Category Archives: Children’s Sermon

Children’s sermons are short talks for the children and their parents that touch on a scripture idea using some object, picture, story or even a prize.

Children's Sermon, Object Lessons

Drops of Influence

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Our words can be words of life or words of destruction. This object Lesson for youth reminds us that the words we say have influence beyond just the moment. Also make a great Children’s sermon.

Materials

  • Two clear glasses as nearly alike as possible
  • A Bottle of red and a bottle of black food coloring

Preparation

  • The bottles of food coloring should be covered with white paper
  • On one print the words, “Good Influence”
  • On the other print the words, “Bad Influence”
  • Paste the label “Good Influence” on the bottle with red food coloring
  • Paste the label “Bad Influence” on the bottle with the black food coloring

What to Do

  1. Place the glasses in the center of the room or where the youth can clearly see them.
  2. Fill the glasses nearly full of water.
  3. Have the youth define “influence”
  4. Share the idea that every one has an influence for either good or bad; that we must guard ourselves every moment, for some thoughtless word or act might spoil another’s life.
  5. Share some personal examples of influence you have had for bad and good.
  6. Ask the youth to share some things that could be considered a good influence.
  7. Ask the youth to share some things that could be considered bad influence.
  8. Ask the youth to share some things they have personally done or said that influenced someone else.
  9. Ask “How much influence it takes to make a difference?”
  10. Put one drop of black ink into one of the glasses. The youth will notice with remarkable interest how quickly the color spreads’ and the pure water in the dish is spoiled.
  11. Emphasize how one drop will spread till it spoils the whole and how one little bad act may spread in the heart of another till a whole life is spoiled.
  12. Ask one of the youth to take that drop out of the water; they will tell you it cannot be done. And so with our influence, it cannot be undone.
  13. Put a drop of the red ink in the other glass and the bright color will grow and spread in the same way, and liken this to good influence.

Take it to the Next Level

Make it Spiritual

We can be a positive influence as Christians

  • Youth can be a positive influence on other believers (1 Timothy 4:12)
  • Believers can be a positive influence on youth (Titus 2:6-8)
  • A godly person can be a positive influence an a spouse (1 Peter 3:1-7)
  • A Christian can be a positive influence upon the ungodly (1 Peter 2:11-12, 1 Pet 3:1-2; 2:11-12; 1 Thessalonians 1:8-10)
  • A Christian can be a positive influence through encouragement (2 Corinthians 9:1-2; Hebrew 10:24-25)

We can be a negative influence as Christians

  • Our sin can negatively influence other Christians to also sin (Galations 2:11-13)
  • Our sin can negatively influence unbelievers to reject God (Romans 2:24; 1 Timothy 6:1; Titus 2:5)
  • False teaching can lead others to error (Galatians 5:7-9; 2 Timothy 2:14)
  • Other verses: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; 8:10-13; 2 Timothy 2:16-18

Youth can be a positive influence by sharing the gospel with others (Romans 1:16; Colossians 1:3-6)

  • The gospel has the power to change the mind (Ephesians 4:20-23)
  • The gospel has the power to change our conduct (Ephesians 4:24; 5:8-10)
  • The gospel has the power to change spiritual condition – death to life (2 Timothy 1:10)
  • The gospel has the power to turn darkness into light (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Make it Personal

  • What difficulties do we face in trying to be a positive, Christ-like examples to others? In the home? Church? Workplace? Community, with non Christian friends?
  • If you were the only Christian someone knew, what picture of a Christian would they have? How would they define a Christian? What would they believe about Christians? What would they expect Christians to do and say?
  • How does the answer to these questions above differ from the Biblical idea of what a Christian is supposed to be?

Make it Practical

  • Are there parts of your life that you would not want others to imitate? explain?
  • What will you do to change? Who will you ask to help you?
  • How can you get started this week to be a more positive influence for Christ?

Close by brainstorming ways that youth can be a positive influence this week on their families, friends, and others.

Additional Scriptures

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
– 1 Timothy 4:12

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
– 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?”
– 2 Corinthians 2:15-16

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
– Matthew 5:13-16

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Children's Sermon, Object Lessons, Teaching Illustrations

Heaven’s Mail Room

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An Illustration of Prayer

The angel Gabriel was giving a newly arrived Christian a tour of heaven.  The two of them were walking side by side inside a large mailroom filled with other angels.

Gabriel stopped in front of the first section and said, “This is the Receiving Section.  Here, all the petitions sent to God in prayer are received.”
The Christian saw that the section was a very busy one with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous sheets of paper from all the people of the world.
They resumed walking until they reached the second section.  Gabriel told the Christian, “This is the Packaging and Delivery Section.  Here, the blessings of God in answer to prayers are packed and delivered to the those who are praying on earth.”
The Christian saw how busy it was.  There were a great many angels working in that room because countless blessings were being packed and delivered to earth.
Finally, at the farthest corner of the room, they stopped at the last section.  To the surprise of the Christian, only one angel was there and he was idle.
“This is the Acknowledging Section,” Gabriel told the Christian.
“How is it that no work is being done here?”
“That’s the sad thing,” Gabriel answered.
“After people on earth received the blessings they asked for, very few of them bother to send their acknowledgments.”
“How does one acknowledge God’s blessing?” 
“Simple,” Gabriel answered.  “Just say, ‘Thank you, Lord.'”

Variation – An object Lesson or Children’s Sermon on Prayer

This could easily be converted into a sermon for kids, or an object lesson for youth on “answered prayer.”   Collect a bunch of postcards and write prayers to God on them. “Dear God…  A Prayer… then sign it with a name.  Then in another box have deliveries that match the different requests.  (Note some of the deliveries might be different than the actual request because God provides what we truly need and not what we think we need.)  Finally, have an empty box for the messages of Thanks.  To create a more balanced perspective on prayer, have messages of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication (A.C.T.S.) Adoration is simply praise to God for who he is.  Confession is an acknowledgement of sin. Thanksgiving is of course a response to answered prayer and for the blessing of God in life.  Supplications are requests.  Many times we only see prayer as requests. The simplest definition of prayer is “Talking to God” so have lots of messages that are simply conversations with God.  Have only one or two of thanks.  Close by giving the children or youth postcards and asking them to write notes of thanks to God and fill up the last box.

Scriptures for For Famous prayers in the Bible

  • Abraham, for Sodom – Genesis 18:16-33
  • Daniel – Daniel 9:1-19
  • David – 2 Samuel 7:18-29; 1 Chronicles 17:16-27
  • David’s Confession – Psalms 51:1-17
  • David’s Thanks – 2 Samuel 7:18-29
  • Deborah – Judges 5:1-31
  • Elijah’s at Mount Carmel – I Kings 18:36-39
  • Ezra – Ezra 9:5-15
  • Habakkuk – Habakkuk 3:2-19
  • Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:9-20; 1 Samuel 2:1-10
  • Hezekiah – 2 Kings 19:14-20:3
  • Hezekiah when Sick – Isaiah 38:2-8
  • Hosea – Hosea 6:1-3
  • Jabez – 1 Chronicles 4:10
  • Jacob – Genesis 32:22-32
  • Jehoshophat – 2 Chronicles 20:1-30
  • Jeremiah – Lamentations 3: 21-26
  • Jesus – Matthew 6:5-15: Luke 11:1-13; John 17
  • Job – Job 1:20-21; 3; 42:2-6
  • Jonah – Jonah 2:1-9
  • Jude’s Praise – Jude 1:24-25
  • Moses – Exodus 15:1-18;  33: 12-23; Numbers 14:13-19
  • Nehemiah – Nehemiah 1:4-10
  • Paul – Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Philippians 1:9-11; Collosians 1:9-14; 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, 2:13-17
  • Paul, Knowing God’s Will – Colossians 1:9-12
  • Paul, Partners in Ministry – Philippians 1:3-11
  • Paul, Spiritual Growth – Ephesians 3:14-21
  • Paul, Spiritual Wisdom – Ephesians 1:15-23
  • Solomon, dedication – 1 Kings 3:5-15; 8:14-61
  • Stephen at His Stoning – Acts 7:59-60
  • Tax Collector’s Prayer – Luke 18:13

 

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

Learn More…

Children's Sermon, Object Lessons

Burdens and Rest

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A speaker raises a glass of water and asks the audience “How heavy do you think this glass of water is?”

