Cross Bearers Theme 2015- “Suffer The Little Children”

Matthew 19:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

This word says, “Jesus.” Do you ever wonder why God sent Jesus to earth?
God loves us so much! In fact, He loved us before the foundation of the world! And He wants to walk with us. God wants a GREAT relationship with us. But there is something wrong with our relationship with God.
Where is God? He is in heaven and that’s where God wants us to eventually be. He desires to have a healed relationship with all of mankind. But there is a problem that has to be fixed. It’s called sin.
What is sin? (Anything that we think, say or do that does not please God.) Who sins? (Everyone) That means that each of us have done what God considers as sin? The Bible tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It also tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” What is a wage? (something, such as money, that a person earns) So that verse tells us that we, all sinners, EARN death because of our sin. And this sin breaks our relationship with God. This is the problem that must be fixed, but humanity can’t do it. There is nothing a person can do. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. God is the One who must reach down to us.

What is the rest of the “wages” verse? (For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.) Yes! To fix the Sin Problem, God sent Jesus. And remember, He is like God. Jesus was born like you, only He was without sin. He grew up, lived His life, worked some miracles, preached some great sermons, and then He was accused of saying He was God. The Jews didn’t like hearing that. So they figured out how to get Jesus killed. Crucified. Jesus didn’t fight them. Jesus was nailed onto a cross on a hill called Calvary.

There is a place in everyone’s heart that only Jesus can fill. Each person has a “Jesus-sized” hole in his heart. People try to fill this hole up with all sorts of things, such as money, jobs, people, family, drugs, alcohol, sports, or material items. But those things do not satisfy the hole in the heart. There is no peace.
You have to know that you know you have been “washed by the blood of the lamb!” And now your heart has been made clean and you can have a personal relationship with God. When you die you know you will be with God forever. How did we do that? The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you WILL be saved!” Saved from what? (Hell, eternal separation from God) God wants you to have life. Eternal life with Him. Forever.
By telling Jesus that He is Lord, then you are saying to Him, “Jesus, my life is Yours. YOU are my Lord. You are my Master. I am going to learn about your commands and then I am going to obey them.” Believing in Jesus means making a change in your behavior and living a life in His favor.
God’s love covers all of our sins. Not just mine, but the sins of all humanity for all eternity. Jesus died once to save everyone.
Jesus’ death on the cross covers all sin. If a person accepts and believes in Jesus, then God sees a heart that does not have a hole in it, but a heart filled with the red blood of Jesus. God does not remember the sin. He forgives the sin. Now does this mean I never sin? No. I mess up all the time, but if I return to God, confess my sin, and try to not act on the sin again, then God is just and forgives.


25 Heartfelt Affirmations and Words of Encouragement for Our Children
1.Remember that I’ll be praying for you today.
2. I love spending time with you.
3. I really want to hear what you have to say.
4. You’re the kind of friend I would’ve liked to have had at your age.
5. Jesus loves you and so do I.
6. You’re such a problem solver!
7. I’m proud of you and proud of who you’re becoming.
8. You are God’s workmanship.
9. Our family wouldn’t be the same without you.
10. You inspire me in so many ways.
11. You’re brave; so go ahead and try something new today.
12. You. Are. Priceless.
13. Thank you for making me laugh today.
14. I’m your biggest fan!
15. None of us are perfect—and that’s okay.
16. Your mistakes do not define you.
17. Your ideas are epic!
18. My love for you isn’t based on your performance or behavior.
19. You can tell me anything, anytime. Really.
20. I’ll love you no matter what. Really.
21. You’re such a blessing to me when you ask how you can help.
22. You’ve got exactly what it takes to be a leader.
23. I love it when you put others before yourself.
24. I like the way you think!
25. I had a bad day too; tomorrow will be better.


“A CHILD’s GOODNIGHT PRAYER”

As I lay down my head
All tucked in my bed
I send up a prayer
To God, this I share.

Thank you for my Mommy,
Thank you for my Daddy
Thank you for my friends
And their love that never ends.

Thank you, God, for eyes that see
And for a life that I can be free.
Thank you, Lord, for ears to hear
And for your word that I hold dear.

Thank you for my feet to walk,
Thank you for my mouth to talk.
Thank you for the warm sunshine,
Thank you, Lord, for being mine.

Before I end this prayer with ‘amen’,
I would like to ask you again.
To watch over all of those I love
And send down your blessings from up above.

Amen.