First Offense

Speaker A: Don't go away, kids. It's story time. Boys and girls, for Jesus. This earnest prayer.

Boys and girls for Jesus. Home and school at play and everywhere we'll tell the world of life in Jesus. He is a life song.

There is a unity. Jesus, won't you come along?

Speaker B: Well, hi there. Come on in. I'm Uncle Charlie, and this is Children's Bible Hour. Story time.

Speaker C: Our story is a little longer than.

Speaker B: Usual today and it also has a very, very good lesson.

Speaker D: So I'd like to get right to our story.

Speaker B: It's written for the Children's Bible Hour by Harry Trover and is entitled the First Offense.

It's sometimes hard to realize that every criminal behind bars today was once an innocent little kid with all the ability to do good things that we see in some of the greatest people around.

Now, everybody is subject to temptation to do things that are wrong, and there are no exceptions. But what makes a child begin to walk that well, that broad way that leads to destruction when he becomes a man? Well, to try to understand this, we've got to go back to his very first offense.

Back to the first days when he began to realize the difference between right and wrong. When he began to use his will to choose the way he should go. Now, here's a before and after story. Just a little page out of the life story of a little boy. Could be any boy. This boy's name is Tom.

Tom's childhood was filled with all of the sights and sounds that make a child's heart, well, glow and wonder with delight.

The day the circus came to town.

His first day at school, his first dog.

And that wonderful Christmas he will never, ever forget.

And many more wonderful memories. But, hey, back to that little page we were talking about. The first line of that page was written years ago on a clear, beautiful June when school was out for the rest of the summer. Tom was standing on the corner talking to his buddy Jimmy.

Speaker E: We might get caught.

Speaker F: Not a chance. I've done it five times already.

Speaker E: Five times?

But how can you be so sure?

Speaker F: All right, I'll tell you again. I go into the candy store about a few minutes before 10 o'clock. I go to the magazine rack and look at the comics like all the rest of the kids do. Every day at just about 10 o'clock, the ice cream truck comes up the alley to the back door of the store and Mr. Carson goes back to unlock the door. While he's in the back room, I just step over to the candy counter, put a couple of candy bars in my pocket. And when Mr. Carson comes back in the store, I'm still standing there looking at the magazines.

Speaker E: I'm afraid I might get caught.

Speaker F: If you watch out. You won't.

Speaker E: Well, I guess if you got away with it five times, I ought to be able to get away with it just this once.

Speaker F: Go ahead. I'll stay outside the store and keep an eye open. If I see anyone heading for the store, I'll duck in ahead of them to give you the warning.

Speaker E: Well, okay. Keep watching. It's almost 10 o'clock. I'll go on in.

Speaker G: Hello, Tom. What can I do for you?

Speaker E: Just wanted to see if you have any new comics on the magazine rack.

Speaker G: To buy or to read. Why, you kids must think this is the public library. Okay, you can look, but keep things in order. Say, are your hands clean?

Speaker E: Yes, sir.

Speaker D: Uh.

Speaker G: Oh, I think I hear the ice cream truck pulling into the alley. Keep an eye on the store for a minute, will you, Tom?

Speaker E: Sure, Mr. Carson.

Now I'll just take two steps over the candy case. Softly open the door. What the.

Speaker G: Now I've got you. So you're the one that's been.

Speaker E: What happened?

Speaker A: I.

Speaker G: Now I'll just turn this burglar alarm off while you explain what you're doing in the candy case.

Speaker E: Well, I. I noticed the candy case door open and was. And I went to shut it.

Speaker G: Oh, wait a minute. The door was closed. You opened it. That's why the alarm went off. I knew that somebody was stealing out of that case. That's why last night I rigged up this alarm. If anybody touches that door without pushing the hidden button, the alarm goes off.

Tom, I'm disappointed to know that you are the one who's been stealing from me.

Speaker E: But honest, Mr. Carson, it wasn't me.

Speaker G: I caught you.

Speaker E: I know, but it wasn't me. This was my first time.

Speaker G: First time? If it wasn't you, who was it?

Speaker E: I. I don't want to be a tattletale.

Speaker G: Then you are the one.

Speaker B: No.

Speaker G: Then who?

Speaker E: Jimmy. He's right outside now. He told me to do it. He said he's done it five times. He did it.

Speaker G: I don't see anyone out here. Let's look outside and see.

There's no sign of Jimmy, but here comes Officer Blackstone. He must have heard the alarm. What's going on here, Mr. Carson? I heard the burger alarm going off. Enough to raise the dead.

Speaker B: What happened?

Speaker G: I found the boy who was stealing out of the candy case. Caught him red handed. Tom, I can't believe it. Your father will have to hear about this, son.

Speaker E: But honest, Officer Blackstone. Honest. I never did it before. I got the idea from Jimmy. He's the one.

Speaker G: We'll still have to have a talk with your father. Come on, Tom.

Speaker B: When Tom stood before his father while Officer Blackstone told him what had happened, it was the blackest day in young Tom's life. And he was angry. He felt it wasn't fair. He knew he was telling the truth.

This was the first time. But no one. No one would believe him.

Speaker C: No one but his father.

Speaker B: He did believe him.

And later, alone, they talked about it.

Speaker D: I. I do believe you, Tom.

Speaker E: Why? Nobody else does.

Speaker D: I guess because. Well, son, because I know you. I can always tell when you're telling the truth.

Speaker E: I. I never have been able to lie to you and get away with it.

Speaker D: Be thankful you can't get away with it. Someday you'll be glad that you were caught on your first offense.

Speaker E: Glad? I'm ashamed. I'm mad. Jimmy's the one who stole the candy and ate it five times. I try it one time. I never get one bite of candy and I'm guilty. I'm blamed. And a thief. He's the guilty one, not me.

Speaker D: But you are just as guilty as Jimmy. You must see that, Tom, if this lesson is to do you any real good.

Speaker E: But I didn't do it. I was gonna do it, all right, but I didn't get it done. So how am I guilty?

Speaker D: The Bible says that if we will to sin, if we plot and plan to sin, if we could sin without getting caught, the only thing that keeps us from sinning is the fear of getting caught.

We're just as guilty as if we had really done it.

Speaker E: It just doesn't seem fair.

Speaker D: Well, in your heart, now, in your heart, you know that you planned to do this thing and you would have carried it out except that you got caught.

Speaker E: And you mean that in God's way, I'm just as guilty as Jimmy?

Speaker D: That is why every child must learn to guard his mind. The temptation to sin is not wrong. Everybody's tempted. Even Jesus himself was tempted to sin. But it's when we want to sin, when we long to sin, that it's wrong.

Even though you do not actually have the opportunity to sin. If you know that down in your heart you would sin if you could get by with it, then this is sin and this is wrong and you are guilty.

Speaker E: I. I think I see what you mean. Like. Like if you hated someone enough to kill them, and even if you didn't do it, In God's eyes, you were just as guilty as if you had done it.

Speaker D: Mm. That's what the Bible teaches, son.

Speaker E: Then I am guilty of stealing because that's what I wanted to do. That's what I had planned to do. And if I hadn't gotten caught, I would have done it. But if all the sin and trouble begins with wanting to do something wrong, how do you get rid of the want to?

Speaker D: Well, there is a way of escape. The Bible says that if you will take Jesus into your heart, if you will let him be the Lord of your life, he will give you the victory over the want to.

Speaker E: Does it really work?

Speaker D: It works. There are millions of Christian boys and girls and young people who do not steal. Not because they don't have the opportunity, but because they don't want to. They hear people swear, take God's name in vain, tell dirty jokes, and they do not swear. Not because they don't know how, but because they don't want to.

Speaker E: Dad, will God take the want to out of me?

Speaker D: Yes. Yes, he will.

Speaker E: How long does it take?

Speaker D: How long?

Well, son, it takes a whole lifetime. A whole lifetime. But it begins in an instant. The instant you open your heart and ask Jesus to come in.

Speaker A: If you are tired of the load of your sin Let Jesus come into your arms if you need siren you like to begin Let Jesus come into your heart Just now your doubting give more just now reject him no more just now throw open the door Let Jesus come into your heart if there's a tempest your voice cannot still Let Jesus come into your heart it is a voice this world never can fail Let Jesus come into your heart Just now your doubting give more just now reject him no more just crown throw open the door Let Jesus come into your heart.

Speaker C: In our story today, Tom was mad. Mad because his friend Jimmy had stolen five times and never got caught. He only did it once, never even got a bite of candy. And he was guilty. He was blamed and he was called a thief. And you want to know something? Tom was just as guilty as Jimmy. Why? Because in his heart he wanted to steal. He wanted to take something that didn't belong to him. God sees our hearts. He knows when we want to do something even though we don't do it. Tom asked the question, how do we get rid of the want to? Well, when we trust Jesus Christ as Savior, he sends his Holy Spirit into our lives to help us to say no when we're tempted. But even Christians spirit filled Christians are tempted and give in. What do we do then? Oh I like what 1 John 1:9 says. That verse is really written to Christians, you know. I call it the Christians washing Machine verse. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Let's ask God to take the want to out of our lives. And he will. And he'll give us the power through His Holy Spirit to say no when we're tempted to do those things that are wrong. And of course, if you've never trusted Christ as Savior in the first place, that's the first step to victory. To admit you're a sinner and can't save yourself. To believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and to confess your sins to Him. Ask him to come into your heart and life. Hey, before I go, don't forget to check out our great website www.keysforkids.org. lots of good things to read, see and do www.keysforkids.org check it out sometime soon. Goodbye now. Thanks for list.