His answer: “It depends on how long you hold it”

  • “If I hold it for a minute, it is Ok.”
  • “If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm”
  • “If I hold it for a day, you will have to call an ambulance”

“It is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes”

If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, we will not be able to carry on, the burden becoming increasingly heavier.

“What you have to do is to put the glass down, rest for a while holding it up again.”

We have to put down the burden periodically, so that we can be refreshed and are able to carry on.

When you return home from work, put the burden of work down. Don’t carry it home. You can pick it up
tomorrow. Rest and relax. Take one day at a time!!!!!

Take It to the Next Level

Although from a secular source, the principle behind it is biblical. Thats why Jesus told us to cast our burdens on Him, instructed us to pray Give us our daily bread And even in Psalms 23 though it is not clearly stated, the Shepherd leads His sheep besides green pastures and still waters day to day. We really ought to live one day at a time and really rely on nothing and no one else except on the Faithful Providence of God. He will give us the strength to carry on again.

Don’t borrow from tomorrow’s sunshine for its skies may turn to gray. Tomorrow is not our problem but God’s perfect plan. Therefore if any of us are yoked, are burdened, are held back by problems, dont hesitate to put it down and go to Jesus for
rest. He will give us the strength to carry on again.

Bible Scripture

  • “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.” (Psalm 55:22)
  • “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)
  • Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Optional Object Lesson, Creative learning Activity, or Sermon for kids (Children’s Sermon)

Bring in several items of equal weight.  Empty plastic milk jugs filled with water or empty 1 liter soft drink bottles work well.  Ask for volunteers among the children or youth to join you in a friendly competition.  Let them pick up the items and ask them if the item is heavy?  You could also ask them to guess the weight.  Most will say that they are not really that heavy.  Then line the students up in a line and tell them they must hold the items straight out from their body at a right angle or 90 degrees. There will be a prize for the teen who can hold it there the longest.  The teenagers may not have considered the items heavy, but the longer they hold them, the heavier the items get.  If you want to add a little discussion to the process, ask the youth to share some of the burdens that people carry in life or share some of the burdens you have experienced for yourself.  Some examples of burdens could be: a hurt you needed to forgive, personal failure, worries, responsibilities, doubts, struggles, lost dreams, mistakes, a poor sense of self worth, abuse, etc.  Burdens are those things that tire us out and that cause us to worry.  Then share the story and talk about the scripture references.

Discussion Questions

  • How can you know if something is a burden?
  • What are some of the burdens youth experience?
  • We do we often carry our burdens instead of setting them down?  Why do we hold on to these burdens?
  • How can we let go of burdens? What are some of the ways we can place these burdens in the care of Jesus?
  • What is the benefit of placing our burdens into the care of Jesus?
  • What is a burden you need to let go of this week? How can you do that? What this give you freedom to experience or do?

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Learn More…

Children's Sermon, Object Lessons

St Patrick’s Day

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Description
You may want to use this lesson guide in a Children’s sermon or for a youth activity for St. Patrick’s day. The significance of St Patrick’s day is not in the traditions associated with it today, but in its remembrance of a forgiving teenager who was sold into slavery and escaped only to return to the country where he had been a slave, in order to bring the people there to the love of Christ.

Resources

Bring in a large three leafed clover (Shamrock) or clover stickers for each of the youth or children. You might also wear something green, or even let the youth have a taste of some traditional Irish food like corned beef and cabbage.

NOTE: Cabbage was traditionally served with Irish bacon, instead of corned beef. Corned beef is apparently an Irish American tradition started at the turn of the century because families could not afford Irish Bacon.

Introduction

St Patrick’s Day is March 17, on the day of his death, and has been traditionally associated with all things Irish and a lucky clover. At some point Leprechaun’s and rainbows with a pot of gold at the end somehow were included in the mythology. Like many holidays, St. Patrick’s day began as a religious holiday to commemorate his death, but the original purpose and traditions have been replaced with something almost entirely unconnected to the original celebration. Many of the details of his life are disputed, but we can be certain that he did preach to the unsaved in Ireland and placed a major role in the evangelization of a very large number of people.

Background

St Patrick was the bishop to Ireland and he lived in a time just before Christianity became the mainstream religion in the Roman Empire, sometime around AD386 – AD460.

His faith journey wasn’t an easy one. Like Daniel and Joseph of the Bible, he was captured by pirates and sold into slavery when he was only teenager (16 years old). Life was difficult for slaves. Not only was life difficult, but he was dragged from his home and sent into slavery in another country without his family. Tradition says that as a slave in Ireland he was forced to be a shepherd, herding sheep and pigs. His father had been a church deacon, and his grandfather a clergyman, but by his account, he only turned to religion and prayed out to God when he was in captivity. Conditions were harsh and his only comfort was what he received through praying constantly. After six years as a slave he escaped by boat to Britain. He traveled the 200 miles to the ocean and according to some stories either stowed away or booked passage. The boat landed not far from where his parents lived, and one would expect a joyful reunion and for him to remain with his parents. Instead of staying though, he traveled to France to study and become a priest. Because of his captivity, he never received any formal education and lacked the eloquence the other students had.

While studying for ministry, he received a vision from God to return to Ireland as a missionary. He only took the name Patrick when he later became a Bishop. It was a great act of forgiveness that he returned to the people who enslaved him in order to share with them the love of Christ.

Unlike most Bible teachers and preachers of the time, Patrick didn’t speak very well nor deliver fine sermons. It wasn’t his rhetoric that won the people over. He had the rare ability to use common, everyday life experiences to explain difficult theological concepts – much like Jesus did and the apostle Paul after Him. That’s pretty much why St. Patrick’s Day is represented by a shamrock. According to legend, Patrick would take up a three-leaf clover and ask, “Does it have one leaf or three?” Those listening would respond, “both.” Patrick then explained, “And so it is with the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit are one God. Three persons in one.” However, that alone wasn’t enough to bring his people to faith in God either.

Ironically, what he lacked in school, he more than made up for by what he learned through his upbringing of trials and adversity. And that was a desperate dependance on God through prayer. This was more than any theological school could teach him and it was instrumental in his success as a minister of God. It was that and the demonstration of his faith through his actions and prayer life that convinced so many to believe in God.

St. Patrick wasn’t just a minister for God inside the 4 walls of the church. He was outspoken about the practice of slavery in his country as well. His repeated pleas to the Christian leadership in Britain were ignored but he persisted and like the widow in Jesus’ parable, was rewarded – with the decision to end the slave trade in Ireland.

Take It to the Next Level

There’s much we can learn from the life of St. Patrick.

If you were captured and put into slavery as a teenager, do you think you might feel called to return to those who enslaved you and work for the salvation of their souls? I’m sure we’ve had at some point harbored unforgiveness in our hearts for less! Is forgiveness easy or difficult? Why is forgiveness an important concept to Christians? Is there someone you need to forgive today?

Sometimes we’re so caught up with discussing God in church that it never results in DOING what Jesus really called us to do. Jesus never called us to go to church on Sundays, He never called us to play music in the worship team, He never called us to serve Him as ushers. First and foremost, Jesus called us to go and make disciples, to love God with all our hearts, and to love His people. When all is said and done, do we live out our faith in the world “out there”? Are we sharing about Christ to our friends and families who have yet to know Him? Are we speaking out against the social injustices that we see? Is there a school bully you need to confront – not with your fists – but with the love of God? Is there someone who feels lost, hurt, depressed and rejected that needs to hear about the love a Savior has for them?

