Childrens Sermon Service

But I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. (Romans 7:23)

Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to play with toy guns or knives? (show them the guns and knives and let them answer) When I was a boy, I liked to pretend I was a cowboy or a detective or someone who needed a gun to shoot the person I was trying to catch and make them pay for their crime. When I was inside, I hid behind the furniture and when I was outside, I would hunt down the other guy who hid behind trees or in the garage.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:30)

Good morning, boys and girls. Do you like to do things with someone else? (let them answer) Do you wash the dishes together, help each other clean your room, take the dog for a walk together, or feed your pets together? (let them answer)

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

Materials:
Preprinted memory verses
9-inch paper plates
8-inch circle pattern
Construction paper
Brads
Scissors
Glue
Permanent markers

Directions:
1. Before students arrive, printout four memory verses in small enough print to fit on 1/4 of the paper plate. Make a circular pattern that is about one inch in diameter smaller than the paper plate (8-inch circle).

2. Give each of the children a brad, a paper plate, and some construction paper.

3. Have the children use the circle patterns to cut circles out the construction paper.

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. (v. 15)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you today? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about forgiveness. Who can tell me what forgiveness is? (allow answers) Forgiveness is when you decide not to be angry at someone for something they have done to hurt you or to hurt another. Can anyone give me an example of forgiveness? (allow answers)

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (v. 28)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you today? (allow answers) How many of you have ever had a security blanket or a blankie like this one? (show blanket; allow answers) Tell me about your blanket. Who gave it to you? Do you still use it? (allow answers) Maybe you don't have a security blanket, but you have a favorite stuffed animal or toy that you like to keep close to you when you are scared. Why is it special to you? (allow answers) How does it make you feel? (allow answers)

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


Materials:
Blanket
Finger paints
Paint smocks/shirts
Paintbrush or fabric marker


Directions:
1. Have each child put his or her handprint on the blanket.

2. Have each child write (or help write) his or her name beneath their handprint.

3. Use the fabric marker or paintbrush to write "I will give you rest" in the center of the blanket.

4. Hang the blanket in the church nursery or in the Sunday school room as a reminder that God is our "ultimate security blanket."

The Point: We can find rest in Jesus.

The Lesson: Thank you girls and boys for coming up and sharing this special time together.

Do you ever get tired? (let children answer) Sure you do. Maybe you are even tired right now. When I get tired, I love to take a nap with my favorite pillow. Do you have a favorite pillow or blanket? (let children answer) I brought my pillow with me this morning. Not to take a nap but to show you. When I put my head on my pillow, I know it's time to rest. I always feel better after I get some good rest. I not only feel better, but I work better and play better. When I am rested, I am a better person.

Matthew tells us today in our reading that through Jesus our rest is important too.

Good morning, boys and girls. Does anyone live on a farm or near a farm? (let them answer) What do farmers use today to plow fields and harvest the grain? (let them answer) That's right, tractors. Before farmers used tractors what did they use? (let them answer) That's right, horses. Did you know that farmers also used to use animals called oxen? These animals are like bulls that have horns and are very strong. They can pull a plow easily as long as they worked in pairs. If the oxen didn't work together, it was hard.

Object: A large cardboard box with the following things inside: a rock, a large book, a stick, a toy sword, and a pillow.

* * *

Have you ever noticed how fancy baskets are? (Hold the basket so that every child can see it.) The basket maker weaved the basket around and around, in and out, and came up with this basket. I wonder: How did the basket maker know how to start the basket? What did the weaver do next? How did this craftsperson complete it? How did the artist keep everything in place while it was being made? I don't understand. It is my basket, but I don't understand how the basket maker made my basket. I am glad I don't have to make all my own baskets.

Sometimes I think I am so smart! I think I can know about everything. But I have learned that there are some things that are too much for me. One thing that I can never understand completely is God. I believe in God and know that God loves me, but I don't know everything about God. I don't know how God could always be and not have a beginning, middle and end, like me. I don't know why God sometimes lets bad things happen. This I know: God is much bigger than my understanding.

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (v. 28)

Good morning girls and boys,

Do you ever get tired? So tired that you just want to lay down and take a nap? (children share) A lot of things in life can wear us out -- like too many chores, too much playing sports, too much homework, going on a long, boring trip? Sometimes people even get tired in church.

People get tired physically. People also get tired spiritually. Here's why:

Here is a stone (or brick or dumbbell) that says “anger.” Let's put this in my back pack.

Being tied to someone can be frustrating, particularly if the two people are trying to go in opposite directions. In today's sermon time, the children experimented with being tied to another person at the leg. They all agreed that in order get somewhere, the two people need to trust each other, work together and help one another.

