Confident living hope
Children's sermon
Object:
a new pair of shoes and a new tie or something brand new that replaces something old
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know what the word confidence means? (let them answer)
Confidence is something you feel and it means that before you have even tried something, you believe you can do it. Let's suppose that you know you are a good jumper, and there is a log on the path. When you see the log, you say to yourself, "I can jump over that log," and then you do it.
New clothes give some people confidence. I have a new pair of shoes. They are beautiful, aren't they? (let them answer) There is not a scratch on them and they are so shiny that when I put them on I feel very good, very confident. I also have a brand new tie. Isn't it pretty? (let them answer) It has never been tied but when I put this tie on I will have great confidence. I know that people who see me in my new shoes and new tie will notice how much better I look and therefore I will have great confidence.
This is the way Christians felt when Jesus came back in his new resurrected life. They loved him before he was crucified and thought he was wonderful, but after he was resurrected they had a new confidence. Jesus had told them that he would be put to death on the cross, but that in three days after he died he would come back to life. He knew that because he believed in God his Father. The Father promised Jesus that he would have a new life. Jesus promised all of the believers in God the Father that they would share with him a new life after they died here on earth. By believing Jesus, you have great confidence because death could not keep him dead in a tomb. Jesus was resurrected and when he was resurrected all of the people had great confidence in him.
The new life that Jesus promises us makes us very confident in God. We know that we do not want to die and just be bones in some grave. Instead we want the life that Jesus promises us after we die. We will be surprised at all of the things we can do after we have a new life.
Jesus is not just making a promise because what he says is guaranteed by the Father and the Holy Spirit. God is working in our lives and making us confident in our faith.
The next time you see some new shoes or a new tie I want you to think about the confidence these new things give to people and how much they enjoy the promises of Jesus.
Confidence is something you feel and it means that before you have even tried something, you believe you can do it. Let's suppose that you know you are a good jumper, and there is a log on the path. When you see the log, you say to yourself, "I can jump over that log," and then you do it.
New clothes give some people confidence. I have a new pair of shoes. They are beautiful, aren't they? (let them answer) There is not a scratch on them and they are so shiny that when I put them on I feel very good, very confident. I also have a brand new tie. Isn't it pretty? (let them answer) It has never been tied but when I put this tie on I will have great confidence. I know that people who see me in my new shoes and new tie will notice how much better I look and therefore I will have great confidence.
This is the way Christians felt when Jesus came back in his new resurrected life. They loved him before he was crucified and thought he was wonderful, but after he was resurrected they had a new confidence. Jesus had told them that he would be put to death on the cross, but that in three days after he died he would come back to life. He knew that because he believed in God his Father. The Father promised Jesus that he would have a new life. Jesus promised all of the believers in God the Father that they would share with him a new life after they died here on earth. By believing Jesus, you have great confidence because death could not keep him dead in a tomb. Jesus was resurrected and when he was resurrected all of the people had great confidence in him.
The new life that Jesus promises us makes us very confident in God. We know that we do not want to die and just be bones in some grave. Instead we want the life that Jesus promises us after we die. We will be surprised at all of the things we can do after we have a new life.
Jesus is not just making a promise because what he says is guaranteed by the Father and the Holy Spirit. God is working in our lives and making us confident in our faith.
The next time you see some new shoes or a new tie I want you to think about the confidence these new things give to people and how much they enjoy the promises of Jesus.