Let’s commit to being real St. Patricks today. As we remember and honor the man that was truly a follower of Christ, let us celebrate by putting our feet to motion and our hands to action for a world that has yet to hear or know about the Living God.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.
Learn More…


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Children's Sermon

Checkerboard Faith

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Introduction
Use wheat kernels and a chessboard to teach the idea of a little faith growing into something very big.

Materials Needed
Wheat kernels. If you can’t find wheat, sunflower seeds, peas, or just about any other seeds will substitute. The volume would still be significant.
A checkerboard or chess board

Description
Seeds and doubling or used to show how faith, though it starts out small can grow to be very large.

Preparation
Set up a checker board with grains of wheat according to the story

What to Do
With the checkerboard on display ith the grains of wheat, tell the children this story:
Some time ago there was a display at the museum of Science and industry in Chicago. It featured a checkerboard with 1 grain of wheat on the first square, 2 on the second, 4 on the third, and 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc. A few squares down the board there were so many grains of wheat they couldn’t fit on one square. Above the display was this question: “At this rate of doubling every square, how much grain would you have on the checkerboard by the time you reached the 64th square?”

Ask children how much grain they think that would be?

After they provide a few ideas, give them the answer: “Enough grain to cover the entire subcontinent of
India 50 feet deep.”

Application
Our faith may start out small, but as God uses it, the end result can be very large! The boy’s small lunch offered to Jesus fed a Multitude. Elijah use a small jar of flour and oil to feel a woman and her son through a famine. David, a small boy, was used by God to defeat a giant. The Bible is full of stories in which God used a little faith in Him to do great things!

 


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Children's Sermon

Workers in the Vineyard

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Central Teaching Truth
God is generous and treats us all alike

Bible Text
Story of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-15)

Resources
Obtain M&M (snack) rewards or other rewards like bookmarks etc. for everyone

What to do/ say

  1. Begin by asking the children if they like to play ‘Let’s pretend’. Who do they like to pretend to be? Ask children what they would like to be when they grow up?
  2. Do any of them ever pretend to be servants? Would they like to be servants when they grow up? Probably not!
  3. Announce that you are going to have a pretend game now and give out some jobs that some volunteers can pretend to do for you. Perhaps someone could pretend to clean your car. Someone else could pretend to cook your dinner. Others could make your bed, tidy your bookshelves, iron your clothes or whatever. Come prepared with a list relevant to your situation. Finally, ask the rest to pretend to hang up your coat. Then call a halt to the proceedings, and announce that it is time for the payments to be made for the work done. Everybody receives one snack.

Debrief
Talk about what has taken place and ask whether the children think it is fair that everybody received the same reward. Sometimes life doesn’t seem fair…. but God is always fair. But I never told you i was going to give anyone a gift. A gave you a gift for helping me because I am a generous person. I didn’t give it to you because you were good, but because I am good. God gives us gifts, not because we are good, but because HE is good.


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Children's Sermon

Jesus Lead Us

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Central Teaching Truth
When life is unfair, God will help us through.

Bible Text
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand (John 10:27-28).

Resources
You’ll need three or four blindfolds and several objects to set up a small obstacle course. Ask one or two adult assistants to help you set up the course. Alternatively, blindfold everyone and lead them about the church.

What to do/ say

  1. As you begin your message, have your assistants set up an obstacle course in front of the area where the children sit.
  2. “Has anyone here ever gone through an obstacle course?” Let children respond.
  3. “Obstacle courses are used to train soldiers to run fast and to be quick and alert when they’re on the battlefield. We’ve set up a little obstacle course here today.” Describe the course you’ve set up.
  4. “Could I have three or four volunteers to try my obstacle course?” Choose three or four children. Let them begin the course and then stop them.
  5. “Oh, I forgot to tell you. You have to do this obstacle course blindfolded. But don’t worry, I’ll lead you.” Have the volunteers hold hands. Then lead them through the obstacle course. Other children may call out directions or encouragement.
  6. When children have completed the course, remove their blindfolds and have them sit down. “There, we made it! Congratulations!” Lead children in applause for volunteers.

Debrief

  1. “What would have happened if the blindfolded volunteers had to go through the obstacle course without a leader?” Let children respond.
  2. “Without a leader, they might have stumbled and fallen. The Bible says Jesus leads us like a shepherd leads sheep. Listen.” Read the scripture text from John 10:27-28.
  3. “When we’re following Jesus, we can’t always see what’s up ahead. Sometimes things may seem difficult and even unfair, but Jesus will always lead us, just like I led our brave volunteers.”
  4. “Of course, what happens in real life is a bit different from our obstacle course. When we’re following Jesus, we don’t reach the end of the obstacle course until we get to heaven. Yet, no matter how many obstacles are in our way, Jesus will always lead us through.”


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Children's Sermon

Walking in Faith (Trust)

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Description
Faith and trust are much the same thing in the Christian Experience. We trust in God and have faith that he will guide us and protect us in our walk with Him.

Materials
a blindfold

Preparation
Scatter chairs and obstacles around the room.

What to Do

  • Ask for a volunteer.
  • Explain that the volunteer will be blind-folded and then receive directions from you to walk from predetermined points A to B in the room.
  • The goal is to get the volunteer to the predetermined destination without bumping into things.
  • Before blindfolding the volunteer ask, “Do you trust me to guide you? “Do you have faith in yourself and in me to get from here to there without being able to see where you’re going? I will be with you for the journey and guide you along the way. Are you ready?”

Take It to the Next Level
You can use this to illustrate faith, trust, and also raise awareness of visual impairment and other physical challenges.

  • How is this similar to following God?
  • How is this like our spiritual walk in faith?
  • Why do you think the Bible calls our spiritual life a “walk”?
  • In what ways does God guide us?
  • What is the destination that God has planned in advance for us?
  • Is everyone’s journey the same?
  • What lessons can you learn from this to help you in your own spiritual walk?
  • What is ONE step you will take this week in your spiritual walk?


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Children's Sermon

Multiplied

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Description of the Children’s Sermon Idea
Jesus took a small boys lunch and fed a BIG crowd of 5000 people. Jesus can take whatever we give him, even if it is small, and make a BIG difference in the lives of others.

Scripture Text for the Children’s Sermon
Matthew 14:13-21; 26:26-30

Materials for the Children’s Sermon

  • A large deep basket, filled with loose cloth/ towels. A picnic basket with a cover flap on each side is ideal. You can put the small item in one side and open the other side to remove the larger items. (A large box could also be used) Make sure your basket or container is large enough to hold items use you choose for this activity, yet hide them from view.
  • Locate several objects of which you can find both a small and large size examples that look alike (such as a small spoon and a matching large one). If your class is small, you might consider collected one object for each student. Possibilities are: spoon, fork, plate, knife, napkins, bags of potato chips, cups, salt and pepper placed in different size ziplock bags, etc. Only be sure that they look alike. Food related items might be best in theme with a picnic idea, but you can also use paper clips, screw drivers, etc. Include among the items a small bread roll and a similar shaped large loaf bread. As well as 2 small fish and 2 large fish
  • 50 of any object – marbles work great!

The Children’s Sermon Message – What to do and say:

  • If you have chosen an object for each child, allow each to choose one object as they enter the room.
  • “In today’s lesson, Jesus went on a picnic. While on the picnic he did something very special. He took a boys lunch, and multiplied it to feed 5000 people. Let me show you an example of what Jesus did.”
  • “I’ll take this small spoon and put it in this basket.” [Wait a few seconds then take out the large spoon.]
  • “Here’s a small bag of chips.” [Place it in the basket and pull out a large bag of chips.]
  • “One boy brought Jesus his lunch. And Jesus made his little lunch so big that 5000 people could eat and there were still leftovers. [Put in the small bread loaf and take out the Big loaf. Give everyone a slice of bread. Then put in the two small fish and take out the two large fish.”
  • “But Jesus didn’t just feed a small class of students… and the little boys lunch didn’t just become a little bigger. The little boy’s lunch fed 5000 people! 5000 is a lot of people. [Show them the large loaf and 2 fishes…]
  • Pull out the small loaf and the two small fishes again and ask, “How many people do you think this could feed?”
  • “Probably not very many.. And these were people of all ages… Moms and Dads too!”
  • [Show them the 50 objects… in a basket… then help them image what 100 of them would look like.. (would they cover the whole floor of the room?]
  • “Jesus fed 5000. Jesus can take anything you give to him and do big things with it!”