Good morning! Let me show you this. (Show the ticket.) This
is a ticket to ______________ Park. Now I want you to imagine for
a moment that you were given a choice between going to this park
or attending church next Sunday. Now of course I know you would
like to do both, but let's just say you can only do one or the
other, not both. Which would you do? (Let them answer. Most will
want to go to the park.) Well, I can certainly understand why you
might do that. That park is a lot more fun than church, but which
do you think God wants you to do? (Let them answer.)

Saint Paul wrote that he had the same kind of problems with
decisions. He knew what God wanted him to do, but he often did

Good morning! Who can tell me what we celebrate today? Why
is this a special day for our country? (Let them answer.) Yes,
this is the Fourth of July, the birthday of our country. It was
on this day in 1776 that we declared our independence from
England and became a separate country. Here is a copy of the
document that made us a new country. It's called the Declaration
of Independence. (Show the document.)

Now I want to concentrate on just one part of this document.
Will somebody read this part for me? (Point to the part that
says, "We are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable
rights," and let them read it.) What does that mean when it says

Teachers or Parents: We need to instill in our children a
love of country which is based on our love of God and our
understanding of God as our Creator, the one who provides all
good things. The Fourth of July holiday is a good time to do
this. Teach the children that this is a great nation and it
became great because it was a godly nation. As we look toward the
twenty-first century, there are certainly many signs that we are
losing that strong reliance on and respect for God which was a
hallmark of our first two centuries as a nation.

*Ask the children to name as many of the nation's founding
fathers as they can and list the names on a board or easel. You

Teachers or Parents: The lessons today are about understanding. The first lesson (Romans 7:15-25a) is about understanding our own actions -- especially sin. The Gospel lesson is about understanding God -- specifically God's love. A basket is used in both children's sermons.

*Make a small basket as a class project. Talk about how our understanding of many things is like a basket that can hold so much. Then talk about the limits of understanding God.

*Write on the board questions children have about God. "Who can we ask or where can we go to get answers?" Check out those resources.

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought these two stuffed animals with me this morning. How many of you have stuffed animals like these two? (Let them answer.) This one (show the lamb) is a pretty friendly little animal. Because it is friendly, it has many friends. It always does the right thing. It is always happy. It always seems to share its things with its friends. It will do anything for me that I ask. When you are at home, are you ever like this lamb? (Let them answer.)

(Approach the front of the sanctuary from the rear, carrying the two suitcases. As you walk, walk slowly and make it appear that the suitcases are very heavy.) Good morning, boys and girls. Am I glad to sit down. These suitcases are very heavy. Have you ever had to carry anything that was heavy? Were you able to ask your parents to help you? (Let them answer.) What have you had to carry that was heavy? (Let them answer.) When your parents or a friend shared your heavy load it was a relief, wasn't it? It's a great feeling to have a friend or parent share your heavy load.

Parents and Teachers: In today's lesson Jesus gives thanks to God. Jesus calls God "Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Help your students think for a moment about all the words that might be used to describe God. On the left column of a sheet of paper have the students write the letters in the word "father" from top to bottom. Help your students think of names to describe God using each letter in the word "Father." An example follows:

Friend
Almighty
Teacher
Helper
Everlasting
Ruler

After you've created this list suggest that the sheet be decorated.

Good morning, boys and girls. Life can be dangerous, can't it? (let them answer) Have you ever been in any danger? (let them answer) How did you get into that kind of trouble? (let them answer) Sometimes we get into danger because we do things that we have been warned not to do. Once, I climbed a ladder, even though I was told not to, and I fell and hurt myself. I knew better, but I wanted to try it anyway.

Good morning, everyone! Today we're going to talk about what it means to be yoked to something. Do any of you know? What is a yoke? (see if anyone knows) A yoke is used to connect animals together when they are working. You might have seen pictures of oxen on a farm hooked together by a big wooden bar. The bar is the yoke. Yokes are used for a couple of reasons. First, they help keep the oxen together so that they share the work that needs to be done. Second, when the oxen are hooked together they cannot go off on their own. Each ox is changed and affected by the movement of the other ox.

Materials:
A small round rock for each child
Paper towels
Small stickers with pictures of Jesus on them
Markers
Clear nail polish to cover the stones after decorating

Directions:
1.
During the activity period, take the children outside and allow them to find a small round stone that could be used for their Jesus stone, or have stones ready for them.
2.
After each child has a stone or small rock, make sure that the rocks are all washed and dried before you begin decorating them.
3.
Discuss the message from today's Gospel Reading with the children and ask them the following questions:

a.
Do you feel like Jesus is always with you?

b.

Hello again! Today we're going to play a game. Who knows the game Simon Says? Good. Let's play that game for a few minutes. I'll tell you some things to do and you do them. Just remember not to do anything unless I say, "Simon Says," first. If you do, you're out of the game. Let's play. Simon Says stand up. Simon Says turn around. Simon Says put your arms up. Put your arms down. (did you catch anyone? play the game for a few moments and point out when the children make mistakes; to make it more challenging, say your comments really fast) Good! Game over. Have a seat and let's talk.