don’t always have to have your way. And let’s take off our “lazies;” a job is much more fun when everyone helps. Now all we have left is our “me me’s.” If we can share and let others go first sometimes we can get rid of the “me me’s,” and look how high our spirit can go. (Let the balloon fly up to the ceiling, attached to a very long coil of ribbon or fishing line, of course).

Jesus wants us to have light and high spirits. We can if we only follow him and love one another.

Dear Jesus, you showed us how to love one another and think of someone besides ourselves. Help us to let go of the selfishness that weighs us down. Help us to lift our spirits by putting the needs of others ahead of our own. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

It All Depends on the Dirt

But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. Matthew 13: 23a [NIV]

Have you ever planted anything? Perhaps you took some packages of seeds and planted a garden of vegetables. If so, you know that the type of soil that you have is very important to the success of a garden. If the ground is too hard, or full of rocks and weeds, you probably won't have a very good crop of vegetables.

In our Bible lesson today, Jesus told a story about a man who went out and planted some seeds. Some of the seed fell on the path where the ground was very hard. The seeds just lay on top of the ground and the birds came and ate the seeds. Some of the seed fell on rocky ground. The seeds sprang up quickly, but when the sun came, the plants dried up because they didn't have good roots. Some of the seeds fell among weeds and plants grew for a little while, but the weeds took over and choked them out. Fortunately, some of the seed fell on good soil and the plants grew strong and healthy and produced a good crop.

In Jesus' story, the Word of God is the seed, and we are the soil. Often, when we come to church, the preacher is preaching the Word, but we aren't really paying attention. Perhaps we are thinking about what we are going to do that afternoon or about what we did yesterday. We are hearing the Word, but we are not listening. That is like throwing seed on the top of the ground. It won't ever grow into anything in our life.

There are other times when we hear the Word and we get excited about it, but then our excitement fades and we drift away. That is like the seeds that fall on the rocky ground. The plants spring up, but then die because the roots are too shallow.

Sometimes we hear the Word and we believe what it says, but we want to keep on doing the same things we have been doing. That is like planting the seed in with a bunch of weeds. I can tell you what will happen, the weeds will soon take over!

When we hear the word, and we listen and try to understand what it says and put it into practice in our daily life, then we are like good soil. We are like soil where the seed takes root and grows and produces a plentiful harvest. That is the kind of soil that Jesus wants us to be. What kind of soil are you?

Dear Jesus, we want to be like the good soil. Help us to listen to God's Word and put it into practice in our daily life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

X Marks the Spot

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Matthew 13:44 [NIV]

There was a time, when someone who had something of great value would often bury their treasure so that no one could find it and take it away. Of course, there was always the risk that one might forget where their treasure was buried, so to make sure that they would remember where it was, they would often make a map like this one. Usually they would mark the spot where the treasure was with an "X" like the one on this map. That is where we get the expression, "X marks the spot."

Have you ever dreamed of finding an old map and following it to a spot where a pirate had buried a chest full of glittering gold? Well, this morning I want to tell you about a treasure that is more valuable than a chest full of gold -- and I will even tell you how to find it.

Jesus once said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and then hid again; in his joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field." If you would like to find the treasure that Jesus was talking about, perhaps the Bible could be the map that leads us to that treasure. The Bible has a lot of information in it, but it is sometimes hard for us to understand, so how do you know exactly where the treasure is? That's easy, because "X marks the spot." (Hold up the cross at an angle so that it looks like the letter x.) Jesus died on the cross so that you and I could enter into the kingdom of heaven. When you look to the cross and put your trust in Jesus, the treasure will be yours.

To enter the kingdom of heaven is the greatest treasure one could ever desire. It is more precious than silver, gold, or jewels. That is why Jesus calls us to give up all that we have and follow him.

Dear Jesus, nothing we have can compare to life in the kingdom of heaven. Help us to place our trust in you, so that we may find that priceless treasure. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Answering the Call

And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."  And immediately they left their nets and followed him.  Mark 1:17-19 (NRSV)

What do you do when there is an an emergency?  Let's say, for example, that someone has a serious injury or illness, and if they don't get help right away, they might die.  What would you do?  Right!  You'd pick up the phone and call 9-1-1! (Substitute the appropriate emergency number for your area.)