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Children's Sermon

Which one doesn’t belong?

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Children’s Sermon Description
A manger scene, also known as a nativity scene, serves as a creative object lesson in this Children’s Sermon which teaches children that Jesus is the most important element of Christmas.

christmas_nativity2.jpgMaterials:
Classic Manger Scene containing:

  • A manger
  • Shepherds
  • Animals
  • Mary
  • Joseph
  • The Wisemen
  • A stable
  • Baby Jesus

Add a small Santa figurine of the same size as other figures in the nativity.

Preparation:

  1. Have all the pieces of the manger scene lined up across a table or a pulpit
  2. Add a Santa and do not include the baby Jesus.

What to do:
Ask the children to correctly position the figures in the nativity scene.
Some of the children may correctly recognize that Santa doesn’t belong. It’s great if they do, but if they don’t simply ask, “Is there something that shouldn’t be here?”

Explain:
Santa wasn’t part of the original Christmas, but became part of our Christmas Tradition many years later when a person named St. Nick brought gifts to people who were in need, sick, or suffering. So actually Saint Nick really wasn’t at the manger scene. Actually the wisemen weren’t there either. They had a very long journey and only arrived later. The visited Jesus at his house, not in the stable.

What to do:
The children may notice that the Baby Jesus is missing from the nativity scene! That’s Great! If they ask where Baby Jesus is, respond by asking “Are you sure Jesus should be there?” If they don’t mention it ask, “Is anything missing?”

Explain:
Yes, the most important part of Christmas is the birth of Jesus. Some people seem to forget about Jesus. Sometimes they even focus more on Santa than on Jesus. But the birth of Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas. Jesus was a gift from God – the greatest gift. And God sent him to help us! Jesus would grow up and one day show us how much God really loves us!

Conclusion
So this Christmas remember that the best gift was? JESUS.
The reason we celebrate Christmas is? JESUS
When someone asks you what you want for Christmas? Say – JESUS!

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Children's Sermon

Perky the Orange Pumpkin

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pumpkin_face_laughing_sm_nwm.gifOnce upon a time, there was a little orange pumpkin named Perky. One day he looked around in the pumpkin patch and saw that all his friends were orange. He thought he would like to be some other color. So he sat up proud and said, “I’m a pumpkin round and fat, (make a round shape with hands) and I can change my color (point to self) just like that!” (on that, snap your fingers)

All of a sudden, at the snap of his fingers, he was a green pumpkin. Green as the grass. Perky went to play with the other pumpkins, but what do you think happened? His friends did not see him because he was the same color as the grass. He was disappointed. He didn’t think it was fun to be a green pumpkin. So he said, (encourage the children to join in and repeat motions as above) “I’m a pumpkin round and fat, and I can change my color just like that!”

And then what color was he? He was blue, all over! Blue like the water and blue like the sky. Perky was so proud of his pretty new color that he decided to go for a walk and let everyone admire him.

He came to a little pond of water. But do you know what happened? Perky leaned over to look at himself and kerplop! Splash, he went into the water. Poor little Perky did not know how to swim. He was scared. He called for help. He called so loudly, his friends came rolling over to help him. They looked in the water but they could not see him because he was blue like the water.

Luckily, his friend, Timothy Turtle came swimming by. He told Perky to climb on his back. Timothy Turtle gave him a safe ride back to the shore. Perky thanked his friend for helping him. Right there he decided he didn’t want to be blue anymore. So he said, “I’m a pumpkin round and fat, and I can change my color just like that!”

And what color was he then? He was yellow like the sun. He was so proud of his new color. He decided to go back to the pumpkin patch and show his friends. Well, when his friends saw him they laughed and said, “You look silly.” How do you think that made Perky feel? He felt embarrassed and sad. He decided to show them and make himself into a better color. So he said, “I’m a pumpkin, round and fat, and I can change my color, just like that!”

And what color was he then? He was red, red like an apple. He began to go back and show his friends, when he saw people coming to pick a special pumpkin to take home. He thought for sure that he would get chosen because he was such a beautiful color red. But the people walked right past him. They looked at all the others and said “This one is nice and round and fat, AND such a beautiful ORANGE color.” Many of Perky’s friends found new homes that day. But not Perky.

Perky decided he didn’t want to be a red pumpkin anymore. He decided he didn’t want to be yellow, or blue, or green either. Do you know what he thought? He thought he would just like to be himself, round and fat and a beautiful orange color – maybe he would find a nice home like his friends. So Perky said, “I’m a pumpkin round and fat, and I can change my color just like that!” And what color do you suppose he was now? A beautiful orange!

Just then a family came to the pumpkin patch. The children got out and ran to Perky. “This is the best one we’ve seen all day.” Said the little girl. “Can we take him home, please?” Said the little boy. And they scooped Perky up in their arms and took him home. Now Perky was a very happy pumpkin just being himself. Just the way God made him – an orange pumpkin.

Source: http://www.sunday-school-lessons.com/pumpkin.html

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Children's Sermon

Five Finger Prayer

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  1. hand.jpgYour thumb is nearest to you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C.S. Lewis once said, a “sweet duty.”
  2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
  3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God’s guidance.
  4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is fact that this is our weakest finger; as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too much for them.
  5. And lastly comes our little finger; the smallest finger of all. Which is where we should place ourselves in relation to God and others. As the Bible says, “The least shall be the greatest among you.” Your pinky should remind you to pray for yourself.

By the time you have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.


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Children's Sermon

What’s inside?

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easter_plastic_egg_blue.jpgMaterials
Two plastic Easter eggs. Fill one with a few small things that make lots of noise – e.g. nuts, bolts, nails, washers, marbles. Rice or dried beans also work. Close and shake it to test sound. Remove or items to improve the sound. Don’t overfill the egg or the sound will be dull. Hide the noisy egg up your sleeve. Leave the other egg empty.

The Children’s Sermon
1. Pick up the empty egg and shake it with the hand that has the other egg hidden up your sleeve. It will appear to rattle.
2. Ask the children to guess what’s inside. If they are a little quiet, ask them one by one “what’s inside?”
3. After you have a good number of answers, open the egg and show them it is empty.
4. Why did it rattle? Eventually someone will guess. (If they need a clue, try “rattling” a solid object like a candle or a hymnbook to show them)

The Lesson
They will be surprised that the egg was empty. The disciples were surprised that the tomb was empty. God had something “up His sleeve.” But for God, it was no trick. Instead it was a miracle. Jesus was raised from the dead.

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Children's Sermon

The History of Hot Cross Buns and Good Friday

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hot_cross_buns_2.jpgHot Cross Buns were traditionally served during the Lenten Season, especially on Good Friday. Their origins, however, like the Easter holiday, are a mix of pagan and Christian traditions.

Pagan Origins
The Saxons worshipped Eostre, from which we get our word “Easter” as the goddess of dawn and spring. At the arrival of spring they celebrated a month-long festival in celebration of the transition from Winter to Spring. During this festival the Saxons made buns to offer the goddess. They marked the buns with a simple cross, to represent the four phases of the moon.

Christian Reinterpretation
When the Christians gained a firm foothold in Britain, their leaders banned the pagan Easter rites. But they soon discovered it was more effective to give them Christian symbolism rather than outright eliminate them. In 782 AD, They found a way to reinterpret some of the Pagan Easter rites into the Christian ones held at this same time of year. The meaning of the cross on the buns was reinterpreted to signify the Cross upon which Christ was crucified.

