Category Archives: Children’s Sermons

Children’s Sermon Easter 4B John 10:11-18 April 26, 2015

April 19, 2015 lb Leave a comment

Preparation: Get pictures of sheep-the ideas is that the flocks look the same and that often a ‘fold or flock’ of sheep will all look alike to one another, but you can show various flocks. Also there are photos of flocks where one sheep is not the same, you can use that as well (try this link) Also get pictures of various types of people. You can google these images or use children’s book Faith put out by the Global Fund for Children (Click here for amazon link)

For the worship station you will need a camera and photo printer that prints wirelessly or a Polaroid camera.

Gather the children to you. Show them the picture of the sheep. Ask them what they see and know about sheep (yes, that could get interesting!) Ask them to tell you what the word fold or flock means and help them define it as a group of sheep) Ask them to tell you what they notice about what the sheep look like. (they are all the same but not all the flocks are exactly the same) You can also show them a photo where one flock has a sheep that stands out.

Jesus tells us today that he is the good shepherd who will take care of the sheep. He also says that he must bring in other sheep, all sheep to the fold or flock. Jesus is not just talking about sheep, he is talking about people, about us. Show them the pictures of various kinds of people. Ask them what they notice about the people. “Yes, not all the people are the same are they? Now which people is Jesus saying belong as part of his flock? Yes, all the people do. This can be difficult for us, because sometimes we don’t want to include other people. So Jesus sets a high standard here of telling us that all belong and that we can love and serve even those that might not be like us or even those we don’t always know or understand. This is also really good news for us because we know that we are part of the flock but also because we know that even those who look different or live differently or pray differently are still a part of the flock, they are still loved and given promises by Jesus to be with God. ”

Loving Jesus, thank you for promising to care for us and be our shepherd. Help us to see others as loved and cared for by you as well and to live your love. Amen

+ May you know Jesus in your heart and in your days. Alleluia! +

Have a poloroid camera or a phone camera that connects to a small photo printer. Invite people to take selfies and post them on a poster board. Write the words “All belong in the Flock” on the poster or cut it into the shape of a cross or heart. Or create a background of a pasture on the poster board so all the people are the sheep.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon 3B April 19, 2015 Luke 24: 36b-48 and Acts 3: 12-19

April 16, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Two week ago we heard a pretty good story in church about Jesus. Do you remember what that story was about on Easter? (Have the children “tell” the story. Have prompts available such as a rock, or something to resemble the empty tomb, etc. You may have to help them “wrap it up.”) Yes, we heard this great story about God raising Jesus from the dead! Do you know or remember why that is important? (Accept all answers.) It’s good news that we can be with God forever and loves us forever no matter what! Being told that you are loved is really important isn’t it? Who do you tell and show that you love them? (Accept all answers.) Ideally, we should with our words and actions tell people that we love them.
We have two stories today about telling the whole world that God loves them. Jesus appears to the disciples and tells them that he is alive, God’s forgiveness and love is for everyone and the disciples need to tell everyone they meet that story. Everything that Jesus does points to God’s love for us. In Acts, we see the disciple Peter doing that too. A man with hurt legs couldn’t walk and when Peter told him to walk in name of Jesus the man did! Peter then tells the people gathered that God does amazing things and the most amazing thing that God does is love us all the time! Peter is pointing to God’s presence in everything! This is too good a story to not tell! All of you just told me the story of God’s love through Jesus and you did a really great job! Who else can you tell or have you told someone this story before? As people who know the story, Jesus invites us to tell it to everyone we meet!
Jesus, you come to us in our everyday lives. We are witnesses to your story of love, forgiveness and hope. May your story be heard, seen and experienced by all people and creation. Amen

April 20th is Earth Day and one way to tie this good news of new life, hope and forgiveness for all of creation is through this worship station. New life springs up and God invites and calls us to nurture all life around us. Google clip art images of caterpillars, butterflies, birds, nests and eggs and have a couple of different images to choose from. Have a cross with tape available and invite people to place an image (decorated or not) on the cross. Invite people to write on the image how they can nurture new life around themselves or how “new life” has been nurtured in them by a person or an animal. You can add to this cross for the rest of the Easter season with images and words/prayers of new life.
+You bear the good news to the world+

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon for the Second Sunday of Easter, April 12, 2015 – John 20:19-31

April 8, 2015 gb 3 Comments

Preparation: For the Children’s sermon you will not need anything.

For the worship station you will need a large bowl or jar (even better if you can take all this outside and use a large metal bucket and burn the paper that will be put in it), many small pieces of paper and pens or pencils to write or draw with.

