A Puzzle

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thine soul, and with all thy might. – Deuteronomy 6:4,5

Text: Colossians 2:10

Prop: A simple puzzle that small children can put together.

Summary: It takes Jesus in your heart to make you a complete person.

Look at this puzzle. I want you to help me figure out where all the pieces go and put them in the right place. (Ask the children to put it together but keep one piece from the middle hidden.) Is it finished yet? (No. It is missing a piece.) Will you be able to complete this puzzle if you find the missing piece? (Yes.) Hmm. Maybe I left it in my pocket. Yes, here it is! (Give it to them so they can finish the puzzle.)

In a way you are like this puzzle. You are made of many parts or pieces. God gave you a soul (or spirit) which is what makes you alive. God gave you a mind so you can tell right from wrong. God gave you bones and muscles so you can be strong. He gave you feelings so you can be happy or sad. But something is missing.

God left an empty space inside you that only Jesus can fill. The Bible tells you to love God with all thine heart. (Refer to Deut. 6:4,5) It is not speaking about the organ that pumps blood around your body. It is speaking about every bit of who you are, your entire person. It means you should love God with all that you are. The Bible also tells you where to find the missing piece. The Bible says in Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. That means it takes Jesus to make you a complete person.

Some people never understand this. They have an emptiness inside them and don’t understand that we were made to love God. The Bible says that Jesus is the missing piece, the Answer to the puzzle. If you ask Jesus to come into your heart he sends the Holy Spirit inside you to make you a complete person. That simple faith in Jesus is all it takes to make you a child of God. I want to give each of you a reminder of the missing piece: Jesus in your heart!

Handout: A heart-shape with “Jesus” written on it.

©2001 by Jim Kerlin. All rights reserved.

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