20250125 Children Sermon - Hard Hearts vs. Soft Hearts

Описание: Is your heart like a stone—or like Play-Doh in God's hands?

What happens when God asks you to do something you don't want to do?
In this children's sermon, we use a simple object lesson—a rock and Play-Doh—to explore one of the Bible's most important questions: Do we have a hard heart or a soft heart?
When you squeeze Play-Doh, it responds. It listens to your hand. But a stone? You can push as hard as you want—nothing happens. It doesn't react at all.
Pharaoh in the book of Exodus was like that stone. Moses told him what God wanted, but Pharaoh's pride made his heart hard. He wouldn't listen. And when we refuse to listen to God, life starts to get messy—just like it did for Egypt.
But there's good news: We get to choose. We can ask God to soften our hearts so we can respond to His direction and love.
Key Lessons:
✦ The difference between a "stone heart" and a "Play-Doh heart"
✦ What Pharaoh teaches us about the danger of pride and hard hearts
✦ Why life gets difficult when we refuse to listen to God
✦ How Zacchaeus showed us what a soft, responsive heart looks like
✦ Practical ways to soften our hearts and listen to God
Scripture Reference: Exodus 7–10 | Ezekiel 36:26

🕯️ St. Philip Orthodox Church
A Place for Worship and Fellowship
Davie, Florida

📌 For Parents & Teachers:
This is a great visual lesson to recreate at home! Grab a rock and some Play-Doh and ask your kids: "Which one are you when God asks you to do something?" It opens up wonderful conversations about obedience, pride, and trusting God's direction.

🙏 Takeaway:
The next time someone asks you to do the right thing—even if you don't want to—ask yourself: Am I being a stone or Play-Doh right now? A soft heart listens. A soft heart responds. A soft heart finds peace.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." — Ezekiel 36:26

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