Seven-year-old Billy was really excited!  Today he was going to the fair.  His older brother Jim had told him all about it.  There were lots of fun rides, barns full of animals and great food.  Billy had hardly slept the night before and got up before anyone else.

Mom made pancakes, his favorite breakfast.  Billy gulped them down and then went and brushed his teeth.  He waited patiently while everyone else got ready.  Finally they all loaded up the car and headed for the fairgrounds.  

Billy eagerly looked out the window, waiting for his first glimpse of the rides.  Jim said he’d be able to see the Ferris wheel pretty soon.  It only took about 30 minutes to get there, but it seemed like forever.  As they got close Billy yelled out, “There it is!  Look at all of the people.”

Dad parked the car and they walked to the gate.  They bought their tickets and stepped inside.  Billy had never seen so much excitement and the smell of the food made his mouth water.  He wasn’t hungry yet, but he couldn’t wait until lunch time.  He couldn’t wait to see everything else and to ride the rides.

The first thing they did was to go into a big brick building.  Inside were lots of things that people had grown in their gardens or made as a craft.  They had been judged, and the best ones got blue ribbons.  There was even a section where school kids had made things.  Billy stopped to look at a bug collection an 8th grade boy had made.  It had beautiful butterflies, big moths and creepy spiders.  Billy’s parents hadn’t noticed that he had stopped and he was so interested in the bugs that he didn’t notice that they had walked on.

“Hey Dad, look at that big hairy spider!” Billy said as he turned around.  A girl walking by gave him a weird look because he was talking to himself.  His parents were gone.  Billy felt really scared.  He stood on his tiptoes, but he couldn’t see his parents anywhere.  He was lost, separated from the ones he loved.

According to the first book of the Bible, Genesis, all people are born lost.  God made the world and everything in it, but His most treasured creation was people.  He first made Adam out of the dust of the ground.  Then a little later God created Eve.  He placed them in a wonderful garden and every night He would     come and walk with them because He loved them.  How wonderful     it must have been to walk and talk with God!

God did not want people to love Him because they had to, so He gave Adam and Eve a choice.  He told them that they could eat of any fruit or vegetable in the garden, but there was one tree that they were not to eat of.  It was growing right in the middle of the garden.  God told them that if they ate of the tree, they would be separated from Him.  Disobeying God, by eating, would be a sin and God hates sin.  God gave them just one rule.

One day a stranger came to the garden.  His name was Satan.  Satan is an angel and he once worshipped God in Heaven.  However he became full of pride and wanted to take God’s place.  He rebelled with many other angels, and God kicked them out of Heaven.  From that point on Satan has tried to ruin what God has made good.  He saw his chance with Adam and Eve.  

Satan disguised himself as a snake.  Most people don’t like snakes, but Adam and Eve had no fear of any animal.  The snake spoke to Eve and lied to her about God.  She was tricked by Satan and ate from the forbidden tree.  Adam wasn’t fooled, but he ate too.  At that very moment they became lost, separated from the One Who loved them.  Sin entered the world and every person after that, except Jesus, has been born a sinner, lost and separated from God.

God knows everything so He was not surprised when Adam and Eve sinned.  He already had a plan to show how much He loved us.  One day He sent His Son to pay for our sins.  Jesus died on a cross and took the punishment we deserved for disobeying God.  Jesus wants you to ask Him for forgiveness.  He said, “I am come to seek and to save the lost.”

If you want to have a relationship with God, be forgiven of all your sins, and live with Jesus in heaven one day you must:  1 - Admit you are a sinner.  Romans 3:23    2 – Believe Jesus died for your sins.    Romans 5:8    3 – Call on Him to save you.   Romans 10:13

Billy almost felt like crying.  What had started out as a fun day had turned into a scary one.   Just as he was about to give up, he heard his father’s voice.  Billy hugged his dad with all his might.  His dad had been looking for him all along, just like Jesus is looking for you.  Billy enjoyed the rest of his day riding rides and seeing all the sights.  He stayed close to his mom and dad, though.