Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 1, 2016
Good morning boys and girls. Have you ever known a person who tells you they will do something and then they don’t? Of course all of us have met people like that. And even though we shouldn’t, we have all probably done that once in a while. But we must do better. Sometimes it might be impossible to keep a promise — or maybe it wasn’t a good promise — one that we shouldn’t have made in the first place. Just ask yourself — is this something my parents or teacher would want me to do?
When we find that we haven’t kept a good promise we explain why we didn’t and then we say we are sorry and then we try to do better. When we make a good promise to our parents or teachers or brothers or sisters or friends or neighbors, we must always try to keep that promise. We must try to stay “true to our word.” And if you do that, pretty soon people who know you will be proud that you are someone whom they can trust.
Today we read in our Bibles that Jesus said, “Anyone who loves Me will be true to My Word.” What is Jesus telling us here, boys and girls? That’s right. Jesus has spoken many words that are written in our Bibles. You already know what many of those things are. His words tell us the things that He expects of His loyal followers. But Jesus didn’t just speak the words that are written in our Bibles. No, He also taught us by His wonderful examples. He showed us through His caring and His miracles that He wasn’t just talking about great things, but that He was doing great things. He taught us with His words, and by His deeds, both. And here in the Bible, He is telling us that we shouldn’t just read His words, and speak His words, but be “true to His word,” by actually following His many wonderful examples.
Now you see boys and girls how important it is to keep your word. And that means not just saying the things that we talk about each week but actually doing the things that we have learned. So this week let’s all get out there and get busy doing our jobs as loyal followers of Jesus! Let’s all promise Jesus that we will stay true to His Word! And let’s make good on our promise!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 8, 2016
Good morning girls and boys. I’m sure most of you have taken a ride over a great big bridge. The kind of bridge I am thinking of is called a “suspension” bridge. It’s called that because the roadway is suspended from big, “U” shaped cables that hang from giant columns anchored deep below the surface of the water. The Golden Gate in California, the George Washington in New York and the (local bridge name) are all examples of a suspension bridge. And isn’t it amazing that all of the cars and trucks that travel on it are supported by the cables that hang down? Even more amazing is how the cables are made. They are not just one, great big fat cable. No, instead each of the great big fat cables is made up of thousands of strands of wire — each no thicker than your pinkie. And all of the strands of wire are then tightly bundled together to make one big, strong cable.
If you saw just one of the strands of wire you might say, “Wow! that’s not strong enough.” But thousands of those small strands all tightly bundled together sure make it strong! Strong enough to hold millions of pounds! Isn’t that amazing?
Guess what, boys and girls? Each one of us is like one of those strands of wire bundled together and strong enough to carry out God’s work:
You and your brothers and sisters, and your parents, are like strands in a strong family; bundled together in God’s Love.
Your family and other families, are like strands in a strong Church; bundled together in God’s Love.
Your Church and other Churches, are like strands in a strong faith community; bundled together in God’s Love.
The next time you ride over a bridge boys and girls I want you to think about how strong we can be if we all join together, bundled together in God’s Love!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 15, 2016
Good morning girls and boys. Have you ever felt like staying home from school, even though you weren’t sick? Maybe you didn’t feel like coming here for your lesson today — but you did, and I am thankful for that! We all have days like that, youngsters and adults both. Sometimes adults don’t feel like going to work or to Church or to exercise their bodies. But we usually go anyway, and then we are glad that we did.
Boys and girls, sometimes people feel the same way about their responsibilities as loyal followers of Jesus. Sometimes they don’t want to go to Church. Sometimes they don’t want to help someone who is in need. Sometimes they don’t want to visit the sick, or the lonely. But you know what? We have learned that Jesus has promised if we do all these things, even when we don’t feel like it, we will have a cheerful heart!
Have you ever heard the expression, “No pain, no gain?” Can someone tell me what that means? That’s right. If we decide we want to be physically fit and go to the gym to build our muscles, we have to work hard. We have to lift weights and maybe run on the treadmill. When we work hard our muscles will ache from all the activity. And as soon as we feel the pain of those aching muscles we know that they are growing stronger — and that’s the gain that comes after the pain. Or maybe we have to work very hard on a lesson at school — and we try so hard it almost gives us a headache. But then the next time we try it gets easier — and that’s the gain that comes after the pain.
It’s just the same way when we exercise our faith. Sometimes we don’t want to do some of the things that we know Jesus wants us to do. And then we work hard and do it. And sometimes that can be a little painful — like helping when we are tired, or listening when we are grumpy. But as soon as we feel ourselves reaching and stretching and working hard to be good Christians, we feel the gain. And our faith begins to grow stronger. This week boys and girls I want you all to have fun exercising your muscles as you play games in the schoolyard with your friends. But don’t forget also to exercise your faith. Remember — no pain no gain!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 22, 2016
Good morning boys and girls. I’d like you all to think for a moment about your favorite things — like a bicycle or scooter; roller blades or skate board; cell phone or music player; a computer or maybe your television. Did I leave anything out? Okay, those are all great things. Now imagine giving all of that up? Could you give it all to a stranger — a little boy or girl that you didn’t even know? Well guess what? Last Christmas there was boy who did just that! Instead of asking for things he gave away all of his favorite toys to children who were in need. What does that tell us about that boy?
That’s right. The boy in our story hadn’t just been hearing his Bible Lessons — he was really listening! And after he gave away his things he said he had a cheerful heart just seeing how happy the children were who received his gifts. He said it was the best Christmas present he ever had. Isn’t that awesome!
There really are people like that — children and adults, who really, really, really work hard to follow the examples of Jesus and to be “true to His Word.” People who really, really, really work hard to exercise their faith. But as you can imagine, it’s not easy to give up all of your things, and I’m not asking you to. But we can learn a lot from the boy who did. The next time you are called on to stretch your faith and reach out to help someone, just remember that boy who gave everything he had. And then it won’t seem so hard to do your little part. And when you remember that boy and exercise your heart, you will begin to grow stronger as a loyal follower of Jesus. And that’s awesome!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
May 29, 2016
Good morning girls and boys. How many of you have thought about what you’d like to be when you grow up? Let’s hear some ideas. Excellent! How about a carpenter? Building things is a wonderful profession and Jesus learned carpentry from his foster Father, Joseph. Have you thought about being a teacher? Teaching young people is one of the most important jobs of all, and Jesus was a superb teacher. How about a storyteller? Public speakers and teachers are storytellers and Jesus may have been the greatest storyteller of all time! How about a Doctor? Taking care of people and helping them get well is an awesome job. And in many ways Jesus was a Doctor because He had incredible healing powers — powers far greater than any Doctor living today. In our Bibles we learned about a man named Lazarus who Jesus brought back from death. He restored eyesight to a blind man. That’s awesome. He cured people of terrible disease. Yes, Jesus was a Great Healer.
But just as awesome is Jesus’ power to heal our hearts. You know that He is always right there for people who are lonely, or sad, or who need peace of mind. He’s right there to heal anyone who needs Him.
As loyal followers, we also need to be healers to anyone who needs us to listen, to care, to share with, to help, to be a friend to, to love. Those are all powers of healing that we can use. As members of the Christian family, we are expected to do God’s good works here on earth.
Boys and girls I’m sure some of you will be Doctors someday. But I also know that all of you can be healers for all of God’s children. And that’s awesome medicine!
