Lessons From “Illumination Station”!

 Vacation Bible School 2026

Welcome:

Well, friends, welcome to Eastern Shore Baptist Church! My name is Stuart Davidson, and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor here. It is a delight to see all of you this morning. 

Church family, we have had one of the most terrific weeks in the history of our church. This past week, we hosted more than 200 students during Vacation Bible School. Most importantly, we saw students give their lives to Christ, rededicate their lives to Christ, and take steps toward baptism. We praise the Lord for what He has done. 

I want to say a special thank you to our Children’s Ministry Director, LeAnn Gentry. LeAnn has a tremendous heart for children, and she did an outstanding job leading this year’s Vacation Bible School. I also want to thank the nearly 100 volunteers who served alongside her. From Bible study and recreation to snacks, video, pictures, car line operators, music, and security, it took an army of people to make this week possible. Church family, would you help me thank all of those who served so faithfully? 

(Applause)

Before I go any further, I want you to know that we take prayer seriously at Eastern Shore Baptist Church. If there is anything happening in your life that we can pray about, we would be honored to do so. 

Our prayer line is available 24 hours a day. Simply text 251-222-8977, and a member of our prayer team will respond and pray for you. You do not have to walk through life’s challenges alone.

Introduction To Today’s Message:

Some of my favorite memories growing up come from Vacation Bible School. I can still remember sitting in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Troy for the opening ceremony each day. 

We would pledge allegiance to the American flag, the Christian flag, and the Bible. 

We would sing songs, hear announcements, and then break into our age groups for the day.

There were always crafts, games, Bible study and great music. 

One of the things I love most about Vacation Bible School is how music helps children learn biblical truth. Years later, a kid may forget a lesson outline, but they’ll remember a song and the truth it taught about Jesus.

The Bible study was always the centerpiece of the week. That was always my favorite part of VBS. Faithful men and women opened God’s Word and invested in the next generation.

Looking back, I am convinced that I am who I am today because faithful Christians invested in me when I was a child. They taught me Scripture, encouraged me, prayed for me, and shared the Gospel with me.

Church family, we may not fully realize what happened this week.

This week, we may have helped a young boy who will one day become a pastor. 

We may have shared Christ with a young lady who will become the next Lottie Moon. 

We may have invested in a young man who will someday serve as a missionary, church planter, worship leader, youth pastor, or Baptist collegiate minister.

Only eternity will reveal the full impact of what God accomplished this week.

The theme of this year’s Vacation Bible School was Illumination Station. The theme verse comes from John 8:12 where Jesus said, “Anyone who follows me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”

The idea behind Illumination Station is simple. 

Light helps us see clearly. 

Jesus reveals truth. 

Jesus helps us understand who God is, who we are, and how we can be saved. 

A world filled with confusion about Jesus desperately needs the light of God’s Word.

An old saying teaches, “Everything I needed to know in life, I learned in kindergarten.” Another statement could be added to that thought: Everything I needed to know in life, I learned in Vacation Bible School.

No matter your age, background, or spiritual maturity, there are still valuable lessons to learn from Vacation Bible School.

That truth brings us to today’s message, “Lessons From Illumination Station.”

Today’s Message:

Lessons From “Illumination Station”!

Introduction To Today’s Thought:

Before we read our text, I want to draw your attention to Today’s Thought. If you have your order of worship, this would be a good time to fill in those blanks.

Jesus Is The Answer To Life’s Afflictions And Anxieties.

This week, I had the privilege of teaching Bible alongside Erin Moss and Edie Partin. Together, we taught third, fourth, and fifth grade boys and girls all week long.

One of the things that stood out to me was the incredible variety of children who came through our doors. We had children from different backgrounds, different ethnicities, and different family situations. Some came from financially secure homes. Others came from families facing significant financial challenges. Some came from stable, healthy environments. Others came from broken homes and difficult circumstances.

