Always rejoice
Children's sermon
Object:
draw a smiling face on your left pointer finger; draw a
frowning face on your right pointer finger
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you ever draw faces on your
fingernails? (Ask the question and show your two fingernail
faces.) I draw faces on my fingernails. This morning I have a
smiling face on one (show it), and a frowning face on the other
(show it). Let's name these two faces. What shall we name the
smiling face? (Let someone name it.) What shall we name the
frowning face? (Let someone name it.)
I want to tell you a story about these two faces. The same thing happens to both fingers. The only difference is the smiling face is always happy, no matter what happens. It is always rejoicing. The frowning face is always frowning, no matter what happens. One day the two fingers were treated to an early Christmas present. The smiling face was so happy to get something early, it didn't matter which present it was able to open. The frowning face didn't like its present. It wanted a different one. On another day the two fingers were given a Christmas cookie. The cookie didn't have any icing on it. The smiling face didn't mind. It said, "I'm grateful to have this cookie." The frowning face complained that the cookie didn't have any icing. On another day, the two fingers helped decorate the Christmas tree. The only problem was that most of the favorite ornaments were already on the tree. The smiling face said, "That's all right. I'm just glad I was able to put some ornaments on the tree." The frowning face complained that only the old broken ornaments remained to be put on the tree. (You may add more situations here if you wish.)
If you were one of these fingers, which one would you want to be? (Let them answer.) I hope you would be a smiling face. My two fingers make me think of this morning's lesson. The lesson tells us to rejoice always, no matter what situation you are facing. That means that sometime things may not be going good for you. You may be having a bad day. If that is the case, you should rejoice and be glad, just like my smiling finger.
This week, try to rejoice. The next time something happens to you, even if it isn't something great, try not to complain. Try to rejoice. Look for something good in the situation. Be glad. The Bible says to rejoice no matter what happens. Can you do that this week?
I want to tell you a story about these two faces. The same thing happens to both fingers. The only difference is the smiling face is always happy, no matter what happens. It is always rejoicing. The frowning face is always frowning, no matter what happens. One day the two fingers were treated to an early Christmas present. The smiling face was so happy to get something early, it didn't matter which present it was able to open. The frowning face didn't like its present. It wanted a different one. On another day the two fingers were given a Christmas cookie. The cookie didn't have any icing on it. The smiling face didn't mind. It said, "I'm grateful to have this cookie." The frowning face complained that the cookie didn't have any icing. On another day, the two fingers helped decorate the Christmas tree. The only problem was that most of the favorite ornaments were already on the tree. The smiling face said, "That's all right. I'm just glad I was able to put some ornaments on the tree." The frowning face complained that only the old broken ornaments remained to be put on the tree. (You may add more situations here if you wish.)
If you were one of these fingers, which one would you want to be? (Let them answer.) I hope you would be a smiling face. My two fingers make me think of this morning's lesson. The lesson tells us to rejoice always, no matter what situation you are facing. That means that sometime things may not be going good for you. You may be having a bad day. If that is the case, you should rejoice and be glad, just like my smiling finger.
This week, try to rejoice. The next time something happens to you, even if it isn't something great, try not to complain. Try to rejoice. Look for something good in the situation. Be glad. The Bible says to rejoice no matter what happens. Can you do that this week?