Ask the children, “Have you ever been really mad at someone? Or has someone ever done something to you that made you feel sad or hurt?” Wait for a few replies. Then ask, “What did you do about it?”

I want to read you something from a different translation of the Bible – this is from a translation called The Message, by Eugene Peterson. John 20:23 in this translation says, “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

That got me thinking about this whole reading today about Jesus and the disciples. We often focus on Thomas when we read this story – maybe because we don’t want to be like Thomas, or maybe because we feel blessed that we have not seen and we still believe. I want to think about this a different way – how do you think that Thomas felt? How did he feel about Jesus dying? How did he feel about his friends claiming to see Jesus when he had not? If they were telling the truth, how did he feel about Jesus appearing the them and not to him? Did he feel hurt? Angry? Sad?

We will never really know, but think about those times when you are hurt or sad or angry. It can be really difficult to let those feelings go, and then we hold on to whatever it was that made us feel that way. We are slow to forgive, and we hold onto the sins – then what do we do with them?

Jesus appearing to Thomas opened a path for Thomas to forgive and to let go. Something that we all need at some point.

Loving God, in this season of Easter we celebrate your victory over sin and death, we rejoice in the freedom of your love and mercy. Teach us to forgive and be merciful so that we can be free from the weight of sin and grudges. Amen

God’s mercy and love set you free!

This is a twist on the idea of writing confessions on paper and burning them This time invite people to write things that they need to forgive on paper. People are welcome to keep their paper as a reminder to go and forgive, or to release their paper into the bucket or jar so that they can let the sin go.

Set up a station with a large bowl, bucket or jar (or, as I said earlier – a way to collect and then burn the paper safely!). You can leave paper and pens at the station or distribute them around the worship space.

Children's Sermons

Children Sermon Easter Sunday YearB April 5, 2015, Mark 16:1-8

April 1, 2015 lb Leave a comment

Preparation: Resurrection eggs–you can make them or you can purchase them.( I do not necessarily use them all.)To make your own go to pinterest and search ‘resurrection eggs’ This also works well if you have an egg hunt on Sunday morning or use this for the pre-Egg Hunt on Saturday. There is also preparation for the worship station if use this–see bottom of post for those materials and instructions.

Gather the children forward with you. Have the resurrection eggs that you are using available. “This week has been what we call Holy Week, which is a week that we remember the walk of Jesus to the cross and to his rising again on Easter, today.”

I brought some things with me to help in remembering the stories of Holy Week. What are these? (easter eggs!) Let’s see what is inside these eggs. Proceed to use the items in each week to highlight a part of Holy Week.
Suggestions:
Palm Sunday: small toy donkey for or a palm leaf
Maundy Thursday: small chalice or picture of one
Good Friday: Crown of thorns or small nail cross
Easter Saturday: a rock for the stone to the tomb
Easter: Keep the Egg Empty

When you get to the empty egg: “Well, there is nothing in here? Are you surprised by that? Why do you think it’s empty?” Take answers “The egg is empty because it helps us remember that the when the women came to the tomb, they found it empty! Now, it also says they were afraid. How can emptiness be scary? (take answers) Yes, it can be because sometimes when we don’t know or don’t understand it can make us fearful. But emptiness can also be freedom–freedom to see new possibilities and freedom to live in God’s love. Jesus not being in the tomb means that he is everywhere else-alive on that Easter morning and alive with us today. This empty egg is a promise that we have life in and through Jesus even when we die.”

(if you are doing an egg hunt consider not filling the eggs having the kids collect eggs and then turn them in for a goody bag as a part of this empty egg experience–they still like it, trust me)

Jesus, you are alive and we thank you for this gift! Be with us today as we celebrate and share your love and your gift of life that means we live free in your grace. Amen

God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right–God everywhere! Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

Lilies on Easter: The Easter Lily is the traditional flower of Easter dating back to around 1945 when the flower was introduced to the United States. These flowers grace millions of homes and churches every year, embodying joy, hope, and life;reminding us of the hope on Easter, the purity of Christ, and the promise of the empty tomb.

Trace your hand (or help one another!) on the white paper and cut out. Curl the paper fingers (petals) around a pencil and then attach the handprint lily to the pipe cleaner. Place these on the cross and watch it fill up with our hands joined as the body of Christ!

Supplies:

the black cross

silk vines

white paper

yellow and green pipe cleaners; yellow ones cut in half

scotch tape

instructions for the flowers

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon, Palm Sunday – March 29, 2015 – Matthew 21:1-13

March 25, 2015 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: If your church uses palm branches or crosses make sure that the people have them before Children’s Time or the Worship Station Time. If you do not use either palms or crosses don’t worry, they are not necessary.

