Do you know that magnets are like people?  My magnet is strong and attracts anything made from iron.  See, it can easily lift these large nails.  It reminds us of how our lives change when Jesus comes into our hearts.  He makes us clean inside so that we want to love and serve Him.  And this attracts other people to Jesus.

Samson had great strength and when the Philistine enemies of Israel captured him on several occasions, he was able to overcome them easily.  His strength came from God and if he had been wise, he would have realised that God could only work through him while he lived a clean and pure life, that would honour God every day.

However, there came a time when sin came into his life.  It's like taking this piece of iron labelled "SIN" and putting it over the ends of the magnet.  Now the magnet has lost its strength and can't pick up the nails anymore!

One day Samson sinned by telling Delilah that his strength lay in keeping his hair long and uncut.  She was delighted and had a man shave off all his hair while he lay asleep.  On waking Samson didn't know that the strength God had given him was gone.  The Philistines jumped out of hiding and grabbed Samson and easily overpowered him.  They blinded him and then bound him with bronze chains and made him their slave!

Just as my magnet is now powerless to do the things it once did, Samson could no longer do the great deeds he once did!  It's the same with us today.  We need to pray to Jesus each day and trust Him to lead, guide and strengthen us, so that we can keep sin out of our lives.   And then we will be able to serve God and do great things for Him.   But, if we allow sin to come into our lives, we will become too weak and powerless to serve God!

Now, what about you?  Have you asked Jesus to come into your heart and make you God's child?  And do you serve and please Jesus every day?  If you have sinned, why not tell Jesus what you have done and ask Him to forgive you and make you clean inside.  Then you will be like my magnet when we remove the "SIN" bar.  Now it's free to attract and pick up nails again.  In the same way we need to serve Jesus and let His love attract other people to God.

What about your friends?  Have they sinned and done wrong things?  Have they asked Jesus to be their Saviour and Friend?  Why don't you share this lesson with them and then ask if they would like to ask Jesus to live in their hearts today?

Don't be like Powerless Samson.  Remember you are God's child and Jesus wants you to be free from sin and full of the love, power and joy of the Holy Spirit!

God bless.