The Christian Easter Tradition
Some historians date the origin of “Hot Cross Buns” as an Easter Tradition back to the 12th century. In 1361, an Anglican monk named Father Thomas Rocliffe, was recorded to have made small spiced cakes stamped with the sign of the cross, to be distributed to the poor visiting the monastery at St. Albans on Good Friday, known at that time as the “Day of the Cross.”. According to the scholar Harrowven, the idea proved so popular that he made the buns every year, carefully keeping his bun recipe secret. Traditional hot cross buns contain flour, milk, sugar, butter, eggs, currants and spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg. The cross on the top may be cut into the bun or made out of pastry strips. In America, the cross is often fashioned out of icing. According to tradition, “Hot Cross Buns” were the only food allowed to be eaten by the faithful on Good Friday. They were made from dough that had been kneaded for consecrated bread used at Mass or Holy Communion, and thus represented Christ’s body.

Children’s Sermon
Serve Hot Cross Buns to your Children and youth. While it is important to be aware of the pagan origins, for most people today, the pagan origins have been lost and most people now associate “Hot Cross Buns” with Good Friday and Easter. Keep your focus on the Christian Tradition: they were originally made by monks from Dough that had been consecrated for Mass to represent Christ’s body. The cross represented the “day of the cross” which was the way they referred to Good Friday at the time. It represented the day that Christ died on the cross for our sins.

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Children's Sermon

Easter Pretzels

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pretzels.jpgThere are many traditions and stories surrounding the food we know today as a “pretzel” and it is difficult to separate the facts from the legends. The exact origin of the pretzel is unknown and, like the doughy treat, its history takes many twists and turns.

“Little Rewards” and “Little Arms”
One tradition says that as early as 610 AD, monks somewhere in Southern France or Northern Italy offered pretzels to children as a “little reward” for memorizing their Bible verses and saying their prayers. The monks appropriately called it a pretiola, Latin for “little reward”. At some point pretiola became brachiola, which is Italian for “little arms” because the pretzel looks like arms folded in prayer. Eventually if found it way to Germany and became known as a Bretzel or Pretzel.

Food during Lent
Since many pretzel recipes didn’t contain any of the ingredients that were avoided during the pre-Easter Lent season – eggs, milk, butter, lard – the pretzel became a popular Lenten food throughout the Middle Ages. Pretzels are still part of the Easter celebrations in many European countries.

Good Luck, Prosperity, Spiritual wholeness
In 1440 AD a page in the prayer book used by Catharine of Cleves depicted St. Bartholomew surrounded by pretzels. They had come to represent the good luck, prosperity and spiritual wholeness.

Everlasting Life and Rebirth
A decade later in 1450, Germans ate pretzels and hard-boiled eggs for dinner on Good Friday – the day of fasting. The large, puffy pretzel symbolized everlasting life, and the two hard-boiled eggs, nestled in each of the large round curves of the pretzel, represented Easter’s rebirth.

Hidden Treat
Soon, at Easter, the pretzel was hidden with two hard-boiled eggs for children to find. This is likely the origin of the Easter Egg Hunt we now associate with Easter, with the difference being now we hide the eggs instead of the pretzels. As pretzels and eggs were often hidden in the hay of a barn, baskets filled with hay were later introduced as part of the festivities.

Hard Pretzels
The hard pretzel seems to have been introduced later. While it may have simply been the result of a recipe for the season of Lent, another story says that a baker’s assistant fell asleep while preparing the pretzels and overcooked them. The Master Baker, in the process of throwing out the spoiled pretzels, decided to taste one of the spoiled brown treats. He discovered he liked the nutty flavor and crunchy taste and realized they would keep longer since the moisture had been completely baked out.

Pretzels as an Easter Symbol
Regardless of the true origins, a pretzel turned upside down does look like arms folded in prayer and the three holes could be used as a symbol of the trinity. Pretzels also resemble a heart and thus can be a reminder of the love God showed when Jesus was crucified for the sins of the world. As the pretzel is broken and eaten, we are reminded that Christ in the Passover meal said that his body would be broken. Some pretzel recipes consist only of water and flour, thus proclaiming Lent as a time of fasting and penitence. In many places of Europe, pretzels are served only from Ash Wednesday to Easter, thus keeping the ancient symbolism alive.

Children’s Sermon
Introduce the Children to an Easter basket filled with pretzels and eggs. When you get questioning looks and discussion about the presense of the pretzels, tell them about the history of the treat, the symbolism, and then give each one a pretzel to eat and as a reminder of so many Easter truths.

Variation
Instead of an Easter Egg Hunt, hide small snack size packets of pretzels. Alternatively, wrap the pretzels in plastic wrap and then hide them. Kids will be curious as to why pretzels have been hidden instead of eggs. Then introduce them to the Easter traditions and symbolism associated with the tasty treat.

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Children's Sermon

A Beautiful Tune

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Materials
1. Eight (8) glasses of the same shape and size to be placed on a large table. Glass dinner glasses or wine glasses work best.
2. Source of water. (Can be a bucket or large jug)
3. Bowl with small peices of shredded paper
4. Pencil
5. towel
6. Permanent Marker or marker that can write on glass (for preparation)

Preparation
1. Before the talk, number the glasses from 1-8 for easy reference.
2. Fill the eight glasses with water so that they produce a musical scale of a single octave. Use a piano, guitar or another instrument to tune the glasses (Add or remove water until you have got them right all at thge right pitch). Chck the pitch by lightly tapping each glass with a wooden pencil
3. Mark of a line on each of the glasses where the water level should be so that later all you need to do is fill them to the line
4. Set the materials out for the talk.

Activity
1. Allow eight of the children each to fill a glass with water from the container right up to the mark on the glass.
2. Help them to adjust the water level if it is too little or too much
3. After the glasses are filled, tell the class that the way to find out if the group had done a good job is to play a simple tune (such as “Doe A Deer A Female Deer” or “Mary had a little lamb”) by striking the glasses lightly with the pencil.
4. After playing the tune, praise the children for a job well done.
5. Now empty the glasses into the water container and repeat the whole process with another group of 8 children. 6. Again test the results by playing a tune.
7. You can repeat several times with different children, but for the last group you will do something different. When the last team comes on, plant a volunteer within it, whose job is to fill his/her cup not with water but with pieces of paper from the bowl.
8. Now, try to play a tune from the glasses. The tune will be missing one of the notes. One glass will be out of tune.

Application
1. Ask the class what was wrong with the music in the the last team (it did not sound right, something was wrong with it, etc.).
2. Ask the children to identify the cause of the problem and listen to their answers. Someone will likely answer that one of the glasses was filled not with water but with paper.
3. Affirm their answers and say, “You know, our God is big and wonderful, ready to give us all kinds of blessings; but we often feel empty, alone, and sad like those empty glasses. ”
4. “God is like this water. If we invite God to come into our lives, He can make a great difference in us. It’s like filling those empty glasses with water. When God is in our lives, he can use our lives to bring music and joy to others. ”
5. “But if we fill our lives with things other than God, such as toys, television, playing with friends, school that become more important to us than God, we will not bring music and joy to others. Instead we will bring dischord and noise. It’s like trying to play a tune from a glass filled only with paper. It’s no wonder we don’t feel much of God’s love and joy and wisdom in us. Watch carefully what you are filled with — God or the things of this world.”


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Children's Sermon

Treasures

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Materials
One or two items which are of value to your-personal “treasures”

Lesson
1. Bring out your “treasures” and explain, one by one, why each of them means so much to you.
2. Do any of the youth/children have anything special which they treasure? Ask, “What are some of your treasures?”
3. You might also ask youth/children the following question. Your house is on fire and you only enough time to save three of your personal items… What would you save? Why?