Have any of you ever been to a big sporting event, or seen one on TV? Have you ever seen when they have the players run our through a tunnel or balloons or flowers? Why do you think they do that?

Today is Palm Sunday! Today we remember a different entrance. This is the day that we remember Jesus going into Jerusalem and the people shouting “Hosanna!” See, kind of like that big sporting event, Jesus was coming in like a hero. The people lining the streets and shouting were hoping the Jesus would be their champion, so they cheered and shouted.

As they got to know Jesus, and see what he was doing in the city, they changed their minds. They wanted Jesus to be a new king over the city, but that is not what Jesus was there to do. They lost hope in their champion, kind of like we might lose hope if our team is losing that big game.

The difference is that Jesus was winning, and it wasn’t a game. Jesus was in Jerusalem to reconnect to the people in way that they could never imagine, and didn’t understand. Jesus was there to help us return to God.

So, to help us celebrate, we are going to have a fancy entrance right here, and we need the help of all the people here!

Ask all the people to line up on the aisles and hold their palms (or crosses or hands) up to make a tunnel. Then invite children and adults to go through the tunnel while people cheer and shout “Hosanna!” Once everything calms down a little invite everyone to pray.

Hosanna! Lord, we praise you for saving us through Jesus. Today we remember your entrance into Jerusalem, and we proclaim you as our Lord and savior. Be with us this week as we remember the events of Holy Week and prepare to celebrate your resurrection and our promise of new life. Amen

Jesus remembers you.

Children's Sermons

New life in Christ John 12: 20-33

March 18, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Have some flower seeds, a tulip and tulip bulb, (or a poinsettia,) soil, small pots, and markers, etc. to decorate the pots if you desire as part of a worship station.

Have a tulip, a tulip bulb (or some other bulb flower) or the poinsettia. Gather the children around the tulip/poinsettia. If using the poinsettia ask the children when they last saw this plant. Christmas! The cool thing about poinsettia’s is that they “bloom” (red leaves) when it’s cold and actually need to stay in a dark closet with no light for much of the year. We bring them out in the fall when there is less sunlight and that is when they thrive. In the dark the poinsettias are renewing and getting ready to grow!

If using a tulip and bulb ask the children if they have every planted bulbs before. Does this bulb look like it could become a flower right now? No. It doesn’t. It just looks dead and pretty useless right now. But we plant the bulb in the fall about 6-8 inches underground so that no sunlight gets to them. All winter they stay a bulb in the ground, dead and not doing much. And then when the weather gets warmer and the ground unfreezes and becomes softer and warmer, the bulb begins to grow a stem. And a couple of weeks later you get these beautiful tulips that grow! This dead bulb will stay just the way it is unless we bury it in the dark and let it sit for a while. Beautiful things can come from the dark!

In our Bible story from John today Jesus talks about how new life can come from things that look dead and useless. In nature, tress, flowers and plants have parts of them that die, these become seeds that grow into new life. Jesus was trying to explain to his disciples that he too will die, but it’s not what they think. Jesus will die, they will be sad, but God will bring new life from Jesus’ death-like this flower. Jesus’ death and God raising him to life means that we have new life too! Each and every day God makes us new and we can grow like this flower to share God’s beauty and love with the whole world. When we die, we go to be with God in new life after we die. Jesus gathers us all up in this life and in the next and we are never alone! God brings life from EVERYTHING NO MATTER WHAT! Pretty cool, huh! We have new life and we are never alone.

For a worship station have soil, (small cup for scooping the soil), small terra cotta pots, and seeds. Permanent markers are the best way to draw on the pots so warn parents and have supervision. Have people draw symbols of new life on their pot and then plant a seed. You can have them take them home for the plants to grow during the Easter season, or give them away to an assisted living facility, half-way house or other places where your congregation can share the good news of new life and community forever in Jesus.

God, you bring new life from everything around us. You promise that we are with you always, even when we’re in the dark and can’t see the sunlight. Gather all your people so that the whole world will know your presence and love. Amen.

+Grow in God’s love+

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Lent 4B 2015 John 3:14-21

March 12, 2015 lb 1 Comment

Scripture: John 3:14-21

Prep: For this children’s sermon you will need a blank white piece of paper, a pencil (no pens, markers, etc.) and a flashlight. On one side of the blank paper draw half of a heart. Flip the sheet, hold it up to the light so that you can see where you left off and then draw the other half. When you shine the flashlight from behind you will see a “whole heart.” You can also write the word LOVE with L-O on one side and V-E on the other. This must be done in pencil to be the most effective.

