Don’t Give up the Good Stuff

Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live!  Amos 5:14

 Props: a variety of junk food and healthful foods

(Read Amos 5:14).  The first half of this verse says, “Do what is good…”  Doing what is good brings life; but doing evil will bring death unless you receive God’s forgiveness and turn away from your sin.

            So when I was thinking about today’s lesson, I thought about food—of course!  Doing what is good reminds me of eating what is good.  It brings life!  (Show healthful foods).  If you eat wholesome foods like this, your body will remain strong and healthy.  If you do good things, like love God, read and obey the Bible and love others, your soul and spirit will remain strong and healthy. 

            (Show junk food). Now we all know that if you only eat junk food like this all the time, your body will get sick and—if you ate only this stuff—you could even die.

            So let’s say you get tired of eating healthy, but you know you shouldn’t eat junk food.  What if you said, “Okay, I just won’t eat anything at all”?  Would that work?  Of course not!  You have to eat to live, and if you want to live healthy, you have to eat healthful foods.

            I gave that silly example because some people treat their spirit like that.  They think, “Well, I know I can’t go around hurting people and being a bad person, but I don’t want to serve God either.  So I just won’t do anything at all, good or bad.”
          

             It doesn’t work like that.  You must serve God if you want to have a full life on earth and eternal life in Heaven.  This verse says “Do what is good and run from evil so that you may live!”  You have to do good by serving God and run away from evil, just like you must eat healthful foods and stay away from junk food if you want to be healthy.  You can’t skip out on eating altogether and you can’t skip out on God.  Do what is good by serving Him and keep running in the right direction.