Matthew 10:40-42, NIRV

⁴⁰“Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me. And anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. ⁴¹Suppose someone welcomes a prophet as a prophet. They will receive a prophet’s reward. And suppose someone welcomes a godly person as a godly person. They will receive a godly person’s reward. ⁴²Suppose someone gives even a cup of cold water to a little one who follows me. What I’m about to tell you is true. That person will certainly be rewarded” (emphasis added).

Supplies

Camping object – canteen
Bible

Message

If you have ever been on a camping trip, you know that there is one item you must always have with you. (Hold up a canteen or stainless-steel water bottle.) By show of hands, how many of you know what this is? That’s right, this is a water bottle, but in camping, we call it a canteen. If you have ever been out in the heat of the day, you must stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.

Today’s Bible passage is about rewards. Matthew tells us that if someone gives a cup of cold water to a little one who follows Jesus, then that person will certainly be rewarded. The reward is eternal life in heaven.

The Bible is filled with stories about water. Water is a key element in many Bible stories. Who can give me a story from the Bible that has to do with water? (Allow children to answer.) Those are all excellent examples. When I think about water stories from the Bible, I think about:

Noah’s ark
Jonah and the belly of that huge fish
The baptism of Jesus
The woman at the well when Jesus teaches her about “living water.”
Moses parting the Red Sea

Our church, the United Methodist Church, uses water to celebrate the holy sacrament of baptism.

Water is a gift God gave us through God’s creation, and it is crucial to the survival of every living thing, including us! That is why we must drink plenty of it and stay hydrated.

The next time your parent or loved one tells you to drink plenty of water, tell that person thank you and remind that person that because he/she offered cold water for you to drink, he/she will be rewarded. Let this also serve as a cool reminder as you drink from your canteen that you too are offered the living water of Jesus Christ.

Will you repeat after me our poem that we use to begin each day with this summer?

Good morning, Sun!
I can feel the warmth of your rays.
As this new day begins, I will shout God’s praise.
Use me today to share God’s story,
as I celebrate the morning sun and all its glory.
Amen