Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

The Rich Man and Lazarus


"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' Luke 16:19-24 (NIV)

Do you use an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning? A lot of alarm clocks have a button on them called a snooze alarm. When your alarm goes off, you can hit that button and go back to sleep. In about ten minutes, the alarm will go off again. You can just keep on doing this and go right on sleeping.

Maybe it is nice to get that exra sleep, but there are two problems with snooze alarms. The first is that if you keep on hitting the snooze alarm, you may be late or miss out on something completely. The second problem is that if you keep hitting the snooze alarm, you may get so used to the sound of the alarm that you don’t even hear it at all and you will sleep right through the alarm.

Did you know that God sometimes sounds a "wake up" alarm in our lives? He speaks to our heart and says, "It is time to wake up and follow me." Some people hit the snooze button and say, "Not now Lord, call me again -- a little bit later." Some people hit that "snooze button" so many times that they get to where they don’t even hear God’s voice. When they finally wake up, they find out that it is too late. That is what happened in our Bible story today.

Jesus told a story about a rich man who wore the finest clothes and lived in luxury. A beggar named Lazarus lay outside the rich man's gate. Lazarus was hungry and his body was covered with sores. He was hoping that the rich man might have pity on him and that he might be able to satisfy his hunger with the leftovers from the rich man's table. But every day the Rich man passed by Lazarus without even giving him a thought. I imagine that he passed by Lazarus so many times that he eventually got to the point that he didn't even see him at all.

The Bible says that Lazarus died and went to heaven. The rich man also died, but he went to hell. In hell, he looked up and saw Lazarus in heaven with Abraham. He asked Abraham to let Lazarus dip his finger in water and come and touch it to his burning tongue, but Abraham said, "No." Then he reminded the rich man how he had enjoyed such good things on earth while Lazarus had nothing.

The rich man then asked Abraham to allow Lazarus to go back to earth and warn his five brothers so that they would not end up in hell with him, but again, Abraham said, "No." The rich man finally woke up, but it was too late.

God is still sending "wake up" calls to people today. Let us pray that they will listen to his voice and follow him before it is too late.

Dear Father, when you sound the alarm telling us it is time to wake up and follow you, may we never be guilty of hitting the snooze alarm saying, "Later, Lord." Instead, let us rise up and follow you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Let the Children Come


People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

How did you get to church this morning? I imagine that some of you came with your parents. Perhaps others came with grandparents. Some children may have come with aunts, uncles, cousins, or an older brother or sister. Maybe some of you had a Sunday School teacher or a friend who brought you to church. One thing I am pretty sure of -- unless you live close enough to walk to church, someone had to bring you here. I don't think any of you are old enough drive your own car are you? I didn't think so!

I think it is great that someone cared enough about you to bring you to church today. That tells me that they wanted to make sure that you would learn about Jesus and his love for you. Because you are here today, it is possible that Jesus might touch your heart and change your life.

One day, Jesus was teaching his disciples and a large crowd of other people were following him to hear what he was teaching. He was teaching about marriage and divorce and how God wanted them to have happy homes.

As Jesus was teaching, people started to bring their children to him so that he could touch them. The disciples didn't like these children interrupting Jesus and his teaching. They told the people to get the children away. When Jesus saw what they were doing, he was very upset. "Let the children come to me, and do not stop them," Jesus said. "The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these little ones." Then Jesus took the children in his arms and blessed them.

Let us hope that we will always remember that Jesus loved the children and took them into his loving arms. We are thankful for each of you who are here today and thankful that someone loved you enough to bring you.

Dear Father, we love the children just as Jesus loved them and we are thankful that these children have someone who loves them enough to bring them to Jesus. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Exercising Your Faith


The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you. Luke 17: 5-6

One day my wife brought a jar and asked me to open it for her. I tried and tried to open that jar, but my hands just weren't strong enough to hold the jar tightly and turn the lid. It is a little embarrassing to a man when a woman asks him to open a jar and he can't do it, so I decided that I needed to increase the strength in my hands. I got this hand exerciser to help me. You have probably seen one of these. You just squeeze the two sides together, like this. If you don't have one of these, you can do the same type of exercise by squeezing a rubber ball. By exercising my hands every day, they will get stronger and stronger. Then maybe I won't be embarrassed the next time my wife asks me to open a jar for her.

