Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

God Will Provide a Way To Escape

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

I'll never forget an experience I had as a five-year-old. I was visiting kindergarten for the first time, and I got stuck in the restroom. I was able to unlock the door, but it just wouldn't budge open. I pushed and pulled, but I couldn't get it to move. Then I panicked. Had the teacher forgotten about me? Would anyone ever find me? I began to cry, and thankfully, the teacher came to my rescue. She told me to crawl under the door to get out. How silly of me! Why hadn't I thought of that myself? Soon I was on the other side and finally felt relief!

Have you ever been trapped somewhere and had the feeling that you wouldn't be able to get out? Have you ever been tempted to do something wrong and just didn't feel like doing the right thing? Sometimes when being tempted to do wrong, you feel so alone and maybe you even think that the most important people in your lives have forgotten about you.

But God hasn't! In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul says that God is faithful and will not leave you helpless in times of temptation. God will always provide a way for you to escape temptation.

Sometimes God allows temptations to happen in your life in order to test your faith in Him. Your circumstances may seem tough, but God offers you encouragement for each test. First, you are not alone. Every Christian is tempted to do wrong. Second, God knows how strong your faith is and knows how much you can take. Third, God always provides a way for you to escape temptation. He provides parents, teachers, and friends to help you resist temptation. He also gives you His Word, to help you fight temptation (Ephesians 6:10-11). Remember when Jesus was tempted by the Devil? Each time the Devil tempted Him (Luke 4), Jesus responded with verses from Scripture.

As a five-year-old, I wasn't able to see that I could just crawl under the door to escape. Sometimes you might think that there's no way that you escape temptations. But God knows exactly how He can help you, and He has promised to provide a way!

God always provides a way for you to resist temptation.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Sending a King

"Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things." (Psalm 72:18)

Do you ever wish you could be a king or queen? It seems like kings and queens have everything! They have whatever food they want. They have servants to do their every bidding. People have to bow down to them out of respect. They tell their military leaders when to go to war. They can give away their money or jewels to whomever they want. It seems like being a king or queen would be the best thing in all the world.

David was a king, but he knew that his subjects, the people of Israel, deserved a better king than he was. So he prayed for a great king to rule perfectly over Israel. He wrote this prayer down in Psalm 72.

God is going to send a righteous king (vv.1-3, 7). Because God's king will treat all people fairly, whether they are rich or poor, there will be peace for a very long time. When God's king rules, there will be peace all over the world. God's king will rule "from sea to sea and....unto the ends of the earth" (v. . Kings from all over the world, including places such as Spain and Saudi Arabia, will come to him with gifts because of how great he is.

God is going to send a king who will protect the "poor and needy" from evil. He will "redeem their soul from deceit and violence." This king will care for his people so much that he will protect them not only from physical danger but also from spiritual harm.

God is going to send a king who will rule forever! Sometimes people in history have been glad when a king died, because he was not a good king. But the king that God will send will be blessed – that means honored – by all nations because of how wonderful he is.

So David blesses the Lord God because He will do the wondrous thing of sending this great king. David did not know who the king would be, but you and I do. Jesus is the king! When the wise men came looking for Jesus, they asked where the King of the Jews would be born. At the triumphal entry the people called Jesus a king. When Jesus spoke to Pilate at His trial, He told Pilate about His kingdom. Jesus is the king for whom David prayed.

God has sent a King for you to honor – and that King is coming again!

[Soldier4Christ]

God Created Everything

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1)

When you look at a building, you know that there had to be a builder. The evidence of his work is right in front of you. When you look at a painting, you know that there had to be an artist. When you look at a pizza, you know that there was a pizza-maker!

What if I told you that the building built itself, that the painting painted itself, and that I had an empty fridge, but somehow pepperoni and cheese and flour just appeared and became a pizza? You would probably laugh just thinking about it. Many people, however, think that the universe did just that; it just "came together" on its own. They don't believe that there was a Designer or Creator. Are they right? God says in Genesis that God created all things. He created the sun, moon, and stars; He created the animals and plants; He created us!

Let's look for a moment at our Universe. Did you know that there are 70,000-million-million-million (that's 7 with 22 zeros behind it) stars in the universe? Did you know that there are 206 bones in our body (and 6 of them are in your ear!)? Wow!

Those are only two facts that demonstrate how amazing our universe is. It is so complicated that even the most brilliant scientists do not understand how everything works together. What does that show you and I? Paul says in Romans 1:20 that since the beginning of the world, God's invisible attributes – specifically His power and "God-ness" – have been clear to anyone with eyes because God's creation proves that He's powerful and that He's God. If we simply look around us, we can clearly see that there must be a Creator and Designer of the world.

