in the story – not necessarily based on the truth.
o Jesus was very busy man, in high demand.
o He was constantly surrounded by people
o Somebody always wanted something from him – few people wanted to put back into Jesus’ life.
• In all fairness to the disciples, it is possible that they were protecting Jesus and that the motive behind their action was driven by love and compassion for their Master.

Transition
• Our motives aren’t as often to be questioned as the way that we verbalize our responses.
• What we say and what we mean and what we do don’t always line up, but they could if we took to think before we say and before we do.

Then There is Jesus
• Even the most hard-heart is softened by a child or by the kindness shown to a child. In this story we see the tenderness of Jesus.
o He didn’t even scold the disciples; he simply invited the children to come. His invitation taught a lesson to the disciples, the parents and hopefully us :
 In order to have real faith we need to become as Children  pure and accepting.
• We will worry about things and a child will say “It’ll be ok because I asked God to help us”.


The fourth, the Children
• Children teach us so many lessons even when their understanding and their interpretation is not always correct. Which poses the question, “Is their interpretation of us, their problem or ours?”
• There has always been the tendency to expect children to act like us – or do we really want that?
• In our lives we live contradictions and then we try to cover them up with
o “I am the adult” or “Do as I say and not as I do”

Transition
• How did the children interpret the actions of the disciples?
• How do children interpret what we do, particularly concerning the importance of our faith.
• When I was the worship leader back in the mid 80’s, I used to have my wife Ann drive to church because I had to pick the music and write out the order of service in the car (20 minutes and it was all done).
o What did that say about my perception of the importance of worship?
• I brightened up and then Ann only had 15 minutes to prepare her Sunday School lesson on County Road 44.
o What did that say about her perception of the importance of the Sunday School lesson?
• (I will repent even if you don’t) – Anybody else want repent for the little value you put on the Lord’s Work or The Lord’s House as it falls into disrepair.

Listen to the Children – They will lovingly evaluate us.
“A young boy is gazing at the plaque located at the back of the church. Pastor McGhee stood beside the boy and said quietly, “Good morning Alex.” “Good morning pastor,” replied the young man, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor McGhee, what is this?” Alex asked. “Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.” Soberly, they stood together, staring at the large plaque. Little Alex’s voice was barely audible when he asked, “Which service, the 8:30 or the 11:00?”.

“A Sunday School teacher challenger her children to take some time on Sunday afternoon to write a letter to God. They were to bring their letter back the following Sunday. One little boy wrote, “Dear God, we had a good time at church today. Wish you could have been there?”

“A Sunday School teacher asked her little children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary