Are We There Yet? Part 3
Children's sermon
Note: This sermon is the third in a series you can continue through Advent. This is a great opportunity to have some fun with the children as you lead up to Christmas. The series is designed to end on Christmas Eve, but you can end it on the 4th Sunday of Advent if you do not have a children’s sermon on Christmas Eve. The most important part of this series is that the more fun you have with it, the more fun everyone else will have too!
Objects: You will need three objects:
1) A box with the word “WAIT!” written on the side of it in big letters. The box should be big enough to hold a collection of “gifts” you will give the children when you do finally open it. Fun gifts might be things like noisemakers or other party-favors so you can all celebrate the fact that the box has been “finally” opened. You will not actually need to have the gifts inside the box until the last message of the series when you finally open the box.
2) A piece of paper with a note that says, “Do not open until you hear the alarm go off!”.
3) An alarm clock of some kind. For the most fun, find a big, old alarm clock that looks like it will make a lot of noise, but anything with an alarm on it will work. Remember that you will not actually “set” the alarm until the last message in the series.
Two volunteers: For the most fun, pick two children to help you with this message. You can either pick them yourself or ask for volunteers. One will pretend they are Isaiah and the other will pretend they are John the Baptist, and you will tell them the words they are to say as you go through the message. If you do not want to use volunteers, you can modify the message and read all of the parts yourself (but it is more fun with volunteers).
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (vv. 6-8)
Message:
(As the children join you, place the box and alarm clock on the floor where everyone can see it.)
Hi everyone! I have the box with me again, and I’m still waiting. Do you remember what I am waiting for? (Let them respond.) Yes, the note that came with the box said that I was supposed to wait until the alarm goes off before I open the box and see what is inside. How long have we been waiting now? A week? (Let them respond.) We’ve been waiting two weeks; two whole weeks! I am really getting curious about what might be inside the box. Do you have any ideas? (Let them respond.) Well, maybe the alarm will go off today and we’ll find out. I hope so.
But I guess two weeks isn’t that long to wait.
I need two volunteers to help me this morning. Would anyone like to help me out? (Let them respond, or just pick two children you know will be able to help you. Pick one of them to be Isaiah, and the other to be John.) Great. Thank you!
I would like our first volunteer to pretend to be Isaiah. Last week we said Isaiah was a prophet who told everyone that God was going to do something really special for them. So, Isaiah, would you please stand up? And raise your arms in the air like you are making a big announcement. Now say, “Listen everyone!” (Let Isaiah respond.) Now say, “God is going to do something really awesome to help you!” (Let Isaiah respond.) And that made all of the rest of us get really excited.Let’s act excited. (Let them respond.) And then we all sat down and waited to see what God was going to do for us.
Do you remember how long everyone had to wait for what Isaiah told them? (Let them respond.) Yes, Isaiah told them that God was going to send someone to help them and they waited 700 years for Jesus to finally be born. Wow, I guess waiting a few weeks isn’t all that bad, huh? (Let them respond.)
700 years is along time to wait. God did send other prophets to remind them every once in a while, but a lot of people still started to believe that God was never going to help them and they just gave up waiting.
Now, I would like our second volunteer to stand up. You are going to pretend to be the man called John; they called him John the Baptist. A lot of people thought John was another prophet, like Isaiah. Let’s all ask him.
Let’s say, “Hey, John, are you a prophet?” (Let them respond.) And John said, “Nope, I’m not a prophet.” (Let John say it.)
And some thought he might be the one God was going to send to save them. Let’s ask him. Let’s say, “Hey, John, are you the one who will save us?” (Let them respond.) And John said, “Nope, I’m not the Savior.” (Let John say it.)
John wasn’t a prophet and he wasn’t the Savior, so everyone wondered just who John was. Let’s ask him. Let’s say, “Hey John, who are you?”
Okay, John, raise your arms up like you are making a big announcement. And John said, “God sent me to tell you something!” (Let John say it.)
And let’s all say, “Tell us what?” (Let them respond.)
And John said, “You don’t have to wait any longer.” (Let John say it.) And he said, “So you had better get ready!” (Let John say it.)
Let’s have a round of applause for our two volunteers today! They did awesome! (Let everyone respond.)
After waiting 700 years, John told them that Isaiah’s promise had finally come true, and God had sent Jesus to help them. John was like the alarm that we’re still waiting to hear, wasn’t he; the alarm that tells us it is time to open this box. John was the alarm that told everyone that Jesus was showing up.
I guess we’re going to have to wait another week for our alarm to go off though, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
Well, while we wait, let’s remember to think of things we can do that will let someone know we care about them like God wants us to, and how we might make their day a bit nicer. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but just some way we might let them know that we care about them. Can you think of anything we might do like that? (Let them respond.) Yes, maybe just smile, or say something nice, or help them with something they are doing, or just spending some time with them. Those are things that can help someone have a nicer day. Even just remembering to say, “Thank You!” to someone. Those are all things that God has asked us to do and are things we can do while we wait.
