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Notes: 1 / 2 years ago
Drop Your Buckets
This past Sunday night, I preached on FORGIVENESS
It was unique because I talked to dad on the phone Thursday night, and he told me he was preaching sunday night, too.
His topic? FORGIVENESS.
It was also unique because it was a KID’S sermon and KID’S sermons are always fun.
We invite all the KIDS to the front couple of pews and the get involved in the message as participants, props and players.
Here were the building blocks of the Sunday night KID’S SERMON…
Virtue: Forgiveness—deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn’t have to pay.
Memory Verse: “Forgive the things you are holding against one another. Forgive, just as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13, NIrV
Bible Story: No Mercy (The parable of the unmerciful servant) • Matthew 18:21-35
Bottom Line: Since God forgives you, you should forgive others.
Jerry Davis and Michael Cantrell (THE 2 STRONGEST MEN IN THE CHURCH, according to the KIDS), both held buckets labeled PAIN and HURT. As I added BRICKS into their BUCKETS, they got heavier and heavier. Bricks represented the pain, bitterness and hurt we hold, and don’t let go.
When you don’t forgive others, it’s kind of like you carry around pain and hurt wherever you go. BRICK
At first, it might not be any big deal. BRICK
But over time, the more pain and hurt you hold on to, the heavier it gets. BRICK
You just keep loading up on the anger and bitterness until it really weighs you down. BRICK
It can get in the way of living your life, (BRICK) hurt your relationships with others, (BRICK) and even hurt your relationship with God. (BRICK)
MICHAEL and JERRY eventually start shaking as they attempted to hold their buckets up. But they couldn’t do it any longer. They had to put their buckets down.
Are your buckets getting a little too heavy for you? Then why don’t you put them down?
We don’t want to waste time and energy carrying around buckets full of hurt and pain. Instead, just put the buckets down. When you forgive what someone owes, you help yourself as much as you help him or her.
Carson, Jack Thomas, and BIG B(Britton) Carver were a big help illustrating the Jesus’ parable of the unmerciful servant.
Carson was the forgiving king.
Jack Thomas was the unmerciful servant. (His thoughts: “Why do I have to be the bad guy? Ha!)
Britton was the other servant who could not pay his debt, and got thrown in jail.
The bottom line?
He paid a debt He did not owe;
I owed a debt I could not pay;
I needed someone to wash my sins away.
And, now, I sing a brand new song,
“Amazing Grace.”
Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.Since GOD forgave us, we should forgive others.
God, thank You for forgiving all the wrong things we do, say, and think, even when we don’t deserve it. Instead, You sent Your own Son to pay for our wrongs. Help us to forgive others, just as You forgive us.
Notes
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