Children’s Sermon

1 John 3:16-24

Truth and Action

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1 John 3:16-24
Truth and Action

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Pictures of Tara and Bella are available at:
https://www.google.com/#q=Pictures+of+Tara+and+Bella

Sometimes we can learn a lot from animals. Have you heard about the wonderful friendship that occurred between an elephant and a dog? The elephant’s name is Tara and she lives in an elephant sanctuary in Tennessee.

The other elephants made friends with each other, but Tara chose a different kind of best friend. A dog named Bella wandered unto the sanctuary and the two immediately became friends. They eat together, drink water together, walk together, play together, and sleep together. They spend all of their time with each other and it is obvious that they love one another.

Once Bella was injured and she couldn’t walk. She spent three weeks in the office at the sanctuary. Tara stood outside of the office where Bella was being treated and finally a worker carried Bella out to see Tara. You could tell they both were very happy to see each other. Tara spent the entire three weeks standing outside the office until Bella was well and they could be together again.

Neither the elephant nor the dog have words to tell each other of their love, but we can see from their actions and the time they spent together that Tara does indeed love Bella and Bella returns that love.

The Bible teaches us to love not only with the words we use “but in deed and truth” (3:18).

Tara and Bella are wonderful examples of this idea – show your love. Don’t just tell someone you love them, put your love into action; show them your love by the things you do. Time spent together is one of the most powerful ways to show someone your love is true.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan