Activation
Children's sermon
Object:
yeast (or bread)
All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. (v. 11)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we're going to talk about yeast. How many of you know what yeast is? (allow answers) Yeast is an ingredient in a food that we all eat a lot of: bread! Do any of you know what yeast does? (allow answers) If you decide to make bread, you need to have yeast to make sure that your bread will rise. When you cut a loaf of bread, have you seen all the tiny holes that are in each piece? (allow answers) Those tiny holes are from the bread rising. We want bread to rise so that it is light and fluffy. If it doesn't rise, it will be hard and heavy and not very good to eat! Yeast is the ingredient that makes the bread rise so that it can be delicious.
But you can't just put yeast into bread and expect everything to work out. You have to do something called "activating" the yeast. Have any of you heard the word "activate" before? (allow answers) Can anyone guess what it means? (allow answers) "Activate" is a fancy way to say "get started." We might activate a computer by turning it on. We activate alarm sirens by pulling the fire alarm. So activating something is getting it started -- kicking it off.
To activate yeast, all you need to do is put it in warm water. The yeast should start to foam when the warm water activates it to start rising. Then you put it in your bread dough, and ta-da! You are on your way to having fluffy, delicious bread.
Our reading today talks about activation, but it's not talking about yeast. Instead, it's talking about people... it talks about us. Wait a minute, you might say. I'm not yeast! I don't need activated.
But remember that "activate" means "start." We can activate anything. And in this case, the Bible is talking about the Spirit activating us.
What do you think it means for the Holy Spirit to "activate" us? (allow answers) We believe that the Spirit is the part of God that is invisible -- the part that is in our hearts and minds. All of our talents and abilities are given to us by the Holy Spirit. So when the Spirit activates us, it is giving us a place to start. When the Spirit activates us, it shows us our own skills and abilities and shows us how we can use them to make a difference in the world.
Next time you eat a piece of bread, remember the activation that has to happen before that bread can be made. Think about what it means to be activated for God and imagine what wonderful things you can accomplish with just a little activation. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we're going to talk about yeast. How many of you know what yeast is? (allow answers) Yeast is an ingredient in a food that we all eat a lot of: bread! Do any of you know what yeast does? (allow answers) If you decide to make bread, you need to have yeast to make sure that your bread will rise. When you cut a loaf of bread, have you seen all the tiny holes that are in each piece? (allow answers) Those tiny holes are from the bread rising. We want bread to rise so that it is light and fluffy. If it doesn't rise, it will be hard and heavy and not very good to eat! Yeast is the ingredient that makes the bread rise so that it can be delicious.
But you can't just put yeast into bread and expect everything to work out. You have to do something called "activating" the yeast. Have any of you heard the word "activate" before? (allow answers) Can anyone guess what it means? (allow answers) "Activate" is a fancy way to say "get started." We might activate a computer by turning it on. We activate alarm sirens by pulling the fire alarm. So activating something is getting it started -- kicking it off.
To activate yeast, all you need to do is put it in warm water. The yeast should start to foam when the warm water activates it to start rising. Then you put it in your bread dough, and ta-da! You are on your way to having fluffy, delicious bread.
Our reading today talks about activation, but it's not talking about yeast. Instead, it's talking about people... it talks about us. Wait a minute, you might say. I'm not yeast! I don't need activated.
But remember that "activate" means "start." We can activate anything. And in this case, the Bible is talking about the Spirit activating us.
What do you think it means for the Holy Spirit to "activate" us? (allow answers) We believe that the Spirit is the part of God that is invisible -- the part that is in our hearts and minds. All of our talents and abilities are given to us by the Holy Spirit. So when the Spirit activates us, it is giving us a place to start. When the Spirit activates us, it shows us our own skills and abilities and shows us how we can use them to make a difference in the world.
Next time you eat a piece of bread, remember the activation that has to happen before that bread can be made. Think about what it means to be activated for God and imagine what wonderful things you can accomplish with just a little activation. Amen.
