Childrens Sermon Service

Welcome back! I'm glad we're together today. Today we hear about one of Jesus' most famous miracles. One day, a crowd of people had gathered together. The Bible tells us that there were 5,000 men, plus women and children. Jesus went to be with them. He spent the day healing them and talking with them. They were all together for a very long time.

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a box of my favorite cereal with me this morning. Do any of you eat this cereal? (Let them answer.) What breakfast cereals are your favorite? (Let each child answer.) One of the reasons that I like this cereal is that there is usually something free inside. If not, there is usually a game to play on the back, or something free that I can send for. Have you ever noticed that the cereal boxes persuade you to buy the cereal? Maybe you've not noticed this, but your parents are no doubt aware of it!

Teachers or Parents: The theme for both lessons today is good news and sharing that good news with others. The good news of Jesus in the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 is his compassion. We do not know how Jesus did it, but we know that compassion drove him to do it. Teach compassion and love for others -- especially the suffering.

*Take up a special collection for world hunger programs of your church.

*Learn the hymn "Jesus Loves Me." We know it by Jesus' acts of compassion and high regard for others.

Good morning! What would you think if I said that I brought all the food today for a congregational picnic after worship this morning and this (the sardines and bread) is it? (Let them answer.) You might say I was crazy or something, wouldn't you? We all know that this would not be nearly enough food for everyone. This would not be enough for many people at all. Besides that, many people don't even like sardines! Do you like sardines? (Let them answer.)

Saint Paul was very sad. When I am sad I like to be near a box of Kleenex. When you are sad, what do you like to have around? (Let them answer.) Are there people you like to have around you when you are sad? (Let them answer.) I like certain people around me when I feel sad. They make me feel better.

Now, why do you think Paul was sad? (Let them answer.) Many things could make a person sad, but Paul was sad because the people he loved the most -- his kind of people -- did not know about Jesus. He tried to tell many of them, but they would not listen to him. He loved them so much that he wanted them to get in on the wonderful news about Jesus. Since they wouldn't listen or believe in this good news, Paul was very sad.

Teachers or Parents: Our children must learn to trust God,
trust that God really will provide what we need. The key word
here is "need." God always provides what is needed, but doesn't
promise to provide what we "want." The miracle of the loaves and
fishes gives us an opportunity to show the children how God
provided in a miraculous way the same kinds of things He provides
to all of us in a normal way, day by day.

*Ask the children to help you make a list of all the things
we "NEED" on a day by day basis and list these things on a board
or easel. When the list is complete, go back over it and take
out anything that is really a "WANT" and not a need. Then show

Good morning! How many people do you think are in church
this morning? (Let them guess.) Well, I haven't counted, but
that's a good enough guess. Let's just say there are _____
people here today. Now let's suppose I wanted to feed everyone
lunch today and this is all I have to feed them. (Show the tuna
and bread.) Do you think this is enough food for all those people
to eat? (Let them answer.) No, of course it isn't. There isn't
enough here for everyone to even have one bite.

Once when Jesus was preaching, he faced this same problem.
He had more than 5,000 people come to hear him preach, and they
were hungry. All he had to feed them was five loaves of bread and

Good morning! Does anyone know what this is? (Show the
passport.) This is a passport. This is the kind of identification
you would need if you were traveling to another country in Europe
or Asia. I used this when I went to ____________. (Talk about a
travel experience.)

One thing that a passport shows is your nationality. It
shows that I'm a citizen of the United States. If I was a citizen
of Germany or France or some other country, I would have a
passport from that country.

They didn't have passports when Jesus lived, but if they
did, what kind of passport would he have? Would he have a
passport from the United States? (Let them answer.) No, this

Ah ... the feeding of the 5,000. Today's story is a classic. It is recorded in each of the four gospels. One day over 5,000 men, women and children gathered to hear Jesus teach. They were hungry, so Jesus created a satisfying feast out of only five loaves of bread and two fish. For some people, today's story is a new one. For others it is a story that is well-worn and familiar. The challenge for those people is to make the story stay meaningful despite its familiarity.