Application
Matthew 6:19-21 tells us that the our treasures are where our heart is. God’s kingdom is the greatest treasure of all. Jesus is the greatest find of all. He is so valuable that all of our treasure becomes worthless in comparison People who find Jesus give up everything else to follow him. When anyone finds him they find riches beyond compare. Yet like Isreal we often let other treasures take the place of God.


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Children's Sermon

Life Isn’t Fair

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high.jpgMaterials
1. Masking Tape
2. Tape Measure

Objective
Fairness is often a matter of perspective.

Preparation
1. Tape two 4-foot strips of masking tape on the floor, 12 to 15 feet apart.
2. Tape markings to the wall labeled with the height.

The Lesson
1. Invite participants in a competition to determine who can jump the highest.
2. Give them some time to warm up and practice jumping then give them 2 chances.
3. Award the girl and guy with the highest jump and the highest vertical jump (distance between reaching up and jumping up).
4. Then invite participants to compete in a distance jump.
5. Again let them practice. But this time choose a couple of participants to pull aside. Make them do leg exercises. You might even give a couple a jump rope so they can practice jumping. Be tough on them… many are likely to say its not fair because the others don’t have to exercise.
6. With smaller children, allow them to continuously jump from one line and keep jumping in multiple jumps until they reach the other. Then ask them to try to jump the distance in a single jump.
7. With older participants simply allow them to jump and measure the distance where they land.
8. On the second attempt, choose one of the smallest participants in the group, pick them up under the arms and carry him or her across to the other tape strip. (get assistance if needed so you don’t injure your back)

Discussion
Wow! Isn’t (name) a great jumper?
Let participants respond. Most will probably complain that the jump wasn’t fair.

Sometimes God helps others more because they need more help. Being fair depends on the way people look at things. The little child may think it isn’t fair because all the older children are bigger and have longer legs to jump. Some think it isn’t fair because I help the little one. Others may think it isn’t fair because I made life tough for some of you and made you work out. But I was making your muscles stronger so you could jump farther. Yes God doesn’t help everyone in the same way so it may seem like he isn’t fair. But God will always do what’s best for you. If he always carried you, your legs would become very weak, but sometimes he will carry you when you really need it. Sometimes he will allow things to be difficult to make you stronger. There are some things we just can’t do by ourselves. We have to trust God to help us. God promises to support us just like I supported (name). When we’re feeling weak, we can just jump into God’s arms, and he’ll help us be strong.

Scripture
Isaiah 41:10, Hebrews 12:1-17


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Children's Sermon

Following the Way

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Materials
You’ll need three or four blindfolds and several objects to set up a small obstacle course.

Preparation
Ask one or two adult assistants to help you set up the course. Alternatively, blindfold everyone and lead them about the church. As you begin your message, have your assistants set up an obstacle course in front of the area where the children sit.

Activity
1. Has anyone here ever gone through an obstacle course? Let children respond. We’ve set up a little obstacle course here today. Describe the course you’ve set up.
2. Could I have three or four volunteers to try my obstacle course? Choose three or four children. Let them begin the course and then stop them.
3. Oh, I forgot to tell you. You have to do this obstacle course blindfolded. But don’t worry, I’ll lead you.
4. Have the volunteers hold hands. Then lead them through the obstacle course.
5. Other children may call out directions or encouragement.
6. When children have completed the course, remove their blindfolds and have them sit down.
7. Congratulations! Lead children in applause for volunteers.

Discussion
1. What would have happened if the blindfolded volunteers had to go through the obstacle course without a leader?
2. Without a leader, they might have stumbled and fallen.
3. The Bible says Jesus is the way. He shows us and guides us to God. He is the only way to reach God. Without him we are lost forever, stumbling in the dark.

Scripture Text
John 14:5-14


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Children's Sermon

Held Together

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office_supplies.jpgMaterials
Tape, glue, stapler, and a bolt.

Activity
I would like for you to discover what this tape, glue, stapler, and bolt have in common. Think about it.
(Allow them to answer.)

That’s right! They are all used to hold things together. Most of you probably have tape and glue in your desk at school or in your room. You may also have a stapler of your own, or perhaps your teacher or parents do. Your father probably has a jar of bolts in the garage that he uses to hold metal or wooden objects together. Almost everything we have has to be held together by something. Can you name a few other things that hold things together?

Application
There is something else that needs to be held together as well and that is people. We need to be close to people. If we are not, life becomes very sad and lonely. We need to be close to our family, to our friends, and to our fellow church people-plus many others. Let me tell you what holds people together better than anything else: Love! Love is the best tape, the best glue, the best staple, the best bolt that you can find to keep you close to people. There are other things that we sometimes think keep us close to others but they don’t work as well as love. You may think that it’s because you live on the same street that you are friends with a certain person, but if that is all that makes you friends it will be over with the first time you have a serious fight. Sometimes we think we are close friends with someone because we like the same sport or the same games but this usually doesn’t last either. Even living in the same house with your family will not automatically make you close to them. In every case what we really need is love for that person. No matter what you like doing with someone close to you, just remember that to love that person is the most important thing of all. Love will be the tape, the glue, the staple, the bolt that holds us together in unity.

Possible Bible Stories: Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22), Good Samaritan (Luke 10), They will know that we are Christians by our love (John 13:34), Command to Love one Another


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Children's Sermon

One Way

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moon.jpgMaterials
An illustration or photo of the moon; an illustration or photo of a space rocket or the space shuttle

Activity
Q: “Do any of you know how far the moon is from the earth?”
A: 238,860 miles.. The moon looks close, but it is very far!

Q: Has anyone ever been to the moon?
A: In July 1969 the US spacecraft, Apollo 11, landed two men. Five more visits took people to the moon between 1969 and 1972. Now the United States wants to send people to the moon again!

Q: Would any of you like to go on a trip to the moon?
A: (Let kids raise their hands)

Q: What does it take to go to the moon?
A: A rocket, a spaceship, oxygen, food, a spacesuit, etc.

Q: Does anyone sometimes feel that God is a very far away, like the moon?
Q: Is reaching the moon difficult or easy? Does it seem easy or difficult to reach God?
Q: Can anyone reach God or only a few selected people, like those that have visited the moon?
Q: How can we reach God?

Application
The way to God is easy. Anyone can go to God.

Read the Scripture Text: John 14:5-14
Jesus said: ‘I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except by or through me.’
If we want to reach God, we have to put our faith and trust in Jesus. Anyone can do it!

Jesus identifies himself as “the way, the truth, and the life.” All have relevance. The “way” speaks of a connection, of the link between God and man. Jesus not only shows us the way, but he IS the way.


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Children's Sermon, Object Lessons

Corners of God’s Love

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Materials
A large sheet of paper with ‘GOD’S LOVE’ written in large letters on it, and a pair of scissors.

Object Lesson
Show everyone the paper with GOD’S LOVE written on it. Explain that God’s love is something we can all have and we can also all give away. Point out that in this case God’s love has “4 corners” Ask, If I were to give you one of my corners of God’s Love how many would I have left? Some will surely answer 3. Then show them. Take the scissors and cut off one of the corners, and give it to someone. Count the corners now. “I gave one away, and now I’ve got FIVE!” Continue is this way, cutting off each of the four initial corners. Explain that you end up with MORE corners of God’s Love every time you give one away. Then ask who received one of the corners I gave away. “Are you sure I gave you one?” It became three when you cut it… so it keeps multiplying.

Application

  1. In the same way, the more of God’s Love you give away, the bigger it gets…” PS: – keep on going and you get a circle – God’s love encircling us! .
  2. Discuss the small and possibly seemingly insignificant ways Jesus portrayed love in his life as revealed in the scriptures.
  3. Focus in on the emotion of love and use for Valentine’s Day
  4. God’s Love


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Children's Sermon

God Chosen

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ropemugbook.jpg
Materials
A bag full of ‘ordinary’ things, chosen because they have nothing significant or special about them; the Bible verses related to salvation inside a brown envelope at the bottom of the bag.

