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How Do You Entertain an Angel?
"Make sure the house is clean and a pot of potatoes is in the oven," says Alex, 6.
I'm sure Idaho potato farmers will be glad to know that spuds are finally getting the respect they deserve. Alex, you were probably thinking of their white, …Read more.
KIDS TALK ABOUT GOD
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How Do You Know if You're Going to Heaven?
"My grandma thinks I'm going to heaven," says Kole, 6.
Most grandmas have a special relationship with their grandkids. The kind of love many show to their grandkids is a taste of God's perfect, unconditional love.
"You have to be good,…Read more.
What Does it Mean to be Born Again?
"Well, being born again doesn't mean to go back into your mother's stomach," says Taylor, 11. "It means being born into the family of God."
Unlike Taylor, the religious leader (Nicodemus), who came by night to talk with Jesus, …Read more.
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What Can We Learn from Jesus Inviting his First Disciple to Follow Him?"We can learn from John the Baptist to tell people who Jesus really is," says Danae, 10. "John had many followers himself, but he didn't try to compete with Jesus." Nothing is more challenging to successful ministers than to keep pointing people to Jesus Christ. Everyone has the tendency to take credit for a work that the Lord did through us. Don't do it. Keep pointing people to Christ. "Jesus invited simple fishermen to follow him," says Emily, 12. "I think he did that to show us that God's love is for everyone, not just the people who are pretty, smart or popular." Jesus didn't set up a recruiting office at the Jerusalem school for rabbis. He began his ministry in a remote desert place where two disciples of John the Baptist followed him. "What do you seek?" Jesus asked them. By asking this question, Jesus forced his disciples to think about their motives. People follow Jesus for different reasons. Many Jews wanted the Messiah to overthrow the Romans. They saw Jesus as a splendid king (Isaiah 9 and 10). Jesus didn't come the first time to crush his enemies; he came to put himself into the hands of those who would crush him (Isaiah 53). Jesus had to explain to his disciples that the cross must come before the crown. When the disciples asked Jesus where he was staying, he said, "Come and see" (John 1:39). When we follow Jesus, he doesn't show us everything at once. Every day, we must come and see what he has for us. "We can learn that once we learn about Jesus, we should tell others," says Anna, 10. After only one day with Jesus, Andrew told his brother Simon, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41). When we follow Jesus, we give up our own identity for one that God gives us. Jesus knew that Simon would change. His testimony that Jesus is the Christ would serve as the foundational rock upon which Jesus would build his church (Matthew 16:13-20). "Jesus wants everyone to come to him," says Rebekah, 6. "Jesus has time for everyone and will not say 'hurry up' or tell them to go away because he is busy." In an age where technology speeds up the way we communicate with each other, it's hard to imagine a God who has time for us. If we don't make time to "come and see" Jesus, we'll never get to know him in a way that motivates us to tell our loved ones about him. Spending quality time with Jesus will result in telling others about him. "When you are being open and willing to allow people to follow you, it might make them curious," says Sarah, 11. Jesus provoked people's curiosity. We see that all the way through his ministry. He asked a lot of questions to which he already knew the answers. Think about this: Jesus was the master fisherman of people. He knew how to provoke people's curiosity so that they wanted to know more about God. Memorize this truth: Then He said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). Ask this question: Are you fishing for people by pointing them to Christ? Listen to a talking book, download the "Kids Color Me Bible" for free, watch Kid TV Interviews and travel around the world by viewing the "Mission Explorers Streaming Video" at www.KidsTalkAboutGod.org. Bible quotations are from the New King James Version. To find out more about Carey Kinsolving and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CAREY KINSOLVING DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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