God says that He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He has told us that He created everything. Let us praise Him for His wonderful design and creation!

God tells me in His Word that He is the Creator of all things.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Cares for You

As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me....Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee; He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:16, 22)

Most likely, you already know that God commanded you to honor your parents. You know that He commanded you to be kind. But did you know that Jesus commanded you to think about flowers? He did!

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow," Jesus said. "They toil not, neither do they spin." In other words, they don't worry about a thing! "And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." Jesus continues, "Consider the ravens; for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?"

If God cares enough to take care of the flowers and the birds, how much more does He care about you, the child He created in His very own image! It doesn't matter how small your problem is. Flowers and birds aren't very big, either, but God cares about them. He is concerned about everything that you're concerned about.

Since God cares so much about your problems, how should you respond? Should you wring your hands and try to fix your problems all by yourself? Should you go running to a friend or to your parents, expecting them to make everything right? No; your Lord Jesus doesn't want you to be worried. He told His disciples the same thing: "Therefore take no thought saying, What shall we eat? Or What shall we drink? Or Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

Isn't it wonderful to know that God hears you? He is more concerned about your burdens than you are, and if you call upon Him, He will help you. He will hold you up. He will give you the strength you need to face your problems – He really will! He cares more about your problems than you do. He created you.

Cast your burden upon Him today, and then do what you know is right. Just obey Him, trusting Him to take care of the rest.

God takes care of birds and flowers, so He will surely take care of me!

[Soldier4Christ]

Christ Has Promised His Presence

"I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:20b)

Have you ever had such wonderful news that you were just bursting to tell someone else? Maybe you got a good grade on a test, or perhaps you won an important ballgame. Good news is something you always enjoy sharing, isn't it?

But what about the Gospel – the Good News about Christ's death and resurrection? Do you enjoy sharing that Good News?

For some reason, it's easy to talk to other Christians about what Jesus Christ has done and is doing in your life. But when it comes to talking to people who don't know Him, it just seems a lot harder. What if they think you're weird? Or what if they make fun of you? Or what if they just don't understand? Because you don't know how they may respond, there are times when you might feel afraid, or even pretend that you don't know Jesus.

But Jesus wants you to share Him with others! In fact Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20a, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." These are words that Jesus spoke to His disciples, in His last earthly message, before He ascended to heaven. Jesus told them that they should teach others about Him and show them how to be followers of Him. If you are serious about being a follower of Christ, then this command is for you, too.

Wow, what a big task! Maybe even a scary one as well! But the best part is that Jesus offers you a promise with His command: I am with you always, even to the end of the world. (Matthew 28:20b). Always – that includes when you speak to others about Jesus! Even though you may feel afraid and even outnumbered at times, Jesus is always with you. You can be confident because Jesus has assured you that you are not alone!

Jesus is with me when I talk to others about Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Gives Rewards

One night as my family was walking into a store, we heard a woman yelling that her purse had been stolen. Just then, we saw a man in a green jacket run right past us carrying the stolen purse! Immediately my dad and another man took off chasing after the thief. Realizing he was going to be caught, the thief threw the purse underneath a parked car and continued fleeing the scene. My dad and the other man finally caught the thief and turned him over to the police.

While my dad was busy trying to catch the thief, a few kids found the purse and returned it to the woman. She was so happy to get her purse back that she started giving out money to reward the kids. But by the time my dad came back with the police the woman was all out of money, and my dad didn't get anything as a reward!

Later I asked Dad if it bothered him that the kids got reward money for returning the purse when he didn't get anything for catching the thief. I'll never forget his answer. He said that it had bothered him for a minute, but then he remembered that we are here to serve God and that God gives rewards for service to Him.

Throughout the Bible, God's rewards are often referred to as crowns. Let's look at what the Bible says about God and His rewards.

God rewards those who are waiting for Him to come back (2 Timothy 4:. Jesus is coming back someday. You need to be looking forward to that day and be ready for that day to come.

God rewards pastors (1 Peter 5:4). Your pastor has the responsibility to protect you from danger and to teach you God's Word. It is a tough job – you need to pray for him.

God rewards those who don't give in to temptation (James 1:12). First Corinthians 10:13 teaches that everyone is tempted. In fact, the verse says that temptation is common to all. But God will not allow you to be tempted to the point that you cannot resist the temptation. God always provides a way of escape. And when you do resist temptation, God gives a reward!

God's reward will last forever (1 Corinthians 9:25). Paul says that people who win a footrace get a prize that will not last forever. But when God rewards us, His reward will last forever.

