Children’s Sermon

Luke 7:1-10

Prove It

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Object suggested: Pencil

Some things we can prove and some things we can’t. If I let go of this pencil we know, before it leaves my hand, that it will drop to the floor. (Demonstrate.)

If I take two hymnals from this side of the church and three hymnals from the other side of the church and stack them together, there will be five hymnals in the stack, right? We use our math skills to prove this is true. Two plus three equals five.

Have you ever challenged one of your friends and said something like this: “I can jump farther than you. I can throw a ball farther than you. I can run faster than you.” And then your friend says, “Oh, yeah? Prove it!”

Well, then you must compete with your friend and show him, or her, what you are able to do.

It is easy to believe in something that can be proven. It is another thing to believe in something that can’t be proven. That is called faith.

A story in the Bible tells of a man who had strong faith. One of this man’s servants was very ill. When the man heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking Jesus to come and heal his servant.

As Jesus approached the man’s house, the man sent others to Jesus. They brought this message: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof” (7:6) but say the word, and my servant will be healed”(7:7).

Jesus was amazed and said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel” (7:9).

When those who had been sent to Jesus returned to the house, they found the servant in good health. He had been healed.

This man of strong faith believed that Jesus could heal his servant even though he had no way to prove that it would happen.

Each one of us may choose to believe in the power and love of Jesus, even though we cannot absolutely prove it. That’s faith.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2011, Richard Niell Donovan