July 26, 2026

Introduction

SERMON TWO • Celebration Sunday, July 26

Marvel at Jesus

The wonder we met at the Junction — and the response it asks of all of us.

Primary anchor: John 20:31 (the purpose of the whole trip). Frame text: the five “wonders” of the week. Closing charge: Matthew 25:14–30; Matthew 6:10.

Big idea: The same Jesus the children marveled at all week is the Christ you must believe in and live for — so marvel, believe, and live for His glory.

Aim: (1) Reinforce and cement what the children learned; (2) preach the actual gospel to every adult and visiting family in the room; (3) move the whole church from wonder to worship, witness, and waiting well.

Format note: this is written to work in a family/celebration service. [Leave slots for the children to sing, say a memory verse, or share a highlight; and for any testimonies or a salvation count.]

Introduction — Five stops, one Person

Welcome everyone to Cornerstone Bible Church and especially welcome to everyone that participated in vacation Bible school this week. What an exciting and fun week we had! Full of out west themes, surprising, fun, snacks, quirky songs, drama creatures, and more. It was a blast, wasn't it?

I especially want to thank everyone that volunteered for vacation Bible school.

Thanks to Leanna and Pam for heading up food preparation.

Thanks to April Inman and Isabelle for being an excellent food preparation Assistance. I hear the Baker boys helped out as well.

Thanks to Eddy Castanos and Christopher otherwise known as Topher for all their work putting the games together.

Although, I do have to check because several kids were concerned, Christopher do you still need another popsicle?

Christopher, do you need another popsicle?

Thanks to Melanie Alvey and Teresa Castanos for your work heading up the crafts and science time. It turns out science can be done by postal workers and Stay at home mom's. It doesn't actually require a PhD, Ryan.

Thanks to Ashley for teaching a week of lessons to our children. In addition to teaching weekly in children's church.

Thanks to you as a church community for everyone who donated supplies.

Thanks to all the parents for trusting us with your children and bringing them here for this fantastic week.

All week our children rode a five-stop rail line, and every stop was really the same destination — Jesus. Today we’re going to ride back through those five wonders together, because what the kids learned this week is the most important thing anyone in this room will ever know. And the whole trip has a stated destination:

John 20:31 — "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Everything the children heard — every story, every verse — was written for that one purpose: that you would believe, and have life. Keep that verse in view; we’ll come back to it. Read Psalm 113:3 as the week’s banner over it all.

Psalm 113:3 ESV

3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!

Transition: All aboard — stop one.

Stop 1 — The Wonder of His Birth (Monday)

Kids’ big question: “What amazing events surrounded the King’s birth?” Text: Matthew 1–2; Luke 2.

John 1:14 — "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory… full of grace and truth."

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The baby in the manger is not merely a great man born under a bright star — He is God in human flesh. “Immanuel… God with us.”

For the children: Jesus is the King who left heaven for us. For every adult here: the hope of Christmas is not sentiment, it’s incarnation — God came near to save.

Stop 2 — The Wonder of His Childhood (Tuesday)

Kids’ big question: “What was Jesus like as a child?” Text: Luke 2:39–52.

Luke 2:52 — "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man."

Luke 2:52 ESV

52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Jesus was fully human — He grew up, learned obedience, worked with His hands as a carpenter’s son. That means He understands your children, and He understands you. It also means our rescue required a real, sinless human standing in our place — He kept perfectly the law we break.

For the kids: Jesus knows exactly what it’s like to be a kid, and He never sinned once.

Stop 3 — The Wonder of His Ministry (Wednesday)

Kids’ big question: “How much power does He have?” Text: selections from Mark.

John 21:25 — "Now there are also many other things that Jesus did… the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."

John 21:25 ESV

25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

Storms obey Him.

Sickness flees.

Demons run.

The dead sit up. His miracles aren’t magic tricks — they’re signs flashing one message: this is the Lord, and He has the power to save. So many wonders that all the books in the world couldn’t hold them. For the kids: there is nothing too hard for Jesus — nothing in your life He can’t handle.

Transition: Every stop so far has been building to the hub of the whole line — the reason He came.

Stop 4 — The Wonder of His Death & Resurrection (Thursday) — the gospel, plainly

Kids’ big question: “How was Jesus’ death and resurrection like no other?” Text: Matthew 27–28.

This is the summit — slow down and preach it clearly to everyone.

No other death was ever like this: the sinless Son of God, dying not for His own sin but in the place of sinners, bearing the wrath we earned.

And no other grave ever emptied like this: on the third day He rose, alive, defeating sin and death forever. His death paid what we owed; His resurrection proves it was accepted.

John 20:31 — "…these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Light series tie-in: this — not a gospel of good advice or good behavior, not a counterfeit — is the real gospel we’ve been guarding. And it’s the gospel our children heard this week.

Invitation: this is where wonder becomes decision — for children and adults alike. Make the call plain and unhurried.

Tell them simply: you can’t save yourself, but Jesus already did everything needed. Turn from your sin and trust Him, and He gives you new life today. Parents, this may be the moment your child has been circling all week — and it may be your moment too.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

[Give your invitation. Offer to pray with anyone; invite families to talk with you or a leader afterward; have counselors and the “Leading a Child to Christ” card ready. Involve parents in any child’s response.]

Stop 5 — The Wonder of His Return (Friday)

Kids’ big question: “What should we do while we wait for the King to return?” Text: Matthew 25:14–30 (the talents).

Matthew 6:10 — "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

Matthew 6:10 ESV

10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

The trip ends where history is headed: the King is coming back. And the parable of the talents tells us how to wait — not by burying what He’s given us in the ground, but by investing it for His glory until He comes. For the kids: live for Jesus right now — at home, at school, on the playground. For the church: keep telling the wonders (right back to Psalm 78) to every child God sends us, until He returns. “Well done” is worth living for.

Transition: So the train pulls in. What do we do with a week of wonder?

Marvel, believe, live for His glory

Bring the whole trip back to John 20:31. It was all written so that you would believe and have life. Three responses, and they fit every age in the room:

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Marvel. Don’t let a familiar Jesus become a small Jesus. Worship Him — “from the rising of the sun to its setting” (Ps 113:3).

Psalm 113:3 ESV

3 From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!

Believe. Move from being impressed to trusting Him. Believe, and have life in His name (John 20:31).

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Live for His glory. Invest your life for the King while you wait for Him (Matt 25). Parents, keep the conversation going at home; church, let’s disciple the children God brought us this week.

Conclusion

Charge the families: the best thing that can happen now isn’t that the decorations come down and the week fades — it’s that these truths keep getting told around your dinner tables. Parents and grandparents, you are the everyday VBS.

Charge the church: we prayed our workers out two weeks ago — look what God did. Now let’s not lose these kids and families. Follow up, welcome, disciple.

Response: close with worship and a clear final invitation.

[Recognize the VBS team once more; report any fruit/decisions if appropriate; song idea: “In Christ Alone,” “Living Hope,” or the theme song the kids know.]

Closing Community Prayer