Sermon:
Hello kids! Why do we celebrate July 4th? (Listen for answers.) Yes, Independence Day!
Does Mexico have a July 4th? (This is a joke. Of course they have July 4th. They just don't celebrate their independence on that day.)
What does it mean to have independence? (Listen to answers.) When our nation gained independence from England, we gained freedom from their control.*
They could no longer tell
Americans how to live. We were free to establish our own rules and government.
Today, I want to talk to you about true freedom. The Bible tells us that we are born prisoners to sin. (Galatians 3:22-23) Each of us needs to have an Independence Day from sin! We need to be set free! The Bible
says we are either slaves to sin or we slaves to righteousness. This means we either
follow Jesus or we don't! The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. (Romans 6: 23) In other words, when we sin, the payment we
get back is death. But the good news is Jesus died in our place to take care of the debt we owe. He paid our bill!
God says it like this, (Read out loud:) "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Romans 6:22)
Being set free from the control of sin and death is true independence! If you haven't already, ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life for a real Independence Day celebration! The Bible says, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:36) "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
(Distribute the noise makers.)
(Say:) Now, let's blow our horns and celebrate our independence from sin and death, and our freedom in Christ!
(Optional: As the children blow, toss the confetti onto them.)
* The colonists wanted freedom from the tyranny of
England, and wanted to be subject only to King Jesus!
Famous Quotes:
--
"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." George Washington (First US President)
"So great is my veneration for the Bible that
the earlier my children begin to read it, the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens to their country, and respectable members of society."
John Quincy Adams (6th US President)
Scripture References are taken from the 'New International
Version'.
---Copyright 2000
S.A. Keith---All rights reserved.
For use within your church or youth group. Not to be sold or distributed without consent.
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