Children’s Sunday Sermon
August 5, 2018
Good morning boys and girls! 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 tuned into your music and were called to the dinner table. Maybe you weren’t listening when you were asked to be kinder to a brother or 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 sometimes we don’t want to listen to what is being asked of us!
As a member of our Christian family, there are certain things that have been asked of you 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?
. . . loving one another!
Have you been listening?
Boys and girls, these are just a few of the 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 these are things you won’t forget. You too can become a great listener, not just when it comes to your favorite music, but also when listening to the things that are most important.
Children’s Sunday Sermon
August 12, 2018
Good morning boys and girls. We read in our Bibles today that Jesus said, “I am the Living Bread come down from Heaven. Anyone who eats this Bread will live forever.” What does Jesus mean when He says that He is the Living Bread? Jesus has been called “The Bread of Life,” which means that He gives life to us, feeds us, nourishes us, keeps us going so we can do the things that He expects of us. The Love that Jesus has for each one of us is like a good meal that gives us strength. And that strength is not just for us, but also to help us to help others. Jesus gives us the strength to love others; strength to be the good persons: good neighbors, friends, brothers, and sisters. Boys and girls, your own dinner table at home is also a place of nourishment, not just for your body, but also for your mind and your spirit.
Believe it or not, before radio and television, computers and the Internet, video games and DVD’s, and iPhones, the dinner table was the most important place where family members gathered together. They gathered not just to eat and give thanks to God, but to talk and ask questions and learn from one another. This was the most important “family time” of the day. In today’s world, we are much busier and have many more distractions and obligations, and unfortunately, we don’t always have as much time to spend around the dinner table as people used to. So let’s try to slow down, especially at dinner so we can enjoy the time we spend with our family. Tonight, as you hear the mealtime prayer, say to yourself:
Thank you, Lord, for this meal we are about to receive and for my wonderful family who is here to share it with me. And please help me to remember to slow down! Help me to take time to appreciate the nourishment You have provided.
Remember boys and girls — the Love that Jesus has for each one of us is like a good meal that gives us strength. And that strength is not just for us, but also to help us to help others. And that’s always a very good meal!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
August 19, 2018
Good morning boys and girls! I want each one of you to think about all of the teachers you have ever had, and which one you think of as your favorite. Maybe it was your kindergarten or first-grade teacher. Maybe this teacher helped you discover your favorite subject, like reading or math or science. Maybe this teacher was a coach, or a tutor, or a parent. Maybe this teacher is me! But whoever the teacher is that you are thinking of, one thing is for sure — that teacher really cared about you!
We’ve said it many times before: Jesus has been called the Greatest Teacher of all time. Throughout His entire ministry, no matter where He went or what He did, Jesus turned every situation into a teaching opportunity. And that is a very important lesson for all of us to remember, because, in the same way, wherever we go and whatever we do, we can turn every situation into a learning opportunity.
Have you ever heard the saying, “the best teacher is example?” Of course Jesus, as our Teacher, has given us the best example of how we should live. And just like that favorite teacher who you were thinking of earlier, the most important thing to remember about Jesus is that He really cares about you!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
August 26, 2018
Good morning girls and boys! Today we read from our Bibles that Jesus said, “You have the message of eternal life.” What did Jesus mean when He spoke about eternal life? Boys and girls, because we are human, the idea that we will live forever is hard for us to imagine in our lives here on earth. But the promise that Jesus has given us, of eternal life, of living forever starts exactly here on earth!
For those of us in our Christian family — all who are loyal followers of Jesus — we have already begun the journey into eternal life here on earth. That’s right! Jesus has made this promise to every one of us here today, each one of you boys and girls. When we do the good work that is expected of us here on earth we grow closer to God, and Jesus tells us that eternal life means being close to God.
Boys and girls, can anyone here think of a word that rhymes with ETERNITY? The word I was thinking of is MATERNITY — which simply means motherhood. When mothers go to the hospital to have their babies, they are put in a part of the hospital called the “Maternity Ward.” And each one of us, each of you boys and girls started your journey-to-eternity, in the maternity ward!
Ever since you were a little baby, God has had a plan for you to join Him in His Kingdom. But as we have learned before, there are things we must do to be closer to Him.
. . . to help others that need you.
. . . to share with those who have less than you.
. . . to forgive those who have hurt you.
. . . to be a friend to those who are lonely.
. . . to Love one another, as God has loved us!
Those are the things boys and girls that take each one us from Maternity to Eternity!
