ARMOR OF GOD PRINTABLE DEVOTION

God Makes Me Right With Him (Breastplate of Righteousness)

Mark your Bible and read Romans 5:8-9; Phil. 3:9, and Bible Memory Verse before lesson: Ephesians 6:14

Tickles the Bear and Sticky Bear met up again at the park to talk about another piece of armor that God gives us to fight sin with. But this time, Sticky Bear was very upset. He was crying when he came up to meet Tickles, "Look at me Tickles. I'm a mess! I was trying to jump over a big puddle, but I didn't jump far enough. I slipped and fell, and landed right in the middle! Then, mud splashed everywhere! Now I'm covered with mud."

Tickles looked sad for him, "Oh, wow! yeah, you are a mess! But, don't worry...we'll get you cleaned up." Tickles had a rag. He used that to wipe off Sticky Bear. It worked great on his face, but there was still some mud on his clothes that he couldn't get off. "Well, it came off your face, but it looks like you have mud stains on your breastplate. It won't come clean."

Sticky Bear pouted and then said, "Here...let me try... I'll get the stain out. He rubbed as hard as he could, but the mud stains still did not come out. By this time, he was really upset, "Its no use...I can't make it clean either!"

"Well, Sticky Bear, I guess you're just going to have to stay dirty. Yuk!"

Sticky Bear started whining, "But Tickles... I don't want to be dirty....I want to be clean!"

Tickles couldn't help but laugh, "It is kinda gross."

"Don't laugh...its not funny. Tickles", Sticky Bear whined some more.

"I'm Sorry...I do feel bad for you, but it is kinda funny if you think about it. Tickles said.

"Now Sticky Bear was laughing too. "Yeah....hee hee...I guess you're right....hee hee. But, what are we gonna do?"

Tickles tried to calm him down, "Don't worry...I just remembered...I have something to give you - a brand new, clean breastplate for you to put on. Here!" Tickles took the dirty breastplate off Sticky Bear and gave him a brand new one!

"Oh, wow! Thank you,Tickles, thank you! Now I feel much better! I don't have to go around looking like a muddy little pig anymore" Sticky Bear said, laughing.

Tickles replied, "No problem....Glad to help. After all, you're my friend....Hey! You know what this reminds me of? Sticky Bear?"

"No... what? Sticky Bear asked.

Tickles explained, "It reminds me of what Jesus does for us. In Romans 5:8-9, it says, (Read verse). You know how dirty you were? That's like how all of us at first. We are full of sin..our hearts are dirty. We all do wrong things. Even the things we try to do right don't measure up to God's goodness. And since we are full of sin, that means we are not right with God. Instead, we are being God's enemy. "

Sticky Bear looked confused, "Then how can we ever be right with God?"

Tickles tried to answer him the best he could, "Well, God loves us so much that He loved us so much that He made a way for us to be right with him again. He wants to be our friend, even though we were acting like his enemies. He loved us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to take the punishment that we deserve. Jesus was perfect, and didn't deserve any punishment, but He died on the cross in our place, to take the punishment for our sin anyway, just because He loves us so much! He made the only way for us to be right with God again."

Sticky Bear was starting to understand, "Oh...I never thought of it that way before...Wow! God must love us a lot if he is willing to save us when we are all dirty and covered with sin. How does it all happen?"

Tickles kept explaining, "Its just like it says in the Bible. Just like you came to me and admitted you were all dirty, and you were sad about it. You realized you couldn't make yourself clean, and you didn't want to go on being dirty. Then you asked to be made clean. Its sort of the same with God. When you admit you are a sinner, and helpless on your own, you realize there is NOTHING you can do on your own to make yourself right with God. Jesus is the only way to God. He is the one who can make us right with God. That's why its called righteousness. Its a free gift from God. Nobody can ever be right with God on their own...no matter how many good things they do. Here...take a look at this" Just then Tickles handed Sticky Bear a little Bible. "Can you read this verse for us?"

Sticky Bear took the Bible and said, "Sure...Philippians 3:9 says (Read verse) Wow! now I see what you mean! When I tried to get the stain out myself, I couldn't - it was hopeless. But then you gave me the clean, new breastplate because you are my friend. But how does this all work?"

Tickles answered, "Well, Sticky Bear, when you believe that Jesus is God's Son, and that He died on the cross to pay for your sins, if you are truly sorry, you ask God to forgive you. You turn from your sin and choose to follow Jesus instead. You ask Jesus to be your leader. God will hear your prayer. He will save you from sin and from his judgment. See, God doesn't count your sin against you any more, because Jesus already took the punishment! And, three days after he died, he rose to life again! He's alive! And he promises a new life for us too when we believe in him. And, he gives us the power to win the fight against sin. And, just like I gave you the new breastplate because I was your friend, Jesus offers to be our friend...He takes our dirty hearts that are stained with sin, and give us a brand-new, clean heart instead."

Sticky Bear was excited, "Oh, now I see what you mean! How much God must love us! I want to be made clean. I want to be Jesus' friend too. Can you pray with me?"

Tickles was excited too, "Sure, anybody else who wants to be clean, and right with God can repeat the words along with you, Sticky Bear."

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PRAYER

Dear God, I realize that I'm helpless without you. I can't be good enough on my own. I admit that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your Son, and that he paid the payment for my sins when he died on the cross in my place. I'm the one who deserved the punishment, but He took it for me. Please forgive me and make me right with you. I want change the way I've been living and live for you instead. I ask you to be my leader from now on. I thank you for saving me now and giving me a new, clean heart. In Jesus' name. Amen.

For the Tickles and Sticky Bear puppets with stick-on armor, the other 4 skits, lots of fun crafts to go with the skits, games, and coloring pages too, go to the Armor of God Fun Pack!