Dora The Explorer | Pastor Cortt Chavis | KIDZ Connect Sunday

Summary

In this inspiring sermon by Pastor Cortt Chavis at Truth Chapel, delivered during KIDZ Connect Sunday, the beloved children's character, Dora the Explorer, is used as a metaphor to explore themes of faith, courage, guidance, and godly provision. Pastor Chavis encourages both children and adults to embrace their spiritual journey, guided by the Bible as their map, God's endless provision as their backpack, and unwavering faith as their strength against challenges. Emphasizing the idea that even life's setbacks can't truly steal joy and purpose, he motivates the audience to find and reclaim what might feel lost or hidden.

Highlights

• Pastor Chavis introduces the metaphor of Dora the Explorer to explain faith and spiritual journeys 🎒🗺️
• Using children's songs and characters makes faith relatable and engaging for all ages 🎶
• The Bible is described as the essential map for life, guiding us to God's promises 📖
• God’s provision compared to Dora’s backpack, which always has exactly what she needs 🎒
• Emphasizes that challenges don't take away our joy or purpose; they only hide it temporarily 🦊
• Relates story of Abraham's journey to illustrate the faith and courage required to reach God's promises 🚶‍♂️

Key Takeaways

• Understanding through a child's praise highlights the purity of faith 🙏
• Dora the Explorer becomes a metaphor for spiritual journeys and lessons in faith 🚶‍♀️🗺️
• The Bible is the map guiding us to God's promises 🗺️📖
• God provides endlessly, just like Dora's backpack 🍎🎒
• The enemy can't steal our joy, only try to hide it 🦊
• Faith in God is crucial to reclaim what feels lost 🔄
• Encourages both children and adults to find their calling and purpose through faith 📞💪

Overview

Pastor Cortt Chavis, in a unique and engaging sermon, draws parallels between Dora the Explorer's adventures and the Christian faith journey. By using Dora's map and backpack as significant lessons, Pastor Chavis captivates the audience, making profound spiritual truths accessible, especially for the children present. This creative sermon encourages kids to see their own faith journeys as exciting adventures guided by God's word and limitless provision.

The focus of the sermon is on recognizing that the Bible serves as a guiding map for Christians just as the map does for Dora. Pastor Chavis urges believers, young and old, to delve into scripture for direction and assurance, emphasizing that faith is not just about knowing where to go, but also having the right tools within reach—God's limitless resources, much like the infinite supply in Dora's backpack.

