Children’s Sunday Sermon
January 5, 2020
Good morning boys and girls. Today I would like to start by reading a little poem — a poem about a little packet of seeds just like the one I am holding in my hand (hold up seed packet). I’m sure all of you have seen these packets in the stores, especially during the Spring-time planting season. Now let’s listen . . .
I paid a dime for a package of seeds,
the clerk tossed them down with a flip.
“We have them assorted to everyone’s needs,”
he said with a smile on his lip.
“Pansies, poppies, asters and peas, ten cents a
package, now pick as you please.”
Now seeds are just dimes to the clerk in the store,
and dimes are the things that he needs.
And I’ve been to buy them in the store before,
and thought of them merely as seeds.
But it flashed through my mind as I took them this time, “You’ve purchased a miracle here for a dime.”
You’ve a dime’s worth of power which no man can create, you’ve a dime’s worth of life in your hand.
You’ve a dime’s worth of mystery, destiny, faith,
which the wisest man can’t understand.
In this bright little package, now isn’t it odd, you’ve a dime’s worth of something known only to God!
A dime for a packet of seeds. That poem may be a little out of date because I think that a package of seeds costs a bit more today. But you know what boys and girls? This packet of seeds contains a priceless mystery know only to God. It contains the miracle of life itself. Scientist can explain many things about how a flower grows but science cannot explain how God has created the miracle of new life. That is a mystery!
This week boys and girls, as you look around at all of the places where the flowers are now dormant for the winter — remember the Spring — when the beautiful buds will start to poke through the ground. And think about the most awesome mystery of all — God’s mystery of life!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
January 12, 2020
Good morning girls and boys. I have a riddle for you: What do you call a gorilla wearing ear-muffs? Anything you like, he can’t hear you.
Here’s another one: Why is tennis such a loud game? Because each player raises a racquet. Those are funny riddles, aren’t they boys and girls? And they both have something to do with what I want to talk about today — listening!
Each week we learn more and more from the greatest recipe book for living — our Holy Bible. Our Bible is filled with Lessons that Jesus wants us to learn. What are some of those lessons that we have read in our Bibles? Let’s all remember some of those lessons with you this morning:
That’s right, Jesus has asked us to be kind and forgiving and helpful to all of his children.
That’s right, Jesus has asked us to think more about our family and friends and less about money and material possessions.
That’s right, Jesus has asked us to give to others who have less than us and to visit the sick and the lonely.
Yes, boys and girls, you have remembered your Bible lessons, but unless you have been living these lessons then you haven’t really been listening, have you?
Now ask yourself: Have I been kind and forgiving and helpful to God’s children during the past year? Have you been really listening?
Ask yourself: Have I thought more about the needs of my family and friends and less about money and material possessions? Have you been really listening?
Ask yourself: Have I visited a sick family member or tried to be a friend of someone who is lonely? Have you really been listening?
Boys and girls, even if you said “No” to some of those questions the good news is that you can start today — in this New Year 2020 — to show God, by the way, you are loving that you really have been listening!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
January 19, 2020
Good morning girls and boys. There is an old song that some of your grandparents and great-grandparents may have heard. It’s called “The World is Waiting for the Sunrise.” They’ll also remember a song called “New World Coming.” These songs, and many others like them, seem to be saying that even though there may be bad things going on all around us, we can hope for a better world. And, you know, boys and girls, sooner or later, whether or not the world does get better depends a lot on you — the children of this world. And that’s because as you grow up, it will be your job to bring good into the world. And how good a job you do will depend on how well you have been listening to your Bible Lessons.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus had grown to be about thirty-years-old, a man we call John the Baptist said to his people, “Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” John the Baptist was asking his people to look at Jesus, to listen to Jesus, and to learn from Jesus what they ought to do to make the world a better place to live in.
Now, you are being asked to look at the Lamb of God, to look at the Lord Jesus, and listen to Him and learn from Him what you ought to be doing in order to make the world a better place to live in.
If I should ask you the question, “What have you learned from Jesus about how to make a new and better world, how would you answer? Some of you I am sure would have a lot to say about this. Some of your answers might even be very long. But, I am sure also, that many of you would come up with a very short answer. And this could be the best of all answers.
LOVE ONE ANOTHER!
Jesus wants you to believe in that answer and to do as it commands.
Jesus wants you to believe Him when he says that Love is the answer to the question of how to make things better in this world.
And, oh yes, there is another song most of your grandparents and great grandparents will remember. It is called “Love is the Sweetest Thing!”
Children’s Sunday Sermon
January 26, 2020
Good morning boys and girls. Do any of you know what the word “inflation” means? Ask any person your grandmother or grandfather’s age about inflation and he or she might tell you that the popcorn you buy at the movies for $6.00 once cost only twenty or thirty cents. Or a candy bar that sells for two dollars today, used to sell for only a nickel. Well, you get the idea, right: inflation means the cost of things is going up.
The people in government and elsewhere who have to deal with such things tell us that too much inflation can be bad for the country. And they try to keep it from getting out of control — they try to keep prices from getting too high.
We read in our Bibles that Jesus is also concerned about inflation. And we find that He wants inflation to go higher rather than lower. That’s because Jesus is talking about spiritual inflation.
Whether or not we are growing spiritually — getting to be better and better persons — depends on the price we are willing to pay, Jesus tells us. There are times when it isn’t easy to obey Jesus’ command to love one another.
There are times when we would rather look the other way when someone needs our help.
There are times when we’d rather make enemies than make friends.
There are times when we would rather do things our way than to do things God’s way.
In such times we must be willing to turn things around and do what is right. In such times, Jesus is telling us, we must be willing to pay the price of being the kind of person God wants us to be. And Jesus goes on to tell us that the price is never too high.
“Love one another” says the Lord Jesus. “Love one another” whatever the cost. It may involve giving something away. It may involve forgiving another person. It may involve spending more of your time with another. It may involve being more attentive to your parents. But, whatever it involves, Jesus wants you to pay the price because He wants you to inflate your soul with the love of God!
