Children’s Sunday Sermon
November 7, 2010
Good morning girls and boys! There is a popular show on television that you may have heard about called “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” That’s kind of a dumb question, don’t you think? The object of the game is to answer a question correctly and then move up to next level to a harder one. If the player makes it all the way to the final question and gets it right, he or she will win one million dollars! Wow!
The way it works is during the show, the host will ask the player a question and then give a choice of four different answers.The player will look at the four answers and pick one. And each time the player picks their choice, the host will ask, “is that your final answer.”
Today we read in our Bibles about some people called Sadducees who asked Jesus a question about life after death. The Sadducees question didn’t make sense because they were trying to compare life on earth with life in heaven. Jesus said that this could not be done. And Jesus’ Word on this question is the final answer. Because life in heaven is a mystery, none of us on earth know exactly what heaven will be like. But we do know that it will be great beyond our wildest dreams . . . we do know that it will be more beautiful and joyful than we could ever imagine. And we know this, because Jesus has told us. We read in our Bibles that He said, “You will have treasure in heaven.” And for now, that’s all we really need to know about the mystery of heaven. That’s Jesus’ final answer.
Children’s Sunday Sermon
November 14, 2010
Good morning girls and boys! We read in today’s Lesson that Jesus tells His followers that there will be tough times ahead. He warns that the time is coming when their beautiful Temple will be destroyed. He tells them of coming wars and earthquakes. Then He tells them that He will help them to deal with the tough times that lie ahead. He says, “I will give you the wisdom to deal with these tough times.”
Boys and girls it was only a few years ago that you were all in kindergarten. I know, I know it seems like a long time ago. You learned a lot that first year in school, didn’t you, boys and girls? Did you know that several years ago there was a popular book called, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten?” That is where we first heard about the wisdom of sharing things with our playmates. The book says that is where we are first taught to be fair with others. That is where we learned not to hit other people and to be sorry if we have hurt someone. That is where we were taught not to take things that aren’t ours. That is where we were first told to “hold hands and stick together.”
Think about what a better world it would be if people would only remember to do the things that we learned in kindergarten! That would be living wisely. And Jesus has given us the instructions right here in our Bibles to live wisely. What are some of the things that are expected of us as loyal followers of Jesus to live wisely? That’s right. Wise living is helping others who need us. Wise living is sharing with those who have less than you. Wise living is listening to others with your heart. And remember, the Source of this Wisdom boys and girls is God Himself!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
November 21, 2010
Good morning girls and boys! Today I want us to talk about two words: King and Kingdom. What do these words mean? A King is a ruler and a Kingdom includes the land and the people that the King rules over. There were many different kinds of rulers over the centuries— some bad and some good.
Because we are Christians—followers of Christ—we are ruled by a King. We are ruled by the greatest King there ever was. We are ruled by the King of Kings. Jesus was the King of Kings, sent here on earth to tell us that God is with us to rule over every area of our lives. And His Kingdom includes every one of His children here on earth. His Kingdom includes each follower of His, who has been asked to do the good work of God here on earth. And that’s why I can tell you boys and girls that the Kingdom of God is the one true Kingdom that we all have a place in.
As members of the Kingdom of God, as people ruled by the King of Kings, what are the things that are expected of us as good and true citizens? Jesus has given us instructions in the Bible on exactly how to behave. He tells us exactly what to do:
to be kind to other members of the Kingdom;
to help others in the Kingdom who need you;
to listen to others in the Kingdom with your heart;
to give to others in the Kingdom who have less;
to love all the others in the Kingdom, even when it isn’t easy to.
These are just a few of the things that are expected of us citizens of God’s Kingdom.
Boys and girls, throughout history there have been many earthly Kings. Some have ruled over millions of people in their Kingdoms. Some were good—many were bad. But there is only one King of Kings who teaches us about a different kind of Kingdom. And that Kingdom is not ruled with force or fear. No, instead it is ruled by the Love of God.
Children’s Sunday Sermon
November 28, 2010
Good morning girls and boys! Is everyone awake? Good, because I want to start with a funny story and I don’t want you to miss any of it. A mother and her son were arguing about whether or not the son would go to school that day. “I don’t care what you say, I’m not going to school today,” the son said to his mother. “I don’t want to stay awake. I want to go back to sleep!” “Wake up, you must go,” said the mother. “You don’t understand, mother,” said the son, “the kids don’t like me; the teachers don’t like me. The bus driver hates me. The custodians have it in for me. And the superintendent wants to transfer me.” “Now you listen to me” replied the mother. “You must get out of bed and go to school. You have a lot to learn and you have a lot to offer. Besides, you are forty-five years old and you’re the principal”
That’s a funny story boys an girls. I’ll bet you didn’t guess it was going to be about a principal who didn’t want to stay awake!
Did you know that the Bible tells us to “Stay awake?” That’s right! It doesn’t mean that we should stay up past our bedtime and then be too grumpy in the morning to go to school like that principal. No, instead it means that we should be alert— just like you are after a good night’s sleep and you are ready to learn your school lessons. Yes, the Bible tells us that we need to stay awake. In other words we should always be alert and ready to practice our faith. We must always be alert and ready to do the good works that are expected of us as loyal follower of Jesus.