How many of you know what faith is?  Faith is believing and trusting in God. Faith is like a muscle, you have to exercise it every day to make it strong. Sometimes we say that we have faith in God. We say that we believe that He can do anything, but then we act as if everything depends on us. That isn't a very strong faith, is it?

Jesus told his disciples that if they had as much faith as a tiny mustard seed, they could tell a tree to move from one place to another and the tree would obey them. Now, that is a strong faith, isn't it?  I wish I had as much faith as a mustard seed. Maybe I will if I keep exercising it. I do know my faith will grow stronger if I exercise it by trusting in God each and every day. How strong is your faith?  Does it need a little daily exercise?

Dear Lord, help us to exercise our faith each day so that it will become strong. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Thankful Leper


Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?" Luke 17:17 (NIV)

Last week I received this "Thank You" card. A friend of ours recently had a baby and we sent them a gift for the new baby. Inside of the card it says, "Thank you so much for your gift. It was just what we needed for our new baby." You know, it really made me feel good that our friends took the time to send us a card to say, "Thank You."

Don't you just hate it when someone does something nice for you and your mother prompts you by saying, "Now, what do you say?" You knew what to say, didn't you? We all know what to say, but unfortunately, we sometimes forget to say it. That is what happened in our Bible lesson today.

Our Bible story today is about ten lepers. Do you know what a leper is? No, it is not an animal with spots on it. That's a leopard! However, a leper does have spots. A leper is a person who has a disease called leprosy. This disease causes sores all over the body. Leprosy was very common in Jesus' day, and people who had this disease were thought to be unclean. They were required to stay away from other people because of the fear that they might infect them with their disease.

One day, Jesus was walking through a small village when he saw a group of ten lepers. They stood far away from Jesus and called to him, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us." Obviously, they knew who Jesus was and that he had the power to heal them. When Jesus heard them, he called back to the lepers and said, "Go, show yourself to the priest."

As the lepers went on their way to see the priest, they looked at their skin and the sores were gone. Jesus had healed their disease. They were so happy that they ran up and down the streets singing and dancing. Suddenly, one of them stopped and went back. Praising God with a loud voice, he threw himself at Jesus' feet and said, "Thank You." Jesus said to him, "Weren't there ten who were healed? Where are the other nine?" Only one out of ten remembered to say, "Thank You."

God does so much for us! Every day he provides everything we need: food, clothing, and a place to live. Do we ever forget to say, "Thank You?" Let's stop right now and say "Thank You" and ask God to help us remember to thank Him every day.

Dear Lord, you give us everything we need, but we often forget to say "Thank You." We thank you now, and ask you to help us to remember to give thanks every day for all that you do for us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Persistence in Prayer

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1 (NVI)

Have you ever wanted something so much that you kept asking your mom and dad for it over and over again until finally they said "yes?" Maybe you wanted a special toy, a pet, or a new bicycle. If it was something that you really wanted, you didn't just mention it once, you asked for it over and over again.

Once there was a little boy who wanted more than anything to play in the band at school. The boy went home from school one day and asked his parents if they would buy him an instrument and let him sign up to play in the band. Well, the boy's parents didn't say yes, and they didn't say no. They said, "We'll have to think about it. After all, a musical instrument costs a lot of money and we aren't sure you will stick with it."

A few days went by and the boy's parents still hadn't said anything, so the boy decided he should ask again. The boy's parents didn't say yes and they didn't say no. They said, "We are still thinking about it."

On his way home from school the next day, the boy decided to stop by the local music store to check out the musical instruments. When he walked in the store, the first thing that caught his eye was a beautiful, shiny trumpet. It wasn't new, but it was in very good condition and it had a really cool fake alligator skin case. It was just what he wanted.

That night at supper the boy said to his parents, "I went by the music store today after school and they have a really nice used trumpet. It is exactly what I want and it only costs $100." The boy's father turned to his wife and said, "I guess we had better go take a look at that trumpet or we are never going to hear the end of this." The next day, the boy went to the music store with his parents and they bought him that trumpet.