Good morning! (show them the letter) See this? This is a letter in an envelope. People write letters when they want to send news to other people. If I wanted to send a letter I would write down words on this paper, place it in an envelope, put an address and a stamp on it and then mail it. Eventually the letter would get to the person on the address and they would read what I had written. Letters were especially important in the days when people didn't have telephones or e-mail.

Parents and Teachers: Share the story of Jesus and the loaves and fishes. How can children participate in understanding this story? One way is to offer suggestions to your students on how they might share their resources with the congregation or the community.

Good morning, boys and girls. Today I want to talk about choice. Do you know what the word "choice" means? (let them answer) Very good answers! Every day we have to make choices. We make a choice of what kind of cereal to eat. We choose what clothes we wear. We choose the books we read or the television shows we watch. We make a choice to either play outside or inside. We make a lot of choices.

Good morning, boys and girls. Doesn't the world look beautiful right now? Today, I want to talk about the great world that we live in and how much God has given us. For instance, have you ever run out of air? (take a deep breath) Would you like to take a deep breath with me? Maybe we could take two or three breaths just to see if there is enough air in the church for all of us. (have everyone breathe deeply at least several times) How many breaths do you think it would take to use up all of the air in the church? (let them answer) Let's have everyone in the church take a deep breath at the count of three. (count to three and take a deep breath) Guess what, there is still plenty of air.

Materials:
Colored paper
Crayons, markers
Glitter, stickers
Poster board
Canned goods
Grocery bags
Dry goods

Directions:
1.
Tell the children that this project will take two Sundays to complete. The first item needed for this project is posters to hang outside the church and Sunday school areas for all to see.
2.
The posters should say something like the following:

a.
We are helping God feed the 5,000

b.
Join us as we collect food for the poor

c.
Bring your food donations to the church to be passed on to the needy
3.

Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. (v. 19)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about bread. How many of you have eaten bread recently? (allow answers) What did you eat with your bread? (allow answers)

The Point: Jesus wants us to work together to spread the kingdom of God.

Object: A handful of dried or fresh reeds, or other material used to create woven baskets. Any type of long reed or plant would work as long as it gives the idea of what materials are used to weave a basket. Also, one small woven basket to show what they look like.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent!

One day, Jesus got in a boat and went across the Sea of Galilee to visit a little town. People heard where he was going, so when he got to the town there was a huge crowd of people waiting to see him. Many of them were very sick and were hoping he would ask God to help them and heal them. And that is what he did.

(Note: If your church or community sponsors a specific "food bank" or relief agency, use that agency's name as the illustration in this lesson.)

Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know the story about Jesus feeding more than 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish? (Let them answer.) If you remember that story, you'll remember that all those people were fed and when the meal was finished there were 12 baskets of food left over! That's an amazing story from the Bible, isn't it? We call it a miracle story. No one but Jesus could feed more than 5,000 people with just five loaves of bread and two fish. The loaves and fishes story is about sharing things.

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME


Materials:
Bread
Peanut butter
Raisins
Pretzel sticks
Marshmallows
Other food items, as desired


Directions:
1. Talk about how bread represents our faith. Talk about how both food and faith make us happy.

2. Create "happy sandwiches." Spread peanut butter on one side of a piece of bread. Have the children create a face by sticking raisins, etc. in the peanut butter to form a face.

3. Eat the bread together -- a Sunday school "communion."

I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. (v. 2)

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME

Materials:
Paper plates
Coffee filters (brown or white)
Children's markers that do not stain clothing
Squirt bottle (optional)
Water
Blow dryer
Fish pattern (optional)
Scissors
Wiggle eyes or paper eyes
Glue
Permanent marker

Directions:
1. Give each of the children a paper plate and a coffee filter.

2. Tell them to flatten out the coffee filters on their plates.

3. Have the children color the filters roughly (almost scribbling) with various colors of markers.

4. Using a squirt bottle or fingers dipped in water, wet the coffee filters by misting them.

Jesus said to them, "They need not go away; you give them something to eat." (Matthew 14:16)

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. (Romans 9:4)