Children’s Sunday Sermon
October 6, 2013
Good morning boys and girls! Today we are going to talk about a word you have heard many times. The word is FAITH. What is faith? One meaning is the belief in something without being able to prove it. Another meaning is trust. Of course the most important meaning for us is our belief in God — our trust in God. We see signs of God everywhere. In the miracle of the plants and animals and all of the good things that God created on earth; in the love that we have for each other. But sometimes it’s not easy to have faith.
Boys and girls did you know that modern computers were invented less than 50 years ago—and television not much earlier—and the radar that helps planes fly through the sky not that long ago? And all of those inventions have one thing in common. They use something called “waves” — invisible radio and other kinds of waves to send music and pictures and other important information through he air.
The cell phones that you see everyday use invisible “waves” to work. Amazing, isn’t it! Believe it or not these “waves” were first discovered by a teenager. The teenager believed that this invisible energy existed, and he wanted to prove it. At one end of a table he placed something like a doorbell, and at the other a switch. In his experiment he pressed the switch and electric sparks flew into the air and instantly at the other end of the table the bell rang — and there were no wires connecting them! Amazing, isn’t it! The boy had discovered that he could use invisible “waves” in the air to send things.
Boys and girls when you turn on the radio in your car you know that music will come out of the speakers. But when the teenager pressed the switch in his experiment and expected the bell to ring on the other end he had faith that it would work. It was something that he couldn’t see, but he believed that these invisible waves did exist. And because of his faith in his experiment he made the invention of so many wonderful things we have today possible.
And so it is with our faith. Through our faith in God
all things are possible. We can’t see God exactly but we can see him through his miracles — the miracle of the birds and the bees and the mountains and the moon and the stars are signs we can see that prove the existence of God. And the biggest miracle, the biggest proof of all is the miracle of you! Oh, one more thing boys and girls. God also created radio waves. Amazing, isn’t it!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
October 13, 2013
Good morning girls and boys! How many of you have been to see the doctor lately? Maybe you had a bad case of the flu, or a cold, and the doctor looked in your ears and your throat, and then listened to your heart beating. Then maybe he or she prescribed some medicine for you to take to help you get over you illness more quickly. And sure enough, in a few days you were feeling better.
Today we read in our Bible Lesson about some people called Lepers. In Jesus’ time, these people had a disease called Leprosy that was very contagious. And because they were so contagious, because it would be easy for other people to catch the disease, no one wanted to get near to them. In our Lesson today, we read about an incident where some of the Lepers came to Jesus and said, “Jesus! Master! Take pity on us.” After speaking to them, Jesus cured the Lepers of their disease. Wow! Jesus performed a miracle of healing for them. Did you know Jesus has been called the greatest doctor that ever lived—Jesus has been called the Divine Physician.
Boys and girls, when you are feeling sick it’s a good idea to go to the doctor so he or she can look in your ears, and your throat and listen to your heart. And your doctor can then prescribe the healing medicine that you need. But you know what boys and girls? Jesus is there to listen to your heart and to help prescribe another kind of healing medicine—the healing medicine each of us needs as loyal followers. And in a way, each of us can help to heal someone else by following the directions in the greatest book of healing wisdom ever. Our Holy Bible. If someone has the “blahs,” you’ll show you are listening to their heart by visiting that person. If someone is feeling bad because they don’t have any friends, you’ll show you are listening to their heart when you become a new friend to them. When someone is feeling bad because they have less than others—less of the things they need to live a happy life, you’ll show you are listening to their heart when you share with them. .In other words boys and girls, as loyal followers of Jesus, you will be doing the work that is expected of you. You’ll be listening to someone’s heart the way the Divine Physician has asked you to.
Children’s Sunday Sermon
October 20, 2013
Good morning boys and girls! How many of you like to eat out at restaurants? There are so many delicious types of food, aren’t there boys and girls? You can go to a Chinese restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a Greek restaurant, a Japanese restaurant, a seafood restaurant—and of course a fast food restaurant, and the list goes on and on. How many of you have ever heard of soul food? That’s great. Maybe some of you have even eaten some soul food. This conversation is making me hungry.
Today, instead of soul food I want to talk about food for your soul. Boys and girls, did you ever think that your own dinner table at home is a place of nourishment, not just for your body, but also for your mind and your spirit?
Believe it or not, before television, computers and the Internet, video games and DVD’s, 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. I have an idea. Instead of thinking of fast food, let’s start thinking about “Soul food.” Let’s try thinking about the kind of spiritual food that’s good for your soul
The next time you sit at the table with your family, think of this prayer: “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 my soul food! Help me to take time to appreciate the nourishment You have provided. Thank you for giving me the strength to be a true member of the Christian family.” 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 what I call soul food!
Children’s Sunday Sermon
October 27, 2013
Good morning girls and boys! How many of you have heard the saying, You can’t judge a book by it’s cover? That means you shouldn’t decide how good something is just by the way it looks. How about April showers bring May flowers? When we say that, we mean that sometimes we have to go through some not so good things (like rain) in order to get to the good things (like flowers). These sayings are sometimes called proverbs. Think of a proverb as a general saying or rule about how we should behave or about how things work in the world. Many times these sayings are not true, and some of these sayings mean exactly the opposite of what another one says.
How about the saying, Too many cooks spoil the broth, meaning when too many people get involved in a project things don’t turn out so well. But there is another proverb that says, Many hands make light work—in other words, if everyone pitches in, the job will get done faster. They are both true sometimes even though they mean the opposite.
Today we read in our Bibles that Jesus teaches us some things that at first might seem like some of those proverbs with opposite meaning. He says, The first shall be last and the last shall be first. How can the last be first, and the first be the last, boys and girls? Jesus also tells us in our Bible Lesson that Whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all.
We know that Jesus came to us to do the work of God here on earth. And His most important work was always to help others, to put others first. Jesus has been called “the Man for others.” And Jesus set many wonderful examples for his followers, to teach them also to put others first.
This week boys and girls let’s try to follow this wonderful example. Think about this: the next time you find yourself thinking, “Gee, what’s in it for me—what am I going to get,” change your thinking and ask yourself, “How can I help someone else—what’s in it for them.” And remember, there’s never any confusion about the Lessons that Jesus teaches us. Unlike those proverbs Jesus’ word is always the Truth! Do this and you’ll be first in the eyes of God.