Activity
Tell the children you have brought along some things to show them. Pick up your bag and bring out the items one by one, with a commentary going something like this: “Here I have a mug. Well, it’s rather ordinary. There’s nothing much I can say about it. What’s next? Here’s a pencil… have a whole box just like it at home. Here is an exercise book. It’s empty. Nothing special about it at all. A small piece of rope… I forgot what that was from. Next–a roll of sticky tape. Now why is that in the bag? a stone… hmm I wonder how that got in here… And so on until the bag is empty except for the envelope. Take it out and say.. hmm I wonder what this is… Read out the verse in the envelope: 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Application
God deliberately chooses ‘ordinary’ people-people who have nothing special about them. Does anyone here feel they are rather ordinary? Perhaps they never win at games, or shine in class. Perhaps they never place first, never are the best at anything. These are exactly the sort of people God wants to be his own! He deliberately chose each person here. We don’t have to be rich, important or superstars to be special in God’s eyes. He loves and wants ordinary people like you and me!


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Children's Sermon

Crushed

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Materials
Modeling Clay.

Activity
Make several objects from modeling clay. You might choose to mold objects that were used in the trials and crucifixion of Christ:
– a basin (used by Pilate to wash his hands)
– a crown of thorns
– a robe
– a whip
– a pair of dice (used by the soldiers to cast lots)
– a sword (used by Peter to defend Christ)
– A tassel from a robe (worn by Pharisees), etc.

Explain the significance of each item, then take these same items and combine the clay together and form a cross from them.

Debrief
Explain that like the clay, Jesus was placed under incredible pressure and pain. God allowed it that we might be saved from our sins. Only a perfect sacrifice could atone for our sins. Jesus was that lamb without blemish sacrificed on our behalf.

Explain that in order for the cross to be made you had to crush down and apply pressure to the previous items. They lost their identity, but became part of the cross. The same is sometimes true in our lives. It may seem that we are under pressure and crushed, but then our identity is found in the Cross as we identify with Christ. We may wonder why God is allowing these things to happen, but he allows it and is there with us to mold us into something he can use.

For older kids, you might have children mold a piece of the clay into an object that represents how God can use them. It might be a pencil to write a friend about Christ, a microphone to tell a person about Christ, etc.

Variation
Simply use the above objects and others from the event to illustrate the events as you tell the story of Christ’s Cruxifixion. You might also bring in all the items and ask children to identify how each fits into the story of the trial and crucifixion.

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Children's Sermon

Peace in the turmoil

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balloons.jpgMaterials
Use three balloons to understand the concept peace during times difficulty and persecution.

Activity
Begin with a deflated balloon in your hand. Tell the group you’re going to use it to help them understand peace. Inflate the balloon about half full. Sometimes troubles come into life and the tension builds as we give over a portion of our time, energy, and thought to deal with the situation. One way to deal with tense situations is to pray and trust God to work things out. Trusting God frees us for other things and we are back at peace again. But when we spend all our time and energy concentrating on difficulties things can gt more and more tense. Inflate the balloon fully and hold it in front of you. When we concentrate on the difficulties, our lives become more and more crowded and tense, until we finally burst (pop the balloon). Ask the kids for examples of things people become worried about.

Next, take a second balloon and inflate it less than half full. Hold it out in front of you and poke it with your finger, allowing the surface of the balloon to contract and expand. Explain that when trust God we’re more flexible and less sensitive to other pressures. Inflate the balloon fully and tell the kids that a life filled with pointless worry makes us less able to deal with other pressures that come our way, and can cause even small problems to explode emotionally (For added emphasis, make sure you take your time inflating the balloon and popping it.) Some of the kids will slightly dread the pop, exhibiting a form of worry. Ask the kids for examples of times when they or someone they know overreacted to some small irritation or pressure because they were already worried about something.

Finally, take a third balloon and tell the kids that some things happen in life that cause us a great deal of concern such as someone who is leaving for a long time, the death of a friend, or a divorce in the family. Explain that often during such times people are full of fear or anger or confusion. Inflate the balloon and ask the kids what they can do in a situation like that. Tell them that God has something to say about that situation, and about all the times when they’re tempted to worry.

Application
Read or quote John 16:33. Assure them that God will help them deal with their worries and concerns and will give them his peace. Let the balloon go so that it flies round the room until it’s deflated.


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Children's Sermon

God’s Salvation is for Ordinary People

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Materials
A bag full of ‘ordinary’ things, chosen because they have nothing significant or special about them; AND Bible verses related to salvation inside a brown envelope at the bottom of the bag.

Activity
Tell the children you have brought along some things to show to them. Pick up your bag and bring out the items one by one, with a commentary going something like this:

“Here I have a mug. Well, it’s rather ordinary. There’s nothing much I can say about it. What’s next?”
“Here is an exercise book. It’s empty. Nothing special about it at all. Next comes a roll of sticky tape. Now why is that in the bag?”
And so on until the bag is empty except for the envelope.

Debrief
When only the envelope is left in the bag. Take it out and see what is in it. The Bible does say some amazing things! Read out the verses in the envelope. Make sure you end with the following verse: 1 Corinthians 1:26-28

Application
God deliberately chose ‘ordinary’ people-people who have nothing special or significant about them at all. Does anyone present feel they are rather ordinary? Perhaps they never win at games, or shine in class. Perhaps they never come top or first. These are exactly the sort of people God wants to be his own! He deliberately chose each person present. We don’t have to be rich, important or superstars to be special in God’s eyes. He loves and wants ordinary people like you and me!

Biblical Examples
Ruth – a foreigner
Jacob – Fought with God
David – Shepherd Boy
Disciples – Fisherman, tax collectors, etc.


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Children's Sermon

Mother Says

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Activity
You can play this game like “simon says.” but simply replace the name “Simon” with “Mother.”

“Mother Says” has a very simple rule. If a child is given a command and the teacher does not preface it with “Mother Says”, children must ignore it. If they mistakenly follow it they are eliminated from the game. Continue until only one child remains.

Variation
Instead of playing “Simon says”, play a game of “Mother May I?”
One person (it could be Mom) stands facing away from a line of kids. She then chooses a child (at random, or in order), and announces a direction. These follow a pattern, such as, “Brian, you may take (NUMBER) “giant steps” forward/backward.” The child responds with “Mother may I?” Mom then states “Yes” or “No”, depending on her whim, and the child complies.

If the child forgets to ask “Mother may I?” he/she goes back to the starting line. First one to touch Mother wins.

Other possibilities are
“regular steps”
“baby steps”
“ballet steps”
“Scissors steps”- jump while crossing your feet, then jump while uncrossing them
“Banana steps”-laying down with feet at current spot, marking where the top of your head was, and getting up there for new spot, and
“Bunny steps” – a hop

Application
Obeying our Mother’s is one way of showing them we love them.

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Children's Sermon

In God’s Hands

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Materials
Bring in a variety of objects and tools. You might use drawing materials (i.e. rulers, colored pencils, colored paper, scissors, glue, stickers, etc)

Activity
Have everyone create something with the tools you have provided. You could ask them to use the tools to draw things that are strong. Then bring the tools back together and command the tools to create representations of things that are strong. Of course the tools will simply lie where they are put.

Application
These tools are very useful, but only when they are in someone’s hands. The same thing is true of us. We can be useful to God, but only when we place ourselves in his hands.

Variation
This can be used as a teaching activity for youth by supplying a variety of tools and materials to youth and asking them to create something that represents a particular idea or concept. Award youth for the best creation, most creative representation, most realistic, etc.

This object lesson reminds us that we can only accomplish the things we were designed to do when we place ourselves in God’s hands.



MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
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Children's Sermon, Object Lessons

Freedom

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“You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free” -John 8:32

Materials
Orgami Paper Bird and paper cage.

Discussion Starter
Would you like to be a bird? Why?