A deeply powerful message conveyed through a playful metaphor is the idea that challenges, impersonated by Swiper the fox, can't steal our joy and calling but may only temporarily obscure them. Pastor Chavis inspires the congregation to reclaim their purpose and joy by leaning on their faith. The sermon concludes with a call to both children and adults to seek their divine purpose and encourages them to embark on their spiritual adventures with confidence and faith.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:30: Introduction and Perfect Praise The chapter discusses the concept of 'perfect praise' as described in the scripture, 'Out of the mouth of babes, has He perfected praise.' It emphasizes that while a child's praise may lack perfect rhythm, pitch, or sound, it is still considered 'perfect' in its pureness and sincerity.
• 01:30 - 03:00: Focusing on Today's Church: The Children The chapter titled 'Focusing on Today's Church: The Children' discusses the concept of 'perfect praise' within a church setting, as demonstrated by children. The emphasis is on the heartfelt and genuine worship expressed by the children through song and praise. The chapter highlights the unique blessing and joy that children bring to the worship experience through their singing about the Lord and living a life of blessings. It stresses the importance of gratitude, as exemplified by the phrases 'hallelujah' and 'thank you Jesus,' and acknowledges the profound and uplifting effect of 'perfect praise' in the church environment. The chapter concludes with a note of gratitude, acknowledging the special nature of the day and the presence of all participants.
• 03:00 - 04:30: Dora the Explorer as a Sermon Theme The chapter titled 'Dora the Explorer as a Sermon Theme' focuses on the importance of children within the church community, emphasizing that they are not only the future but also the present of the church. The speaker expresses love and belief in the children, encouraging them to pursue whatever they feel called to by God, with the assurance that they can achieve it excellently, supported by a greater power. The chapter aims to inspire the youth by affirming their significant role and potential within the church.
• 04:30 - 09:00: Lessons from Dora: The Map and the Word of God This chapter begins with an assertion of faith, emphasizing the inner strength derived from spiritual belief, greater than worldly challenges. The speaker mentions shifting to a less serious tone, acknowledging the difficulty of delivering the intended sermon with a grave demeanor, due to its focus on 'Dora the Explorer,' hinting at an unconventional yet meaningful lesson.
• 09:00 - 13:00: Endless Supply: The Backpack The chapter titled "Endless Supply: The Backpack" begins with a playful mention of the theme song from 'Dora the Explorer,' a popular children's show. The speaker hums or sings a part of it, acknowledging that a portion of the song is in Spanish, which they don't speak. The chapter then transitions into a more serious tone as the speaker prepares to read a scripture from Hebrews chapter 11. This chapter seems to merge lighthearted references with a deeper, possibly spiritual message that may unfold through the scripture reading.
• 13:00 - 16:00: Swiper and Hidden Joy The sermon begins by engaging the audience's anticipation about how the pastor will relate the popular children's show 'Dora the Explorer' to lessons for all ages. The pastor promises that the message will be beneficial for everyone, from the youngest child to the oldest adult, suggesting that there are valuable life lessons to learn from Dora's adventures. Attendees are encouraged to acknowledge that the sermon is relevant to them, regardless of age.
• 16:00 - 19:00: Jesus' Sacrifice and Victory The chapter titled 'Jesus' Sacrifice and Victory' begins with a reference to Hebrews chapter 11, verse 8, discussing the faith of Abraham. It highlights Abraham's journey into the land promised to him as an inheritance and his obedience to God's call, despite not knowing his final destination. Abraham lived in the promised land as if it were a foreign country, alongside Isaac and Jacob. The chapter sets the context for understanding faith and obedience in the light of Jesus' sacrifice and ultimate victory.
• 19:00 - 24:00: Conclusion and Call to Action In the conclusion titled 'Conclusion and Call to Action,' the chapter draws upon a biblical reference to Abraham, turning to religious motifs as its central theme. Abraham's search for a promised city 'whose builder and maker is God' serves as a metaphorical conclusion. The chapter is aimed at drawing listeners to reflection and possibly action, identifying Abraham's faithful journey as an allegorical path of exploration and promise, urging believers to engage with their own spiritual pilgrimage in search of divine promises and guidance.

