Lava, Lava Island

INTRODUCTION

• I want to thank all the parents who sent their children to our VBS this year. At least in the class I taught, the children we very good and I think they learned a lot!

• Today when you look in the bulletin, you will see a sermon title and an outline that does not match what I am going to do today.

• Today, I felt compelled to share with you all what we taught the young people during our Lava Lava Island VBS this week!

• I felt this VBS was one of the better ones content wise that I have been a part of over the last 15 years or so.

• The great thing about God’s word is it is simple, yet powerful and is applicable to all ages. We could have taken the content of our VBS and taught it (with some changes) to any age group.

• During VBS we taught the children a bible point each day, backed up with a bible story which was anchored to a bible treasure verse.

• Then of course all the activities reinforced the bible point for the day.

• I hope that in the message today, you will find a message of encouragement. I hope you are taken by the simplicity of the message, and struck by its’ power.

SERMON

I. JESUS BRINGS HOPE (LUKE 2:1-20)

Key passage: Psalms 42:5(NLT) Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and

• The first Bible point for the week was, Jesus Brings Hope. For this Bible point we took the children to the story of the birth of Jesus in Luke 2:1-20.

• This is an interesting place to start because the world needs hope. During the time of Jesus, the nation of Israel was under the control of Rome. The nation did not like this control, things looked very bleak.

• In the world we live in today, would you agree we need hope. Look around you, look at what is happening around the world. There are folks who want to kill as many of us as possible. The society seems to be busting at the seams.

• Look at the world your children are living in. We have drugs running rampant, sexual images are everywhere.

• Those of you who are parents or grandparents, do you worry about your children? How many of you worry about your job situation? Maybe your marriage is on the rocks, maybe you are suffering from financial or medical problems?

• What do you do, how do you keep your sanity? For the children, many of them have a lot of stuff happening in their lives, where do they turn?

• Our key verse found in Psalm 42:5 says in part, “I will put my hope in God!

• During the first day of VBS, we encouraged the children that the one place you could place your hope is in God.

• God is the one constant in an ever changing world. Hope means no matter what is happening, we have something to look forward to. Things could be falling apart all around us, yet God is still there for us.

• Many children face so much uncertainty with the break up of families, with having to move because of job issues. Your children need to know where they can place their hope.

• Adults, we need the same. When all looked lost, God sent His Son!

• GAL 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,

• Where is your hope placed? Put is in Jesus!

II. JESUS FOLLOWED GOD’S WORD (MATTHEW 4:1-11)

Key passage: Psalms 119:11(NLT) I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

• During the second day we taught the children that Jesus Followed God’s Word!

• The bible story we used was Jesus being tempted in the wilderness by Satan in Matthew 4:1-11.

• Each and every day we are ALL faced with temptations. The children face temptations, and each one of us faces temptation.

• How many lives have you seen ruined because some adult succumbed to temptation.

• Jesus was hungry, and thirsty. He had been in the wilderness for 40 days then Satan came a calling.

• When we are at our weakest points is when we are most likely to be attacked by the devil.

• What did Jesus do when He was weak and was facing temptation?

• Jesus fought off temptation by following God’s word. Jesus fought off temptation with God’s word. Jesus quoted scripture to Satan and that is the only weapon He used to overcome temptation.