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Doing What God Wants

Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: a list of chores, like doing the dishes, setting the table, caring for the pets, cleaning a room, mowing the grass, and so on


Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk a little bit about belonging to the family of God. This is really something important, but we don't talk very much about it. We talk a lot about the things that God does for us, and we should because he has done and continues to do everything for us. But we want to talk about what it is like to belong to the family of God, and about some of the things that we should do.

Let me explain. If you live in a family, you do certain things. Your father works, maybe your mother works, so that you have money to buy the things you need such as clothes, food, and a house. There are a lot of other things that your parents do for their family. They make the meals that we eat and repair the things that break and help us with our problems.

But you have things to do also. I have a list of chores, or jobs, that maybe you do around the house. When you do them, the family is happy. I suppose you know how it is when you forget to do them. My list has things like doing the dishes and taking care of the pets. I also think that a lot of children take care of their rooms, set the table, help mow the grass, take out the trash, and a lot of other things. Do any of you do things like this? (let them answer) Good. A lot of you do chores or jobs. Do you ever forget to do them? (let them answer) Does anyone get unhappy when you do forget to do them? (let them answer) I know that kind of unhappiness. But I also know how happy the home is when everyone is doing what they are supposed to do. It makes a good place to live.

The Bible teaches us that the same thing is true about the family of God. We all know what God has done for us. That is great. But we also know that there are some commandments that God gave us to keep. It is very important that we keep doing the things that God told us to do, like loving our God and loving our neighbor. We should do things that make others happy or help them when they need help. We should worship God every day of our lives and come together at least one day a week to worship as a big group. We should visit the lonely and help people who have done wrong to try again to do right. There are a lot of things that we should do to make the family of God a very happy family. When we forget that there are others, then we also forget that we are a family.

So, remember the commandments of God, just like you should remember to do the things that are asked of you at home, and we will all have wonderful families and God will bless us with great love.
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1. Text

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this
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O God, if thy only act of kindness was to deliver us from the bondage of Egypt, Dayenu! -- It would have been enough.
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The God Of Abraham Praise (UM116, PH488, NCH24)
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Hail To The Lord's Anointed (UM203)
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Emmanuel, Emmanuel (UM204)
People Look East (PH12, UM202)
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The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy (CBH202)
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus (PH1, 2,UM196, NCH122)

Anthem

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Prayers usually include these concerns and may follow this sequence:

The Church of Christ

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

The local community

Those who suffer

The communion of saints


These responses may be used:


Lord, in your mercy
Hear our prayer

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Janice B. Scott
Call to Worship:
Just before the first Christmas, an angel appeared to Joseph to tell him that Jesus would also be called "Emmanuel", meaning "God With Us." Let us listen to the guidance of the angels today as we prepare to receive God With Us once again.

Invitation to Confession:
Jesus, fill me with the awe of Christmas.
Lord, have mercy.
Jesus, fill me with the mystery of Christmas.
Christ, have mercy.
Jesus, fill me with Emmanuel -- God with us.
Lord, have mercy.

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What's Up This Week
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Emphasis Preaching Journal

Over the years, I grow more cynical about Christmas and just about everything that goes along with it. I have not become a scrooge, although the advancing years have made me more careful with my pennies. It is not that I cannot be moved by the lights, the music, and the fellowship of the holidays. I have not become an insensitive, unfeeling clod. My problem is that the language and the images and the music seem to have fallen short in expressing what must have been the feelings of the real human beings going through the events recounted in this story.

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What an exciting day this is! Today is the day before Christmas and tonight is Christmas Eve! People have different ways of doing things. Some people open their presents on Christmas Eve. How many of you do that? (Let them answer.) Others open their presents on Christmas Day. Which of you will open your presents tomorrow? (Let them answer.) Some open gifts on other days. Would any of you like to share another time when you open presents? (Give them the opportunity to answer.)

Why do you suppose we open gifts at this time of the year? (Let them answer.)

Special Occasion

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