Children’s Sunday Sermon
November 6, 2016
Good morning girls and boys! There was a popular show on television a few years ago 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 was to answer a question correctly and then move up to the next level to a harder one. If the player made it all the way to the final question and got it right, he or she would win one million dollars! Wow!
The way it worked was during the show, the host would ask the player a question and then give a choice of four different answers. The player would look at the four answers and pick one. And each time the player picked their choice, the host would 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 13, 2016
Good morning girls and boys. How do you feel when someone says to you: “Good work” . . . “Job well done!” . . . “Way to go” . . . “Atta boy” or “Atta girl?” You feel good, don’t you? You might hear those words from a parent or teacher when you have done well at school and it shows on your report card. Maybe a friend has said, “Way to go,” when you fixed your bike, built a model airplane or helped bake a delicious cake! Maybe an aunt or uncle has called to congratulate you for helping to collect food or clothing for those who are needy. These are all great accomplishments that make you feel good. These are all things that make you feel proud for doing good work!
Well you know what boys and girls? God is also like a proud parent or teacher when you do the good work that He expects of you. When you help your friend fix his bike, you are doing the good work that is expected of you. God wants you to be a good and helpful friend.
When you explain things to a younger brother or sisters so they might do better in school you are sharing your gift of knowledge. And God wants us to share with those who need us.
When you work on a project at school to collect clothes for the poor and food for the hungry you are doing good work. God wants us to give to those who have less than us.
And when you do these things you are doing the best work of all. You are showing God that you have really been listening to Jesus’ instruction to love one another. And when you do these things you can be sure that God is saying to you: “Way to go!” Good work.“ “Job well done.” And for that you should be very proud!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
November 20, 2016
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 very 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 Jesus, 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 Kings of Kings, what are the things that are expected of us as good and true citizens? Jesus has given 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 do.
Those are just a few of the things that are expected of us as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Boys and girls, throughout history there have been a great 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 27, 2016
Good morning girls and boys. Did everyone get a good night’s sleep? If you didn’t you are probably feeling a little tired right now. And when you are tired I’m sure you really don’t feel like going to school or to your Sunday School Lesson. And that’s why it’s always a good idea to get enough sleep so you feel fresh and alert when it’s time to learn your lessons. But let’s take a minute now to think of some of those times when you don’t want to go to bed when you are supposed to.
Can we name a few of those times? That’s right — maybe a television show that you heard about is on later than your bedtime? How about when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve? You might want to stay up so you can watch the celebration or go outside to bang some pots and pans. Or maybe you have company visiting your house and you want to stay up and talk with the adults. I know one. What about Christmas Eve? I know a lot of you have a hard time getting to sleep that night. These are some of the times that we would rather 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. 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 followers of Jesus.
