God's Stamp Of Approval
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: a rubber stamp that reads "Paid"
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever had to suffer? (let them answer) Suffering is not much fun, is it? I don't know anyone who likes to suffer. There is usually a lot of pain connected with suffering. If you have ever broken a leg or had a lie told about you that other people believed, then you know what it is like to suffer in pain. God knows that we have pain and he tried to show us how to get along and use the pain to become better and stronger people. Christians have to use pain often to help them learn to love more and hate less.
Work is hard and most people would like to work less, if they could. But if they want certain things such as a house to live in, a car to ride in, clothes to wear, and food to eat, then they have to work. If they want to take a vacation, then they work a little harder so they can have some free time without any work. All of the things that we like so well must be paid for with our work. When you pay for a house, a car, food, or a vacation, the person you buy them from stamps the bill with a big word that says, "Paid." These things are all yours after that word is stamped on your sales slip. You must work very hard to get something stamped "Paid." You may even suffer a little to have a lot. But when you get the big stamp that says, "Paid," it all seems worth it.
It is something like suffering for God's sake. God doesn't cause you to suffer, but you want to stick up for what God says is right. Being a Christian means teaching Christian ways, and a lot of people in this world think that there are other ways. They like to cheat, lie, steal, and have whatever they want, when they want it. You would not want to get things this way and you may have to tell others to stop doing it. That could make you suffer. They may lie about you or try to hurt you. It may be painful being a Christian at a time like this, but you have to do it. You must suffer the pain. You could pretend that you didn't see or hear it when people do things that are wrong. You could even help people do what is wrong, pretending that you did not have any choice. But that would be wrong, and it would not be doing what is Christian.
Sometimes Christians must suffer pain. They must even suffer a long time for what is right. But when they suffer for doing right, then God approves them. God does the same thing for the person who suffers while doing right that the clerk does when he or she marks "Paid" on something that you have worked very hard to get. Life is not always easy and fun. Sometimes you must suffer a lot to be someone that you will like. God knows this and approves the Christian who sticks with it. He will not mark you with a stamp, but you will know when God smiles on you for doing what is right, even though you had to suffer through it.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever had to suffer? (let them answer) Suffering is not much fun, is it? I don't know anyone who likes to suffer. There is usually a lot of pain connected with suffering. If you have ever broken a leg or had a lie told about you that other people believed, then you know what it is like to suffer in pain. God knows that we have pain and he tried to show us how to get along and use the pain to become better and stronger people. Christians have to use pain often to help them learn to love more and hate less.
Work is hard and most people would like to work less, if they could. But if they want certain things such as a house to live in, a car to ride in, clothes to wear, and food to eat, then they have to work. If they want to take a vacation, then they work a little harder so they can have some free time without any work. All of the things that we like so well must be paid for with our work. When you pay for a house, a car, food, or a vacation, the person you buy them from stamps the bill with a big word that says, "Paid." These things are all yours after that word is stamped on your sales slip. You must work very hard to get something stamped "Paid." You may even suffer a little to have a lot. But when you get the big stamp that says, "Paid," it all seems worth it.
It is something like suffering for God's sake. God doesn't cause you to suffer, but you want to stick up for what God says is right. Being a Christian means teaching Christian ways, and a lot of people in this world think that there are other ways. They like to cheat, lie, steal, and have whatever they want, when they want it. You would not want to get things this way and you may have to tell others to stop doing it. That could make you suffer. They may lie about you or try to hurt you. It may be painful being a Christian at a time like this, but you have to do it. You must suffer the pain. You could pretend that you didn't see or hear it when people do things that are wrong. You could even help people do what is wrong, pretending that you did not have any choice. But that would be wrong, and it would not be doing what is Christian.
Sometimes Christians must suffer pain. They must even suffer a long time for what is right. But when they suffer for doing right, then God approves them. God does the same thing for the person who suffers while doing right that the clerk does when he or she marks "Paid" on something that you have worked very hard to get. Life is not always easy and fun. Sometimes you must suffer a lot to be someone that you will like. God knows this and approves the Christian who sticks with it. He will not mark you with a stamp, but you will know when God smiles on you for doing what is right, even though you had to suffer through it.
