Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

 What Keeps Us Afloat?

This was used with the 23rd Psalm, but others would certainly apply.

Are you having fun this summer? Have you been swimming yet? Do you need help swimming or can you stay on top of the water all by yourself? If we don’t know how to swim it can be scary to be in the water and it’s helpful to have someone there to keep us from sinking.

(Show the inner tube) Do you kids know what this is? This helps you float so you don’t go under the water….so you don’t get into trouble. Sometimes it can even save your life.

What’s inside of this plastic tube? Right….Air! Air is all around us, it doesn’t cost us anything, and it works really well inside this inner tube to keep you floating.

What would happen if I replaced the air in this inner tube with something else? Let’s think of something else that you like that would fit in this little hole. (examples could be Kool-Aid, sugar, sand, melted chocolate, etc.) What would happen if I did that? Right the inner tube would sink and wouldn’t work the way it’s suppose to. It wouldn’t be able to help us.

This inner tube is like our bodies and our minds…they work well when we fill them with some good things. Some of those good things are all around us and don’t really cost us anything.

One of those things is LOVE. When we are loved and cared for we live better. The love you get from your mom and dad helps you to grow well…helps keep you safe.

Another thing that’s good for our insides is LEARNING ABOUT GOD and HOW HE WANTS US TO LIVE. That helps us from sinking into trouble…helps us stay on top of the water.

A third thing that’s good for us is PRAYER. Prayer helps us to know that God is always there for us. He is ready to save us from all sorts of trouble. Prayer helps to keep us floating on top of the water.

So - when you go swimming again, and you see an inner tube, or a float of some sort, you can think about the things that are inside of you that help to keep you from sinking….Like, love, God and Prayer.

Dear God, We are so grateful that you are always available to us and want to live inside of us. We are grateful that your guidance can help us to stay out of trouble…you keep us from sinking. We will always try to remember your wisdom and know that it is there to keep us safe and happy. Amen

[Soldier4Christ]

 Put Up Your Dukes

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

In the middle of the Landon High School playground in Jacksonville, Fl, a group of eighth and ninth graders gathered quickly after classes were over. They had heard through the grapevine that Butch was going to fight someone. Because Butch was a feared bully, they knew he would win and blood would flow but, who was the other kid for today's match?

Earlier in the day, a couple of rough boys, who heard that Skippy would not fight, gave him notice that today he would! So, after school, holding Skippy under his arms, the two boys marched him out of the school building and over to the waiting circle of anxious onlookers. Skippy could see one kid drawing a circle in the dirt with a stick.

In the circle, the boys placed Skippy to stand alone. Soon, someone yelled, "Here comes Butch!" Butch approached, trying to appear to be the angriest, meanest kid, just ready to do battle with anyone who dared.

"Where is he?" Skippy could hear him asking as Butch approached the crowd .

When Butch stood inside the circle with him, the crowd got very quiet. Butch had his fists up in front of him and was making loud breathing noises, as though he was just itching to get started and to get this over as quickly as possible.

"You, Skippy?"

"Yes," Skippy answered, looking directly into his eyes.

"You want to fight me, Skippy?"

"No."

Butch grinned, "Well, you're gonna! Put up your dukes!"

Skippy left both arms down, straight by his sides.

Butch started his loud breathing noises again to show he was just seething. "I said, 'Put up your dukes!'"

Skippy looked at Butch and was slightly amused at his noises. Although Skippy’s knees were shaking, he remained calm when he spoke.

"Jesus said it's not right to fight anyone."

Frustrated, Butch answered firmly, "You're just chicken. That's what you are, just chicken! Now, put up your dukes! I'm going to whup you right here."

Skippy's arms did not come up, and his hands remained open. With the same calm voice, he said to Butch, "I don't know if I am chicken or not, but I won't put up my dukes."

"You not gonna fight me?"

"No," Skippy again said calmly.

"What if I get in the first lick? Whadda ya think about that?"

Skippy answered, "Maybe you will knock my teeth out, or knock me down, or something."

"You think you'll fight me then?" Butch asked.

"I don't know; maybe I will be so angry I will, but let me ask you something."

Butch's fists got tighter and his arms moved closer to his chin. Cautiously, he asked, "What?"

