Where do things come from? Well, some things are made by people, aren't they? People build houses. People make cars. People grow food. But how do people make food grow? Yes, they plant the seeds, water them, and take care of the plants they grow. But what makes the seeds? Seeds that will grow. Do people make the seeds? No, of course not. So where did the seeds come from? Well, you see, way, way back when the Lord God made the whole world, when he first made plants, God made the plants so that they would have seeds, seeds that would grow into more plants. And God made the plants so that the seed from a plant would only grow into the same kind of plant that it came from. Yes, it might be a little different in color or size or something, but it would still be the same kind of plant, wouldn't it? Let's look at an apple seed, okay? When an apple seed grows into a tree, it doesn't grow into a walnut tree or a peach tree, does it? No, of course not. When an apple seed grows, it will only grow into an apple tree, won't it? After all, an apple is an apple. An apple can't turn into a walnut or a peach, can it? No. It is a little seed from an apple. The apple seed sprouts and after a while becomes a tiny tree called a seedling. Then it grows some more and becomes a bigger tree called a sapling. And it keeps growing and growing until finally it becomes a tree that is big enough to grow fruit on it. And that fruit will only be apples, won't it? And those apples will have more seeds inside of them. Seeds that can grow into more apple trees, right? Yes, when an apple seed grows into a tree, it will always grow into an apple tree, won't it? That is the way the Lord God planned it. It is the same with other plants too, isn't it? A carrot seed only grows into a carrot. A nasturtium seed only grows into a nasturtium flower, right? The seeds only grow into the kind of plant that the seed came from. After all, a tomato seed can't grow into a grapevine, can it? Of course, a nasturtium seed from a large orange nasturtium flower may grow into a somewhat smaller yellow nasturtium flower with an orange center. But it's still a nasturtium flower, isn't it? Yes, a nasturtium is a nasturtium, no matter its color or size. Or a seed from a red apple may grow into a tree that has red and yellow striped apples. But it's still an apple, isn't it? Yes, an apple is an apple, no matter what its color. But what about animals? Can a dog have a baby cat? Can a cow have a baby alligator? No, of course not. A dog only has puppies, baby dogs, doesn't it? And those little puppies grow up into big dogs, and those big dogs will have more puppies. After all, a puppy doesn't grow up into a cat, does it? Of course not. A puppy grows up into a dog, and it's the same dog that it was when it was a puppy, isn't it? Yes, it's the same dog, just bigger. A cat only has kittens, baby cats, which will grow up into big cats, which will have more kittens. After all, a kitten doesn't grow up into a hamster, does it? No, of course not. A kitten grows up into a cat, and it's the same cat that it was when it was a kitten, isn't it? Yes, it's the same cat, just bigger. A cow only has calves, baby cows. An alligator only has baby alligators. That's the way God made them. Of course, a brown dog with long fur may have a black and white puppy with short fur. But that puppy is still a baby dog, isn't it? Yes, a dog is a dog, no matter how big or small it is or what it looks like. Or a black and white cow may have a brown calf. But that calf is still a baby cow, isn't it? Yes, a cow is a cow, no matter how big or small it is or what it looks like. Birds and fish do the same as plants and animals. An eagle doesn't lay eggs that hatch into sparrows, does it? No, of course not. Eagles egg will only hatch into a baby eagle want it Yes an eagle is an eagle whether it's in the egg hatched out and in the nest or flying around isn't it and A goldfish doesn't have baby guppies does it? No a goldfish will only have baby goldfish Whale doesn't have a baby dolphin does it? No, a whale will only have baby whales Why is that? Why does a seed only grow up into a plant like itself? Why does an animal only have baby animals like itself? Why do birds only lay eggs that hatch into birds like themselves? Why do fish only have baby fish like themselves? Why is that? That's right. It's because that's the way the Lord God made them to be when a very long time ago he first made the whole world and everything in it. That's the way that God planned the plants and animals and birds and fish to be. But what about people? Why, it's the same with people, isn't it? Now, we are human beings, aren't we? Yes, all of us are human beings. We're persons. And a human being can only have another human being, right? After all, a woman doesn't give birth to a kitten, does she? No, a person always has another person. And no matter what size that person is, he or she is still a person, a human being, right? A baby is a person. A little child is a person. A big child is a person. An old person is a person. As Dr. Seuss said in one of his charming books, a person's a person no matter how small. And a person stays the same person all of his life, doesn't he? After all, a person doesn't grow up and become someone else, does he? No, of course not. A baby boy starts growing and becomes a little boy. He grows some more and becomes a big boy. Then he grows some more and becomes a teenage boy. And then he becomes a big man. But, whether he's a baby, or a teenage boy, or a big man, he's always the same person, isn't he? It's the same with a baby girl. A baby girl starts growing and becomes a little girl. She grows some more and becomes a big girl. Then she grows some more and becomes a teenage girl. And then she becomes a big woman. But whether she's a baby or a teenage girl or a big woman, she's always the same person, isn't she? Yes, a person is always the same person, no matter how little or big they are. I know a woman who has a brother who is 95 years old. She goes and visits her brother, and they talk about when they were children. What? A 95-year-old man was a child? Yes, he was. When he was a child, the woman was a child too, and he was still her brother. He was the same person, only