Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 1, 2015
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 me read some to 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 2015— to show God, by the way you are loving that you really have been listening!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 8, 2015
Good morning boys and girls. We all like to take walks, don’t we, especially if the walk takes us to someplace nice. Some of you may have walked on the beach alongside that big beautiful ocean. And I guess all of us like walking in the park.
Once there were four men who went on a walk together through the woods. Because there were so many big trees all around them, they couldn’t see very far ahead. That’s why they were surprised when they saw a high wall in front of them. They all had the same idea: “Let’s see what is on the other side.” So they found some heavy branches that had fallen from the trees and they built a ladder.
The first man to climb to the top of the ladder looked over the wall and he saw the most beautiful flowers he had ever seen. And there were all kinds of beautiful trees with all sorts of fruits growing on them. Seeing all that beauty, the first man just couldn’t wait so he jumped right in. The second man climbed the ladder and did the same. So did the third man.
When the fourth man got to the top of the ladder, he wanted to jump right in also. But then he thought of his family and friends. And instead of jumping right in he went down the ladder to tell them about the beautiful land on the other side of the wall. He wanted to share that good news with them.
The Lord Jesus brings us Good News about how much God loves us. And when He does, He tells us not to keep it to ourselves (like a secret), but to share God’s love with our families and friends and neighbors.
And will they love you for doing that? Of course they will!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 15, 2015
Good morning girls and boys. I have a little story for you. There was a boy named Johnny who was having trouble learning in school because he couldn’t hear the teacher. Soon his doctor put a hearing aid in each ear to help him. This fixed the problem he had listening to his teacher but now his classmates began to make fun of his “fake ears.” One day, when another boy was teasing him, Johnny decided he finally had enough, and in anger, he punched the other boy. The teacher saw this and asked Johnny to apologize and to FORGIVE the other boy for his teasing. Johnny really didn’t want to forgive the boy but he said to the teacher, “All right, I’ll tell him I forgive him but first I’m going to turn off my hearing aids so I can’t hear myself forgiving him.”
Johnny said the words, but he didn’t really mean them. What Johnny didn’t understand was that when we forgive someone who has hurt us we also help ourselves by putting all of those bad feelings out of our head, and out of our heart. Jesus teaches us this by His example. Even for those who hated Jesus the most, those who nailed Him on the Cross, He said, “Father, forgive them.”
If Jesus could forgive them do you think you can forgive someone who hurt you in some way? Do you really want to carry those bad feelings around with you like a heavy backpack, or do you want to forgive that person, and let all of those bad feelings go? Try it!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
February 22, 2015
Good morning boys and girls. On this Sunday we begin the religious season that members of our Christian family call “Lent.” This special season actually began four days ago on “Ash Wednesday,” and will last for forty days, ending on Easter Sunday. But what does the word Lent mean to us?
The season of Lent is a time of “repentance.” We’ve talked about this word before. To repent is to admit things we have done wrong, ask for God’s forgiveness, and then decide to change so we won’t do those wrong things again. This sounds easy doesn’t it? We all know when we do something wrong, don’t we? We all know how to say we are sorry. The really hard part for all of us is to change — that means to change the wrong behavior.
You may have heard some adults say, “I gave up coffee for Lent,” or “I gave up sweets for Lent.” Giving up something you really like — making a sacrifice — can help to be a reminder during Lent. Every time someone thinks of that thing that they miss, they remember the meaning of this season — that Lent can be difficult because it is a time to be sorry for the wrongs we have done and to try to change and do right!
Girls and boys, here’s a funny way for you to remember this message. If you LENT your friend 50¢ for lunch yesterday, and tomorrow he brings you a dollar, you would owe him some CHANGE!
Lent is a time for Change! Because to “Repent” means that first we must be sorry for doing wrong, and then we must change, so we will do better in the future.
Now you know what is expected of you and of all members of our Christian family during the season of Lent — and you have from now until Easter, not to just think about it, but to actually change for the better.
