Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

Super Size It!

Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds, and they all ate and were satisfied. They picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve full baskets. Matthew 14:19-21 [NIV]

Do you like to go out to eat? If I were to ask you to name your favorite place to go out to eat, I might get a lot of different answers. If I were to ask you where you think the most popular restaurant in the entire world is, what would your answer be? (Allow the children to tell you where they think it is.) Well, my guess would be that the most popular restaurant in the entire world is McDonald's.  (Hold up your McDonald's item.)

I have some very interesting facts about McDonald's to share with you this morning. Did you know that there are over 30,000 McDonald's restaurants in over 120 countries? Did you know that McDonald's uses over three million pounds of potatoes a day? That's a lot of fries! Did you know that McDonald's serves over 45 million people each day!

What is it that makes McDonald's so popular? Is it that they serve the best food in the world? I don't think so. I think that much of McDonald's popularity can be summed up in these two little words -- "supersize it." You can go into McDonald's and order a cheeseburger, regular fries, and a medium drink for a very reasonable price. Or, you can "supersize it" and you get TWO cheeseburgers, large fries, and a large drink for only a few cents more! What a deal! No wonder so many people eat at McDonald's.

Now, you might think that McDonald's was the first to super size a meal, but not so! Let me tell you about a time when Jesus "supersized" a meal.

One day Jesus was teaching a group of over five thousand people. When it came time to eat, Jesus' disciples wanted him to send the people away, because there was not enough food for them. Jesus asked them how much food there was and they told him there were only five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took the bread and fish, blessed it, and gave it to the disciples to pass out to the people. The Bible says that all of the people ate and were satisfied. When they were through, they gathered up twelve baskets full of "leftovers." Now, that's what I call supersizing it!

We have been taught that "bigger is better," but that isn't always true. In fact, "little is much when God is in it."

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that when we give you all that we have, it will always be enough.   Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Feast for All

How many of you enjoy going on a picnic? Oh, so do I! Well, I brought my picnic basket this morning and we are going to use our imaginations and think of things that might be inside if we were going to have a picnic. Let's see, there would surely be sandwiches, chips, cookies, and some soft drinks. Can you think of anything I may have forgotten that you would enjoy eating on a picnic? (Give the children time to tell what they would want to eat on the picnic.)

I think we have enough food in our basket for a pretty nice picnic, don't you? If we had all of the things we mentioned, do you think there would be enough food for our group of children? What if everyone in our church came to our picnic, would there be enough food in our basket for the whole church? What if everyone in our town came to our picnic, would there be enough food to feed the whole town? No way! You couldn't feed the whole town with just this little basket of food.

One day Jesus and his disciples wanted to have some time to relax. They got into a boat and went away to a quiet place to rest. When they arrived, there were people there waiting for Jesus to teach them and heal the sick. Jesus had wanted to rest, but when he saw the people, he loved them so much that he forgot all about being tired. He healed the sick and taught the people about the kingdom of heaven.

Soon it was time to eat. The disciples went to Jesus and asked him to send the people away so that they could get something to eat. "They don't need to go away," Jesus said, "you feed them."

"All we have is five loaves of bread and two fish" the disciples answered.

Jesus told the disciples bring him the loaves and fish and to tell everyone to sit down on the grass. Jesus took the loaves and fish and looked up to heaven and gave thanks. He then gave the food to the disciples to give to the people. Everyone ate until they were satisfied. Then the disciples picked up the leftovers and there were twelve baskets full! The Bible tells us that there were five thousand men who were fed plus all the women and children.

Can you imagine feeding a whole town of people with one little picnic basket full of food? With Jesus, anything is possible!

Dear Jesus, help us to remember that when we give what we have to you, even a little bit is more than enough. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Walkin' on the Water

Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water. "He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" Matthew 14:28-31 [NASB]

As you can see, I have a tub of water and several other things with me this morning. Some of the items that I have with me will float in water and some of them will sink. I am going to show you an item and ask you to vote as to whether you think it will float or sink. Then we will put it in the water to see if you were right or not. Are you ready?

Here is a wooden building block. How many of you think it will float in the water? How many think it will sink? Let's try it and see. Great! Most of you were right. The block is floating in the water.

Here is the second item. A metal spoon. How many of you think it will float? How many think it will sink? Well, let's try it and see. You were right again! It sank!

Here is the another item. A piece of heavy duty foil. How many of you think it will float? How many think it will sink? Okay, let's see. You were right again! It floats!

Here is another piece of foil. It is exactly the same as the other one. (Wad it up into a ball.) Now how many of you think it will still float? How many think it will sink? Right again! It still floats.

Are you a floater or a sinker? Don't worry, I'm not going to throw you into a tub of water to find out, but I think we can find the answer in the Bible. Do you remember the story in the Bible when Jesus fed five thousand people with just five loaves of bread and two fish? After he had finished feeding the five thousand, Jesus told his disciples to get into their boat and go to the other side of the lake while he went up into the mountains to be alone and to pray.

While the disciples were going to the other side of the lake in their boat, the wind came up and the water began to get rough. The disciples became afraid that their boat would sink and they would be drowned. Then they looked, and they saw Jesus coming toward them and he was walking on the water. When Peter saw Jesus, he became excited and he said to him, "Lord, if that's really you, let me walk to you on the water. Jesus answered Peter and said, "Come."

Well Peter climbed over the side of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus. Then he began to look around, he felt the strong winds and saw the waves and he became afraid and started to sink. He cried out to Jesus, "Help, save me!" Jesus reached out his hand and saved Peter and he said to him, "Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

As long as Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he was walking on the water, but when he took his eyes off of Jesus, he began to sink. As we go through life, there will be some storms. We will encounter some pretty rough water. As long as we keep our eyes upon Jesus and put our trust in him, we will be okay. But when we take our eyes off of Jesus and put our confidence in our own ability, we will surely sink!

Dear Jesus, when the storms of life come against us, help us to keep our eyes on you and to put our trust in you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Clean Heart

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'   Matthew 15:18  [NIV®]

(In very dramatic fashion, begin by washing and drying your hands.  Then take out the banana, peel it, and take a bite before beginning your sermon.)

Do you ever forget to wash your hands before eating?  Oh, I think that we all forget occasionally.  I am sure that it is a good thing to wash your hands before eating, but, according to Jesus, there are some other things that are far more important.

The religious leaders during the time Jesus lived were very concerned about cleanliness.  They had many religious laws and traditions which they followed to make sure that nothing unclean went into their mouth.  One day some of these religious leaders asked Jesus why his disciples were not keeping their tradition of washing their hands before they ate.  (I guess Jesus' disciples sometimes forgot like you and I do.)  Jesus answered these religious leaders by telling them that what comes out of your mouth is more important than what you put into it. He said that the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart and those words show whether you are clean or unclean.

I am sure that you have heard the children's rhyme that says, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."  That sounds nice, but it just isn't true.  Words can hurt.  We can all remember a time when we have been hurt by someone's mean and hateful words.  God hears every word we say and he knows every thought we have in our heart.  It is very important for us to be careful about the things we think and say, because hateful words come from an unclean heart.

Dear Jesus, let the words that come from my mouth and the thoughts that I have in my heart be clean and pure -- and pleasing to you.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus' Love Is Stronger

The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him." Mark 1:27 (NIV)

Most of you probably know how to play the game "Rock, Scissors, Paper."  It is a game about who is the stronger.  The Rock is strong (make a fist) so it can break scissors (make scissors with two fingers), but scissors can cut paper (hold your hand out flat), and the paper is stronger than the rock because paper can cover rock.  Two or three people can play the game.  To start the game, put your fist in the palm of your hand and as one of the players counts to three you bring your fist down three times into your hand. On the third count you make rock, paper or scissors.  Since each thing is stronger than something else, the stronger one wins.  Oh, I forgot to tell you, the winner gets to slap the wrist of the other person.  Ouch!  That hurts!

