Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 7, 2024
Good morning, boys and girls. Today, I want to talk about a great big word — the word:
PROCRASTINATION. Now, that’s a word that we usually don’t learn until we are a little older, but you already know its meaning. The word procrastination means to put off something until tomorrow or later that you should really be doing today. And the fact of the matter is we should never put off the things we should do today until tomorrow. That’s good advice — but especially when it’s something that God wants us to do today!
There may be many reasons for putting things off—maybe you are feeling lazy or maybe you are a little afraid. But whatever the reason, if you know in your heart that it is something God wants you to do, you should do it today!
Boys and girls, in your everyday lives, you may say, “I’ll clean my room tomorrow,” — “I’ll work on my school assignment next week,” — or “I’ll help my mom or dad after I watch TV,” — but you know that’s not always the right thing to do.
But what about putting off until tomorrow the things God expects us to do? What about the important work God has for us, like …
Being nice to our friends\
Being obedient to our parents and teachers
Helping others who need us
Listening to others with our hearts
Being generous.
You know, those are some things we should never put off another day or another time.Now is the time to do what God wants us to do!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 14, 2024
Good morning, girls and boys! How many of you have been to a real surprise party? I’m talking about a party where the person is celebrating a birthday or another special occasion but has yet to learn about it. Even if you’ve never been to one, I’m sure you know how it works: The person walks into a room, and everyone jumps out and yells SURPRISE! And you can always tell by the look on their face if it really was a surprise. And the surprised person usually doesn’t know what to say.
Today, we learn in the Bible about the biggest surprise party of all time. We find out that the disciples are more than surprised when Jesus suddenly appears before them after He has risen from the dead. The Bible says that they were scared. “They thought they were seeing a ghost.” And they couldn’t think of the right thing to say then, so they didn’t say anything. Only the voice of Jesus was heard. “Peace be with you,” He said. Jesus appeared alive and in person, after He had died on the Cross! Boys and girls, imagine what a surprise party that must have been! When we read the Bible stories about Jesus, we learn that the disciples often were surprised by Jesus’ teachings. But to 21st-century people, Jesus’ teachings about what God expects of us are no surprise. The world has known for centuries that God wants us to do His work on earth — work like being kind to our friends, helping others, listening with our hearts, obeying our parents and teachers, and showing all the members of your Christian family how much you care about them.
A boy known as a bully at school told his friend, ” I went to Joey’s surprise party on Saturday. The friend said it wasn’t a surprise party. I was there, and Joey knew about it.
Yes, it was a surprise party, the first boy answered. I was surprised they invited me to the party!
Even though the boy was mean at school, it was nice of Joey to invite him to the party so they could try to become friends. That’s an excellent example of someone trying to do God’s work here on earth. And remember boys and girls, it pleases God when we do His work here on earth — and that should come as no surprise!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 21, 2024
Good morning, boys and girls! Who are your favorite musicians that you like to listen to? Taylor? Yes, she’s more popular than ever. Miley Cyrus? O.K. Can someone tell me the name of your favorite song by one of them? O.K. great! Now, can you tell me the words to that song? Very good — you and almost everyone here seem to know all the words to that song! You must all be good listeners!
But wait a minute! How many times have you heard your parents or your teachers say to you, “You weren’t listening!” Maybe you didn’t listen when you were asked to do your homework or your chores. Maybe you weren’t listening when you were watching TV and were called to the dinner table. Maybe you weren’t listening when asked to be kinder to a brother, sister, or someone who needed you. Maybe you weren’t listening when your teacher announced your homework assignments. You see, girls and boys, we can all be great listeners when we want to. The hard part is that sometimes, we don’t want to listen to what is asked of us!
As a member of our Christian family, you have been asked certain things, like,
. . . being kind to your friends and neighbors. Have you been listening?
. . . sharing with one another. Have you been listening?
. . . being respectful of one another. Have you been listening?
. . . giving to those who have less than you. Have you been listening?
. . . being obedient to your parents and teachers. Have you been listening?
. . . listening with your heart to those who need you. Have you been listening?
. . . to Love one another! Have you been listening?
Boys and girls, these are just a few things you have been asked to do as one of “God’s ministers” here on earth. And if you’ve really been listening — I mean listening with your heart — then you won’t forget these things. You, too, can become a great listener, not just when it comes to your favorite music but also when it comes to the most important things.
A little girl was watching TV in her bedroom when her mother called, “Michelle, come to dinner!” But the girl didn’t answer. Her mother called again a little later, “Michelle, come to dinner.” Again, no response. Finally, the mother shouted, “Michelle, come to dinner!” Afraid that her mother was angry, the little girl ran out of her room into the kitchen and said, “I’m Sorry, Mommy, I didn’t hear you when you called me the first two times.”
Of course, that little girl really did hear her mother, but she didn’t want to admit it. This week, as we go to school and spend time with our family and friends, let’s not be like the girl in that story. Instead, let’s all try to be good listeners, especially to the important lessons God has asked us to learn!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 28, 2024
Good morning, girls and boys! Today, we read in the Bible that Jesus said, “You shall bear much fruit, and then you can be my disciples.” What do you suppose that means, boys and girls? In this case, the fruit Jesus talks about is the good things God has called us to do. If we all do these things, we will be true followers of Jesus.
Let’s think again about some of these things we have discussed many times before. Being kind and considerate, listening with your heart, sharing with your friends, and being obedient to your parents are just a few of the things God has asked us to do. And that’s what Jesus meant when He said, “You shall bear much fruit.”
Have any of you ever helped plant a tree? That’s great! Can anyone name a tree that grows fruit? That’s right — there are apple trees, pear trees, and even banana trees. All those trees grow the delicious fruit that we eat every day.
One of the miracles that God has given us can be seen very easily when you plant a tree. First, you start with a little seed. Then, you plant it in good soil where it can grow. What else will it need? That’s right, it will need sunshine. What else? That’s right, it will need water — and maybe some fertilizer. And before you know it, you’ll see a little shoot pointing out of the ground towards the sun. I’m sure you know, boys and girls, that the little stick pointing out of the ground won’t have apples or pears or bananas on it. No, it still has a long way to go before it begins to bear fruit.
The tree will need to be watered — that’s a good work. It will need to have some of its branches trimmed — that’s a good work. And it will have to be cared for and protected from the harsh winds or freezing temperatures — and that’s a good work. And before you know it, boys and girls, after all those good works, you’ll have a big, beautiful tree — with a large umbrella of branches and strong, sturdy roots. And once it has all those things, it will begin to bear fruit.
Are you thinking what I’m thinking, boys and girls? You and I are kind of like that tree. There are lots of good works we can do to help grow and bear much fruit. You already know what those things are. And the most important one of all is to love one another. Today’s lesson teaches that by doing those good works and bearing much fruit, you will grow to become a good, loyal follower of Jesus.
