Children’s Sermon

Philippians 3:17 – 4:1

Standing Firm

Do you find the trucks that carry concrete exciting? I do. They are so big and noisy and they have that large container in the back that turns and churns as it mixes the concrete.

You may have watched as concrete was poured from a big truck to form a sidewalk or a driveway. Sometimes concrete is made by mixing cement, sand, and water, by hand, in a wheelbarrow. That person mixing concrete may need a small amount of it to set a fence post, a flag pole, or a mailbox in place.

Once concrete has dried, it becomes solid and lasts for years so we can walk on a sidewalk without damaging it. It forms a solid block around a fence post or mailbox and holds those objects firmly in place.

In the Bible the apostle, Paul tells us to “…stand firm in the Lord…” (4:1).

This is such good advice. Perhaps we’ve all had times when we have wanted to do something that we know we shouldn’t do and we must remember to “stand firm in the Lord.”

God’s Spirit lives within us and guides us in the way we should go. God’s Spirit teaches us right from wrong.

Sometimes someone may try to talk us into doing something that doesn’t feel right. They may say, “Everyone else is doing it” or “It’s just for fun.”

At times like that we need to listen to the Spirit that lives within us and “stand firm” in what we know is the right thing to do. It kind of reminds me of how a fence post is placed in concrete and that concrete holds the post firmly in place. The concrete makes the post secure.

You are God’s joy. Stand firm in his love.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible