TEXT: Galatians 5:22-23

SUBJECT: Kids’ Sermon #34: Goodness

Children,

Listen carefully today. God wants you to listen to His Word. He promises to bless you if you do. What’s said of the Book of Revelation is true of the whole Bible,

I’ll ask questions along the way too. If you listen carefully you’ll be able to answer them.

The topic for today is "The fruit of the Spirit". The fruit of the Spirit are not things like grapes or apples or watermelons, but the good things the Holy Spirit produces in the lives of people who believe in Jesus Christ. You’re not saved because you have the fruit in your life; you have the fruit in your life because you are saved. Always remember that. Salvation is

Never forget that.

What are the first five fruits of the Spirit? Can anyone name them?

What’s Number Six? "The Fruit of the Spirit is…goodness".

When your parents tell you to be good, they usually mean to behave yourself. Either to be quiet or to obey them or to be nice to the people who are coming over for dinner. These are all examples of goodness.

But here, the word has a slightly different meaning. Here, goodness means generosity.

If you’re generous, you’re willing to share or eager to help other people. Goodness is the opposite of selfishness or greediness or stinginess.

Have you ever known a kid who is very selfish about his things? He never shares; if you touch his things he gets real mad; if his parents make him share, he does it with a rotten attitude? That kid is not good.

For goodness means generosity or a willingness to share.

That’s an easy one: Because God is so willing to share! No one is more generous than the Lord.

Is it true that most things you have come from God? No it’s not true. Everything you have, had, or will ever have comes from the Lord, James 1:17.

Does He give you things reluctantly or with a bad attitude? No He doesn’t, cf. I Timothy 6:17b, James 1:5.

Does He give things to you only if you deserve them? No, He gives them to you in spite of what you deserve. Luke 6:35 says He is

God gives us everything we have. Little things, of course, middle-sized things, too. And big things. Including the Biggest Thing of all, John 3:16.

And so, the reason God’s Spirit makes you generous is because God Himself is so super eager to share.

You should be good to everyone, including your enemies. When the Lord Jesus fed 5,000 men, do you think everyone there was a close friend of His? No. He didn’t know most of them; some of them were His enemies (Judas, for example). Yet He was good to them all.

You see this on the Cross, too. Were the people who crucified Him good people? No they weren’t. Yet He was good to them, too.

--Praying for everyone, Luke 23:34.

You ought to be good to everyone. Even animals. The Bible says so in Proverbs 12:10, Deuteronomy 25:4, for example,

This means if you have a pet, you have to take care it. Letting a dog go hungry or fish swim in a dirty tank is not good.

You ought to be good to everyone, but especially to those you’re around most, Galatians 6:10.

For most of you, that means you ought to be especially good to…

Your parents.

You know parents ought to be generous with their kids. Stingy, mean parents don’t please the Lord. But, did you know, kids ought to be generous with their parents too? That’s true.

You probably don’t need to give your parents money or expensive presents, but you could sure give them other things.

Like what?

You could give them some help with chores. I suppose you help when they make you, but when did you last volunteer to help around the house? All of you kids are old enough to do some things. And some of you could do a lot.

Another thing you could do for your parents is let them talk without interrupting them. Why not give them a quiet evening once in a while? Or let them go out for a while without coming home to a house turned inside out?

Or just be thoughtful?

These are wonderful gifts that all parents would love to have. You can afford them. Be good to your parents.

Your brothers and sisters.

Be generous to your brothers and sisters. If you’re older, help the little ones. You can do in five minutes what might take them all day to do. Why not spend the time doing good?

If you’re younger, you can leave their things alone. Or let them spend some time with their friends without you butting in all the time or tattling on them.

Or just by being agreeable or cooperative. Not demanding your way but doing what they want to do. That’s what Philippians 2:3-4 means,

You should share with…whom? Everyone. But especially with…whom? Your family.

If you want to be more generous, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Most kids are selfish for the same reason most adults are—because they’re not saved! If you want to be more giving start off by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ through faith. That’s Number One. And without that, all your efforts will be wasted. You may become nicer, but you’ll never become generous. Not in a way that pleases the Lord.

If you believe in Christ, here are some things you can do to become more willing to share.

Firstly, think of how unhappy you’ll be if you don’t share. The unhappiest person in the world is the selfish person. Do you know why? For one thing, he’s always worried about his stuff. For another thing, nobody likes him! The Bible makes this very plain. Here are some verses to think about: Proverbs 11:24-26 and Acts 20:35.

Secondly, think of ways you can help other people. Some people never help others—not because they’re mean or selfish—but because it never occurs to them. They’re not hateful, they’re just thoughtless. The only way to cure thoughtlessness is by…thinking. Every day, ask yourself: Who needs my help today? When you think of someone, help him. Or, ask yourself, What can I do to help my mom and dad or brothers and sisters? Name the things. And do them.

Thirdly, remember that God blesses you so that you can bless others. Genesis 12:2 and Matthew 10:8 are worth thinking about.

Fourthly, find people who are generous and become their friends. Proverbs 13:20.

Fifthly, obey the Golden Rule whether you feel like it or not, Matthew 7:12.

Sixthly, meditate on the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s hard to think about Him and be selfish at the same time.

Lastly, pray for a generous spirit.