Dora The Explorer | Pastor Cortt Chavis | KIDZ Connect Sunday Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] the word said out of the mouth of babes has he perfected praise [Music] there is a perfect praise in the voice of a child a perfect phrase maybe not perfect rhythm maybe not perfect perfect pitch maybe not perfect sound but perfect praise
• 00:30 - 01:00 what you felt today was perfect praise when these kids sing about the lord sing about living in blessings saying about living in the overflow when we're saying hallelujah thank you jesus there is a sound a perfect praise in the house today i want to thank each and every one of you for being with us today a very very special day
• 01:00 - 01:30 focusing on some very very special people not not the church of tomorrow but the church of today these kids are our legacy our future our heritage and i love each and every one of them and i believe in you pastor believes in you that you can do whatever god has called you to do with excellence amen and that greater is he
• 01:30 - 02:00 that is in each one of you than he that is in the world amen [Music] now uh i'm gonna stop being serious for a minute because i don't think there's any way that i can preach my message that i want to preach today and be serious because today i'm preaching to you about dora the explorer
• 02:00 - 02:30 do you know it doradora dora the explorer there we go all right and the rest of it is in spanish i don't know spanish so sorry yeah i want to read for you a scripture today before you're seated hebrews chapter 11
• 02:30 - 03:00 beginning in verse 8. uh i think most of you are have anticipated this sermon just to kind of figure out what is pastor going to preach about dora today but i promise you that this message today is going to help everybody in the house not just the children look at your neighbor and tell them this is for you from the oldest to the youngest dora has something to teach us
• 03:00 - 03:30 i through the holy ghost already hebrews chapter 11 i'm going to begin in verse 8 when you have it just shall i got it by faith abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whether he went by faith he said joining the land of promise as in a strange country dwelling in tabernacles with isaac and jacob the
• 03:30 - 04:00 heirs with him of the same promise for he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is god amen may god that is blessing to the reading of the word that the church said amen you may be seated today i'm preaching to you dora doradora the explorer the bible tells us about a man named abraham
• 04:00 - 04:30 abraham the bible says that abraham found favor in the sight of god and god called abraham and he said abraham i want you to go even though you don't know where you're going i want you to go and i want you to find a place that i've promised you how many of you know that god has great promises for your life amen now if you all y'all adults y'all can amen me whenever you want to but i'm preaching to the kids today it's going to help you it's going to help you but
• 04:30 - 05:00 i'm preaching to the kids today so how many of your kids know that god has great promises for you right right and how many of you know that those promises that are from god require us to go and explore right that meaning that we can't just sit at home and expect god to do something great we have to put in the effort right god has something great for us so we need to pray we need to seek god and we need to walk after god somebody say walk
• 05:00 - 05:30 after god abraham walked after god because he sought such a place that god had promised him there was a place out there that god promised him now in abraham's life it was an actual place it was a land and the bible says that it was the promised land this was the land that god had promised abraham but abraham had to go through a lot to get there
• 05:30 - 06:00 it wasn't just he walked out of his front door and took a trip in the backyard and there it was but there was a journey now how many know that dora teaches us on how to go on a journey right jer she teaches us how to go on a journey brother bryson would you would you bring me my backpack [Music] right
• 06:00 - 06:30 she teaches us that you got to bring the right equipment for the journey no matter where you're going you have to bring the right equipment and so the first thing that dora always does on her journey is she goes to find where she's going who does she call the map the greatest cartoon song of all is the map
• 06:30 - 07:00 it consists of just a few words i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the map i'm the man can we find han zimmerman some of you won't get that joke but maybe later the map got to find the map if we want to know how to get where god
• 07:00 - 07:30 is calling us we all need a map here it is now you may say oh say what you are correct what's your name sophia oh josh and
• 07:30 - 08:00 sheree you guys must be so proud she knows what the bible looks like that's some good parents right there let's give them a hand [Applause] it's a bible because god has given us a map and the map is called the word of god it tells us everywhere we need to go watch this the book of psalms chapter 119
• 08:00 - 08:30 and verse 105 says this thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path the word tells us how to get to that promise that god has given us dora showed us that we we can't leave home without the map we don't even know where to go if we don't have a map we don't know what the destination is