Some of those children were confident, joyful, and well adjusted. You could tell they were being loved, encouraged, and supported at home. Other children were carrying burdens far beyond their years. Some were being raised by grandparents or guardians. Some came from homes affected by addiction. Some had experienced abandonment. Some were dealing with sickness, loss, or family struggles that no child should ever have to face.

Vacation Bible School was a wonderful week for all of those children. For some of them, however, it may have been the brightest part of their entire week.

That reality reminds us of something important. We live in a broken world.

Sin has broken families. 

Sin has broken homes. 

Sin has broken relationships. 

Sin has broken communities. 

Brokenness is not just found in distant places. 

Brokenness exists right here in Daphne. 

Brokenness exists right here in Lake Forest. 

One of the reasons our church is committed to loving Lake Forest and beyond is because people all around us are hurting and searching for hope.

Many of those children came to Vacation Bible School carrying real afflictions and real anxieties.

The good news is that Jesus is the answer.

Jesus is not merely the answer to a difficult home life. Jesus is not merely the answer to loneliness, fear, anxiety, or uncertainty. Jesus is the answer to humanity’s greatest problem, sin.

Every child, every teenager, and every adult is separated from God because of sin. A broken home is tragic. A difficult childhood is heartbreaking. Dying without Christ is eternally devastating.

Vacation Bible School exists because we want children to know there is hope. We want them to know there is forgiveness. We want them to know there is a Savior who loves them and gave His life for them.

That is why Today’s Thought is so important. Again, fill in those blanks on your order of worship.

Jesus Is The Answer To Life’s Afflictions And Anxieties.

No matter what burden a person may carry, no matter what struggle a family may face, no matter what sin must be forgiven, Jesus Christ is still the answer.

Today’s Thought:

Jesus Is The Answer To Life’s Afflictions And Anxieties! 

Introduction To Today’s Quote:

I want to draw your attention to Today’s Quote from Pastor Adrian Rogers. 

Few men had a greater impact on Southern Baptists during the last generation than Adrian Rogers. He was a faithful pastor, a powerful preacher, and a passionate advocate for sharing the Gospel with children. 

His words are captured there on your outline. 

Today’s Quote:

“Never underestimate what God can do through a child who has trusted Christ. Today’s child can become tomorrow’s missionary, pastor, church planter, Sunday School teacher, or faithful servant of Jesus.”

-Pastor Adrian Rogers 

Introduction To Today’s Scripture:

The book of Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul around A.D. 60 to 62 while he was under house arrest in Rome. Paul wrote this letter to believers living in the city of Colossae because false teachers were spreading confusion about Jesus.

These false teachers were saying that Jesus was important, but not supreme. Others were diminishing His deity and His authority. Paul wrote to remind the church exactly who Jesus is and why He alone is sufficient for salvation.

All of this connects perfectly with the theme of Illumination Station.

Throughout Vacation Bible School, our students learned that Jesus is the Light of the World. 

Light reveals truth. 

Light helps us see clearly. 

One of the goals of VBS was helping children answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”

That is exactly what Paul is doing in Colossians 1:15-20. Paul shines the light of truth on Jesus Christ. He reveals Jesus as God’s perfect Son, God’s powerful Son, and God’s plan for forgiveness.

With that in mind, I want to remind you that…

Statement of Belief:

“We are opening the living and powerful Word of God…truth without error, breathed out by Him, and fully sufficient for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. It is our authority, our guide, and our hope. In honor of the God who gave us His perfect Word, I invite you to stand with me as we read it together.”

Today’s Scripture:

Colossians 1:15-20 CSB 

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created through him and for him. [17] He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. [18] He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. [19] For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, [20] and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Pastor: “Friends, this is the Word of the Lord.”

Congregation: “Praise His name. Praise His holy name.”

3 Lessons From Illumination Station…

Lesson One: Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son vs. 15-16

Friends, we have now found our way into the heart of today’s message. I believe there are three lessons we can learn from Illumination Station and our passage in Colossians 1.

Fill in the blanks there by lesson number one: Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son. 

Look again at verses 15 and 16:

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. [16] For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things have been created through him and for him.”

