Good morning boys and girls!
Who can tell me what this is? Can anyone tell me what a compass does?
A compass is a very handy instrument that will help keep you from getting lost. Not only that, it will help you find your way if you do get lost. The compass has four main directions, they are North, South, East and West. The needle of the compass always points North. So, if the needle is pointing in that direction and you want to go South, you would go in the opposite direction from what the needle is pointing. With the needle pointing North, if you want to go East, you would go in that direction. If the needle sometimes pointed North and at other times it pointed to the South, East, or West, you would never be able to use the compass to find your way. You would wander around, hopelessly lost. The compass must always point in the same direction if you are going to use it to guide you.
Can anyone tell me what this is? A map can help us to find a place, and if we're travelling a map can show us how to get there, how far away it is, what types of roads we can travel on, etc. A compass and a map are old-fashioned ways to find out where we are and where we want to go. Today, thanks to modern science, we have another way. Can anyone tell me what this is?
This tool is called a GPS receiver. GPS stands for Global Positioning System. Some people have receivers like this put in their cars to tell them how to get to wherever they want to go. GPS is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites. When a GPS receiver is locked on to the signal of at least three satellites , it can track movement and determine the user's position, speed, trip distance, distance to where the user wants to go and much more.
Boys and girls, there is another way we can be guided to where we should go. Can anyone guess what it might be? (Pause) It's called the Holy Spirit. I'm going to talk about the Holy Spirit with the adults later on this morning, but I want to tell you that when we don't know what to do or which way to turn, the Holy Spirit always points us in the right direction. We can't trust our feelings or what other people are doing to make important decisions.
Jesus promised that God would send the Holy Spirit "to guide us in all truth." That means that the Holy Spirit will help us to understand God's Word which always points us in the right direction. It points us to Jesus who is "the Way, the truth, and the life."
Whenever you don't know which way to turn, you can always turn to God's Word and let the Holy Spirit be your guide.
Dear God, we thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to be our guide through life. We know that the Spirit will lead us to Jesus. Give us the strength, the wisdom and the courage to obey the Holy Spirit all the time. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.