much younger then, wasn't he? Yes, a baby grows up into a child, who grows up into an adult, who after a long time becomes old. But that person is still the same person, whether he or she's a baby, a small child, a big child, a teenager, a young adult, a middle-aged adult, or an older adult. Right? After all, you won't grow up and become somebody else, will you? No, of course not. You will always be you, just as I will always be I. Yes, I am the same person now that I was when a long time ago I was a little baby. Of course, I know more now than I did when I was a baby or a small child, but I'm still the same person. Yes, a person stays the same person all of his or her life, no matter how much they learn or how old they become, don't they? Yes, you will always be you. And I'm glad that I'll always be myself. Aren't you glad you'll always be yourself? Of course, when you're playing, you may pretend to be someone else or something else. A boy may pretend he's a lion or a dinosaur or a fireman, but he's only pretending, isn't he? He's still the same person, the same boy. He's just pretending to be someone else or something else, isn't he? Or a girl may pretend she's a kitten or a pretty pony or a princess, but she's only pretending, isn't she? She's still the same person, the same girl. She's just pretending to be someone else or something else, isn't she? It can be fun to pretend, but pretending isn't real, is it? No, you are always really you, even when you're pretending, aren't you? Of course now, you may not remember things that happened when you were a tiny baby, and you may not remember everything that happened to you when you were a little child, but that was still you, whether you remember everything or not, wasn't it? It's sort of like how when you're asleep, you may not always remember who you are in your sleep, but you're still you while you're sleeping, aren't you? Yes, you're always you, the same person, even when you don't remember it. I once saw a picture of a baby who had been born very early and was very tiny. Why, he was only about half as long as a newborn baby, usually as long. And he didn't even weigh as much as a regular loaf of bread. Imagine that! But this tiny baby was still a person, wasn't he? Yes, though he was a very, very tiny person. And he had been a person even before he had gotten even that big, when he was even tinier, hadn't he? Yes, he was a person even before he was born, wasn't he? And after a while, this tiny little baby grew up into a big boy, then into a teenager, then into a big man. But this big, tall man was still the same person as that tiny, tiny little baby, wasn't he? Yes, and even though he doesn't remember when he was a tiny little baby. Yes, a person is a person, no matter how small. And a person stays that same person all of that person's life, doesn't he? Oh, and the Bible tells us that the Lord God knows us even way before we are born. Did you know that? Yes, King David says in one of the Psalms that God knew him even before he was born. And another thing, do you remember when Mary, the mother of Jesus, went to visit her cousin Elizabeth? Elizabeth was to be the mother of John the Baptist, wasn't she? But before John was born, Mary got to the house, and Elizabeth said that her baby, John, had leaped for joy before he was born. And later, John was born, and John grew up to be a big man, and he told about Jesus, who would save us from our sins. And this John, who told about Jesus, was the same person as the baby who would leap for joy before he was born, wasn't he? Yes, he was. After all, a person doesn't suddenly become a person when he's born, does he? No, he's always a person, whether he's been born yet or not, right? Yes, a person's a person, the same person, whether he's been born yet, or is a baby, or a child, or a teenager, or a big man or woman, or is an old person, no matter how big or small. That's the way the Lord God made us. We will always be not only a person, but the same person forever and ever, won't we? Hey, wait a minute, what do I mean by that? That we'll be the same person forever and ever? Forever and ever? Well, remember there is a forever and ever, isn't there? And the Lord God loves us so very much that he wants us to be with him forever and ever. But how can we be with God forever and ever? Why that is why God the Father, who loves us so much, had Jesus come to Earth, isn't it? To make a way so that we could be with God forever and ever. And Jesus, God the Son, also loves us so much that he willingly came to Earth as a human, though he was still God. That's a miracle, isn't it? But why? Yes, to make a way so that we could be with God forever and ever. And what is that way? Well, we all have sinned, haven't we? Except Jesus, that is. You see, Jesus, when he was here on earth, was both man and God, and he did no sins. But Jesus died for our sins, didn't he? But three days later, he was alive again, wasn't he? Hooray! And he's still alive in heaven now. Of course, the Lord Jesus is coming back someday, isn't he? And then he'll be king of everyone and everything forever and ever. And if we trust in Jesus to forgive our sins, he will. Yes, if we trust in Jesus, our sins are forgiven, and then it is as if our sins and bad things have been washed away. And then He will be our King, and we should try to do the things that He wants us to do, shouldn't we? And God will help us to do that. And if we have trusted in Jesus to save us from our sins, then someday we can be with the Lord forever and ever. And we will still be the same person then as we are now, won't we? Yes, when we're in the forever and ever part, we'll still be the same person as we are now. But we won't sin anymore, and our body will be perfect, and the things that bothered or hurt us before will be gone. We'll be the same person, but a perfect person then, and we can be with the Lord God forever and ever. Won't that be wonderful? Yes, God loves us very much, and each person is precious to the Lord God, no matter how little or big, whether born yet or not, however young or old that person may be. And a person is the same person forever and ever. Yes, you will always be the same person, the same you, forever and ever. Aren't you glad?