The boy joined the band -- and he did stick with it. He played in the band all through high school and when he graduated from high school, he went on to college and studied music. After graduating from college, he became a music teacher. I wonder how differently his life might have turned out if he had asked his parents for that musical instrument one time and never mentioned it again.

The Bible teaches us that just as our parents want what is best for us and will give us what we ask for, God, our heavenly Father, also hears and answers our requests. Sometimes we ask God for something one time and never mention it again. Maybe that is our impatience showing. When we ask for something, we want God to say "yes," and we want Him to say it right now! Jesus said that we should always pray and not give up. Perhaps God just wants us to show that we are really serious about what we are asking of Him. Does this mean that if we keep asking for something over and over again that God will always give it to us? No, but He loves us and wants what is best for us, and He will answer, "yes" if He can.

Oh, by the way, the boy in the story ... in case you haven't already guessed, that boy was me!

Dear Father, teach us to pray -- and teach us to be patient and persistent in prayer. If we desire good things, remind us that we need to pray and pray again. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Headed For A Fall


For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.  Luke 18: 14

Every child at some time in their life has played with building blocks.  I still remember the fun I had as a child building different things from these blocks.  One thing that I remember very well is that I used to enter into a contest with another child to see who could build the tallest tower.  The one who could stack up the most blocks without their tower falling was the winner.  Did you every play that game?  I thought it might be fun to play the tower game this morning.  Here is the way we will play.  For every good thing I can say about myself, I will add a block.  Let's see, where shall I start?

Well, I go to church every Sunday...I even go to prayer meeting on Wednesday night...I read my Bible every day...I say my prayers before I go to bed at night...I even give thanks before every meal...I give an offering in Sunday School every week...I even gave a little extra this week for the World Hunger Offering...I pay my bills on time...I almost always tell the truth...I don't talk about my friends behind their back...I keep my room clean and put my dirty clothes in the hamper...I have one of the best-kept lawns in my neighborhood.  (Keep going as long as necessary to make the tower fall.)  Crash!  Well, my tower got just a little too tall, didn't it?

Jesus taught his disciples that whenever people boast and brag about the great things that they do, they are headed for a fall!  He told about two men who went to the temple.  One of the men bragged about all of the great things he did and thanked God that he wasn't like those other sinners in the temple.  The other man, instead of bragging about how great he was, humbly asked God to forgive him for all of the times he failed to be the kind of person that God wanted him to be.

Jesus was not the least bit impressed with all of the boasting of the first man.  Most of the things he did, he did to impress other people.  Jesus said that we should be humble -- like the second man.  After all, when we compare our goodness to the goodness of Jesus, it just doesn't stack up, does it?

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that when we build our life upon our own goodness, we are headed for a fall.  Instead, let us put our trust in your righteousness,  for then we will find favor in your sight.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Big or Small - It Doesn't Matter at All


When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today."  Luke 19:5

I know that many of you like to play basketball. Basketball is a very popular sport for both boys and girls. There are several things that are very important if you want to be a good basketball player. First, you need good hands so that you can catch the ball and dribble up and down the court. A good player should be able to dribble equally well with their right or left hand and can dribble behind their back and between their legs. It also helps to have quick feet and to be a good shooter. Those are skills which many people can develop with a lot of determination and hard work.

There is another thing that is very helpful if you want to play basketball -- and it is something that you can't develop no matter how hard you work. Do you know what that is? It is very helpful if you are TALL! Most professional basketball players today are close to seven feet tall. It is helpful to be tall, but you can be successful in basketball without being tall.

Several years ago there was a player by the name of Nate Archibald at the University of Texas at El Paso. When he finished college, most of the professional teams ignored Nate because he was too short. In fact, his nickname was "Tiny." The Cincinnati Royals decided to take a chance on Nate and signed him to play on their team. Well, Nate made it big in the NBA because he was lightning fast, had good hands, and he was a great shooter. He played in the NBA for fourteen seasons and became known as the player who proved that a "little man" could play in the NBA. Just listen to some of the honors he won:

    * He was named to the All-NBA team five times
    * He was named to the NBA All-Star team six times
    * He was elected to the NBA Hall of Fame on May 13, 1991

Not too bad for a man that most people thought was too short to play in the NBA.

