Tag Archives: Lent

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermons Lent 1A Psalm 32

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Lent Psalms Children Sermon Series: This is the first in a series of children’s sermons on the Psalms for Lent. For children’s sermons on the gospels you can see Year A 2014

Preparation: A blanket or an item that is a comfort item either for you or someone
you know.

Gather the children with you and be holding your comfort item. Ask them if they have anything that they like to sleep with at night? I brought with me my (or whomever it is) blanket/item too. Tell them about this item.

Alternative or Addition–if your congregation does a prayer shawl ministry or quilt ministry, have one of those with you and tell a little bit about that ministry

Psalm 32: 5-7 If you did not read this in worship, read it now. OR use the children’s version from the book Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval  that reads:

When I do something wrong, I tell you about it, God. And when you forgive me, I feel calm again.

My blanket makes me feel calm because when I hold it, I think of God being with me all the time just like I want this blanket with me all the time.  and the prayer shawls that we give out offer a sense of God’s presence to those who are hurting or sick or need to feel God’s love with them. And that love God promises to give us over and over again.

If you have prayer shawls or quilts do a blessing of them with this prayer time. If not simply pray for those who need comfort.  Gracious God, thank you for your presence with us always. Bless these blankets made for all those who need to feel your love wrapped around them. Help us remember that you are with us when we need comfort and peace. Amen

Reformed Worship has a wonderful series of Prayer stations on the Psalms for Lent. Go their website and look for Week 1 on Psalm 32

 

Children's Sermons

Children’s Sermon/Worship Station – March 6, 2016: Lent 4c – Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

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Prepare: One of my favorite ways to tell this story is to act it out. So your preparation for the children’s sermon can be as simple as just making sure you know the story well enough to tell it, or as complex as having actors and costumes. Up to you!

For the worship station, set up a “voting booth” with a two large jars or containers and beads or small rocks for people to vote with.

20130822-223520.jpg As the children gather ask them if they have a favorite story.  If they do, ask them how they like to tell the story?

20130822-223633.jpg Today’s Gospel story is a really fun story to act out, but first we need to some actors.

OK – from here on you are on your own! But I will tell you what I would do.  I would have a short list of the important characters in mind, and maybe even on a piece of paper in front of me. I would look for “volunteers,” and by that I mean that I would ask, but would ultimately end up choosing some people to play certain parts. Once I had my cast I would start to narrate the story and encourage the actors to act out what I am saying.

One really fun way to do this is to have the prodigal son stay with you, and pretend to walk away while the father and other son back away from you.  Then you can keep the action of the story close by.

To get the two groups back together you can have them kind of meet in the middle.

My simple cast would be:

  • Father
  • Prodigal
  • Other Son

Expansions on that would be:

  • The people the prodigal celebrates and eats with
  • the farmer he works for
  • the pigs that he eats with
  • the people who live near his father
  • his fathers’s other servants
  • etc . . .

20130822-223908.jpg You are God’s Beloved child

 

20130822-223749.jpg Loving and forgiving God, bring us back to you when we wander far from your love and care. Teach us to show your love, mercy and forgiveness in all parts of our lives, and lead us in ways that keep us close to you always! Amen.

FaithCross_Worship For the worship station, ask the question, “where does your pride end?” To keep it simple have two jars:  “I would return to my family when the money ran out,” and, “I would be eating with the pigs.”

Have people vote and see where you congregation ends up!  Make sure that being forgiven for pride is part of your prayers AFTER the worship station, so that the idea of returning to God is part of your focus in worship this day.

Children's Sermons, Communications

Children’s Sermon Lent 1C Lord’s Prayer series Luke 4:1-13

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This begins a Lent series on the Lord’s prayer. There are elements of the Lord’s prayer in each week of the Lent readings in year C. This first one is on the portion that says ‘lead us not into temptation’. Another addition you could do with the Lord’s Prayer is learn some of the sign language and teach the kid the prayer piece by piece.

Preparation: Bowl or plate, real or plastic foods–healthy mostly and some junk food

20130822-223520.jpgGather the children up front with you. Have the bowl out and the food choices too. Say, ” So I have this bowl and all this food here. What do you think I should pick to make me full? ” Have the kids help some. Go through the choices and pick healthy ones and then be ‘tempted’ to choose the unhealthy as well. Say, “I could just eat the cookies, but not sure how healthy that is, or if they will keep me from being hungry…”

“So why is that we say we should eat dessert last?” Take answers. “Yes, because we know that the food that is good for us will help us grow, be strong and healthy and takes care of our bodies. We do not need cookies for that. So we have this ‘guide’ or ‘rule’ that we tend to follow that says we should first eat the healthy food. It is a guide that helps keeps us on the right track most of the time. ”

20130822-223633.jpg“Each week we pray the Lord’s prayer–have you noticed that? And in that prayer we say this “Lead us not into temptation”.  Jesus taught this prayer to us. And we hear today in the gospel how Jesus was in the wilderness and tempted by the devil to do things that would not honor God, to walk outside of the path that he was walking with God. When we pray this prayer, we are asking God to help us continue to follow Jesus, to make good choices, to stay on a path that keeps us healthy and strong. So it is kind of like our guide for eating healthy, but this prayer is not just about food. It is about how we live and make good choices. ”

20130822-223749.jpgLet’s say this part of  Lord’s prayer up to this part together. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (have them repeat) “Jesus help us to make good choices, to follow you, and to remember you are with us, loving us all the time. Amen”

20130822-223908.jpg+God is with you and guiding you+

 

 

FaithCross_WorshipHave a poster with the words “Lead us not into Temptation” Invite people to share their struggles: “Lead us not into temptation.”  Temptation is part of our daily life.  What are some common things that you are tempted by that you wish you had better control over.  Write them on the poster and say a prayer for God’s leading.