"Rock, Scissors, Paper" is only a game, but in real life some boys and girls may try to show that they are stronger than others too.  Some children may try to show they are stronger by acting tough.  Others may try to show that they are stronger by saying mean things to other children.  Some may pick on children that they think are weak.  Some may even try to show that they are stronger by beating up on other children.  Ouch!  That hurts!

In our Bible lesson today, Jesus shows us how strong he is.  One Sabbath day, Jesus went to the synagogue and began to teach.  There was a man there who was possessed by an evil spirit.  When Jesus went near him, the man cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus?  Have you come to destroy us?  I know who you are, you are the holy one of God."

"Be quiet!" Jesus said.  Then  he spoke to the evil spirit, "Come out!"  Do you know what happened?  The evil spirit did exactly what Jesus told it to do.  The evil spirit came out of the man and the people were amazed.  They couldn't believe that Jesus was stronger than the evil spirits.

The people looked at one another and asked, "What is this?  He gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."

Jesus showed that he has power over evil. He showed that he is stronger than our worst enemy.  But the best thing about Jesus is that he never uses his strength to hurt people.  Instead of a slap on the wrist, or taking what he wants by force, he uses his power to help people.  That's because Jesus came to earth to show God's love for us.  When you and I follow Jesus' example, we will use our strength in a loving way to help others rather than than to hurt them.

Dear Jesus, help us to show your love as you showed your Father's love.  Help us to follow your example and use our strength to help others.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Crumbs from the Table

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said. He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." "Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."   Matthew 15:26-27 [NIV]

Do any of you have a dog? I once had a dog named Mac. When we were at home, Mac was usually in the house. When we sat down at the table to eat, Mac would take his place and sit quietly beside my son's chair. Can you guess why he always sat beside my son? He knew that our son was the most likely person at the table to drop some tasty bit of food on the floor, and when he did, Mac was right there to clean it up

There was another reason why Mac always sat patiently beside my son's chair. You see, my son loved Mac very much, and he always made certain that when he finished eating, he always left something on his plate for Mac to clean up. Even though the dinner was not prepared especially for Mac, it sure did not keep him from enjoying it.

When Jesus came to earth, he came to preach and teach first to the Jews. That does not mean that He didn't love the other people of the world, but the first priority in his ministry on earth was to bring God's chosen ones to repentance.

When other people saw Jesus healing the sick and lame, they followed him wherever he went. One day there was a woman from Canaan who came to Jesus and asked him to heal her daughter. Jesus explained to the woman that his first mission on earth was to preach to the people of Israel.

The woman refused to give up. She came closer, knelt down, and begged, "Please help me, Lord!"

Jesus replied, "It isn't right to take food away from children and feed it to dogs."

The woman answered Jesus and said, "Lord, that's true, but even dogs get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table."

Jesus was so touched by the faith of that woman that he told her that because of her faith, her daughter would be healed.

Even though Jesus came first to the Jew, he loved us so much that he shared his love with all of us. I guess I am a little bit like my dog Mac -- even though the meal was not prepared especially for me, it doesn't keep me from enjoying it. I will gladly sit at my Master's feet and thankfully receive whatever crumbs might fall from the table.

Dear Father, thank you for loving us so much that you shared your son with the whole world, so that through him we could be saved. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

How Do You Say, "I Love You?"

That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. Mark 1:32-34a (NIV)

There are times when I like to do something special to let my wife know how much I love her. I might give her a gift, take her out to eat, or I might give her some flowers. My wife really likes it when I give her flowers.

Flowers or a gift is a nice way to show someone that you love them, but do you know what is even better? It is better to show our love for someone by the nice things that we do for them each and every day. When someone is sick, a visit from a friend might do them more good than a dose of medicine. When someone is sad or having a bad day, a smile and a friendly "hello" would surely brighten their day. Have you ever seen someone sitting all alone at school who doesn't seem to have very many friends? If you sat down and talked to them, it just might make them feel as if someone cares about them. A simple act of kindness can say a lot more than a gift.