The Bible tells us about another man who became great even though he was not very tall.  His name was Zacchaeus.  I know that most of you know the story of Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus was not only short, he was also hated by almost everyone because he was a tax collector.  As a tax collector, he often cheated people and collected more taxes than they owed.

One day Zacchaeus heard that Jesus was coming to town.  He had heard about Jesus and he wanted to see him, but he was so short that he couldn't see over the crowd.  He climbed up in a tree so that he could see.  As Jesus passed by, he called to Zacchaeus, "Come down, because I am going to your house today."   Zacchaeus climbed down and took Jesus to his house.  While Jesus was there, Zacchaeus told Jesus that he was sorry for the wrong things he had done and that he would give half of all he owned to the poor.  He also said that he would repay anyone he had cheated four times that amount.  He may not have been very tall, but Zacchaeus became a giant in God's kingdom that day because he decided to follow Jesus.

You may not be very tall right now -- and you may never be very tall, but you can be a giant in God's eyes if you will follow Jesus.

Dear Lord, we are thankful that you don't care whether we are big or small.  Help us to be willing to follow Jesus and stand tall for Him.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

When I Am Afraid

Luke 21:5-19

Is anyone here afraid of snakes? How about the dark -- is anyone afraid of the dark? Are any of you ever afraid during a thunderstorm? Well, the fact is, we are all afraid of something. Even the rich and famous have their fears. Listen to a few of them.

John Madden was once the coach of the Oakland Raiders professional football team and now announces games on Monday Night Football. John is afraid of flying. He has such a fear of flying that he bought his own bus to take him all around the country to broadcast football games. I read that the bus cost him $800,000! I guess if you're afraid to fly, it helps to be able to afford to buy your own bus.

Donny Osmond is a well known singer who suffers from a fear of performing. He once had stage fright so bad that couldn't go on stage because he thought he was going to faint. If you have a fear of performing, being a singer might not be the best career to choose!

Johnny Depp, a famous movie star, has arachnophobia. That is the fear of spiders. Are any of you afraid of spiders? I know that many spiders are harmless, but even if a spider won't hurt me, it can make me hurt myself trying to get out of its way!

Steve Irwin is that crocodile hunter on "Animal Planet." I've seen him handling crocodiles, snakes, and all sorts of wild animals. He doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. Is he? Listen to what he says about fear. "Fear is a natural thing. It keeps us alive. Every time I go in on a poisonous snake, a crocodile, a bear, a cougar, a tiger shark -- any wild animal, I get a little scared. Fear is a good thing."

One day Jesus was with his disciples in the temple. The disciples were commenting on how beautiful the temple was when Jesus began to tell them about some things that were going to happen. He told them that the temple would one day be destroyed and that there would be wars, earthquakes, and people starving. He also told them that they were going to be hated and persecuted and even thrown into prison. Those are pretty frightening things, aren't they? It would be understandable for the disciples to be afraid, but Jesus told them not to be afraid. He promised that he would be with them and that not a hair on their heads would perish if they put their trust in him.

Jesus has also promised to help us when we are afraid. We all have fears and like Steve Irwin says, fear can be a good thing, but we should not let our fears keep us from enjoying the life that Jesus wants us to have. After all, he has promised to help us when we are afraid.

Dear Jesus, we put our faith and trust in your promise to be with us when we are afraid. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?

The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."  Mark 10:24-25 (NIV)

There are so many different types of shows on television.  There are comedies, police shows, soap operas, talk shows, reality shows, quiz shows, and many more.  What kind of shows do you like to watch?  What is your favorite TV show?  One of my favorites is "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"  Oh, I know it's an old show, but I still like it.

Who wants to be millionaire?  Probably most of us would answer yes to that question. A famous comedienne by the name of Sophie Tucker once said, "I've been rich and I've been poor. Believe me, rich is better."  I wonder what Jesus would have to say about that?

One day, as Jesus was walking along the road, a rich young man came running up to him.  "Good teacher," the man said, "what must I do to have eternal life?"

"You know the commandments," Jesus answered. "'Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Do not cheat. Honor your father and mother.'"

