Who is getting stronger? A children's message.
Linda gave the best children's sermon at Fairview Friends Meeting in Ohio on Sunday. There were 5 children in attendance: my nephew and nieces, Kasen, Tessa, Kaylee, Tysen and Kenzi. Linda brought with her a dumbbell and asked the kids if they knew what it was.
"An exercise thing," Tysen said.
"An exercise weight," Kasen clarified.
She handed the 2-pound weight first to Tysen, then asked her to pass it down the row. Kenzi was the last one in line, and when it got to her she lifted it over her head.
"What is she doing?" Linda asked.
"Exercising!" the kids said in unison.
"Right!" Linda said. "And who gets stronger when Kenzi exercises?"
"Kenzi does," they said.
"Does Tessa get stronger when Kenzi exercises?" Linda asked.
"No!" they laughed.
"Does the minister get stronger when Kenzi exercises?"
"No!" they laughed again.
Kenzi then passed the weight to Tessa, who took her turn doing reps.
"Are Kasen and Kaylee getting stronger right now?" Linda asked.
"No!" they giggled.
And on down the line they went, each kid getting the opportunity to lift the weight and each time they responded correctly: only the person doing the exercise was getting stronger.
Linda brought this full circle by telling us (kids and adults!) that faith is like this. A person's faith only gets stronger when that person exercises it. I don't get stronger when someone else reads the Bible. You don't get stronger when I listen to God. Prayer strengthens the faith of the person praying. Certainly I can pray for your faith to be strengthened and I can tell you what I've read in the Bible, but it is your responsibility to intentionally exercise and strengthen and grow your faith.
Tessa had her hand raised practically the whole time, but Linda knows her well enough to know that she is going to have to get her point in before she lets Tessa speak. So once Linda had given the point of her illustration, she called on Tessa.
"Aunt Katie gave me a devotional Bible," Tessa began. "It has 365 pages and I read the whole thing. It took me 3 months and 30 days. I learned that Jesus died but then he was resurrected."
A few days ago my sister-in-law Kari told me that this was, in fact, true. Maybe not the "3 months and 30 days" part, but Tessa had definitely read the entire children's devotional Bible and she had a million questions, from "what does God wear" to "who made God?"
Because Tessa always leaves us a little speechless, Linda said that Tessa's example of reading the entire Bible was the perfect conclusion to the children's message. Tessa came back to her seat beside me with a huge grin on her face. I kissed her on the head and told her she did great.
"An exercise thing," Tysen said.
"An exercise weight," Kasen clarified.
She handed the 2-pound weight first to Tysen, then asked her to pass it down the row. Kenzi was the last one in line, and when it got to her she lifted it over her head.
"What is she doing?" Linda asked.
"Exercising!" the kids said in unison.
"Right!" Linda said. "And who gets stronger when Kenzi exercises?"
"Kenzi does," they said.
"Does Tessa get stronger when Kenzi exercises?" Linda asked.
"No!" they laughed.
"Does the minister get stronger when Kenzi exercises?"
"No!" they laughed again.
Kenzi then passed the weight to Tessa, who took her turn doing reps.
"Are Kasen and Kaylee getting stronger right now?" Linda asked.
"No!" they giggled.
And on down the line they went, each kid getting the opportunity to lift the weight and each time they responded correctly: only the person doing the exercise was getting stronger.
Linda brought this full circle by telling us (kids and adults!) that faith is like this. A person's faith only gets stronger when that person exercises it. I don't get stronger when someone else reads the Bible. You don't get stronger when I listen to God. Prayer strengthens the faith of the person praying. Certainly I can pray for your faith to be strengthened and I can tell you what I've read in the Bible, but it is your responsibility to intentionally exercise and strengthen and grow your faith.
Tessa had her hand raised practically the whole time, but Linda knows her well enough to know that she is going to have to get her point in before she lets Tessa speak. So once Linda had given the point of her illustration, she called on Tessa.
"Aunt Katie gave me a devotional Bible," Tessa began. "It has 365 pages and I read the whole thing. It took me 3 months and 30 days. I learned that Jesus died but then he was resurrected."
A few days ago my sister-in-law Kari told me that this was, in fact, true. Maybe not the "3 months and 30 days" part, but Tessa had definitely read the entire children's devotional Bible and she had a million questions, from "what does God wear" to "who made God?"
Because Tessa always leaves us a little speechless, Linda said that Tessa's example of reading the entire Bible was the perfect conclusion to the children's message. Tessa came back to her seat beside me with a huge grin on her face. I kissed her on the head and told her she did great.
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