• 08:30 - 09:00 if we don't have a map but if we have a map the bible tells us in psalms 119 and 133 he says that the lord ordered my steps in his word that that the word guided my every step we know along the way there's going to be some treachery along the way there's going to be mountains and valleys along the way there's going to be waterfalls along the way there's going to be fire and ice but we know as long as the map
• 09:00 - 09:30 is leading us somebody shout hallelujah in the house you need the map in your life and the map is what sophia the bible thank you so much dora has showed us that we need a map how can we know where to go if we're not in the word of god can i encourage you children today your parents should already know this but let me encourage you today that the
• 09:30 - 10:00 best thing you can do in your life is you can study the word of god and you could hide the word of god in your heart and he will order your steps he will lead you and he will guide you is there anybody in the house that knows that the word of god will lead you and guide you are there any parents in the house that can amen for these children up front to say that's right you need the word in your life the word will direct your steps the word will lead you where you need to go
• 10:00 - 10:30 [Applause] so the next time you pick up your bible you remember i'm the man i'm the man i'm the man i'm the she hates the song i'm the man yes yes i am the map what is the second thing that dora always brings with her on her journey i need somebody to say it for me say it
• 10:30 - 11:00 oh you got to be louder you got to be louder backpack now i can't fit a helicopter in this backpack but you know the backpack has so many pockets has so many available spaces now now listen what did the backpack always have in it
• 11:00 - 11:30 that's your backpack what did dora's backpack always have in it does anybody remember what it had in it yes right here huh the map was always in the backpack exactly and what else was in the backpack you know what was always in the backpack whatever you needed was in the backpack
• 11:30 - 12:00 somehow someway if if there was a hole that that door i needed to climb down in inside the backpack there would be a ladder or there would be a rope if there was a mountain that dora needed to climb inside the backpack there would be grappling hooks or a helicopter or a jet pack if there was some animal that dora needed to get around there was
• 12:00 - 12:30 always something in the backpack that would help her because everything that she ever needed was in the backpack can i tell you that the backpack today represents the endless supply of god that whatever you need is all in him [Applause] philippians 4 19 says but my god shall supply all your need according to his
• 12:30 - 13:00 riches in glory i don't care if you sick he's a healer if you're broke he's a redeemer if you're depressed he's a heavy load sheriff he's a bird and bearer if you're addicted he's a chain breaker he's a yoke breaker whatever you need is in him it's all in him it's whatever you need you need a ladder he's got it you need a helicopter he's got it do you need a trampoline he's got it
• 13:00 - 13:30 whatever you need to fulfill the call of god in your life is all in him god has everything 2 verses 31-32 and the lord said simon simon behold satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but here's what jesus said he said don't worry about it i have prayed for you that thy faith fail not and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren
• 13:30 - 14:00 yeah first peter 5 6-10 says humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of god that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he careth for you be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil he's like a roaring lion like a fox walking about seeking whom he may devour whom resists that fast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world but the god of all grace
• 14:00 - 14:30 who hath called you somebody say he called me he called you unto his eternal glory by christ jesus after that ye have suffered for a while may he shall make you perfect he shall establish you he shall strengthen you and he shall settle you now what does what does swiper try to do he swipes swiper's a swiper he's he takes stuff out of the door's hand
• 14:30 - 15:00 and and and and does he take it and does he and does he keep it for himself no he hides it oh you mean you mean he can't take it from me he can only hide it from me so zeva what you're telling me right now is that swiper can't have it he can only hide it
• 15:00 - 15:30 what you're telling me right now is that swiper can't have my joy he can only hide my joy it's still mine [Applause] you're telling me that swiper can't have my peace he can only hide it he can't take it it's not his to take god won't allow him to take it somebody ought to tell us what swiper no swiping you can't have my joy all you
• 15:30 - 16:00 can do is hide it he tries to hide it behind disappointments he tries to hide it behind the fences he tries to hide it behind trouble he tries to hide it behind stress [Applause] but what does dora do dora says boots can you help me find it hey i come to encourage somebody it ain't gone i said it's not gone he can't have it it's not his to take
• 16:00 - 16:30 somehow i say i'm going up to the high places and i'm gonna tear his devil's kingdom down and i'm gonna take back everything he stole from me swiper no sweating you can't have it you can't have it all he can do is hide it [Applause] oh you see there was a time when swiper tried to swipe the most powerful person in the history of time