"I have obeyed those commandments since I was a child" the rich young man replied.

The Bible says that Jesus looked and the young man and loved him.  Then he said to him, "You lack only one thing.  Sell all you have and give the money to the poor so that you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  When the young man heard those words, he sadly turned and walked away because he had many possessions.

Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "How hard it is for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God!"  The disciples were shocked. Jesus continued, "It is very hard to get into the Kingdom of God.  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"

"Then who in the world can be saved?" the disciples asked.

"With man it is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God" Jesus answered.

It was not because he was rich that the young man could not enter the Kingdom.  It was because his love for money was more greater than his love for God.  If anyone wants to enter the Kingdom of God, he must give God first place in our life.

Who wants to be a millionaire?  Maybe that isn't so important after all.

Dear Father, help us to give you first place in our life.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

King Backward


The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One." The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar and said, "If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself." There was a written notice above him, which read:THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Luke 23:35-38 (NIV)

This morning I am going to tell you a story about a king. As you know, a king usually wears a crown made of gold, silver, and precious jewels. A crown similar to this one that I have with me this morning. The king in our story wore a different kind of crown. Listen as I tell you the story of "King Backward."

Once upon a time, a long time ago, there lived a King.  He was no ordinary king.  He was different from other kings because He did everything backwards from the way other kings did them.  From the very day he was born, you could tell that this king was going to be different.  Most kings are usually born in a palace, but this king was born in a stable surrounded by donkeys, sheep and cows.  It wasn't a very big beginning for a king.  In fact, very few people even knew that a king had been born.  Only a handful of shepherds and three wise men got the word that a king had been born.

As the infant king grew into a man, he continued to be different from other kings.  While most kings spent all of their time building up riches of silver, gold, and jewels, this king owned nothing at all.   And while most kings surrounded themselves with servants, He chose to be a servant.  He could often be found helping others.

As time went on, people became very unhappy with their King because He just didn't act the way that they thought a king should act.  Instead of riding into town on a big white horse the way other kings usually did, their king rode into town on the back of a donkey.  Was that any way for a king to act?

And the people He chose to be his friends!  His closest friends were a bunch of smelly fishermen and He could often be seen visiting with the poor and eating with sinners.

Finally the people decided that they had put up with this King long enough.  If He couldn't act the way a king should act, then they didn't want Him to be their king any more.  They made a plan to have Him arrested and thrown into prison.

Their plan worked.   When the day came for his trial, the King  stood before the people.  Instead of shouting "Hail to the King, Long live the King!" they shouted, "Crucify Him!  He is not our king!  Crucify Him!."  So they crucified the King.  They nailed Him to a cross; they put a crown made of thorns on his head; they poked Him with sharp sticks and made fun of Him.  What a way for a king to die!  After He was crucified, they took His body and put it in a borrowed tomb.

Wait, that isn't the end of the story.  Remember ... this King was different!  King Backward rose from the grave to live forever. Now, instead of being the Backward King, He is the Forever King.  He is the King to anyone who chooses Him to be their King. Oh, there are still some people who call Him "King Backward," but those who know Him don't call Him that ... they call him King Jesus!

Jesus wants to be your king too, and if you choose Him to be your King, you will live happily forever, and forever after!

Dear Jesus, today we crown you King and Lord of our life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Snowman

Then the Lord formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

This has been a really cold week, hasn't it? We got a lot of snow, which was a surprise for us. We were thinking it was almost time for Spring.

A lot of people really enjoy snow. Some of us just enjoy watching the world turn a beautiful white outside our windows. I like to watch all the birds that come to our feeders during the snowy weather. This past week we saw many different varieties as they came to the bird feeders because the snow was covering the ground. The red cardinals were especially pretty as their red feathers were such a bright contrast to the white of the rest of the world.

While I enjoy looking out the window at the snow, some people actually like to get out in the snow. A favorite activity of children and some adults is to make a snowman. Have you ever made a snowman? How do you go about making a snowman? First, you roll up three snowballs to make the lower body, upper body, and head of the snowman. Next, you decorate your snowman.

