Sermon Central
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Rebellion At The Heart Of Mankind (Funny Story)
Contributed by J Jeffrey Smead on Nov 20, 2025 (message contributor)
When my granddaughter was about three years old, ... my wife Lee and I ... were babysitting our grandchildren in Morton Illinois.
Anna wanted to go outside and play on our own.
I thought this was a good teaching moment.
So, ... I knelt down beside her ... so that we could look at each other ... face to face.
I took her hands and slowly ... and carefully said, ... "Now, Anna, ... you can play here in our front yard.
You can ride your Big Wheel ... up and down the driveway.
You can go in the back yard ... and play in the sandbox ... or play on your swing.
You can stay inside ... and watch television.
These are All the things you have my permission to do.
But you can NOT go ... out into the street.
It is very dangerous there.
You cannot play in the street.
Do you understand what I'm saying?"
And 3-year-old Anna nodded her head... and said "Yes, Cappy".
All the grand-kids call me Cappy.
I let go of her hand ... and she ran straight to the curb, ... looked right at me ... as I was standing at the front door and put one foot in the street.
She gave me that look, ... as if to say, ... "Foolish mortal!"
Why ... Why after understanding All the freedoms that I had allowed her ... would she deliberately go out to the One place ... I told her ... not to go?
She did it ... because that is the nature ... of humankind.
We want to be FREE ... to do things ... "our way"
We want to be FREE ... to live by ... our own rules
We want to be FREE ... to make our own decisions about what is right ... and what is wrong.
The reality is ... that the rejection of doing what we are told by others ... lies at the very heart ... of man's conflict ... with God ... our heavenly Father.
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