"Why did you let all these kids put you up to this? They stand here laughing at the mean kid they got to fight the chicken. They don't have any respect for you, and you sure don't want any of them to be your friends. They don't think that you can talk except with your fists, but, as long as my arms stay down, I know you are not going to fight me. You've taken too long. That tells me that you fight fair. We need to stop this right now, be friends and let this crowd stop playing with your mind."

Butch looked long at Skippy without making a sound -- no heavy breathing, no words, nothing. Not once did his eyes turn to anyone else's. Then he dropped his left arm to his side, and with his right, he opened his fist and, without a smile, he proudly offered his hand to Skippy and said,

"We are friends!"

One can only imagine how disappointed some of the troublemakers in that crowd were immediately after "the fight," or how very proud Skippy was of Butch, or how proud Skippy's parents were that evening when he told them what happened on the playground after school that day.

Marvin Purser in his book: "Sometimes You Make Me Think, Sometimes You Make Me Laugh"

[Soldier4Christ]

New Beginnings


When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:21-22 (NIV)

This is an exciting time. It is the beginning of a brand new year. Some people like to make New Year's resolutions or promises to themselves about what they plan to accomplish in the new year. The number one resolution that people make is, "I am going to lose weight." I don't think too many people succeed, since it seems to be the number one resolution year after year. I know that it usually makes my top ten list of things I would like to accomplish in the new year.

Even if you don't make any New Year's resolutions, this is an exciting time. It is a time that we can forget our past mistakes and look forward to new opportunities that lie ahead of us. It is a time of new beginnings.

Jesus experienced times of new beginnings in his life too. One of those times was when he was baptized. There were a couple of very important things that happened when Jesus was baptized. First of all, the Bible tells us that the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove and landed upon him. The second thing was that God spoke and said, "You are my Son. I love you and I am well-pleased with you."

This event marked the beginning of Jesus' ministry here on earth. Up until that time, he had not performed any miracles, but with God's stamp of approval and with the spirit of God upon him, Jesus began to perform great miracles. From this new beginning, many people began to understand that Jesus was truly the Son of God and they began to follow him.

Our own baptism represents a new beginning for us as well. When we are baptized, it shows the world that just as Jesus rose from the dead through the glory of God the Father, we also live a new life in him. (Romans 6:4) God may not always be well-pleased with us, but I think that He looks down with an approving smile when he sees us trying to walk with Jesus.

New beginnings -- God gives us opportunities for new beginnings. Let us make the most of them as we live a new life in Christ through the power of his Holy Spirit.

Dear Father, thank you for new beginnings. Help us to make the most of them -- not through our own strength -- but through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The White Stones

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it. Revelation 2:17 (NIV)

Have you ever played with rocks in the driveway? Have you ever found a stone that was pure white? It is pretty hard to find one, isn't it? I have one to show you.

A long, long time ago, when a Roman gladiator was especially brave and had fought a good fight, he was given a white stone with some special letters on it. When this special stone was given to a gladiator, it allowed him to retire so that he would not have to continue to risk his life as he was getting older. It was a great reward.

In the Bible it says,"To him who overcomes I will give a share of the hidden manna; and I will give him a WHITE STONE, and written on the stone a new name, which no one but him who receives it knows."

Just think! Wouldn't you like to get white stone from JESUS? A stone with a name written on it that is known only by you and HIM because you are His beloved? I know I would! (I gave each child a white stone to help remember passage.)

Father, help us to be faithful and courageous in our service to you so that we may receive the white stone. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Language of Peace

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:4-9

 
Good morning! Who can read the word on this sign for me? (Show peace sign.) It’s the word “Peace”. What do you think of when you hear the word “Peace”? (Take ideas from several children.)  Peace is a beautiful blessing that God gives us when we trust in Him.

Here’s another word that means PEACE from the Hebrew language. That’s the language that people spoke in Jesus’ time. That word is “SHALOM” (Show SHALOM sign.)

Now that you know peace in two different languages, I’d like to teach you what PEACE looks like in American Sign Language. It’s a three-part sign, so watch closely!  (Click here for an animated illustration or look at the illustration at the bottom of the sermon.)

First put one hand on top of the other hand, clasped together, like this!

Next switch your hands around.

Now push both of your hands down and away from you.