How do you decorate your snowman? Sometimes people use dark rocks to form the eyes and mouth. You might borrow a carrot from your mom for the snowman's nose. Sticks or tree branches make very good arms. Finally you dress the snowman in some of your winter clothes, such as a toboggan, mittens, or a scarf. The idea is to get the snowman to look as much like a real person as possible. The snowmen we make are only pretend people. They just sit in the yard until the sun melts them.

Anyone can make a snowman, but only God can make real people. In Genesis we find the story of when God made the very first man. Listen as I Read Genesis 2:7. "Then the Lord formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

God was able to give life to his creation by breathing into man the breath of life. Only God can give life. Let's bow our heads and thank God for creating us and giving us life.

Thank you, God, for creating us, loving us and giving us life. We love you God. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Love Without End

Psalm 136 (God's love endures forever) Luke 3:11, Acts 4:32 (sharing), Acts 2:46 (Loving each other) Acts 18:24-25 (Telling others)

Note: As the kids walk up, bounce the ball to one of them. Be careful you don't throw it to someone who will return it too hard or too far. As they are sitting down, bounce it to the others, one at a time.

I like playing with a ball like this. Do you? What is your favorite game? (wait for response) Those are fun games. There are two things I like about a ball.

1) It doesn't have an end. Look at this rope. It has two ends. There is a beginning and an end. Can you see an end on the ball? (wait for a response) It just keeps on going and going and going. (run your finger around and around the ball to demonstrate.) There is no end and that is just like God's love for us. He loves us and always will love us. There is no end. It just keeps going and going and going.

2) There is a second reason I like a ball. You can share it just like I did when you came up here. With a ball you don't just keep it to yourself, you find someone and share it. Do you know how this can be like God? (wait for a response) God shares his love with everyone and we are supposed to share God's love with everyone we know.

The next time you see a ball, you can remember that a ball is like God. The ball doesn't have an end and neither does God's love for us. And the ball is something to share just like God's love for us. We share it with everyone.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for always loving us and allowing us to share that love with everyone we meet. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

The Story Book

"Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will no neglect your word." Psalm 119:12-16

I brought a storybook today. I'ts called...(name of book). It has lots of pages and words. I'd like to share this story with you, but I don't want to read the entire book. That would take too much time. So, I'll just read a little of it. Let's get started. (Read first paragraph of book.)

Isn't this story great? What do you think happened next? You don't know? Oh, maybe I need to read something from the middle of the book to help us figure it out. (Read anything from middle of book.) Now do you know what happened? No?

Well, how do you think the story ends? Would you like to hear it? [Read last paragraph of book.] Now did you like the story? No? Why not? I didn't read enough of the story, did I? If we really wanted to know what happens in this book, I'd need to read the whole thing, all the words on all the pages. Right?

The Bible is a lot like this storybook. It has lots of pages and words, and many people don't want to read entire thing. They just look at parts of it and think they know the whole story. But when we read only little parts of my book, we couldn't figure it out what happened and it didn't make a good story, did it?

It's the same with the Bible. The Bible is the story of God and His people (that's us) and if we want to know the whole story, we need to read the whole Bible. Not all at once, but a little at a time. Maybe you can have someone like Mom or Dad help you read it. (And I know this story has a really great ending!)

Lord, thank you for giving us your story in the Bible. Help us to read it all so that we can know you better. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Sharing His Love


Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Luke 6:38

 

I have something to give to each of you this morning and I think it is something you will like. I have a Kiss for each of you. (Pass out the Kisses) Did everyone get a Kiss? Each and every one of you got a Kiss, didn't you? You didn't have to pay for it, did you? No, that Kiss was freely given to you. I paid for them and gave them to you. Now that you have it, you may do whatever you want with it. You may either keep it and eat it yourself, or you may give it away--it is up to you to decide. We are going to take about one minute to think about this. During that time, you may decide to keep your kiss, or you may take it and give it to someone else here this morning. It is your choice.

(At this point, there are several things that might happen. (1.) All of the children may decide to keep the Kiss for themselves. You would then show them your remaining Kisses and explain that you would have given them more if they had given theirs away. (2.) Several of them may give their Kiss away. You would give them several more, depending on how many you had left to give away. (3.) There may be only one or two who give their Kiss away. You could give them a whole lot more Kisses.)