Jesus was always kind and helpful to the people he met. One day he was in the home of Simon Peter. Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever. Jesus went into the room where she was and took her by the hand and helped her out of bed. When Jesus touched her, the fever left her immediately. Later that evening people brought everyone who was sick and those who were demon-possessed so that Jesus could heal them. The Bible says that the whole town was gathered around outside the door. Jesus healed the sick and drove out evil spirits. Jesus showed his love by caring for those who needed his healing touch.

The next time you want to let someone know how much you care for them, remember that we show others we care, not just by sending flowers and gifts, but by showing acts of kindness each and every day -- just like Jesus did.

Dear Jesus, you showed us how to love. May we follow your example and show our love by acts of kindness toward others. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Looking for Jesus

Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" Mark 1:36-37 (NIV)

A few years ago, "Where's Waldo?" books (also known in some places as "Where's Wally?") were very popular. You still see them in bookstores and libraries. How many of you have seen a "Where's Waldo?" book? If you have, you know what Waldo looks like. He always wears a red and white striped ski cap and a matching sweater. Waldo has a rather goofy smile and wears thick, black-rimmed glasses. In these picture books, Waldo is always in every picture, but he is very hard to find. You can spend a lot of time looking for Waldo. Can you find Waldo in this picture? (Allow the children to look for Waldo if time permits.) Look! There he is!

Looking for Waldo can be a lot of fun, but in real life, looking for someone can much more serious. Our Bible lesson today tells about a day when a lot of people were looking for Jesus. They were looking for Jesus because they needed something that only he could give them.

Jesus had been traveling around the countryside teaching, preaching, and healing the sick. He had become very popular, and everywhere he went there were great crowds of people. They came to hear him teach about God's love and to be healed of their diseases.

One day Jesus went to visit in the home of Simon Peter. When he got there, Peter's mother-in-law was sick in bed with a fever, so they told Jesus about her right away. Jesus took her by the hand and helped her up. Immediatedly the fever left her. She was healed and went in and began to fix dinner for everyone. When the people heard that Jesus was at Peter's house, a large crowd of people began to gather outside the door. People brought their sick friends to Jesus, and he healed many people who had all different kinds of diseases.

The next morning, Jesus woke up before anyone else. He went outside to spend some time alone with his Father in prayer. Later, Peter and the other disciples went looking for Jesus. When they found him, they said, "Everyone is looking for you."

Jesus answered and said, "Let's go to the nearby towns and villages so that I can preach there also. That is why I have come." So Jesus traveled all around Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing people.

People today are still looking for Jesus. They are looking for Jesus because they need something that only he can give them -- forgiveness for sin and everlasting life. Are you looking for Jesus? The Bible says "If you search for him with all your heart and soul, you can find him." (Deut. 4:29) You will find him right here -- in the Bible.

Dear Father, many people today are searching for Jesus. We pray that today will be the day that they find him. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Hope for the Hopeless 

A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured. Mark 1:40-42

Do you know what this is? It is a bottle of medicine called calamine lotion. Calamine is a medicine that is sometimes used to help stop itching. Have you have ever had the chicken pox? When you have chicken pox, it starts out like a cold -- you feel lousy, have a runny nose, and run a fever. Then, all of a sudden, itchy red bumps start to break out all over your body. The itching drives you crazy, but you can't scratch, because that just makes it worse. It is a very uncomfortable feeling, but it isn't hopeless. Rubbing on some calamine lotion may help to ease the itching. In a few days, the sores go away, the itching stops, and life is back to normal again.

During the time when Jesus lived upon the earth, leprosy was very wide-spread and was a dreaded disease. When someone had leprosy, they were covered with sores all over their bodies. Unlike chicken pox, these sores didn't just go away. When someone had leprosy, it was hopeless, because there was no cure. To make matters worse, other people considered them to be unclean and were not allowed to touch them. Many people believed that people who had leprosy got the disease because of some terrible sin they had committed.