Remember that money that the woman gave to the kids who found her purse? That money probably didn't last the kids more than a week. But remember the reward my dad reminded me about? When he gets that reward, it will be forever!

God gives rewards to those who follow Him and obey His Word.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Best

Choices: it seems that there's always another one to make. What to wear for school; what to have for lunch; what seat to sit in at school. Have you ever gone back and forth between two choices? You wanted to make the best decision, but you couldn't decide which one it was.

We all want the best, whether it is the best decision or the best toy or the best score on a video game. Best is a good word to describe our God, too.

God is the best friend we can have. Do you have a best friend? As a kid, I always wanted a best friend and wanted to be someone's best friend. Proverbs 18:24 says, "There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." God proved that He is that friend when He said, "I am with you always" and "I will never leave you or forsake you." No matter what is happening in your life, God will always be there for you. You cannot travel to a place on this earth where God will not be. You can't hide from God. He is always there and will never leave you. He is the best friend you can have.

God is the best God. "Wait a minute!" you might be thinking. "I thought that there is only one God!" There is only one true God, but there are many false gods. That is why one of the Ten Commandments is, "Thou shalt not have any gods before me." Paul often talked about the false gods that people worshipped in the cities he visited.

The Bible teaches that anything we think is more important than God is a false god to us. It can be anything – TV, school, friends, games, or a musical instrument. If we are so busy with those things that we are not spending time with God, then we are worshipping a false god.

We know that God is the best God, because He is the only true God. The gods many people worship cannot help or even hear their worshippers. But your God hears you and helps you every day, even if you don't see His help.

God is the best choice. Joshua told his army to choose whom they were going to serve: the false gods of the land or the true God. You have to make that same choice each day. Who are you going to serve? God is the best choice.

God is best.

[Soldier4Christ]

God the Son Is Better

"God, who...spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds....Being made so much better than the angels." (Hebrews 1:1-2, 4a)

When I was in school I had a friend who was really smart. Every time we finished taking a test, I asked him how he did. I remember the extremely rare times when I did better than he did. I was so happy! I think all of us have a desire to be better than someone else.

Did you know that the Bible tells us that Jesus is better than anyone else who has lived? The first chapter of Hebrews tells us that He is better than prophets and angels.

First, Jesus is better than the prophets. God used men called prophets to tell the world what He wanted them to know (vv.1-3). These prophets were important people who did amazing things. For example, Elijah asked God for fire to come down from heaven, and God sent it. And Daniel was thrown into a den of lions, but God didn't let the lions hurt him. A third prophet, Elisha, made a river split into two so he could walk across on dry land.

But the only way these prophets could do these things was because God worked through them. The first part of Hebrews 1 teaches us that Jesus is better than the prophets. Why? First, because Jesus is the Creator of everything, including those prophets! Second, because He upholds everything, He is the one who made it possible for the prophets to do their work. Third, the prophets were sinners, so they could not save anyone from his sins. But Jesus never sinned. In fact, He cleansed our sins (v. 3).

Not only is Jesus better than the prophets, but second, He is better than the angels. We know that God uses angels for special jobs. It was an angel who told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus. An angel warned Lot and his family and told them Jesus had risen from the dead.

But for all of the supernatural power that angels have, Jesus is still better than they are. God hasn't called any of the angels His Son – only Jesus has that honor (v. 5). In fact, God told the angels to worship Jesus when Jesus came to earth to be born as a baby (v. 6). Angels have their place, but they are under Jesus the King (vv. 7-9). Angels are to care for those who will be saved, but Jesus is the one who provides the salvation (v. 14).

If a prophet or even an angel were to die for you, it would do nothing to save you from your sins. But since Jesus is God, His death provides a way for you to be saved from your sins. That power makes Him far better than prophets and angels.

Jesus is better than anyone else, including prophets and angels.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Good

"For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." (Psalm 100:5)

As a kid I always loved going over to visit my "cousins." They weren't really my cousins, but since our families spent so much time together, we called each other cousins. It was fun to be at David's house because his dad was a police officer and had really cool things to show us...such as real handcuffs! And what made David's house even more fun was that he had a big swimming pool in his backyard.

Without fail, every time I was ready to go down the street and play at David's house, my mom would tell me something that you have probably heard before: "Be good!" Why would Mom have to tell me to be good? She told me because she knew that my being good was a choice I had to make.

But no one has to tell God to "be good," because He just is good. He can't choose to do wrong.

God's goodness is seen in His creation. Right after God finished creating the world, He looked at it and saw that He had done something good. Genesis 1:31 says, "And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." God never has to do anything over; everything was good the first time He created it.

God's goodness is seen in His involvement in our lives. Have you ever read the story of Joseph in the Bible? Joseph's brothers hated him, so they sold him to a group of people who were going to use Joseph as a slave. But God was being good to Joseph the whole time that all of this was going on.

Eventually God put Joseph in a very high position in a foreign country. Joseph used his high position in the land to prepare for a seven-year famine. Back in his home country, Joseph's family ran out of food and had to go to the land where Joseph lived so that they could get more food.

When Joseph's brothers came to him for food, what was his response? He forgave them and gave them as much as they needed. Why did Joseph do that and not try to get even with his brothers for selling him to be a slave? He didn't try to get even because he understood God's goodness. In Genesis 50:20, Joseph says, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."

Joseph understood that God allowed all those things to happen to him so he would be in a position to help thousands of people during the famine. God is always working in your life, and it is good!

God's goodness is seen in His gifts. Have you ever wanted to get the perfect gift for someone? Maybe at Christmas time you go up and down the aisles of the store looking for that perfect gift for Mom or Dad. When they open the gift, you are holding your breath with excitement, hoping that they just absolutely love the gift that you picked out.

God is constantly giving us gifts, which the Bible describes as "good gifts." James 1:17 says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

God doesn't have to be told to be good, because He is good. And according to Psalm 52:1, His goodness endures forever!

God is always good, and He is only good.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Has A Plan For Each of Us

Psalm 25:4-5 "Shew me thy ways, 0 Lord: teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

God promises to be with us every step of the way.

Have you ever thought, "I'm really just a "nobody" and what can I do for God?" Moses felt that way. Moses tells God in Exodus 3:11 "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" And in Exodus 4:10, And Moses said unto the LORD, "0 my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." Moses begged God to send another, but the Lord became angry and told Moses that his brother Aaron could help and speak the words that should be said. Then God said this to Moses, "And thou shalt speak unto him (Aaron) and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do."

God had a very special plan that needed to be accomplished. God chose someone to complete the task who was not famous or popular. I don't believe Moses went around thinking, "I want everyone to notice me. I must do something great!" He had a humble heart and a desire to serve yet felt he wasn't worthy. God said something very important to Moses, "I will teach you what ye shall do." God is still looking today for someone who is not proud, but someone who desires to serve with humility. God has a specific plan for those who are willing to step forward and say they will do what God wants them to - even though they feel the task is too hard. God promises to be with us every step of the way.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is My Strength

"The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him." (Exodus 15:2)

Hooves pounding, chariots racing, spears glistening in the sun – the children of Israel looked back and saw Pharaoh and his army coming after them.

The Israelites left Egypt and were on their way to the Promised Land, when they found themselves standing at the Red Sea. Around that time, Pharaoh decided that he wanted his slaves back and began pursuing the Israelites. Suddenly, the children of Israel were in a "box" situation, surrounded on all sides with no way out. But God is always watching over His children. He brought deliverance to the children of Israel by parting the Red Sea and allowing them to cross on dry ground before the Red Sea came crashing down on the Egyptians.

After this huge deliverance, Moses wrote a song of praise to the Lord. He praised the Lord for showing His strength to His children and proving His control of every situation. When you are weak and surrounded with no way out, the Lord promises to be your strength. He will show His might and His power to you. There is no circumstance too big for God to handle. As a child of God, you need to remember that through every trial, God is in control. Not only will He show you that He is your God, but He will also take care of you and be your strength.

There are no situations that are too big for God to handle.

[Soldier4Christ]

God is the Greatest Teacher

Psalm 119:4-7 "Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments."

God knows exactly what circumstances to give you to teach and bring you closer to Him.

One day, I decided to make a pitcher of tea. I had never made a whole pitcher of tea before, but I figured you just boil some water and pour it into a pitcher with tea bags. What could go wrong? As I boiled the water, I pulled my pitcher off the shelf and threw 5 or 6 tea bags in it. When the water started boiling, I picked up the pot to pour the water, but then set it down. It was a big pot and I figured it would be better to move the pitcher from the counter to the sink -- in case I spilled some. After I pour the water in, I happily said to myself "didn't spill a drop!". Then, as I picked up the pitcher, the whole bottom fell out and boiling hot tea is splashed all over the sink. At first I was annoyed at my folly--this was a glass pitcher--not "ovenware". But in the end, I was thankful I put the pitcher in the sink. Boiling water all over my stomach and legs would have been more serious than a broken pitcher.