You can see there’s an explanation for this first point they’re on your outline. You can read it along with me.

“Jesus perfectly reveals the Father. He is God in the flesh, the Creator of all things, and the One through whom everything exists.”

One of the very first lessons our students learned during Vacation Bible School was that Jesus is perfect. 

Think about that for a moment. No one else in human history can make that claim. Every person who has ever lived, apart from Jesus, has sinned against God. Every one of us has said things we should not have said, done things we should not have done, and thought things we should not have thought. 

Jesus was different. 

Jesus was perfect in word. 

Everything He said was good and true. Jesus never told a lie. Jesus never exaggerated. Jesus never spoke carelessly. Jesus never had to apologize for something He said. Whether He was teaching the crowds, confronting the Pharisees, encouraging His disciples, or speaking to children, every word that came from His mouth was completely truthful and perfectly righteous. 

Jesus was perfect in deed. 

Everything He did was loving and right. Every miracle, every act of compassion, every sermon, every conversation, and every decision reflected the perfect character of God. Jesus healed the sick, fed the hungry, comforted the brokenhearted, and welcomed the outcast. He never acted selfishly. He never acted sinfully. He never made a mistake. Every action brought glory to His Father. 

Jesus was perfect in thought. 

Everything He thought glorified His Father. Sin begins in the heart long before it appears in our actions. Pride, jealousy, lust, bitterness, greed, and anger often take root in our minds before they ever become visible. Jesus never experienced a sinful thought. His heart was perfectly pure. His desires were perfectly holy. His mind was completely devoted to the will of God.

The writer of Hebrews said:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 4:15 CSB

That verse reminds us of an important truth. Jesus faced temptation just as we do, yet He never sinned. He remained perfect in word, perfect in deed, and perfect in thought.

Because Jesus was perfect in word, deed, and thought, He alone could become the perfect sacrifice for our sins.

Now friends, I know what some people may be thinking, especially if you are skeptical, cynical, or perhaps have never committed your life to Jesus Christ.

“Why should you take my word for it?”

Why should you take the word of some pastor standing in South Alabama who says Jesus was perfect?

That is a fair question.

The answer is that our belief of Jesus’ perfection is not built upon blind faith. Our belief is built upon the testimony of Scripture, and the Bible has proven itself to be a remarkably credible and reliable record.

For thousands of years, the Bible has been examined, questioned, criticized, mocked, ridiculed, and attacked. Entire books have been written trying to disprove it. Scholars have scrutinized its claims. Skeptics have searched for contradictions. Critics have predicted its downfall.

Yet the Bible remains.

Generation after generation has attempted to dismantle Scripture, yet it continues to stand the test of time.

Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed places, people, customs, cities, and events mentioned in the Bible. Discoveries throughout the Middle East continue to provide evidence that the biblical writers accurately described the world in which they lived.

The Dead Sea Scrolls demonstrated the remarkable accuracy with which the Old Testament was copied and preserved through the centuries. Historical records outside the Bible confirm the existence of people, rulers, and events mentioned in Scripture. Even non-Christian sources affirm key details concerning the life, death, and influence of Jesus of Nazareth.

The New Testament itself is supported by thousands of ancient manuscripts, far more than most ancient works that historians routinely accept as reliable.

Every year, new discoveries seem to add further support to the reliability of Scripture. Time and time again, critics have declared that the Bible was wrong, only to discover later that the biblical writers were right all along.

Church family, Christianity is not asking you to believe a fairy tale. Christianity is asking you to consider the evidence.

The Bible presents a credible, trustworthy, and historically reliable account of Jesus Christ. When the Bible tells us that Jesus was without sin, we have every reason to take that claim seriously.

The same Bible that accurately speaks about history, geography, kingdoms, rulers, cities, and cultures also tells us that Jesus was God’s perfect Son.

That is why we can confidently say that Jesus was perfect in word, perfect in deed, and perfect in thought.

Every sacrifice offered under the Old Testament pointed forward to Him. Every lamb placed upon the altar anticipated the day when the spotless Lamb of God would come into the world. Jesus was not merely a good man. Jesus was not merely a moral teacher. Jesus was the sinless Son of God.