One day a man with leprosy came to Jesus. The man knelt down before Jesus and said, "If you will, you can make me clean." Jesus looked at the man and he felt love and compassion for him. He reached out his hand and touched the man and said, "I am willing, be clean." Immediately, the leprosy left the man and he was cured.

Sometimes, we may find ourselves in a situation where we are uncomfortable, like when we had the chicken pox. But there may come a time in our lives when we find ourselves in a situation that is truly hopeless. When that happens, where can we turn? How do we find hope in a hopeless situation? We can turn to Jesus. When the situation is hopeless, Jesus is our only hope.

Dear Jesus, you came to bring hope to the hopeless. When we find ourselves in a hopeless situation, we put our hope and trust in you. Amen.

[nChrist]

Hello Pastor Roger,

Brother, I'm almost sure that I've thanked you before for sharing these. If so, I want to thank you again. If not, I should have.

These "Sermons4Kids" really apply to all of us, and they are an excellent supplement for regular Bible study or ideas for Bible study.

SO:

THANKS!!

Love In Christ,
Tom

1 Timothy 4:4-6 NASB  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.

[Soldier4Christ]

Hello Pastor Roger,

Brother, I'm almost sure that I've thanked you before for sharing these. If so, I want to thank you again. If not, I should have.

These "Sermons4Kids" really apply to all of us, and they are an excellent supplement for regular Bible study or ideas for Bible study.

SO:

THANKS!!

Love In Christ,
Tom

1 Timothy 4:4-6 NASB  For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following.

Thank you, brother. I personally use each of these with my own grandchildren when they come over and they do come over frequently. It gives them something useful and constructive to do and I benefit from these devotions myself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Grab a Corner of the Blanket

Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Mark 2:3-5

This morning I have a blanket. I am going to spread the blanket out on the floor and ask "Johnny" to lie down on the blanket. Next I will ask a child to stand at each of the four corners of the blanket. (Choose children to take their positions as described.)

Our friend "Johnny" has broken his leg and we need to get him to the doctor. If I were to ask the children who are standing at the corners of the blanket to grab a corner of the blanket and carry "Johnny" out the door, down the street and into the doctor's office, that would be pretty difficult, wouldn't it? Do you think you could do it? Would you be willing to try?

Well, let us suppose that you can do it, but when you get to the doctor's office, there are so many people waiting to get in to see the doctor, that you can't even get up to the door, much less get into the office. Then you notice that the doctor's office has some stairs that lead up to the roof. If you could carry "Johnny" up to the roof, perhaps you could make a hole in the roof and lower him down into the doctor's office. Do you think you could do it? Would you be willing to try?

Did you know that this is almost exactly what happened when a group of men wanted to take a friend to Jesus? The Bible tells us that four men were carrying a paralyzed man to Jesus. They knew that if they could just get him to Jesus that Jesus could heal him, but they couldn't get to where Jesus was because of the large crowd. The four men carried their friend up to the roof and made an opening in the roof. Then they lowered the man down through the roof to where Jesus was. When Jesus saw how much faith these four men had, he not only healed the paralyzed man, he even forgave him of all his sins.

You and I have friends who need to come to Jesus. It may not be easy, but if each of us will do our part, together we can succeed. We may meet obstacles, but we must never give up. We must hold on to our corner of the blanket and carry on until we bring them to Jesus.

Dear Jesus, we all have friends who need your healing and your forgiveness. May we be faithful to grab a corner of the blanket and bring them to you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Peace, Be Still

And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Mark 4: 39 (NIV)

As you see, I have a toy boat this morning. This little boat reminds me that we are entering into the summer months and many people will be getting into their boats and going out onto the lakes.

Some may go fishing, some may go skiing, and others may just be out enjoying the ride in the boat. Boating season is also the season for thunderstorms too, so when you are out in a boat, you must always be watchful for storms. A storm can come up quite suddenly and you may need to get safely to shore.

One day, Jesus and some of his disciples were out on a lake in a boat. Suddenly, without warning, a storm came up. The wind blew so hard, and the waves were so high, that water was coming into the boat and the boat was about to be turned over.

While the winds and waves tossed the little boat about, Jesus slept peacefully at one end of the boat. Some of the disciples became upset that Jesus was sleeping. They went to Jesus and asked him, "Master, don't you even care that we are about to die?"

Jesus got up and spoke to the winds and the sea.

He said, "Peace, be still."

As soon as he spoke, the winds stopped blowing and the sea became calm. Jesus' friends were amazed! They said, "Who is this man that even the winds and the waves obey him?"

Sometimes, there are sudden storms in our life. It may be an illness, a family problem, or the death of a friend or loved one. During these times, Jesus can calm the storms of doubt and fear in our life. He doesn't always take away all of the problems, but if we will trust in him, he will give us peace in our hearts even in the middle of a storm.

Jesus, we thank you for those times when you calm the storms that come up in our lives. We also thank you for those times when you give us peace even though we are in the middle of a storm. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

There Is Power in a Touch

When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. Mark 5:27-29 (NIV)

As you may know, we have five senses. The five senses are sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch. Each of these senses is very important to us. This morning we are going to test our sense of touch and discover the power that is ours in the sense of touch.

I have a bag full of different objects. I will ask one of you to close your eyes and I will hand you one of the objects. Without looking, you must to tell me what the object is just by touching it.

(After several minutes of allowing the children to identify various objects by touch, continue with the sermon.)

The sense of touch is very important, isn't it? We can often tell what an object is by its size, shape, and texture -- all of which can be learned by using our sense of touch. This morning I want to tell you about a woman who experienced the power of Jesus -- just by touching him.

One day Jesus was walking through a large crowd of people. The people were crowding around so that he could hardly move. There was a woman in the crowd who had a very bad sore that had been bleeding for twelve years. She had been to many doctors, but none had been able to help her. She had heard about Jesus and she believed that he could heal her, but there were so many who were people crowded around him that it seemed hopeless.

The woman thought to herself, "If I could just get close enough to touch his robe, I would be healed." So she pushed through the crowd and reached out and touched Jesus' clothes. Her bleeding stopped immediately and her suffering was ended.

The Bible tells us that as soon as the woman touched him, Jesus felt the power go out of him. He turned to the woman and said, "Your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free from your suffering."

Won't you reach out to Jesus today? If you will, you too can feel his power in your life today.

Dear Jesus, we long to reach out and touch you and to feel your power in our life. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Don't Forget Your Umbrella

He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Mark 6:5-6

As you can see, I have my umbrella with me this morning. You might be wondering why I would be carrying my umbrella this morning when there isn't a cloud in the sky. No, I'm not carrying my umbrella to shade me from the hot sun. I am carrying my umbrella because we need rain and I am going to pray and ask God to send the rain we need. How many of you believe that God has the power to make it rain?

Well, I got to thinking about that and I thought to myself, "We say that we believe God can make it rain, but we pray for rain and we don't even carry our umbrella with us." It doesn't seem to me that we really believe that God has the power to make it rain.

Did you know that our lack of faith can limit the power of God? That's what the Bible says.

One time Jesus was in his hometown. When the Sabbath came, he was teaching in the synagogue. Many of the people who heard Jesus' teaching started to criticize him. "Who does he think he is? And where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't he the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Don't his sisters live right here in the same town with us?"

The Bible tells us that because of their lack of faith, Jesus was powerless do any miracles there, except to heal a few sick people.

Jesus said, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." So, if you really believe that God has the power to make it rain, the next time you ask God to make it rain, don't forget your umbrella!

Dear Jesus, we say we believe, but sometimes our actions don't show it. Help us to show our faith by our actions. Amen.