Here is the devotion page for Palm Sunday – Year B. (Click on the words!)
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Here is the devotion page for Palm Sunday – Year B. (Click on the words!)
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Here is the devotion page for Palm Sunday, Year A (Click on the words!)
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Here is the devotion page for Palm Sunday – Year C. (Click on the words!)
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
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: Building blocks
Gather the children with you. Say, Let’s make a tower together. Have kids take turns stacking a block.
How strong do you think our tower is? Do you think it could stay standing in an earthquake? No probably not. What about in a blizzard? hh…., what about a little breeze… maybe? Let’s try to just blow on it and see if stays standing! Do the experiment together.
The Psalm for today is Psalm 61 and it says “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” What do you think that psalm is trying to say about God? Yes, that God’s tower is like a strong rock and it will protect us. Do you think God’s tower can stand in our little breeze? Yes! What about the storm or earthquake? yes! God’s strength is stronger than what we can imagine.
God who is Big and strong, Thank you for your love that is the strongest we know. Protect us when we need it, guide us to your strength in love and help us to walk in these days of holy week with you. Amen
God is your refuge and your strong tower. +
Reformed Worship has a wonderful series of Prayer stations on the Psalms for Lent. Go their website and look for Palm Sunday on Psalm 61.
Preparation: some pathetic looking palms or sad looking palm plant or other plant .
An alternative image that goes with the text better is a coat. Bring a coat and after talking bout the palms tell about the coats being laid to honor Jesus and as gifts. Talk about the gifts we bring and how Jesus sees us as gift. Instead of palms at the worship station have people write on images of coats.
Gather the children and have them bring their palms or use this as a time to hand them out. Ask, “who can tell me why we are holding these palms today?” Take answers and explain that it is a ritual and tradition of the church to have palms on this day to remember the part of Jesus life where he went into Jerusalem for the last time and had his last week with is friends and followers. The palms were waved as he came into town to honor and praise him.
Some of your palms look really good but look at the ones I have here. (Show your pathetic palm/plant). This one is kind of small and too old maybe to be used for Palm Sunday. I am not sure it is good enough. But you know what I like about this palm? It is real, it was grown from this plant and it has lived in this worship space (or my house or wherever) for a long time. And it makes me think how sometimes we think we are not good enough for things. Are there times you feel like you are not good enough or that you have let someone down?
Jesus sees all these palms as a gift. There may be some that are too old or new or some that are dried out or just too small, but they are all real and a part of creation. Jesus sees you and me this way too. Even if you feel that you have let someone down or you feel that you have not done something well or you that you are just not big enough or smart enough yet–Jesus sees you as totally enough just as you are right now. Jesus looks at you like these palms, as a gift. As someone who can share love and live as a beautiful part of God’s creation. Jesus goes into Jerusalem today and he will go to the cross there. He dies on the cross to show you that God already loves you and forgives you always.
Jesus, we praise you with our palms and with our voices. Let us know your love for each one of us in all our gifts and in all the ways we need to grow. Amen
May you know Jesus love always rescues you+
Have palm branches for people to make into crosses. Or have construction paper and have people trace their hands and write in the ways they see God’s love and forgiveness for them on the inside of their hand (their palm)
OR for LOTS Of fun have washable markers and let people write on their very own hands (like the picture).. I know, crazy-ness. Let me know if you tried it!
Here is the devotion page for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 13, 2016. (Click on the words!)
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
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
Here is the devotion page for Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015.
Just click on the picture to download the PDF file!
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!
Scripture Focus: Matthew 21:1-11
Faith+Open—Pass out palm branches if you haven’t already. These can be real or the crosses or they can be made from paper. Gather the children in the back and lead them to the front shouting Hosanna together. You can walk all around the sanctuary if you like!
Faith+Share: Read the story of Palm Sunday from the Spark Children’s Bible or other Bible of your choice.
Ask: Have you ever been to a parade or been in a parade? What was that like? If Jesus came to our town how do you think the people would greet him?
We can welcome Jesus in our lives by how we welcome others—especially the stranger. How can you welcome someone who is new to school or Sunday school?
Palm Sunday is also about shouting Hosanna and praising God. Look at your hand, we call the middle part a palm, right? If we look at our five fingers let’s think of 5 praises for God together. Then you can do this at home with your family later today and each think of 5 praises.
Together figure out 5 praises taking answers from kids.
We have this story of Jesus and it is the first story of what we call this week—Holy Week. It is when Jesus rides into Jerusalem and then will later have his last supper with his disciples and on Friday we will have worship to remember the day he died on the cross and then next Sunday we celebrate….what? Easter! You’re right. We spend this week getting ready for Easter by remembering the stories of Jesus’ last days and remembering the love he has for each of us.
Faith+Prayer: Jesus, we praise you for being our God who lived in our world and still loves in our heads and hearts and all around us. Amen
Faith+Blessing: Let’s say together making the sign of the cross: God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left and God on my right.
Extended activities: If you meet with children for a longer period of time outside of the worship space here are some ideas:
1. Make palm branches with construction paper and then parade back to worship.
2. Trace hands “palms” and write one way to praise God in each finger.
3. Get out musical instruments and create a song of praise together
**originally written in 2011
Here is the devotion page for Palm Sunday, April 13, 2014
Note – Clicking on the picture will download the insert to your computer or device in PDF format.
Did you miss a week? Go to the Weekly Devotion page to download past weeks!