When you call 9-1-1 and tell the person who answers that you need help right away, it is their job to see that you get help.  That person would never say something like, "I'm sorry, we are really busy right now, maybe some other time."  No way!  They drop whatever they are doing and make sure that you get the help you need.

In our Bible story today, Jesus was walking along beside the sea of Galilee preaching the good news of God when he made a call for help. He saw Peter and Andrew throwing a net into the water, because they were fishermen.  He called out to them, "Come, follow me and I will teach you how to fish for people."  You see, Jesus wanted Peter and Andrew to help him teach people about God's love for them.  When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, they didn't say, "Not right now, we are busy fishing.  Maybe some other time." No way!  The Bible tells us that they left their nets and followed Jesus.

Jesus, Peter, and Andrew had gone a little farther when they saw James and John sitting in a boat mending their nets.  When Jesus saw them, he called to them, Follow me."  They didn't say, "Not right now, we're busy mending our nets.  Perhaps some other time." No, the Bible says that they left their father sitting in the boat with the hired hands and followed Jesus.

Jesus is still calling for help today.  He has called you and me to help him to bring others into God's Kingdom.  Is it an emergency?  It sure is!  It's a matter of life and death! The Bible says, "Unless you repent, you will all perish." (Luke 13:3)  Jesus has called us, what will we say?  What will we do?  I hope and pray that we will drop whatever we are doing and answer the call.

Dear Jesus, we want to be faithful to answer your call.  We want to fish for people -- just like Peter, Andrew, James, and John.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mustard Seeds and Yeast

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." Matthew 13:31-33 (NIV)

The first thing I want to show you are these mustard seeds. See how tiny these mustard seeds are? They are the smallest seeds I have ever seen. The other thing I have brought today is some yeast. Yeast comes in very small packets. Both of these things are very small, yet, in our Bible lesson today, the mustard seed and yeast are used by Jesus to describe what the kingdom of heaven is like

Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." What can we learn from the mustard seed? Well, I think we can learn that we are never too small to be important in God's eyes. You and I may be small, but we can help to grow the kingdom of God.

Look at this small packet of yeast. Do you know what happens when you take this small amount of yeast and mix it with water and flour and a little salt and sugar? It grows all through that mixture and gives us big loaves of bread. Large, soft, fluffy, delicious loaves of bread. The flour and water and sugar and salt just can't do it alone. The yeast has an affect on everything - just from a tiny piece of it. Jesus said: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened." That is what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us, as part of his kingdom, to change the world around us and make it better.

We may be small, but like the mustard seed and the yeast, we are important in the kingdom of heaven.

Father, help us to remember that size is not important in your kingdom. You can use even the smallest one of us to grow the kingdom. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Weeds in the Garden

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil." Matthew 13:40-41 (NIV)

I have weeds in my garden. I made sure that I planted my garden in good soil, and yet, I still have weeds. As you probably know, one of the biggest enemies of a good garden is weeds. Weeds will rob the soil of the nutrients that help your plants to grow and many times they will choke out good plants. What can you do? Well, you could take a hoe and chop down the weeds, but if you do that, you will probably chop down some of the good plants by accident.

Another way to get rid of the weeds is to buy some weed killer. This stuff will really kill the weeds. The biggest problem with weed killer is that it doesn't know a thistle from a tomato plant. It kills every plant that it touches. Sometimes, it is best just to leave the weeds alone until it is time to harvest the crop. Then you can separate the weeds from the good plants.

One time Jesus told a story that compared his church to a garden that was infested with weeds. Sometimes there may be people in the church that don't really belong. They do things that aren't very loving and they don't seem to believe what the Bible teaches. They sometimes say hateful things about the other members of the church and try to hurt them. They are like weeds in a garden.

We have to be very careful about trying to remove those people from the church. In his story, Jesus said that we shouldn't worry about pulling up the weeds that grow around us. If we do, we may do more harm than good. He suggests that we leave the weeds for God to take care of - and concentrate on doing what he wants us to do - which is producing good fruit.

Whenever you see someone in the church that you don't think should be there, before you grab your hoe or your weed killer, remember the advice of Jesus. Just leave it up to God to separate the weeds from the good plants. If we try to take matters into our own hands, we will probably do more harm than good.

Dear Father, help us to love one another and leave the matter of judgment in your hands. Amen.