Children’s Sermon

2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Light of Knowledge

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2 Corinthians 4:3-6

Light of Knowledge

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Objects suggested: A microscope, if available. Pictures of images as seen through a microscope.

Picture of an insect wing available at:
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/optics/intelplay/gallery/pages/rheinberg/insectwing.html

Picture of a newly hatched spider hanging in a web found at:
http://www.micrographia.com/specbiol/chelicer/spidterr/spdt0100/spider00.htm

Photo of a red blood cell, other cells, bacteria, and viruses available at:
http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/pictures/biology.html

Picture of a microscope available at:
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=picture+of+microscope

Have any of you had the opportunity to look through a microscope? It is a magical experience that allows you to see things that you wouldn’t be able to see otherwise.

A microscope gives us valuable information that is often surprising. You see things in one way and when you put that object under a microscope you find that it looks entirely different. You are given a closer view and it seems miraculous. Here is a microscopic picture of an insect’s wing. Isn’t it beautiful? And this is a picture of a newly hatched spider. You might miss seeing it without a microscope.

Lab technicians use a microscope to see and study the cells within our bodies. It is one way to know that our bodies are healthy. This is a picture of a normal red blood cell. (Here are pictures of bacteria and viruses that make us sick.)

Microscopes are used for many kinds of important work. What is needed to be able to make small things appear larger so we can see them is light.

Without light we would not be able to see this world of small things. It is light that allows us to gather wonderful and useful information.

This brings us to our lesson for today. In the Bible we find this verse: “seeing it is God who said, ‘Light will shine out of darkness,’…” (4:6).

God’s love shines in us and we can use that light to gather information and learn many things. The light of God’s love teaches us how to respect ourselves and others, how to honor God, and how to make good choices. The Bible tells us that this is “the light of the knowledge” (4:6).

Just as we look through the lens of a microscope and see surprising and beautiful things, God’s love allows us to see new and surprising things, all around us, every day.
Let God’s light shine in you! Let your light shine!

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2012, Richard Niell Donovan