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Being Ready

Children's sermon
Matthew 24:36-44
Teresa L. Major
A Time To Plant
52 Children's Sermons
A few years ago, my sister and I went to the beach for the weekend. We stayed way up high on an upper floor of a hotel. We had a great time, swimming, shopping, watching dolphins jump, and just relaxing. But the last night we were there something frightening happened.

Very early in the morning, when it was still a little dark outside, an alarm went off in our hotel room. A loud speaker blared, "Attention! Attention! This is an emergency! Smoke has been detected on your floor. Find the nearest exit and leave immediately!" We were scared! We jumped out of bed so we could get dressed and get out of there.

But I was not ready for an emergency. I had not been careful with my clothes the night before and they were thrown all over the room. I could not find my shorts or my shirt. I couldn't find my shoes, my keys, or my pocketbook and there was no time to spare. Finally, I found something to put on and hurried down to safety. Because I wasn't ready, something bad could have happened.

It's important to be prepared. What happens at school when you are not ready for a test? (Children respond.) How about when you're playing baseball and someone pitches the ball before you're ready? (Children respond.) Suppose you were to go to a party and your mom gave you chores to do before you could go. You didn't do them and you were not ready when it was time to leave. What would happen? (Children respond.)

What happens if we're not ready to meet Jesus and learn about him? We'll miss out on something quite special. If we're not ready for Jesus, we may not learn how much he cares for us and loves us. If we're not ready for him, we might miss out on everything Jesus has for us.

We never know what's going to happen to us, but we need to be ready to face whatever comes our way. We can't wait too long to get ready or it may be too late.

Don't wait too long to get ready! Let's pray for one another this week. God bless you.
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