Keep Your Life In Tune

This morning we have a very special treat. We have a special guest who is going to play a song for us on his guitar. (Introduce your guest. He then starts to play, making sure to hit a lot of wrong notes and play very badly out of tune.)

Wait, wait! There is something wrong here. I've heard you play before and I know you can play very well. There is something wrong and I think I know what it is. You forgot to check and make sure your guitar was in tune before you started playing. You see, children, every time he plays, he must first make sure his instrument is in tune. Let's let him check and tune his guitar. (Tune the guitar.) Now try it again. (This time he plays beautifully.) That was much better, wasn't it?

Daily living is very much like playing the guitar. You have to check every day to make sure that your life is in tune. Every time you do something that makes God unhappy, that's a sour note. Maybe you fuss with your brother or sister...that's a sour note! Maybe you say something that isn't true...that's a sour note! When you don't obey your parents...that's a sour note. The Bible says that you should keep our heart on the right path. That means you need to keep your heart in tune with God!

Dear Lord, help us to keep our heart in tune to the things that you want us to do, and Lord, forgive us when we hit a sour note. Amen.