Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Category: Children’s Sermons

  • Children’s Sermon John 3: 1-17, March 16th, 2014, Year A-Second Sunday in Lent

    Children’s Sermon John 3: 1-17, March 16th, 2014, Year A-Second Sunday in Lent

    20130822-223520.jpg Gather the children where there is a little space. Read the story of Nicodemus from a children’s Bible or paraphrase in your own words.

    20130822-223633.jpg In the story about Nicodemus and Jesus in John, Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus that God’s love is everywhere and God works in the world in many and mysterious ways. An example that Jesus uses is that the “spirit blows where it wants.” God’s love and grace goes all kinds of unpredictable ways!

    FaithCross I have this fan here with paper shaped like hearts. Where do you think these hearts will go when we turn the fan on? (Alternatively, you could give the kids small hearts of tissue paper and have them blow them around. Just as unpredictable. J ) Turn on the fan and have the pieces of paper blow around for a bit. Turn off the fan and say: “Look at where all of these pieces of paper went! I never would have thought that they would blow to all of these places!” (Point out some specific places and maybe people the paper blew to.) “God’s love is just like that! God’s love goes everywhere to everyone! Can we help to move God’s love around the world like wind? Yes! What are some ways we can do that?” (Accept all answers.) Those are all good ways! Take one of these hearts with you and take some extras to give away!

    20130822-223749.jpg “God of all, thank you for blowing your love into our lives and into our world. Help us to share your love with everyone. Amen.”

    20130822-223908.jpg “God’s spirit is with you.”

    Open Space Worship Station suggestion: If you do Open Space or worship stations have a table covered with butcher paper and the words “Where God’s Spirit Moves.” Have magazines, crayons, markers, tape and glue sticks available. Ask people to cut out of the magazines or draw where they see God’s work and love in the world. Hang the mural in your worship space and add to it in the coming weeks in Lent.

  • Children’s Sermon First Sunday of Lent, Matthew 4:1-11, March 9, 2014

    Children’s Sermon First Sunday of Lent, Matthew 4:1-11, March 9, 2014

    20130715-114218.jpgGet the children organized into a quick game of Simon Says as they gather together.  It doesn’t need to be log or involved, just enough to get them thinking about listening to instructions.

    FaithCross  Simon says game over!  That was fun, thanks for playing!  I was thinking about that game, and it seems like the only reason that it works is because we all agree on the rules.  In fact, the only reason any games work is because we all agree on the rules.  In Simon Says we agree that one person will be able to tell the other people what to do.  What if, instead of one person being the leader and giving instructions, we all started giving instructions?  Like if you were saying, “Simon says sit,” and I was saying “Simon Says stand,” and someone else was saying “Simon says jump?”  Would the game still work?  Probably not, no.

    That is kind of what the devil is hoping for in today’s Gospel story.  See, Jesus is out in the desert and doesn’t have any food or water, or a place to sleep.  It’s just Jesus and the desert.  The devil thinks that he can get Jesus to try to take control from his Father because Jesus is probably weak with hunger and thirst.  The Devil is probably hoping that Jesus and God the Father will fight for control, which is kind of like God fighting with herself (himself, whichever works for you), but that’s a longer story.  Jesus won’t do it, though.  Jesus says that it is not his place to challenge God’s power, or to tell God what to do.  He tells the devil that God is in charge and that is how it should be.  If Jesus can’t tell God what to do, should we?

    Now I know what you’re thinking, isn’t prayer like telling God what to do?  I say, no, it’s not!  Let’s think about our game again.  Remember how we said the game works because we all agree on the rules?  The person in charge isn’t giving commands, really, it’s a game!  And what about when we are not playing a game?  How many of you like to be told to do something?  Like, “Go clean your room,” or “Eat your asparagus!”  Or think about the adults in your life.  They will probably do good things for you if you ask them.  Like asking, “May I please have a cookie?”  or “May I please wash your car?”  But if you try to command them to do something it probably doesn’t work out so well, right.  When we pray, we are asking God for help, or giving God thanks, or praising God for the good things in our lives.  We aren’t telling God what to do.

    Let’s practice that and pray together using the Lord’s Prayer (ask the congregation to join if that works in you setting).

    FaithCross_PrayALT    Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name,
    your kingdom come,
    your will be done,
    on earth as in heaven.
    Give us today our daily bread.
    Forgive us our sins
    as we forgive those who sin against us.
    Save us from the time of trial
    and deliver us from evil.
    For the kingdom, the power,
    and the glory are yours,
    now and forever. Amen.

    FaithCross_BlessALT  May God’s love go with you always.

    ~GB

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