National Youth Sunday 2015
Always Loved, Never Alone (Romans 8:28 – 39)
Children’s Story by Digby Strogen

*Preparation: Bring a stuffed animal or blanket that is/was very important to you as a child.

·  (Introduce your item to the children)

·  I brought a very special friend with me today. This is Buddy.

·  Do any of you have a special stuffed animal or toy that you like to play with? (Let the kids tell you about their special animal or item. If no one speaks move on to tell them more about your item.)

·  Well, I want to tell you why Buddy is so special to me. He is very old and belonged to my Dad when he was a little boy. When I turned 3 or 4 I was having a hard time falling asleep in my new bed and that is when my Dad introduced me to Buddy. He said that as long as I took real good care of Buddy and told him all my worries I would never have trouble falling asleep again AND I would never feel alone! I carried Buddy with me where ever I went. We ate breakfast together, played together and every night we said our bed time prayers together. I loved Buddy and nothing could separate us.

·  You know what’s kind of cool? If you look in the bible and read Romans, chapter 8: 38-39 you will learn that God’s love for us is similar: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God”.

·  Wow! Is it possible that God loves us as much as I loved Buddy?

·  Have you ever tried to take a favorite toy away from your little brother or sister? It is nearly impossible! They hold on with the strength of a giant!! I know I would have held on to Buddy that tight if someone tried to take him from me.

·  So, I can only imagine that God holds on to us even TIGHTER! Nothing can pull us from God’s love. There is nothing too big or too small, nothing too hard or too simple that could keep God from loving us and wanting to hold us very, very close!!

·  I hope the next time you give or get a big old hug you will remember that God is always holding on to you just as tight!