That’s the sign for “PEACE”. Let’s do the whole sign together. That’s Great!

This sign really reminds me of what God tells us about peace in Philippians 4:6-7. Read passage.

When I start the sign for peace it feels like I’m worried, I’m wringing my hands, they are not settled down, are they? But God says, Don’t be anxious about anything! He doesn’t want us to worry about things in our families, or school, or in the world. (Hold hands still together.) God tells us to pray to Him and let Him know what’s bothering us. Then He can give us peace. "Do final sign motion." This final part of the sign is like God smoothing out and taking away all our worries. We won’t even be able to understand it, but He will protect us from being afraid, from being worried, and He will calm us down. So the next time you are worried or afraid, what are you going to do? Pray and ask God to help you, and He will calm you down and give you a beautiful feeling of Peace!

Let’s fold our hands now and pray! Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us peace when we are afraid. Help us to have “SHALOM” all the time. IN Jesus’ Name we pray, AMEN.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Understanding Worship

"Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.” Romans 12:1b (ESV)

Worship is something we do when we come to church. I’m sure you’ve heard the pastor or worship leader say, “Today we’ve come to worship the Lord.” And probably you’ve sung the song “Come Now is the Time to Worship.” But do you know what “Worship” is? Any ideas? (give some time to hear ideas)

Look at the word WORSHIP. I see in this word a way to help us remember what worship means. Do you see the word “Ship” in WORSHIP? That’s why I brought this model ship. Today I want you to think of worship in this way -- We Offer R SHIP to God. The verse for today says, "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship.”

This model ship represents each one of you and all the mothers, dads and friends out in the sanctuary. Some of you might become big ships like ocean liners, others of you will be like cruise ships and others like yachts, or cabin boats or motor boats. We all have different functions and different ways of serving God out in the sea of life. But every ship, whether large or small, won’t go anywhere without fuel in its tank. You can scrub up your ship or decorate it or even pour sweet syrup in the tank, but nothing will substitute for fuel. Without the proper fuel all that will happen is that the ship will float aimlessly in the sea or it will be tossed around by the waves. It needs fuel and a pilot in order to function as it has been designed to.

We are the ships and when we come to church to worship we are offering our ships to God. We Offer R SHIPs. That’s what the Scripture means, “Present your bodies … to God which is your spiritual worship.” When we come to worship we also get fuel in our tanks so that we won’t just float with the crowd or drift on the waves of popularity. And when we allow Jesus to be the pilot of our ship then we’ll go in the right direction and we’ll make the right decisions that keep us from shipwreck and disaster.

So worship is offering our ships (ourselves) to God and we do when we come here to pray, sing, and listen to God’s Word and to the message. And God fills us up!

Prayer: Dear Father thank you for making it possible for each child to be in worship today. Thank you for the parents, friends, Sunday school. teachers, for whoever made it possible for these children to worship in church today. Help all of us to offer everything we have to you and we ask that you fill us with strength to live pleasing lives to you this week. In the name of Jesus our pilot we pray, Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Working for the Reward

"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'" "'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him—Matthew 21:28-32 (NIV)

Who knows what these are? Right…stickers. Do you know what kind of stickers? They’re reward stickers. What are they used for? We adults—moms and dads, teachers, grandparents—like to give them out when children do a job they’re told to do. Have you ever gotten one? Why?

Did your mom or dad ask you to do anything this morning? What did they ask? What did you say? And did you do what they asked?

Jesus told the chief priests and elders a story of two boys. Their father asked them to go to the vineyard (do you know what a vineyard is?) to work the vines. One son said "No way." The other said, "Sure, Dad." But do you know what happened? The one who said "sure" didn’t go. And the one who said "No way" changed his mind and worked with the grapes all day.

Which boy in Jesus’ story got the reward sticker?

When your parents ask you to do work around the house, what do you usually say?

    * What does it mean when you say, "In a minute"? Do you really plan on doing the chore? Or are you hoping your mom will forget she asked?
    * What if you say, "I don’t want to"—what does that mean? Aren’t you saying, "I don’t want to please you, I only want to do that pleases me"?
    * What if you say, "OK," but you don’t do it? What does that mean?

The chief priests and elders said the son who told his father "No" but eventually worked in the vineyard did what the father wanted. But did he? The work was done, but did the son give his father the answer he wanted to hear?

The son who said yes, but didn’t go gave the right answer. But he didn’t do the chore the father wanted him to do.

Do you think your mom and dad just want right answers? Or maybe they want you to give right answers and follow through on what you say you’ll do. Jesus taught on this too. He said, "Just say a simple ‘Yes, I will" or "No, I won’t." (Matt 5:37 NLT). Maybe that’s when you should get the reward sticker. Not when a job is finished, but when you say, "Yes, I’ll do that." And then you do it.

[Soldier4Christ]

 No Greater Love


Hold up a penny and ask them what it is. Then do the same thing with a twenty dollar bill and ask them which one they would rather have and why?

A penny is considered to be worthless by many Americans. It is the lowest amount of money that we can have. A lot of times when we drop one, we keep going and don't even stop to pick it up. The Bible says the same thing about us before we get saved and became a Christian.

Read aloud and discuss the following verses.

Romans 3:10-12:
The word righteous means good. There is nobody in this room who is good in God's eyes. We all do good things sometimes, but most of the time we are not very good. Verse 12 says that we are all unprofitable, which means worthless and good for nothing like the penny. Sure a penny is good to use, but over all it is not worth much.

Isaiah 64:6:
Can anybody think of something that is filthy or unclean? That is exactly how you and I are to God if we are not saved.

Ecclesiastes 7:20:
This verse says that there is not a good person on this earth who does good and does not sin.

Ezekiel 18:20
Because of our sins, we are guilty before God and must be punished. When you guys get in trouble at home, what do your parents do? They punish you don't they? The punishment for our sins is to spend forever away from God in a dark and scary place called Hell.

There is good news though, even though we are worthless or of little value like a penny in God's eyes, he loved us and sent Jesus to die on the cross.

Romans 5:8:
God showed us his love, even when we were sinners and worthless like this penny, he died for us. He had to punish us, but instead of punishing us he choose to send his son to die in our places so we do not have to go to that dark and scary place called Hell.

John 15:13
The bible says that there is no greater love then the love that drives us to give our lives for friends our friends. That is just what Jesus did for us. He loves each of us and wants us to go to heaven. All we have to do is believe that he died for us and to call on his name to save us. When we do that we become more valuable to God than all the money in the world and he rewards us with good things in this life and the promise of heaven when we die.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Don't Miss Out

Luke 14:16-24

Have you ever given a party and at the last minute no one you invited showed up? How did you feel? What did you do?

When we have a party or plan a special dinner we only send one invitation to each person we want to invite, but in the time that Jesus lived, people sent out two invitations. The first was to tell everyone about the event and let them know they were invited. The second was to tell them everything was ready and it was time for them to come.

In our Scripture today, Jesus tells a parable about a host who is preparing a great feast. The invitation was sent and those who were invited said they would come. When everything was ready, the host sent his servant to those who had been invited. The servant said to them, "Everything is ready! Please come to the feast."

One guest after another began to make all kinds of lame excuses as to why they could not come.

"I have bought some land and I have to go and look it over," said one.

"I have bought some new oxen and I need to try them out," another said.

Still another said, "I have just gotten married, and I can't come."

The host became very angry and told his servant to go out into the streets, the alleys, and the fields and invite the blind, the crippled, and the poor until every seat at the table was filled. Guess who didn’t get to come? That’s right. The ones who had been invited the first time. "Not one of those I first invited will get one bite of my food," the host said.

In this story, the host is God and the feast is at his heavenly banquet. The Jews accepted the first invitation that was sent by Moses and the prophets. The Jews were God’s chosen people. But when Jesus came with the second invitation, they chose not to accept it. They were too busy doing other things that they felt were more important than giving themselves to God and serving Him. So God decided to invite us - the Gentiles.

God has invited us to His Heavenly banquet and it is the most important invitation we will ever receive. We don’t want to miss it because we let little things become more important to us than attending his banquet. If we keep making excuses to not accept His invitation, even if we think they are good excuses, one day He will pull His invitation from us and we will miss out on all He has prepared for us.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for inviting us to your banquet. Help us to not let anything seem more important than accepting your invitation today. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Saving the Best for Last

And the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." John 2:9-10 (NIV)

Do you like pie?  I do!  Today, I am going to teach you how to eat a piece of pie.  You are probably thinking, "What is he talking about?  I know how to eat a piece of pie." Well, you may think you do, but what I am going to teach you today may change forever the way you eat a piece of pie.  You see, most people eat a piece of pie starting here at the pointed end.  If you eat your pie starting at the pointed end, what do you get in your last bite?  That's right!  You get crust!  Now pie crust is pretty good, but the best part of the pie is the filling.  That is why I start eating my piece of pie at the crusty end.  That way, I save the best bite for last.

One day, Jesus went to a wedding.  His mother was there and so were his disciples.  Everyone was having a good time until the wedding host ran out of wine.  The party was about to be ruined when Jesus' mother went to him and asked him to help. Then she told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do.

Nearby there were six stone water jars, each holding about twenty or thirty gallons.  Jesus said to the servants,"Fill the jars with water"; so the servants filled them to the brim.  Then he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."  They did as they were told, and when the master of the banquet tasted the water, it had been turned into wine.  Not only that -- it was the very best wine he had tasted all evening.

The master of the banquet called the bridegroom aside and said to him, "Most people serve the best wine first and then serve cheap wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best until the last."

This was the first of Jesus' miracles on the earth, but it wasn't his last.  When we walk with Jesus every day, we become accustomed to the miracles he performs.  He does so many great and wonderful things for us.  He supplies everything we need -- a roof over our head, and a nice warm bed.  We have clothes to wear and plenty to eat and drink. Oh yes, he is so good, but do you know what?  He is saving the best for last.  What is it?  Eternal life.  If we put our trust in Jesus as our Savior, we will live forever in heaven with him.  Now, that's what I call "saving the best for last!"

Dear Father, we thank you for all of the good things which you provide each and every day, but most of all, we thank you for eternal life which we have in Jesus Christ.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Not me, Lord

Matthew 26 (also Mark 14:17-72) various

How many of you like to watch cop shows like Law and Order? How many have seen Hill Street Blues? How about Dragnet? (I’m not going back any farther; I’ll give away my age!) On these shows, did anybody get arrested? I’ve seen shows where someone would rat out their friend or their husband or wife to keep from going to jail, haven’t you?

Judas, Peter, and the other disciples did something like that to Jesus. You see, the Sanhedrin, and others, wanted to kill Jesus and arrest his disciples, too. Now, we all know Jesus wasn’t a bad guy; he never did anything wrong, but they all betrayed him.

Judas sold information to the Sanhedrin for 30 pieces of silver. Because of Judas’s betrayal, Jesus was found and arrested. This eventually led to His death on the Cross.

The other disciples betrayed Jesus when they didn’t keep watch while Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane that night.

Peter even betrayed him 3 times when he denied knowing him after Jesus was arrested so he wouldn’t get arrested too.

What did Judas, Peter, and the other disciples have in common (besides betraying Jesus)? They all said, “Not me, Lord.”

In Matthew 26:21 (during the Passover meal) Jesus said to the twelve, ‘I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.’ In v:22 ‘They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?” (also Mark 14:18-19)

Judas said in Matthew 26:25, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” (also Mark 14:19)

The Bible tells us in v35: ‘Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.’ (also Mark 14:31)

With the exception of Judas, Peter and the other disciples didn’t betray Jesus on purpose. They had no deliberate intention to, but they were afraid there was the possibility.

Some of you are probably thinking, “Not me. I would never do that.” The truth is we betray Jesus all of the time. I’m sure we don’t set out to. It’s not intentional. Yet we betray Jesus when we say we are devoted to Him but don’t live like it; when we ‘talk the talk’ but don’t ‘walk the walk’; when we gossip, tell ‘little white lies’………… whenever we don’t stand up for Jesus.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we all know we betray you in some way every day and we are ashamed of our weakness. Help us to be strong and to live our lives each day so that we can say, “Not me, Lord. Not today.” Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Jesus Offers a Reward

One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done. (Psalm 62:11-12 NIV)

Jesus needs your help. He is looking for His lost sheep. He offers a reward for their return to His safe shelter.

If you want to help Jesus find His sheep you will have to keep your eyes and ears open. Do you know what you’re looking for? Do you know who these lost sheep are? Anyone who doesn’t know or love Jesus is lost. They may be your friends—someone you know from school or your neighborhood. Maybe they’re your relatives—your cousins or an aunt or uncle. They may be kids you see at the library or on the playground or at the store.

How do we get the sheep back to Jesus? He has given you all the abilities needed to recover what’s been lost.

He has called you the "salt of the earth." Salt is a good seasoning; it preserves food and makes it more flavorful. As "salt" you can be good seasoning to someone in your words and deeds. You can compliment someone on their outfit or haircut. You can use good manners and say "please" and "thank you." It is good seasoning to show respect for people. Let others go through the door before you.

Jesus also called you the "light of the world." The lost sheep live in darkness. They don’t know who they are or where they’re going. It’s a scary world, but you can show them the way out by being a light. When a sheep lives in the dark, a powerful beam of light shines through when they learn that another person cares. You can let them know you’ve been thinking about them. Your light also shines when you encourage the lost. Let that sheep know you appreciate his talents. Ask him to try out for a team. Ask her to join you in a favorite activity—maybe church or Sunday School. How you will glow over them! And send up a big flare by affirming these sheep. Let them know just how special they are: tell them you feel happy when you’re with them.

When Jesus lives in your heart, you grow luscious "fruits" that the lost will just eat up: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. You will attract sheep because they’ve been forced to eat the bitter weeds of selfishness and resentment. They hunger for sweetness. They long to have full tummies. They want a taste of the kind of foods you offer; they will want to be around you.

Jesus needs your help in finding His lost sheep. He will reward you for bringing them back to Him. With what? I don’t know. But God’s word promises that Jesus will reward everyone for whatever good he does (Psalm 62:11 - 12). And I know that I can trust in God’s word.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Be a Swan, Not a Duck

If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.  John 15:19 (NIV)

How many of you know the story of The Ugly Duckling? In the story, a mother duck sat on a nest of eggs waiting for her babies to hatch. Time after time she heard the sound, "Craaaak!" When she looked, there was a baby duck hatched from one of the eggs. One by one the eggs hatched until only one was left.  She sat down on the egg to wait... and wait... and wait. Finally she heard the sound again.  ‘Craaaack!’  And there it was -- another baby.  Somehow, he didn’t look like the other baby ducks. In fact, she thought he was rather ugly. But he hatched from her nest so she thought he must be her baby and so she took him to the pond to play with the other ducklings.

When the other ducklings in the pond saw the ugly duckling, they all laughed at him, made fun of him, and told him he was ugly. The little duckling was so sad he left the pond, but everyone he met treated him the same way, even the farm animals.

The little ugly duckling kept walking and finally came to another pond. In it were beautiful swans. The little ugly duckling wished he could be like the beautiful swans.  By now it was winter and he was cold and lonely. It got so cold that the ugly duckling's feet became frozen in the pond.  An old farmer saw him and felt sorry for him.  He finally got him unstuck, but the duckling thought he would make fun of him too, so he went off to hide. He didn’t know there was a better future waiting for him.

When spring came, the ugly duckling went back to the pond. What did he see? The beautiful swans were swimming in the pond! The ugly duckling thought to himself, “I sure wish I was beautiful like those swans and not just an ugly duckling.” He looked in the water and saw his reflection.  Guess what? He was not an ugly duckling anymore! During the winter he had grown into a beautiful swan. The other swans saw him and invited him to join them. They all flew over to the duck pond. The other ducks saw that the ugly duckling had turned into a beautiful swan while they had remained ducks.

You and I are like the "ugly duckling" in this story. If we have accepted Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we are like beautiful swans. We don’t fit into this world any more than the ugly duckling belonged in the duck pond. Those who won’t accept Christ as their Savior will be like the ducks. They will make fun of us, call us names, and not let us hang out with them; stuff like that.  They won’t like us because we don’t look like them or act like them.  But do you know what? That doesn’t matter because a better future awaits us in Heaven while the ducks will just be ducks in a pond.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we thank you for your Son Christ Jesus and for choosing us as your swans. We long for a better future with you in Heaven. Help us to not be like ducks while we wait. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 You Are a Changed Person

Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." John 5:14 (NIV)

What do I have here? A Band-aid, right. Why do we use Band-aids? Exactly…they provide protective cover when we have hurts and boo-boos. They keep the germs out and we don’t get an infection. We heal better when our wounds are covered.

