Faith Formation Journeys

Walking Together in Grace

Tag: Philippians

  • Philippians Children Sermon Series #1 Phil. 1:21-20

    Philippians Children’s Sermon Series

    Series Note: In the lectionary year A Pentecost 14 through 17 we read through Philippians as the Epistle each week. The letters of Paul can have challenging content to teach to children (adults too!). We have written a children’s sermon series based on the scripture verses in Philippians. You can use these as a series or on their own.  The overarching theme is focused on how we are those who walk with and live as servants of Jesus and yet rejoice that God is with us in all of our daily living as we strive to “let our gentleness be known and remember the Lord is near” (Phil 4:5 paraphrase). 

    Preparation: In your context think about or find out what the children or youth specifically or the church together are doing as service in the community or the world. For example, the children’s offering in our congregation is currently going to the Kid’s Cafe portion of our local food bank. Then find another older youth or adult who is willing to be person number 2. Work together to think of three ways you can give as examples of being in service to the community, family, and/or neighbors.

    Faith+Open: Gather the children with you. “I heard in your Sunday school (or in our church or in our community) we are raising money for (or collecting) __________” So you know I think that is pretty cool–Since I heard you are doing that, I decided I could_______________ (fill in what you are going to do, either contribute or better yet, that it made you think of something you can do in your family or neighborhood).

    Faith+Share: Person 2 interrupts (after you have said what you are going to do) “Wow, I think that is a fabulous idea! You know, hearing about how the kids/the church are______________ and that you are __________ I think I can help with those things too but I also know that ________________ needs______________.

    Say, “Great idea. That is pretty neat how we have inspired to work together where we are and where we can to be in service in Jesus’ name. It reminds of our reading from Philippians today where Paul says, ‘Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for faith of the gospel.’” (NRSV Phil 1:27–feel free to paraphrase or summarize). We are serving in the Holy Spirit together even when we are doing different things. AND God is with us in our serving and in our daily struggles and in our daily joys.

    “I want to teach you a blessing from Philippians that we are going to use for the next few weeks as we read from Philippians in worship. This blessing is on that reminds us how to serve one another with kindness and reminds us that God is with us always.”  (Teach following blessing)

    Faith+Blessing: Say together the words from Philippians 4:5 (NRSV) while doing the following actions: Let your gentleness (flat hands palms facing body circle each other)  be known to everyone (open hands and arms out). The Lord is near (hands to heart)

  • Children’s Sermon Pentecost 16A Theme: Living Out Grace

    This children’s sermon based on Philippians 2 & 3 can be adapted and used for other texts that focus in on grace as a gift and how that is lived out. For Philippians 2 it focuses on the Christ hymn and the image of Christ come down to us. On Philippians 3 it focuses on grace is a gift and that we have the ‘prize’ of grace and can live that out. 

     The original concept is adapted from a children’s sermon by Pastor Michael Stadtmueller. 

    Preparation: A wrapped gift box where you can take off the lid, bread inside the box, a ladder (you could also place the gift box on the altar and ‘pretend’ a ladder)

    Faith+Gather: Have the ladder up front with the gift box on top. Gather the children near the ladder, but in a safe sitting position (especially if your ladder is very tall!)
    “Look up there at the gift on top of the ladder. We hear a lot about grace in our Bible and one way to think about grace is as a gift. So I was thinking that sometimes we spend a lot of time thinking about how to get that gift.”
    Walk over to ladder and get ready to climb.
    Ask the children, “What are things that you do to please or serve others?” Get some ideas from the kids or supply your own if they are quiet. Examples could be that we listen to our parents, then climb up one rung. For each example you say, climb another rung but stop before you are at the top.
    “So we can do all these things and they are good and look I am getting closer to the prize. But you know what, then other things happen. Like maybe I hurt my brother or sister (go down one rung) or I didn’t listen when my parents asked me to do something(go down another rung). Give a few examples that put you back on the floor.
    “So now, it’s pretty hard to get to the top.” 

    Faith+Share: “But you know, that is not grace. Grace really is a gift. So we don’t really have to go get the prize in order to have grace in our lives.” Climb the ladder, get the gift and bring it down to the center of the children.

    “See God’s grace is not something we have to get on our own. It comes to us. God brings grace to us because it really is a free gift. And we have this gift with us and then we can go out and share it with others and live in service because we know how much we are loved by God.”

    Open the box and take out the bread. “We know that Jesus told us to remember him through eating bread. And we eat bread at communion. And we can have a taste now (pass around bread). We know that Jesus is with us and we have this prize, this gift of grace that gives us the love and the will to go out and live our lives in grace.” 
    Place the gift box on the altar as a reminder for everyone during communion.

    Faith+Prayer: God, thank you for the gift of grace and the gift Jesus. We are grateful that you are with us always. Amen

    Faith+Blessing: Take a big piece of bread and go share with others. Or make sign of cross saying, “God in my head, God in my heart, God on my left, God on my right.”

    ~LB