That perfection matters because only a perfect sacrifice could satisfy the righteous demands of a holy God.

We are going to talk much more about that when we come to our final point. In fact, the third lesson from Illumination Station will show us how God’s perfect Son became God’s plan for forgiveness. For now, it is enough to understand that Jesus could save us because Jesus Himself was without sin. Why? The answer is simple. Jesus is God! I love what Jesus says in John 14:9. 

John 14:9 NIV

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

3 Lessons From Illumination Station…

Lesson One: Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son vs. 15-16

Lesson Two: Jesus Is God’s Powerful Son vs. 17-18

Friends, remember our first lesson from Illumination Station: Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son. 

Jesus was perfect in word, perfect in deed, and perfect in thought. Because He was perfect, He alone could become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. 

That brings us to our second lesson. 

Lesson Two: Jesus Is God’s Powerful Son. 

Look with me again at verses 17 and 18: 

“He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.” 

Friends, there on your outline is the explanation for this point: 

“Jesus continually sustains all things and reigns supreme over His church and His creation.”

“Jesus continually sustains all things and reigns supreme over His church and His creation.”

That is a remarkable statement.

Many people think of God the Father when they think about creation. Paul wants us to understand that Jesus was not absent from creation. Jesus was present at creation. In fact, Jesus is the Creator.

Verse 16 tells us that everything was created by Him, through Him, and for Him. Jesus created the stars in the sky. Jesus created the mountains and oceans. Jesus created every animal, every plant, every planet, and every person. Nothing exists apart from Him.

Paul goes even further. Jesus did not simply create all things. Jesus sustains all things.

Notice the phrase “all things.”

What does Paul mean by all things?

He means all things.

The visible and the invisible.

The things we can see and the things we cannot see.

The galaxies above us.

The atoms beneath us.

The physical world.

The spiritual world.

The things we understand.

The things we will never fully understand.

Jesus is holding it all together.

Scientists tell us about a protein in the human body called laminin. Laminin is part of the structure that helps hold our cells together. Interestingly enough, when illustrated, laminin has the appearance of a cross.

Now, I am not suggesting that laminin proves Christianity. I am simply saying that it serves as a beautiful reminder of a much greater truth. The same Jesus who died on a cross is the One holding creation together at every level.

Church family, think about that.

Jesus is holding galaxies together that we cannot even measure.

Jesus is holding creation together at a microscopic level that we cannot even see.

Jesus is holding all things together.

That truth ought to encourage us.

If Jesus can hold creation together, then Jesus can hold you together.

Jesus can hold your family together.

Jesus can hold your marriage together.

Jesus can hold your heart together.

Jesus can hold your future together.

This week alone, our church family has walked through some incredibly difficult days.

We have prayed for people whose worlds were falling apart.

We have prayed for families facing medical emergencies.

We have prayed for people recovering from major surgeries.

We have prayed for individuals facing overwhelming fear and uncertainty.

We have prayed for people sitting beside hospital beds wondering what tomorrow might bring.

Many of us know exactly what it feels like when life begins to unravel.

Those moments remind us where our hope must be found.

When everything else fails, there is still Jesus.

When answers are hard to find, there is still Jesus.

When circumstances make no sense, there is still Jesus.

When the world feels like it is coming apart at the seams, there is still Jesus.

The same Savior who holds creation together is able to hold you together.

The same Savior who created all things is able to sustain you through whatever you are facing today.

Church family, when you look at Jesus, you are looking at God. You can trust Him. You can depend on Him. You can place your life in His hands because His hands are powerful enough to sustain the universe and loving enough to care for you.

That is why the writer of Hebrews said:

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

3 Lessons From Illumination Station…

Lesson One: Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son vs. 15-16

Lesson Two: Jesus Is God’s Powerful Son vs. 17-18

Lesson Three: Jesus Is God’s Plan For Forgiveness vs. 19-20

Friends, let’s review.

