Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 7, 2023
Good morning boys and girls! How many here have heard the word PHOBIA? A phobia is a constant and unreasonable FEAR of something. The word ACROPHOBIA means fear of high places. CLAUSTROPHOBIA is a fear of small places. There are even some fears that seem kind of funny, like FRANCOPHOBIA: the fear of the country France! That really is a fear that some people have.
I’ll bet I can name a few of your phobias, boys and girls. Let me try. I’m guessing some of you have SCHOOL-O-PHOBIA, or HOMEWORK-O-PHOBIA, or CLEAN-YOUR-ROOM-O-PHOBIA! Am I correct?
Of course, fear isn’t always a bad thing. We can have a healthy fear of guns, busy streets, fire, or drugs. Those are healthy fears that keep us safe. But there is such a thing as too much fear — always being afraid.
There is a famous line from a speech that the President of the United States made many years ago that said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Too much fear can sometimes keep us from doing the things that we should be doing.
Boys and girls, did you know that Jesus had a lot to say about fear? In the Bible, He said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in me.”
What does this mean, boys and girls? What Jesus is saying is that to have faith rather than fear, is to put your trust in Him. Jesus is telling you that God loves you in a way that makes it possible for you to love other people. Trust Him! Jesus is telling you that when you do God’s Will in this way, you will understand that He will always be watching over you, and loving you. Trust Him! Jesus is telling you that because God is always watching over you, there is no reason to be afraid. Trust Him!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 14, 2023
Good morning boys and girls. We read in our Bibles today that Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” And the greatest commandment is that you must love God and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Jesus is telling us that by putting our faith in this commandment, it will be the one thing that will make us most happy.
But what does it mean to put our faith in something, boys and girls? One of the definitions of faith is the belief in something without being able to prove it — without being able to see it or touch it or hear it. Another meaning is trust. Of course, the most important meaning for us is our belief in God — our trust in God and His commandments. And today, we have learned which of these is the most important of all!
For us members of the Christian family, it can be easy to trust in God. We see signs of God everywhere. In all of God’s miracles of creation: like the trees, flowers and animals, mountains, and oceans! We see signs of God in the love that we have for each other. In other words, we see signs of God in our neighbors. But sometimes, it’s not easy to have faith.
Boys and girls, these days, everywhere you look, you see people on their cell phones. Even though there are no wires, we can talk to people almost anywhere in the world using a cell phone! But how is that possible? Cell phones use something called “waves” — invisible waves to transmit voices and music, and pictures through the air. Like faith, you can’t see the waves or touch the waves, but they are there — and they are real.
Boys and girls, when your mother or father turns on the car radio, you know that music will come out of the speakers. When they do this, you have faith that the radio will work. Even though it is something that you can’t see, you know that the invisible radio waves will make the radio work.
And so it is with our faith. Through our faith in God, all things are possible. We can’t see God exactly, but we can see Him through His miracles — the miracle of the birds and the bees, the mountains and the oceans, the moon and the stars. And the biggest miracle, the biggest proof of all, is the miracle of you!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 21, 2023
Good morning girls and boys. Let’s start with a little riddle today. Here goes. A teacher asked a ten-year-old boy in class, “Tommy, can you name one important thing that we have here today that we didn’t have, say, 12 years ago?” Tommy thought for a moment and then said, “Me!” Well, boys and girls, the teacher was thinking of the new computer that they had just gotten in the classroom, but Tommy was right! He and all the other children in the room were more important than that computer. And the teacher agreed with little Tommy.
Boys and girls. Let’s all try to think about one important teacher that you have had in school. Maybe this teacher was especially kind or helpful to you. Maybe this teacher gave you extra attention when you were having trouble learning something. Or maybe this teacher told you how great you were when you did an especially good job with your lessons. Okay, are you all thinking of a particular teacher? Great. Besides your parents and the rest of your family, teachers are maybe the most important people in your life right now. They are so important because they care about you and want you to learn and grow into the beautiful person God intended you to be. And guess what, boys and girls? All of us have one teacher above all others who really is the greatest. No matter how old you are, He is Number One. And you know who that teacher is, boys and girls? That teacher is Jesus. And by His many examples in our Holy Bile, Jesus has given us the instructions we need to grow into the beautiful persons that God intended us to be.
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 28, 2023
Good morning girls and boys. If you watch the news programs at night with your parents, you know that there is a lot of fighting going on right now in different places around the world. We all pray for the day when people everywhere will be able to settle their differences by talking instead of fighting. And, of course, that is what Jesus wants for us — to live peacefully together. We read in our Bibles today that Jesus said to his followers, “Peace Be with you” (John 20:20). Of course, Jesus was a man of peace. Of course, Jesus wants all nations to live peacefully together. He wants all of God’s children to get along. But when he says, “Peace be with you,” he is not just talking about avoiding fights and quarrels. It’s not a kind of peace that you find outside in the world. No, instead, it is the peace that comes from inside when you are filled up with the love of God. That is the peace that Jesus wishes for all of us. President Abraham Lincoln once said that people are as happy as they make up their minds to be. That’s true, isn’t it, boys and girls? If we make up our minds to be grumpy, that’s what we’ll be. But if we make up our minds to think of all the good things in our lives, we will discover we have a lot to be happy about. And just the same way, we can decide to let the love of Jesus fill our hearts with peace. Then we will want to share that love with others. And then, they, too, will have peace.
Boys and girls, this week, as you say your bedtime prayers, remember all the children who live in places where they need peace. And pray also that the love of God will fill each of their hearts so they will know the peace that Jesus offers to us all.
Children’s Sunday Sermons May 2023