Invite the children to gather where you hold children’s time. Ask them about a time when they were looking for something in a dark closet, under a bed, etc. When it was dark could they see very much? What did they use to see better in those dark places?

Our Gospel story today tells about how Jesus is like that has come into the world. The first part might be familiar, the God so loved the world that God sent Jesus into it. And the promise is that we will be with Jesus for always. It goes on to tell us how sometimes we feel that we are walking in darkness–or maybe sometimes we really are like when we are looking for something in our rooms at night! But darkness can also be the hurtful, scary, or sad things in our world. Jesus promises to be even where it is dark. And Jesus wants us to shine like lights with God’s love for everyone so that everyone can see ALL of God’s love! Look at this piece of paper I have (hold it so that they cannot see the back at all). What do you see? (Accept all answers, someone may even guess half a heart or half of the word “love.”) When I shine a light from behind what do you see? The whole heart or the whole word. God’s love is like this in our lives; God’s love shines on us and through us so that ALL can see God’s love! What are some ways that God’s love “shines through” you? Maybe when you give a hug, or help at home…what else? (Accept all answers.) That’s right! God wants love to shine everywhere!

Dear God, your love shines through us for the whole world to see! Help us to share your love so that no one is in the dark about you! Thank you for your Son who is the light of the world, amen.

Let your light shine so that the love of God is everywhere!

Have paper hearts or paper and scissors to make hearts and flashlights at a table. Encourage people to write a message of love on the heart OR a word about what they are struggling with and then shine the light of Christ through it. Offer up a prayer together of thanksgiving for God’s light that shines through even the darkest moments.

*original heart and flashlight concept by Brigette Weier

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Second Sunday of Lent, Romans 4:13-25, March 1, 2015

February 24, 2015 gb Leave a comment

Prepare: For the children’s sermon you can either read the story of Abraham and Sarah from a picture Bible, or you can just re-tell the story in your own words. If you are going to read it, I recommend “The Jesus Storybook Bible” by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

For the worship station you will need a large piece of black or dark blue paper (or cloth would work, too!) and many, many gold star stickers.

As the children gather, ask them if they have ever seen Cars 2 (or some other sequel). This may inspire more comments than you want, sorry. Ask them if Cars 2 would make any sense if they hadn’t seen Cars?

OK, well today we have a sequel in a way. The reading from Romans retells the story of Abraham and Sarah and their son Isaac.

(If you used the Genesis reading in worship already you can just refer back to it, but I think that it is always good for hear the story again a different way. I would encourage you to read to re-tell the story of Abraham, Sarah and Isaac here.)

When the Apostle Paul talks about this story he says that it is about more than God keeping a promise. Paul talks about Abraham and Sarah keeping their faith in God, even though the promise seemed impossible. I don’t know for sure, but I also think that how God kept the promise might not have been exactly what Abraham and Sarah expected. Maybe they thought that God would give them many, many children right then, not countless descendants from one son.

Sometimes we hear God’s promise to us and we might have ideas about how that promise should be fulfilled, but that might not always be the same as God’s idea. We, like Abraham and Sarah, need faith and trust in God, and we, like Abraham and Sarah, need to keep doing the good things that God asks us to do, even when we can’t see how the promise will be fulfilled in the end.

Faithful God, we thank you for the amazing stories of faith in the Bible, especially when we have a difficult time being faithful. Help us to be faithful to our promises to you and to each other, and to work for good in all that we do. Amen

May God’s promises be fulfilled in you.

Invite the congregation to make a wall of stars! Each star is a silent promise to do something good for someone else or for the world. Create a prayer station for people to come and say a prayer and add a star to the paper or cloth.

~GB

Permission to use for nonprofit. When printing give credit to Faith Formation Journeys. Intellectual property rights apply.

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon Genesis 9: 8-17 Mark 1: 9-15 February 22nd

February 19, 2015 bw Leave a comment

Ask the children (and the congregation!) “Have you ever had a bad day? A day when just nothing went right, or something bad happened that day and you were very sad and even mad? We all have those days, it’s part of our lives. Some days are really happy and joyful and some days make us cry or mad. When you are having a good day, how do you act or who do you talk to? What kind of words do you use to tell people you are having a good day? How about when you have a bad day? Who do you talk to, how do you act? Do bad days make you feel more alone? Maybe you have a harder time talking to people when you’re sad? I know that I do! When I’m happy, I tell people about my good day, the fun stuff I’m doing I usually have a fun Facebook or Twitter post, but when I’m sad or angry, I don’t want to talk to people, I kinda sit in my house on my couch all by myself and feel all alone. But sometimes when I’m sad people reach out to me and tell me that they love me and remind me that I am not alone.