Well, I see that some of you decided to keep your Kiss for yourself and some of you decided to give your Kiss to someone else. For those of you who gave your Kiss away, I am going to give you some more Kisses. For those who kept your Kiss, well, you still have it, don't you.

As all of you know, a kiss is one way that we use to show someone that we love them, so this morning, we are going to let these Kisses represent God's love for you. God's love is given freely, isn't it? We don't have to pay for it. Jesus paid the price when He died on the cross. When you have God's love, you can keep it to yourself, or you can choose to share it with others. As you share His love-- as you choose to give it away--the more you get in return. You see, that's the way it is with God's love. The more you share it, the more you get in return. As you enjoy your candy Kiss this morning, I hope you will think about God's love for you and that you will choose to share it with others.

Jesus, thank you for freely giving your love to us. Help us to remember that you have told us to share it with others.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Sharing What We Have

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!" Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so any?" Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." John 6: 5 - 14 (NIV)

Do you sometimes feel that you have nothing to offer Jesus? You say I can't do anything special. I can't play a sport like so and so, or I can't sing like that person, or I am too shy to do anything!

There was once a boy whose mother gave him 5 loaves and two fish for his lunch. It was a little like this plate of food that I have here. (show one of the plates). The Bible does not give us his name, but lets call him Joshua. He wanted to go an hear Jesus and was very excited. He was very surprised to find SO many people there - yes, over 5000 men, and that did not include the women and the children, and there were many there just like him. He pushed forward to be near Jesus so that he could see him clearly and hear what he had to say.

A little later he heard Jesus and his disciples having a conversation about food. What was that? They were saying that people were hungry and there was not enough food. One of the disciples was saying that it would take a huge amount of money to buy food that would even give everyone just one bite. Joshua looked around him. It seemed that his mom was the only one who had given him any food. He began to feel hungry, but he felt shy to eat his food in front of the others. He wanted to share, but who would he share it with? Then he got an idea! He would ask one of the disciples.

So Joshua made his way to a friendly looking disciple called Andrew, and offerred his food. Andrew was so kind. He looked at Joshua and gave him a broad smile. He put his arm over his shoulder and led him over to Jesus. Joshua felt quite nervous, but also very special! All the crowd could see him. Jesus made him feel so welcome. He thanked Joshua for the 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Then, instead of eating it or sharing it with a few people, he asked the disciples to get everyone to sit down. That took some doing! It was quite some time before everyone was seated. Jesus took the loaves and fishes and lifting his arms in the air, he blessed them. Then the most amazing thing happenned. Jesus began to break off pieces of bread and fish, and the more he broke the more there seemed to be. People looked with huge eyes! They blinked. Was this really what they were seeing? Maybe they were dreaming.

But they were not dreaming! From the 2 fish and 5 loaves, there was enough food to feed all 5000 men plus women and children. What excitement! And when everyone had had enough there were still 12 basketfulls left over!

Jesus took the small gift that the boy gave and used it in a special way.

Jesus can use the gift that we have and use it as well. Maybe we find it easy to talk to others, and we can make them feel better when they are feeling sad. Maybe you are able to share your time, or your computer, or your games, with someone that does not have. They will see what you have done and begin to help others as well. Maybe we do well in sport and we can show others that we follow Jesus by being fair and not getting upset while playing sport. Through that others in the team may see that and change their attitudes. A whole team could change from you using what you have. Slowly the whole team may become better. It may be in sharing your pocket money. There are many ways we can share the gifts and talents that we have.

Now I have here not just one plate, but 4 plates with loaves and fish. Who would like one?

(As soon as they have been "claimed" say) Hold on! You have just been given 5 loaves and 2 fish. What did the boy who got them in our story do with them? That's right, he shared them. Now how about you sharing them with others?

How did that feel? It is not always easy to share what we have got. Sometimes we think our posessions are too valuable to share. Maybe they will get broken. But Jesus wants us to share no matter how hard it may be! And he promises that he will take the little that we have and use it.

Now look what I have here! When the boy shared what he had, everyone got! I have enough here for everyone - so come and get it!

Dear Jesus. Please help me to share what I have and would you then use it in a special way. Thank you that nothing we bring is ever too small for you to use.