• 16:30 - 17:00 his name was jesus god manifest in the flesh swiper tried to swipe him he he had jesus his best friend tell him you shouldn't do this jesus you don't have to do this and jesus said swiper no swiping i rebuked you then another one of his best friends went and sold jesus for 30 pieces of silver and they got him
• 17:00 - 17:30 oh they thought swiper thought this is it i got jesus he's gone i got him swiper took him and he suffered many afflictions for you and me he took our pain he took our sin he took all of our all of our wrongdoings all of our sins jesus took them on him and swiper tried to swipe jesus and he killed him on a tree
• 17:30 - 18:00 we call it the cross and he put him in the tomb and he rolled the stone in place and swiper thought i got him but we know kazeeva told us swiper can't have it he can only hide it wasn't his to take he hit him in the tomb for three days
• 18:00 - 18:30 and three days later swiper comes to see his prized possession his swiping but the stone is gone and the tomb is empty because he's a risen savior he couldn't kill him he could only hide him he couldn't kill him all he could do is lift him up on that cross but he forgot when jesus said if i be lifted up if i be lifted up i will draw all men unto me
• 18:30 - 19:00 because swiper satan cannot block you from the city whose builder and maker is god so thank you dora thank you dora for showing us that we need a map in our lives we need to have direction
• 19:00 - 19:30 thank you for showing us that we need the endless supply that only god can give money can't give it family can't give it friends only god has an english supply i'll run out on you but god will never run out on you and he showed us that his presence is with us at all times thank you lord for for being with me never leaving me never forsaking me and he also showed us that there is an enemy of our soul
• 19:30 - 20:00 who desires to get us all off course who desires to take away our joy our peace our calling there's many people in this room today you feel like the enemy stole your calling but can i tell you he can't have it don't let him hide it behind that offense don't let it don't don't let him hide your calling behind that broken heart don't let him hide your calling he can't have it he can only hide it
• 20:00 - 20:30 but boots will help you find it boots can go i can't go he can see what i can't see somehow boots always knows somehow jesus always has the answer his presence that leads me and guides me and walks with me he said i'll walk with you and i'll talk with you and i'll order your steps and can i tell you today that jesus christ
• 20:30 - 21:00 is alive and well and he's calling all of you even even as a child even as a child god can call you today and say hey just like abraham come explore there's a city there's a place there's a calling there's a purpose even today you may say well i'm just a child i'm just i'm just sitting here today i don't i don't know anything i can't understand anything but can i tell you that god can call you even now
• 21:00 - 21:30 even now god can speak into your life and say there's a purpose for you i'm calling you out from among them i'm calling you out to be separate i'm calling you out abraham to leave everything that you thought you knew and follow hard after me i will lead you to a place of promise that wherever you put your feet i'll give it to you i'll give you the land you're gonna need a map
• 21:30 - 22:00 you're going to need an endless supply and you're going to need my presence because without it the enemy would distract you and deter you and turn you around but god will lead you he will get you exactly where you're supposed to be would you stand with me today there are some kids today that are already uh planning
• 22:00 - 22:30 to get baptized uh if you are one of those today would you start making your way pastor george is standing right here in this corner if you're one of those that are getting baptized you can head right here to pastor george's parents you can follow with them get them help them get ready we're going to baptize them in here in just a few moments but i wonder in the house that if there's anybody children adults whoever it may be who are in the house today and
• 22:30 - 23:00 the map is you've got of course a little bit and maybe maybe swiper has stolen some things from you and you realize today he he can't have him he can only hide them they're still mine i just gotta find if you feel that way today if you if you're in this house today children and adults for just a few moments before we leave you today i'd like to open this altar to you
• 23:00 - 23:30 and would you come and pray children would you come and pray today parents if you have a child up here today would you come pray with them and encourage them that you can do what god is calling you to do that you can be who god is calling you to be that god's already given you the tools to go where he's calling you to go that god is giving you the tools to be everything that he's calling you to be that god is giving you the tools to walk
• 23:30 - 24:00 where god is calling you to walk come on judah would you lift your voice parents would you pray in the house adults would you pray in the house well the holy ghost is here today come on would you make a commitment to the lord lord i'm willing to go i won't let the enemy to stop me i won't let the enemy deter me i won't let the
• 24:00 - 24:30 enemy turn me around because i know you have a plan for my life i know you have a plan for my life [Music]