Lesson One: Jesus Is God’s Perfect Son.

Lesson Two: Jesus Is God’s Powerful Son.

That brings us to our third and final lesson. Fill in the blanks there on your outline.

Lesson Three: Jesus Is God’s Plan For Forgiveness.

Look at verses 19 and 20:

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

There on your outline is the explanation for this point:

“God’s plan to reconcile sinful people to Himself was accomplished through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross.”

Friends, the good news of the Gospel is that Jesus was not God’s backup plan. Jesus was God’s plan.

The plan of salvation stretches all the way back to the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, sin entered the world and separated humanity from its Creator. Even in that moment of rebellion, God promised that a Savior would come.

Throughout the Old Testament, God continued revealing that plan. The sacrifices, the prophets, the covenants, and the promises all pointed forward to Jesus Christ. Every lamb offered on an altar was a reminder that sin requires a sacrifice. Every prophecy pointed to a coming Messiah. Every page of Scripture was moving history toward a hill called Calvary.

Then, at just the right time, Jesus came.

Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. Jesus died the death we deserved to die. Jesus rose from the grave, defeating sin, death, and hell forever.

That is why Paul could say:

“For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT

That verse may be one of the greatest summaries of the Gospel in the entire Bible. Jesus took our sin so that we could receive His righteousness. Jesus took our place so that we could be forgiven.

One of my favorite parts of Vacation Bible School every year is sharing the ABCs of salvation.

The truth is, those ABCs have not changed since I was a child.

I grew up learning the ABCs of salvation.

I grew up hearing faithful teachers explain the Gospel.

I grew up learning the sinner’s prayer.

When I was ten years old, I confessed Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. I believed in my heart that God had raised Him from the dead, just as Romans 10:9 teaches.

That was the beginning of my journey with Christ.

The sanctifying work of God has been taking place ever since. God is still shaping me. God is still teaching me. God is still making me more like Jesus.

Church family, the ABCs are simple, but they are powerful.

A, Admit that you are a sinner.

B, Believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again.

C, Confess Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord.

That is the Gospel.

That is the message we shared with more than 200 children this week.

That is the message that has changed millions of lives.

That is the message that can change your life today.

The final question of today’s message is very simple:

Do you know the ABCs of Vacation Bible School?

More importantly, have you personally responded to them?

Have you admitted your sin?

Have you believed in Jesus Christ?

Have you confessed Him as Savior and Lord?

Friends, Jesus is God’s perfect Son.

Jesus is God’s powerful Son.

Jesus is God’s plan for forgiveness.

I have two final questions for you this morning:

What will you do with Jesus?

And…

Do You Know The A.B.C.’s of VBS?

Closing Prayer:

Let’s pray together.

Father, thank You for allowing us to spend these moments in Your Word. Thank You for the truth of Colossians 1. Thank You that Jesus is Your perfect Son, Your powerful Son, and Your plan for forgiveness.

Lord, many people in this room are carrying burdens today. Some are hurting. Some are worried. Some are discouraged. Some are facing circumstances they never imagined. Remind them that the same Savior who holds the universe together is able to hold them together as well.

Father, thank You for loving us enough to send Jesus to die on the cross for our sins and rise again from the grave. Thank You that salvation is available to all who will repent and believe.

I pray now for anyone in this room who has never trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Perhaps today they have realized that their greatest problem is not their circumstances. Their greatest problem is their sin. Give them the faith to trust in Jesus today.

Friend, if that is you, you can pray something like this in your heart:

“Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose again. Today I place my faith in You alone. Forgive me of my sin and become the Lord of my life. Thank You for loving me and saving me. Amen.”

Father, Your Word says that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. I pray that people would respond to You today.

If someone needs to give their life to Christ, give them the courage to come during this invitation.

If someone needs to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism, give them the courage to come.

If someone needs a church home, give them the courage to come.

If someone needs prayer, encouragement, or simply someone to talk with, give them the courage to come.

May we respond in obedience to whatever You are saying to our hearts today.

We ask these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen.