What sin can do to our lives, and how Jesus wants to set us free from our sins.

This could be changed into an object lesson if a boy's action figure, some apples, a paper bag, a black glove, a wooden cross and a red square of cloth are used at the relevant places in the story.

One day a small person crept along the stalls in the market until he came to one with lovely apples.  Tiny Tim's mouth watered as he thought how juicy they were going to be.  He looked around to see if anyone was looking and then grabbed as many apples he could.  He sneaked them into his paper bag.  "Good!  No one saw me!" he thought and quickly stuffed the bag into his jacket and started to move away.  "Stop thief!" roared a gruff voice and before he knew what was happening a large hand had seized him by the scruff of his neck.

Now Tiny Tim loved to tell lies.  The bigger they were, the better he felt!

"Did you steal those apples?" asked the stall owner.  "No, it wasn't me, it was your son," lied Tim.  "We'll see about that!" said the stall owner and started to search him.  He was caught red-handed with apples in his bag!  All the stall owners then chased him out of town.   Tim shrugged his shoulders, "Well I'm sure somebody else needs me."

Eventually he reached Sin Hotel.  What a place it was!  Tim was delighted with everything he saw.  The manager, who was called Sin, saw Tim walking around admiring all the pleasures and wicked things on show.  "Hey you," he called, "You're just the person I need!  I have a lovely room for you in my hotel!"  He led Tim down a broad stairway to a great horrible black room.  "This should suit you fine," he chuckled, "Just the place for a great big Liar!"

Tim wasn't going to stay there!  He ducked under Sin's arm and ran for all he was worth.  He heard footsteps pounding behind him and looked over his shoulder, and there was Sin chasing after him.  "I'm not going to spend even ten minutes in that terrible room!" shouted Tim.   Fortunately just then he found the front door of the hotel, and ducked round it just as it slammed shut!

He then ran with all his might until he dropped with exhaustion.  Just then he saw a palm tree.  "I'll hide up there," he exclaimed as he climbed up the trunk like a frisky monkey.  "Surely Sin won't find me up here."  He hid in the palm leaves and sank into a deep sleep.   As the sun came up Tiny Tim woke up and stretched his arms.  "I'm free," he chuckled, but to his horror he saw the black hand of sin reaching up to clutch him!

Tiny Tim slithered down the palm tree as fast as he could and ran on again until his legs ached.  "I can't go on any more," he cried, "Oh, what will become of me?"  Just then he happened to see some red cloth lying on an old wooden cross.  He crawled under the cloth and dragged it over himself hoping that Sin wouldn't see him.

"I know you're somewhere here!" yelled Sin.  But Tiny Tim had vanished!  Sin saw the red cloth and the cross and yelled in fright, "I can't stand the cross and the blood.  I must be off!"

Tim was very glad to see the last of Sin.  "Father," he called, "This is a safe place for me to be.  Please make me clean inside.  I never want to do anything bad again!"  With that he crawled out and mopped his brow in amazement.  "What happened?" he asked.  A gentle voice replied, "You hid beneath the blood of My Son, and He has made you clean inside just as you asked."

"Well," said Tiny Tim, "I'll never steal or tell a lie again, Father.  I see this cross where Your Son died for my sins.  Now I want to follow You every day and I want Jesus to live in my heart forever.  I cannot let Sin catch me again and put me in that awful room!"

Eating apples reminds us of how Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God and eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  It also reminds us of what happened to Tiny Tim when he stole apples from the market stall.  Remember that Romans 6:23 says:

"For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

We can do all the wrong things we like and the devil will be pleased.   But Jesus wants us to ask Him to forgive us for all the wrong things we have done and make us clean inside.  He will set us free from sin and change us into a child of God.  Perhaps you could ask Him right now to make you clean from all the bad things you have done.

Then like Tiny Tim you will want to follow and serve Jesus every day of your lives.  Just imagine, on the day you die, Jesus will be waiting to welcome you into Heaven and will say to you, "Here's your new house.   It's free and you can live here with Me forever!"

God bless.