Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 5, 2023
Good morning girls and boys. What is light? Yes, of course, light is the thing that allows us to see — without it, we would be in total darkness. But exactly what is light? How do scientists explain to us what light is? Can anyone here tell me what travels 186,000 miles per second? The answer is light! The rays of light that start from the glowing yellow ball we call the sun are traveling at 186,000 miles per second! That’s awesome. Someone has described light as a form of energy that stimulates certain nerves in our eyes that cause us to see. So light, the thing that allows us to see, is a sort of invisible energy that turns on our eyes. Wow!
Boys and girls, in our Bibles, we have read that Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world.” Jesus was sent by God to live among us here on earth to shine His special light of goodness on all of us.
Boys and girls, can you remember back a few years ago when you were afraid to sleep alone at night in the dark? I know it can be scary when we feel all alone in the darkness. And your parents probably put a little “night light” in your room or in the hallway so you could see. With that little night light, you knew that you weren’t all alone and that your parents were right there in the next room.
Well, boys and girls, it is kind of the same thing with God. We are never alone. He is always right there next to us, shining His powerful bright light of love into our lives. When things seem dark in our lives, God is there to light up our way.
In our Bible, in the Book of Genesis, we learn that in the beginning, everything was covered in darkness. And then we learn that the very first thing God does is create light. “Let there be light,” we read in our Bible. “And God said that the light was good.”
Boys and girls, if you look in a mirror, you see light reflected from the silver-colored glass, and that’s how you can brush your teeth and comb your hair without poking yourself in the eye! The light in the mirror reflects you. And just like that light in the mirror, you can reflect the wonderful light of Jesus. You can reflect all the wonderful lessons that He has given us in our Bibles. And the only way to reflect that beautiful, loving light of Jesus is in the way you live. When you live the lessons that Jesus has taught, then you are one of His brightest shining examples of someone who reflects the light of Jesus.
Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 12, 2023
Good morning boys and girls. We read in our Bible today that Jesus said, “Love your enemies . . .do good to those who hate you . . . pray for those who treat you badly.” And we read further that if we do these things, God will be pleased. Sounds tough, doesn’t it?
Boys and girls, what is the opposite of hate? Of course, Love is the opposite of hate. And so, it should come as no surprise to us that Jesus, the One whose Love for us is greater than anything we can imagine, would ask us to respond to hate with love. It should come as no surprise that He asks us to answer bad deeds with good deeds. And this Lesson, boys and girls, is one of the hardest of all to learn.
When someone does something to us that seems bad, our first reaction is to get mad and then to get even. That’s a mistake that we all make — both adults and kids — and it’s part of being human. For adults, it can be something as silly as someone bumping into them in the supermarket or driving too closely — but sometimes those little things can turn into very bad situations. Some people get so angry with others when they are driving they are said to have “road rage,” which is a very dangerous thing that you may have heard about.
Boys and girls, I want you to close your eyes right now and think about how your classmates might describe you and how you would describe some of them. Okay. Now tell me, wouldn’t it be nice to be thought of as a boy or girl with a good attitude — someone who is always practicing his or her responsibilities as a loyal follower of Jesus? Someone who is kind, thoughtful, and a good friend? Or would you rather be thought of as someone who answers every bad deed with more bad deeds — someone who goes to school with a bad case of “grumpy-itis?” In the future, boys and girls, will anyone really care who bumped into you in the hall or who broke your pencil? Of course not. But in the future, it will be important if you are remembered as a shining bright light reflecting the Love of Jesus! How wonderful that would be!
Boys and girls, there are times when we must stay away from bad people and bad things, and your parents and teachers have taught you how to be safe. It’s very, very important that you listen to and obey your parents and teachers. It is also important that you stand up for yourself and the things that you believe in and not let others bully you. You see, boys and girls, today’s lesson is not about being afraid or timid when you face bad things. It’s about being strong enough to remember the lessons you learned about facing these things. Not even one of us is perfect, and we don’t always follow the instructions that Jesus has given us. But if you really try hard, if you start today by trying to be a little bit kinder or friendlier to someone with “grouchy-itis,” maybe — just maybe, you’ll make a new friend. And that would please God!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 19, 2023
Good morning boys and girls. Today I would like to start out with a story about a boy who was always worrying. He was looking at the test paper that his teacher had just graded. “I worried about this test all night,” he said. “I worried and worried and worried.” The little girl next to him asked, “So what happened?” “I got an A. I guess I wasted a good worry!”
In our Bible Lesson today, we read about something important that Jesus does not want us to do. He says, “I am telling you not to worry about your life.” Why would He say this, boys and girls? Jesus is telling us that the best way for us not to worry — the way we can get rid of all our extra worries is to put our trust in God.
Of course, all of us — parents, teachers, adults, and all of you will experience some tough times in life. This is part of growing up and becoming responsible adults. This is part of learning to get along with others, having good feelings in your family, and meeting nice friends. This is part of making your way through your school and Bible Lessons and planning for your future after your school years. And when you are an adult and have your own family, there will be new responsibilities and challenges. But Jesus tells us in our Lesson today that if we have trust in God, we can leave the big worries to Him. Jesus is not telling us that we don’t have to be responsible for things that are expected of us as loyal followers. But He is saying if we spend all our time worrying about the little things, the constant worrying can get in the way of us becoming the persons God wants us to be.
Boys and girls, it is not possible for us to be just like Jesus. But we can follow His great examples instead of worrying about the little things. It is not possible for us to be able to teach just like Jesus, but we can share His teaching with our brothers and sisters in our faith community. It is not possible for us to heal like Jesus, but we can send around the healing love that He asked us to share with our neighbors. And now, boys and girls, I hope that this week you all do a little less worrying and a little more practicing the Lessons we have learned in our Bibles. The Lessons from the Greatest Teacher ever!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 26, 2023
Good morning boys and girls. Can anyone name some of the things that are necessary for all human beings to live? That’s right, we all need air to breathe and food to eat. What else? Of course, we all need water to live. Did you know that the human body contains more than 70% water? Isn’t that amazing? You see, all the tiny little cells in our bodies are made up mostly of water. And that’s why water is so important for us to live. Do you know what scientists look for first when they explore distant planets? That’s right. They look to see if there is any water there because if there is, then there might be living things present, like plant life — and that would be an amazing discovery! You see, boys and girls, water is a necessary building block for all living creatures. Without water, there can be no life.
Boys and girls, today we read in our Bibles that Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks the water that I shall give will never be thirsty anymore. The water I give will turn to a spring inside, welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14). What do you suppose Jesus meant when He said this? Do you think He was talking about giving someone a cup of water to drink? We know that Jesus did give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, but He is talking about something far more important here. When Jesus talks about the water building up inside like a spring, He is talking about the Love of God being inside of us. And He said the water inside will build up to eternal life. And eternal life means to be with God, always. So now you know, boys and girls, just how important water is for all living creatures. But even more important, as loyal followers of Jesus, we need to keep filling ourselves up with the Love of God. Now let’s all show God that we have been drinking from the spring of His living water by doing the good works that He expects of us!