Activity
Place the bird in the cage. Ask, how do you think the bird feels now?

But its a gold cage. He doesn’t need to worry about food or water. He doesn’t need to worry about rain or snow.

Application
What if the bird always lived in a cage?
In a way this describes us. The name of our cage is “sin.” We are born in sin. But if we know Jesus, (the way, the truth, and the life) then we will be set free from sin.

Variations
Use other keys and locks as object lessons, Trick handcuffs, combination lock, magician’s rope trick.

Key point
Only one key fits each lock
If you know the secret you can escape from the handcuffs. If you know the combination you can open the lock. If you are tied up, if you know the trick you can escape from the ropes which bind you.



MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
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Children's Sermon

Created with a Purpose

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Materials
Bring in a variety of unusual objects – strange looking can openers, the scoop that makes balls of fruit, a thread bobbin, money clip, a mouse-ball from a computer mouse, a spring from a ball point pen, a toothpick, dental floss, a zipper or button, a rivet, a staple remover, a sleeve for film negatives, a chuck key from a drill, a small screw or nose pad from a pair of glasses, a chisel, a golf ball with the outer covering removed to reveal the rubber strings, door stopper, corkscrew, and any other small objects that may be difficult to recognize.

Activity
Ask children to identify the function/ purpose for each object. Whenever an incorrect purpose is suggested, respond with, “We might be able to use it for that, but that is not why it was created.”

Discussion
Discuss how each was created with a very special purpose. You could use them for different things, but they were really created with a specific purpose in mind. God created each of us with a very specific purpose. We didn’t have a choice in how we were created – But we can choose to live according to our purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11-14, Psalm 139:13-16


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Children's Sermon

Yielding to God

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Activity
If you can obtain a puppet or two, bring them to your class. Using paper lunch sacks, or socks, provide children with materials to make puppets of their own. Have children design and name their puppets. You might give them a couple of stories to act out with their puppets. Another options is to have the children each make the puppet introduce itself to the rest of the class. You might give awards for the most unusual, best dressed, funniest, puppets. etc.
After all the puppets have been created and all the kids have used them a bit, ask the children the following question:

Debrief
“Who decides what the puppet does, the puppet or the person who’s hand is in the puppet?”

Application
Of course the puppet can’t make any decisions. It can only do what the hand makes it do. Nothing can hold back God’s “Hand” as He does what he pleases like a hand in a puppet. But God gives us some choices and we can resist the hand of God in our lives.

Our task in doing God’s will is to present ourselves to him (Romans 12:1&2) and to be filled with Him (Ephesians 5:18) so he can accomplish the tasks for which we were created. (Daniel 4:35, Proverbs 21:1)


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Children's Sermon

Telling the Easter Story

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egg.jpg
materials
Egg (Hollowed out)

Carefully poke 2 holes in an egg, one at each end, and blow out the contents. After it has dried inside, take a lot of 1/4 inch wide slips of paper, write on them such phrases as ,”Jesus loves you,” “Jesus died for you,” ‘Jesus lives” and so on. Thread the slips of paper into the egg. You can get many inside.

Ask children what they think of at Easter. Many will say, Chocolate, Eggs, Candies, Bunnies etc. (some will make the right connection) Hold the egg and talk about how the egg was an Easter symbol – portent of new life and that Jesus’s rising from the dead meant that we too could have new life. I then said, “If ever I heard somebody give me the right answer right away, I would clap my hands ….” clapping my hands and squashing the egg. The children’s faces will be a mixture of horror and glee as they imagined your hands covered with goo. Instead, imagine their surprise when the egg contains, not yolk and stuff, but messages that tell the Easter story.

 

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Children's Sermon

Funeral Wrappings

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Note: This one is not an original, but I cannot find the source. If you know the source I would be happy to give credit.

Materials
a pencil and bandage

As Christians we celebrate one day of the year more than any other. Do you know what day? [Easter] Easter is the day when Jesus rose from the grave. Today I want to share part of that story with you. [Read John 19:38-39]

On the Friday that Jesus was crucified Joseph of Arimathæa got permission from Pilate to bury the body. Nicodemus came with a large mixture of myrrh and aloes. The custom of the Jews was to take one-inch strips of linen and wrap them around the body. This was the same way Jesus was wrapped “in swaddling clothes” when he was born. Then burial spices were poured over the strips of linen and hardened like a plaster cast hardens around a broken bone. (John 19:40)

Watch this. Let’s take this pencil and pretend it is an arm. Now let’s wrap the bandage around it. [Do not wrap with the sticky side facing down. Wrap it with the sticky side up around the pencil and catch the leading edge as you go.] This is the way Jesus was wrapped in strips of linen and then aloes and spices were poured over the linen. Then one long linen sheet was laid down. Jesus was laid on this sheet so that his body was completely covered by it. Now let’s set this pencil aside until we hear more of the story.

Joseph and Nicodemus did not have time to finish the job before the Sabbath started. The sun was setting so the women who followed them saw where Jesus was buried and returned home. The would bring spices to finish the job later. Early on the first day of the week (Sunday), the “Spice Girls” brought their spices to put on the body of Jesus. They saw the stone was rolled away and entered the tomb but Jesus was not there. [Read Mark 16:5-7] Jesus had risen! They ran to tell the disciples the good news. Peter and John ran to the tomb. [Read John 20:5-8] The Bible says that John saw and believed. What did John see that made him believe that Jesus had risen? One thing was that Jesus wasn’t there. He also saw the empty linen strips without a tear in them. When Jesus rose from the dead his new body was able to pass through things (John 20:26). His body went right though the burial clothes without tearing them.

[Slip the bandage off the pencil and hold the bandage so they can see the hole in the hollow area where the bandage was.] The clothes were there but Jesus was not. He had risen!

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Children's Sermon

Easter Joy

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The excitement and apprehension of the disciples on Easter day can be re-created among the children. One of the cardinal rules of most sanctuaries/churches is NO RUNNING. Imagine people running up to join the church or running up to take Communion! Begin the Easter story with Mary running to tell Simon Peter and the other disciple that the stone had been removed. Then Peter and the other disciple were running to the tomb, but the other disciple outran Peter.

Pair the children off and let them run a race from the back of the sanctuary to the front. Take all the children who lost their heats and identify them with Peter. While reminding them of the empty tomb, allow them to go somewhere special in the sanctuary, where you have placed an empty white sheet rolled up in a place by itself. Then invite the winners to join you as you continue the discussion of the empty tomb. Depending upon the size of the group and the abundance of Easter dresses, you may want to use some of the girls to play the part of Mary Magdalene, running to tell the others ( a starting gun) and the subsequent weeping.

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Children's Sermon

Our Sins on the Cross

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thumbtack.jpgUsing a large bulletin board, place pins strategically to outline a cross. Wind a piece of string around the pins to create the form of the cross. Cut small pieces of black or brown construction paper. Explain to the children that Jesus died for our sins – things we do but know we shouldn’t do. Talk about the things we do that are wrong – sinful. (e.g. lies, taking something that doesn’t belong to us, hitting someone, talking bad about someone, etc) Let everyone write their sins on the small dark pieces of construction paper (one sin per piece) and pin it within the outline of the cross. Encourage everyone to add more of these pieces as they reflect on their sin, and when new sins are remembered.

Take off the sin papers, leaving the pins in place. These pins hold the memory of our sins which Jesus died for, and will now be used to hold decorations.

Create flowers out of construction paper and pin them on the cross with the same pins. An artificial vine with flowers could also be wound around the pins to create the triumphant cross.

The sin papers are then burned by the Easter fire: a white candle symbolizing the new beginning we have in Christ.

Variation
Instead of construction paper, use pieces of “flash paper” available from a local magician’s shop. When touched to a flame “flash” paper vaporizes in a flash of fire and leaves nothing behind. Warning: Have a teacher touch the papers to a flame and quickly let go to avoid getting burnt.

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