It probably was not a sin to pour boiling water into a glass pitcher--I was not breaking any of God's commandments by doing so, but God very gently warned me never to do that again! And I never shall unless I want to break a pitcher! God could have taught me the same lesson with burns, but there are other lessons God is teaching me right now and I believe He felt it best that I not be physically burned. God is perfect in His teaching and instruction. Even an act done in ignorance to God's commands (or physics) will have some consequences.

God knows exactly what circumstances to give you to teach and bring you closer to Him. The same sin could bring more severe consequences for one person than another. Likewise the same act of goodness could bring more reward for one person than another. A simple act of goodness can bring you more pleasure than you feel you deserve. Other times, when you do something good, you may feel like it was not worth the effort because of the result--but even in that, God is teaching you important lessons. Look at your heart, your motive and your ultimate desires in life and measure them against what is happening. Your pure act of goodness will be rewarded in heaven and your sin in ignorance will have taught you more about our great God. Ultimately, though, God wants us to learn what sin is so we don't suffer those consequences.

[Soldier4Christ]

God Cares for Me

Psalm 103:14 "For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust."

God cares about me even though I am nothing but dust.

Dust, it's the stuff that accumulates under your bed, or on your dresser, or on top of the refrigerator, or other places that never get cleaned. It's the stuff your mom tries to clean off all of the furniture around the house. I don't know about you, but I don't like dust. To me, it's just annoying. Dust is certainly something you wouldn't try to gather some of and take care of, or protect, or even talk to. Most people would think you were strange if you did any of those things. After all, it's just dust, it's not important; it's not worth anything.

But do you know that God describes you and me as dust? Psalms 103:14 says, "For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust." The phrase, "He knoweth our frame," means that God knows what we are made of. And He should know what we are made of because He created us. Genesis 2:7 says God created man from "the dust of the ground." You are nothing more important or significant than dust.

But even though you are dust and seemingly unimportant, God does love you, and care for you, and protect you. He does want to talk to you through His Word, and He also wants you to talk to Him through prayer. We should thank God that He cares so much about us. The whole point of Psalm 103 is that we should bless God for everything He has done for us such as forgiving and forgetting our sins, showing us mercy, healing us from sickness, and giving us strength. It's great that we have a God that cares about us even though we are dust and don't deserve it!

[Soldier4Christ]

God Is Trustworthy

"O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." (Psalm 84:12)

"Come on, Danny. Jump in! I'll catch you!"

Danny listened as his dad called him to jump into the pool. It was a hot summer day, and Danny and his dad were spending an afternoon at the swimming pool. The only problem was that Danny didn't know how to swim. And even though his father promised to catch him, Danny was afraid to jump into the water.

Danny had a wonderful dad. His dad always made sure that he had clothes to wear and good food to eat. He played ball with Danny every day after school and helped him with his homework. He made sure Danny was warm enough when the weather turned cold and took him swimming in the summer when it was hot. Once when Danny was playing in the street, his dad saved his life by running and snatching Danny from the road just before a car hit him. But even though Danny's father loved him very much and was always there to take care of him, Danny did not trust his dad to catch him when he jumped into the water.

You might be just like Danny. Your Heavenly Father sacrificed His only Son so that you could have eternal life. He provides for all your needs, He blesses you everyday, and He answers your prayers. He's done all this for you, and yet you still might struggle with trusting Him with your daily problems and needs. When you go through difficult situations, God wants you to trust Him. You can trust Him because He is God: He knows all and rules over all. He is your strength and refuge. Psalm 62:8 says, "Trust in him at all times, ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us."

Trust God with all your problems because He is trustworthy.

[Soldier4Christ]

Jesus Is Our Leader

"And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him." (Matthew 9:9)

"Hey! Follow me!" And around the big concrete cistern they walked, hopped, and ran. The older ones were the leaders and the younger ones quickly followed. Around and around the hole they went walking and jumping and having a great time. I stood off to the side watching – I was afraid to follow – afraid that I would fall into the big hole. But not my little brother! He ran right up and followed the leader, joining in the game until he tried to jump over the hole like the older, much bigger boys.

"Mom! Dad! Ronald fell into the hole!" My parents and their friends came running to rescue my little brother. Someone went down into the hole and rescued Ronald, and although he looked very hurt and badly shaken, he was okay after a trip to the emergency room.

Ronald got hurt that day because he chose to follow the wrong person. The activity they were doing was unsafe – but he didn't think about that because he was following someone else. It was not safe for anyone to play around that concrete cistern.

Whom are you following? Are you following Jesus or are you following another person? Are you following the things of Jesus or the things of the world? Jesus wants us to follow Him, much as He called men like Matthew to follow Him during His earthly ministry. It is dangerous to follow the people or things of the world. Follow Jesus!

We should follow Jesus by obeying His instructions.