Boys and girls, these are important words for us to consider in our Bible Lesson today. We have learned that Jesus Himself was betrayed by someone who was supposed to be one of His loyal followers. He was betrayed by one of the twelve Apostles — the first followers of Jesus who were chosen to help Him spread the Good News. He was betrayed by a man named Judas (Iscariot).
We read in our Bibles that Jesus said to His Apostles who were sitting with Him at dinner on the night before His death, “I tell you solemnly, one of you is about to betray Me.” (Matthew 26:21). He knew that Judas would turn him over to those who wished to kill Him. He knew that one of His followers, who said he was loyal to Jesus, really was not.
Boys and girls, just like the other eleven loyal Apostles, you and I are expected to be loyal. That means we are expected to do the things that have been assigned to us in our 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job as members of our Christian family. And in a way, when we stop doing the good works that we know we should, we are betraying the message of Jesus — we are letting Him down. But remember, God is always right there by our side, ready to pick us back up just as soon as we decide that we are willing to once again be loyal followers.
Boys and girls, you all know the game “Follow the Leader.” In the game, you are expected to do what the leader does, and if you don’t, you’re out! But if you follow the Greatest Leader who ever was, you are never out! Instead, you are always in the game of life on God’s side!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 9, 2023
Good morning girls and boys. Happy Easter! I’m sure many of you have gone to an Easter Egg Hunt, either at home or at school. And when you got out of bed on this Easter morning, perhaps you found an Easter basket containing brightly colored eggs and other good things to eat! It seems at Easter time, everywhere we look, we see candy eggs, colored eggs, and egg decorations. But do you know, boys and girls, what eggs have to do with Easter? Exactly what is the meaning of the Easter Egg?
For a very long time, people have thought of the egg as something very special. When you look at an egg, it just seems like a solid object. But when it hatches, out comes a live baby chick or another of God’s miracles of creation. The hatching of the egg truly is a miracle! And the life it produces has become a symbol of many wonderful things. Things like springtime when everything comes alive — when the trees and grass turn green, and all the beautiful flowers start to bloom.
It is also a symbol of Jesus. After His Resurrection, the egg became a religious symbol. And many years ago, the tradition was for Christians to exchange colored Easter Eggs with each other and announce, “Christ is Risen.”
Boys and girls, that’s how the Easter egg — this wonderful symbol of life — became so important at Easter time.
So, the next time someone asks you if you know what the meaning of the Easter Egg is, you can say, “Yes, I know egg-zactly how it started!”
Boys and girls, this week, as you enjoy all the treats in your Easter basket, especially the Easter Eggs, remember those special words, “Christ has Risen.” Today and every day, those words have special meaning for us because we have Jesus Christ in our hearts!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 16, 2023
Good morning girls and boys. Many of the songs we all know were written by two people. One we call the “Lyricist.” That’s the person who writes the words. The other is called the “Composer.” That’s the person who writes the music.
The Bible tells us that being a faithful follower of Jesus is like that. We need to hear the words from Jesus about how to live the way God wants us to live. We hear Jesus’ words about obeying the Commandments and about caring and sharing, being willing to forgive, and loving one another. So, we have the words, but what about the music? Where does the music come from? Guess what, boys and girls? It comes from us!
“Life is a Song” is the title of a tune written many years ago. And that is true. Life really is like a song that has words and music, both. Jesus gives us the words and we supply the music when we not only listen to Jesus’ words but we do what they tell us to do.
We can memorize every word in the Bible that Jesus speaks, but that isn’t enough. The song isn’t complete, which means our lives are not complete until we bring those words to life in the way we show our families and friends, and neighbors what those words really mean.
When we show them kindness and respect, when we show them that we care for them, when we show them that we’re willing to share the good things in life with them, the music comes through loud and clear, and it is the best-sounding music in the world!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 23, 2023
Good morning boys and girls. Can anyone tell me what a brownout is? Well, a brownout is when a city doesn’t have enough electricity to power all the lights and other things that need electricity to turn on. And so, the word brownout doesn’t mean that things are completely black — it just means there isn’t enough electricity for a city’s lights to shine brightly. The good news is that it usually doesn’t last for more than a few hours. So, you don’t have to worry about being in the dark for very long if it ever happens here.
Boys and girls, you know that the electric power company supplies the energy we need to shine the powerful bright lights in our world. But did you know that Jesus has told us in our Bibles that we also need to bring light into the world? Does that mean that we should carry around a flashlight wherever we go? Of course not. What Jesus is telling us is that we must shine our bright lights of caring, friendship, and love into those places that need it most. And the places we must shine our bright lights into are the hearts of those who are hurting — the hearts of those who really need us.
Boys and girls, sometimes in the summer, when it gets hot and everyone has their air conditioning on full blast, we use more electricity than the power company can supply. And then maybe there will be a brownout. But unlike the electric company, the power of God never runs out. You will always be able to shine the bright light of Jesus’ teachings. And God wants you to use the light in your heart to share with someone else. You must use the love in your heart to help light up the hearts of your friends, families, and neighbors. So, boys and girls, let’s all start shining!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
April 30, 2023
Good morning girls and boys. I’ll bet most of you have probably seen a sheep at the zoo, on television, or maybe in a book. But I wonder if many of you know what a shepherd is? A shepherd, boys, and girls is a person who takes care of a flock of sheep, and that means a lot of sheep.
The shepherd leads their flock out into the fields where there is plenty of grass to nibble on to keep them strong and healthy. And while the sheep are busy grazing, the shepherd watches over them. The shepherd keeps them from getting hurt and protects them from wild animals. And, if one of them should stray away from the rest of the flock and become lost, the shepherd will not rest until that lost sheep is found. And it makes the shepherd very happy to have it back in the flock, safe and sound.
That is why it is so wonderful to know that Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd. He wanted all His followers to know that they could depend on Him to watch over them, protect them, and keep them out of danger. And if one of them should lose their way, He would do everything in His power to help them find their way back.
To each one of you now, Jesus is saying,” I am your Good Shepherd. I will be with you always. I want to keep you safe and sound from all that is not good. I want to make you happy. So don’t stray away and get lost!”
But we can stray when we choose not to obey His commandments.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, loves you, and He will be happy to know how much you love Him when He sees how much you love all the other members of His flock.
