INTRODUCTION
SLIDE #2
• We had a great week of Vacation Bible School this week. VBS can be a very challenging and stressful time, but I want to congratulate our staff for the hard work they put in to make the week a good week. I want to thank the children for being so good this week, it made the week a lot more fun.
• Today I would like to take you on the journey of the Serengeti Trek. The title to the VBS we used this week was Serengeti Trek. During the week we took the children on a journey to help to lead them to Jesus.
• Each day we had a bible point, a bible verse for the day, and bible story to go with the point along with many other activities to focus the children on the point for the day.
• The points for the week were simple 2-3 word statements to help them to remember some important things about God.
• Children need to be taught about and shown the love of God at an early age. There are many adults who do not know much of anything about God. Today we are going to focus our time on the five Bible Points we studied this week with the children!
• Each one of these points is important for all of us to grasp. If we fail to understand or follow though with any of them, it will affect our relationship with God in a negative way. SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. KNOW GOD. PSALM 135:5
• This is one of the first things we need to do in order to have a relationship with God; we must get to know Him!
• CLICK #3 The story we used for this is the Old Testament Story of Gideon and what God did through him to defeat the dreaded Midianites. This is found in Judges 7:1-22
• The Israelites were being persecuted by the Midianites and God has chosen Gideon to lead Israel to victory. Gideon, however; was not too sure he was up to the task. Gideon asked for signs, which God gave to him and God lead Gideon’s army of 300 men to defeat an army of several thousand men.
• Gideon was afraid to do what God wanted him to do because Gideon did not really know God.
• The Psalmist proclaimed that He knew the GREATNESS of the Lord in Psalm 135:5.
• There are many people who know of God, but do not know God.
• When we do not KNOW God, we will not have any confidence in God, we will not trust Him to get us through the things in life we struggle with, we will not trust Him to lead us down the path He wants us to travel.
• As we get to know God, we can then trust Him and when we know God, it will show in our lives.
• CLICK #3 We used Zach the Zebra to remind the children about Knowing God.
• Zebras have stripes, and the lesson taught us that each Zebra’s stripes are a little bit different so the Zebras can know one another.
• Each of us has unique stripes also. These stripes show others whether or not we really know God.
• IF we know God, it will show up in our attitudes we display, the way we treat others and what we do with ourselves.
• Children need to be taught about and shown the love of God at an early age. There are many adults who do not know much of anything about God.
• The great thing about God is that the more you know Him, the more confidence you will have in Him, the more you will trust Him to guide you in your life.
• Knowing God leads into the next Bible Point of the week. SLIDE #4
II. TALK TO GOD. EPHESIANS 6:18
• As we get to know God, we then will start to learn to talk to God. How many of us have been around a person we did not know, and as a result, we did not speak with them. Then one day, we started to get to know them and the next thing you know, we are speaking to them all the time.
• CLICK #4 For this bible point we used the story of Daniel in the lions den found in Daniel 6:1-28.
• In this story, Daniel was about to thrown into the lions den because he broke the newly formed law concerning prayer.
• The law was the brainchild of those who were jealous of Daniel.
• CLICK #4 Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray at all times.
• When we get to know God, we realize He can do many wonderful things.
• There are not too many of us who are going to be thrown into a den of hungry lions, but many of us will face things that may seem like we have been thrown to the lions.
• Daniel had complete faith that God would deliver him or that God had something better for him if the lions got him.
• CLICK #4 We used Roary the Lion to help the children remember the bible point for the day which was “Talk To God.
• How much time during a given day do you spent talking to God? If you are not spending time doing this, maybe it is because you do not know God well enough to feel comfortable talking to Him. The more you know someone, the easier it is to talk to them.
• God wants us to talk to Him in the good times and the bad times, when we want to praise Him or ask something of Him!
• Can you imagine what kind of relationship you would have with another person if you never communicated with them? The same is true of your relationship with God!
• After we get to know God, then we start talking with Him in prayer, we come to the next Bible point. SLIDE #5
III. TELL ABOUT GOD. PSALM 9:1
• How many of us have come across a product that we really like, a product that we know does what it is advertised to do? What do we tend to do?
• We tend to tell other people about what the product has done for us and why we like it.
• This works the same way with God. When we get to know Him, when we start to talk with Him, we start to catch a glimpse of the marvelous things He has done for us and then we start to tell others about Him.
• In Psalm 9:1 the Psalmist exclaims that He will tell of the marvelous things the Lord has done!
• To illustrate this point we used the story Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their ordeal with the fiery furnace found in Daniel 3:1-30. CLICK #5
• After the surviving the ordeal with the furnace, these men had something to share with others. Not only did these men have a story to share, but those who witnessed the event also could tell about the marvelous works of God.
• What is it that attracts others to Jesus? For many of them it is the testimony of what He has done for us. It is surprising how many Christians have nothing to say when it comes to this.
• The way we spread the good news about Jesus is for those of us who belong to Him to tell others about God!
• CLICK #5 Elaine the crowned crane was used to help the children remember the Bible Point. The crowned crane has a unique voice; we too should have a unique voice that speaks about our great God!
• SLIDE #6
IV. LOVE GOD. 1 JOHN 4:19
• When you get to know someone, then you start talking to them and then you tell others about them, you develop a love for them.
• 1 John 4:19 tells us that we love because He first loved us.
• SLIDE #7 Romans 5:8 reminds us that while we were still sinners, God sent His Son to die for us!
• There are so many hurting people who feel unlived that they need to hear the message that God loves them. They need to know that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and that He rose again on the third day and that He is at the right hand of the Father right now, there to help them.
• The world is full of conditional love. Love that happens only when we perform to a certain level for other people. With God, His love for us is unconditional; He loves us because of who we are. He loves us so much that He wants the best for us; His love for mankind motivated Him to have a plan to redeem fallen and lost people.
• SLIDE #8 The Bible story used to illustrate the point is the story of the resurrection of Jesus found in John 19:1-20:18.
• God’s love for us caused Him to reach down from heaven to save us.
• CLICK #8 Gigi the Giraffe was the bible buddy used to remind the children of God’s love for us.
• The Giraffe has along neck that will allow it to reach up high into trees to get to the choice vegetation.
• God reached down from heaven to give us the choice blessing through His son. Not only that, but when we reach into the heights of heaven, the choice vegetation awaits us!
• God wants us to be motivated to serve Him by our love for Him. Fear can motivate you to do things, but love is a much better motivation. Love can take us to heights unknown to us ever before.
• This leads us to our last bible point. SLIDE #9
V. WORK FOR GOD. COLOSSIANS 3:23
• Many people say they love the lord, but what does that love from them lead to?
• Our love for God should lead us to work for Him, it should lead us to do what He wants us to do, it should cause us to want to serve Him no matter what the cost.
• Colossians 3:23 reminds to work joyfully for God.
• CLICK #9 The Bible story used to illustrate this point was found in Acts 16:16-40 where Paul and Silas were thrown in jail for serving God.
• What would you do if you were thrown in jail for doing God’s will? Well, Paul and Silas spent their time in jail singing praises to God. They did not complain about how terrible God was for letting this terrible miscarriage of justice to take place against them.
• The bottom line for us is that if we love God, no one should have to twist your arm, make you feel guilty to the point of working for God, your love and appreciation for what God has done for you should be enough to motivate you to want to work for Him.
• I wonder if we do not appreciate what God has done for us at times. God has gifted each one of us in unique ways, He expects us to use our giftedness for Him and His glory.
• There should rarely be a job unfilled in God’s church. God’s people are not bench sitters, they are active players on God’s team.
• CLICK #9 Lug the Elephant was used as the Bible Memory Buddy for this point, Lug the Elephant reminds the children to work hard for God!
• Your love for God can be measured by how much and what you are willing to do for Him.
CONCLUSION
• We had a wonderful week of Vacation Bible School. It is my prayer that there were many seeds planted in the minds of all the children we had an opportunity to work with this week.
• For those who were able to serve in any way this week, we thank you! Your service has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated by this church or our Lord Jesus!
• As adults we have a unique opportunity to show our children just how important our faith is to us.
• Does our faith mean enough to us to make a difference in our lives or are we just playing church and Christianity with God?
• Our live is a journey, it is a journey that will be much better if we take it with Jesus, are you ready to walk with the Lord?
• Are you to the point where you are getting to know God? If so maybe it is time for you to become a part of God’s family.
• Today we give you that opportunity.