Jesus once met a man who had been sick for 38 years. He had been sitting at a pool that could supposedly cure his sickness. Jesus asked him, "Do you want to get well?" and the man got real defensive--like he had been asked that question a lot. The man said to Jesus, "Look, I know I’ve been here by this healing pool for a long time and you may think that I don’t really want to be healed. But you just don’t understand how it works. I have to be the first one in when the waters are stirred, but I have no one to help me. Because of my illness, I am slow. Someone always gets in ahead of me. It’s not my fault that I’m still sick."

Jesus then healed the man on the spot. He said, "Pick up your mat and walk." And do you know what happened? The man walked away.

Wow!! This man had been weak and sick and unable to move, and all of a sudden he was carrying the mat he had been laying on. He walked away from that pool. That’s quite a change in a life, isn’t it?

But do you know what the man did? He slipped back into that old life of making excuses and blaming others. When some of the teachers saw him carrying his mat, they asked what he was doing. You see, it was the Sabbath, the day you are supposed to stop from all work. And according to their law, the teachers said that it was work to carry a mat. They wanted to charge the man with breaking the law.

The man knew that they would charge him so he went back to his old ways. He said, "It’s not my fault. I’m only doing what the man who made me well told me to do. He said to pick up my mat and walk. So what could I do? I picked up my mat." See, the man was more concerned with what he might be accused of. Remember, he got defensive when Jesus asked if he wanted to get well. So when the teachers confronted him, he made excuses.

Jesus then reminded him that he had been cured. He had a new life. He didn’t have to hang on to the ways of his old life. In fact Jesus said that by making excuses, the man was sinning.

How do you think the man should have answered the teachers? What if he had said, "Yes, I am carrying my mat…can’t you see that after 38 years I am walking? For crying out loud, this is a miracle of God. I’m going to jump and shout and carry my mat."

How about you…can you proudly talk about the good things God has done for you? If you know Jesus, you are a new person. You don’t have to live like you used to and make excuses or blame others. That’s what this bandage is all about. It says, "Jesus Saves." Check it out the next time you get injured. Put it on a wound and then look at the new skin that grows underneath--skin that’s free of the old germs, like making excuses and blaming others.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Last Shall Be First

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."   Mark 9:35 (NIV)

Kids, today I brought you all a great treat! (Show the children your basket of candy.) I want you all to line up down the center aisle, and I will pass out a piece of candy to each of you!

Now, everyone is going to choose what kind of candy they would like. But wait a minute! Didn't Jesus say that in his kingdom, the first would be last and the last first??? Well, instead of starting at the front of the line, I think I will go to the end of the line and start there. (Starting at the end of the line, pass out candy to each of the children. When you have finished, ask the children to return to the place where you will finish the lesson.)

Some of you were very surprised when I went to the end of the line and started passing out the candy, weren't you? I wanted you to get a bit of an idea of what Jesus might have meant when he said, "The first will be last and the last first."

Jesus taught us that in his kingdom, he doesn't want his followers (that's us) to be pushing to be first in line. He doesn't want us to think that what we want is more important than what other people want. He wants us to think first about other people's needs and put ourselves back a little. That might mean saying to someone, "You go first, I will go after you," or "I want to make sure all the children will get a piece of candy, so I will wait for my piece until every one else gets one."

Jesus wants us to be like him. He wants us to be kind and think about what is good for the other kids around us, not just what is good for us. Maybe that means getting at the end of the line behind all the other kids when something good is being passed out, or when people are being chosen to do something. God wants us to remember that other kid's needs and wants are just as important, or perhaps more important, than our own.

Jesus also wants us to be servants to other people. You know what a servant is, don't you? You know, like a waiter in a restaurant. The waiter doesn't sit down and eat when he is hungry and give himself food and take care of his own meal. The waiter makes sure everyone in the restaurant is taken care of and fed. A servant is a person who takes care of the needs of others first. Their own needs wait until everyone else has been served. Jesus wants us to be like that. He wants us to be humble, to be a servant, to put others before ourselves.