The Bible is full of stories about people having both good and bad days, easy days and hard days. Today we read the end of the Noah’s ark story about many hard days of Noah and his family being cooped up on a boat with lots of stinky animals and the world being flooded. God knows that those were hard days for Noah and his family (and the animals!) and God was with Noah and his family even if Noah didn’t see God directly. But God said that God would put a rainbow in the clouds to show Noah and all of us that even if days look rainy, sad and hard, God is with us always, especially when it’s hard. And it’s not just in the Noah’s Ark story, we read it in the story about Jesus this morning too! Jesus is baptized, that’s a good day, right? But then Jesus goes out into the wilderness for 40 hard days. BUT we read that God’s Holy Spirit is with Jesus-when it’s a joyful time, such as at his baptism, or a hard time like being in the wilderness. Jesus was not alone, not ever. God even sent messengers, angels, to be with Jesus. God also puts messengers in our lives to tell us about God’s love for us and we can also be messengers to tell people whether they are happy or sad, that God loves them and is with them, even if they don’t know it or see it. How can we be messengers for God? What can we tell people about God’s love for all people, even if they are sad or had something hard happen to them? (Accept all answers)

God, we are grateful that you are with us always; when we’re happy or sad, feeling joyful or feeling alone. We want all of you people to know that they are never alone and are loved by you. Give us words to be your messengers of love always. Amen.

We are all messengers of God’s love wherever we go. For this worship station have small cards (preferably with rainbows on them!), pens, markers and rainbow stickers available. During your open space or worship station time, invite all gathered to write a message of God’s presence and love to someone who needs to hear it that day. Encourage them to take as many as they need to distribute them to their friends, or neighbors. Young children can take stickers to give to friends and to remind themselves as well. Throughout the week encourage emails, cards, social media posts to remind people of God’s presence in all of lives and in the world.

+The good news is the God is always near you+

Children's Sermons

Transfiguration Sunday Children’s Sermon Feb. 15th, 2015 Year B

February 14, 2015 bw 2 Comments

When you have something exciting to share who is the first person you tell? Your mom, dad, sister, brother, best friend? (Accept all answers) What was the last exciting thing that happened to you? (If they are stumped, suggest a birthday party, a new toy, new friend at school, new pet, etc.) We love to tell people about exciting events and experiences in our lives don’t we? Do we sometimes show pictures or even if it’s a toy, show people what it is that is fun and new for us? Yes! We like to share what’s important to us in our lives.

(You could read this story of Mark 9: 2-9 out of the Spark Storybook Bible or another children’s Bible if you like) In our story about Jesus today, Jesus and the disciples went up to a high mountain and Jesus began to kind of glow-like a glow stick. His clothes were bright white-they would have glowed in the dark! The disciples noticed that he changed and all of the sudden Jesus was also talking to Moses and Elijah who had been dead a long, long time! What do you think they were talking about? Maybe about God and how much God loves us all? I think so. How would you feel if you saw Jesus glow and talk to Moses and Elijah? Yes, scared and confused I think! This is how Peter, James and John felt too! They didn’t know what to do! But God did! All of the sudden God’s voice told them that this was God’s beloved son and that they should listen to him! How can we listen to Jesus? (accept all answers) Can we also watch what Jesus does? Yes! When Jesus helps people, should we help people too? Should we tell people that Jesus loves them? Should we treat people how Jesus treated everyone, as a loved child of God? Can we share the story of God with people? YES! Jesus is very important to us and we are very important to Jesus and we should tell everyone this exciting news just like if we have a new friend, pet, or toy! Jesus was bright like a light and this light shines through us to the whole world! This is the best story to tell of all!

*You can hand out glow sticks or the glow stick bracelets to remind everyone that the light of Jesus shines through them.

Jesus, we are so excited to tell the story of your love to everyone we meet. May the light of Jesus shine through us to your world. We know that you are will us always and thank you for loving us. Amen.

Have a large piece of butcher paper cut out to look like an open book or have it fashioned as a scroll. Invite people during worship station time to write about an encounter or experience about Jesus in their life. You may want to have this out for a few weeks as we journey into Lent.

+God’s story lives in you+

Let us walk with you on the journey of faith. Whether your feet are big or small, fresh or worn, running or crawling, God's love goes with you and you stand on holy ground.