Childrens Sermon Service

Good morning! I want you to imagine that you are on a big
ship out on the ocean on a cruise to some faraway place. As you
are playing on the deck, you slip and fall off the ship into the
ocean. What would you do? (Let them answer.)

Yes, I'm sure you would yell as loudly as you could so that
someone on the ship would hear you. And if someone did hear you,
they would throw you one of these. (Show them the picture.) If
you held on to this, you could float until they stopped the ship
and picked you up. If they didn't throw you this, what would
happen to you? (Let them answer.)

Well, in a way, this world we live in is like an ocean. We
are all in need of a "life preserver" to save us from drowning in
the world. We are all sinful; that is, we all do things that God
doesn't want us to do. Now the penalty for sin is death -- not
just the end of our life here on earth, but eternal death;
separation from God forever! We certainly don't want that, do we?
(Let them answer.)

Just like we couldn't save ourselves if we fell off the
ship, we can't save ourselves here either. We need somebody to
throw us a life preserver. And our wonderful God does that for
us. The life preserver He throws is faith. He says that anyone
who believes in Jesus will be saved. Do all of you believe that
Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins? (Let them answer.)

Okay, then you have your life preserver. As long as you hold
on to it, you will be safe until Jesus comes to pick you up and
take you to be with him in heaven forever.

Dear Friend Jesus: We are so thankful that you have thrown us the
life preserver of faith. Give us the strength to hold on to it
forever. Amen.