Children’s Sermon

John 11:1-45

Life, Now and Forever

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John 11:1-45
Life, Now and Forever

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Object suggested: Lima bean (Canned lima beans available in grocery stores.)

Picture of a large kangaroo available at:
http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/view.php?tid=3&did=66913

Picture of an older baby kangaroo available at:
http://www.globosapiens.net/goody.c/picture-baby-kangaroo-109.html

Picture of mother kangaroo with joey in pouch available at:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=Picture+of+mother+kangaroo+with+joey+in+pouch+

Most of us have never seen a kangaroo except in a zoo. They are remarkable animals in so many ways. One of the most interesting things about a kangaroo is how small they are when they are born. They are about the size of a lima bean. (Show bean.) Can you imagine an animal that small?

After they are born the mother licks a pathway on her fur and the baby kangaroo, called a joey, slowly follows the path and climbs into the mother’s pouch. There is a milk supply inside the pouch, but the joey is not strong enough to suck so the mother’s body squirts milk into the baby’s mouth.

The joey stays in the pouch until it is big enough and strong enough to get around on its own – about seven to ten months. And, as you can see in this picture, a kangaroo can grow into a very large animal. (Up to 150 lbs.)

Our lesson today is about life, a very mysterious thing. We have the words of Jesus recorded in the Bible and he says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

All life comes from God. God gives life to a tiny kangaroo, no bigger than a lima bean, and God gives life to each one of us. It is a gift beyond measure. We need only to accept the gift of God’s love to grow strong and enjoy life now and forever.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2008, Richard Niell Donovan