Before we go, let’s say a short prayer again to ask God to help us remember some of the things we can do for those around us this week while we wait for Christmas to get here.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you again for reminding us how much you love all of us, and how important it is for us to take care of each other. Please help us find ways to let the people around us know that we love them. Amen.
Objects: You will need three objects:
1) A box with the word “WAIT!” written on the side of it in big letters. The box should be big enough to hold a collection of “gifts” you will give the children when you do finally open it. Fun gifts might be things like noisemakers or other party-favors so you can all celebrate the fact that the box has been “finally” opened. You will not actually need to have the gifts inside the box until the last message of the series when you finally open the box.
2) A piece of paper with a note that says, “Do not open until you hear the alarm go off!”.
3) An alarm clock of some kind. For the most fun, find a big, old alarm clock that looks like it will make a lot of noise, but anything with an alarm on it will work. Remember that you will not actually “set” the alarm until the last message in the series.
Two volunteers: For the most fun, pick two children to help you with this message. You can either pick them yourself or ask for volunteers. One will pretend they are Isaiah and the other will pretend they are John the Baptist, and you will tell them the words they are to say as you go through the message. If you do not want to use volunteers, you can modify the message and read all of the parts yourself (but it is more fun with volunteers).
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. (vv. 6-8)
Message:
(As the children join you, place the box and alarm clock on the floor where everyone can see it.)
Hi everyone! I have the box with me again, and I’m still waiting. Do you remember what I am waiting for? (Let them respond.) Yes, the note that came with the box said that I was supposed to wait until the alarm goes off before I open the box and see what is inside. How long have we been waiting now? A week? (Let them respond.) We’ve been waiting two weeks; two whole weeks! I am really getting curious about what might be inside the box. Do you have any ideas? (Let them respond.) Well, maybe the alarm will go off today and we’ll find out. I hope so.
But I guess two weeks isn’t that long to wait.
I need two volunteers to help me this morning. Would anyone like to help me out? (Let them respond, or just pick two children you know will be able to help you. Pick one of them to be Isaiah, and the other to be John.) Great. Thank you!
I would like our first volunteer to pretend to be Isaiah. Last week we said Isaiah was a prophet who told everyone that God was going to do something really special for them. So, Isaiah, would you please stand up? And raise your arms in the air like you are making a big announcement. Now say, “Listen everyone!” (Let Isaiah respond.) Now say, “God is going to do something really awesome to help you!” (Let Isaiah respond.) And that made all of the rest of us get really excited.Let’s act excited. (Let them respond.) And then we all sat down and waited to see what God was going to do for us.
Do you remember how long everyone had to wait for what Isaiah told them? (Let them respond.) Yes, Isaiah told them that God was going to send someone to help them and they waited 700 years for Jesus to finally be born. Wow, I guess waiting a few weeks isn’t all that bad, huh? (Let them respond.)
700 years is along time to wait. God did send other prophets to remind them every once in a while, but a lot of people still started to believe that God was never going to help them and they just gave up waiting.
Now, I would like our second volunteer to stand up. You are going to pretend to be the man called John; they called him John the Baptist. A lot of people thought John was another prophet, like Isaiah. Let’s all ask him.
Let’s say, “Hey, John, are you a prophet?” (Let them respond.) And John said, “Nope, I’m not a prophet.” (Let John say it.)
And some thought he might be the one God was going to send to save them. Let’s ask him. Let’s say, “Hey, John, are you the one who will save us?” (Let them respond.) And John said, “Nope, I’m not the Savior.” (Let John say it.)
John wasn’t a prophet and he wasn’t the Savior, so everyone wondered just who John was. Let’s ask him. Let’s say, “Hey John, who are you?”
Okay, John, raise your arms up like you are making a big announcement. And John said, “God sent me to tell you something!” (Let John say it.)
And let’s all say, “Tell us what?” (Let them respond.)
And John said, “You don’t have to wait any longer.” (Let John say it.) And he said, “So you had better get ready!” (Let John say it.)
Let’s have a round of applause for our two volunteers today! They did awesome! (Let everyone respond.)
After waiting 700 years, John told them that Isaiah’s promise had finally come true, and God had sent Jesus to help them. John was like the alarm that we’re still waiting to hear, wasn’t he; the alarm that tells us it is time to open this box. John was the alarm that told everyone that Jesus was showing up.
I guess we’re going to have to wait another week for our alarm to go off though, aren’t we? (Let them respond.)
Well, while we wait, let’s remember to think of things we can do that will let someone know we care about them like God wants us to, and how we might make their day a bit nicer. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but just some way we might let them know that we care about them. Can you think of anything we might do like that? (Let them respond.) Yes, maybe just smile, or say something nice, or help them with something they are doing, or just spending some time with them. Those are things that can help someone have a nicer day. Even just remembering to say, “Thank You!” to someone. Those are all things that God has asked us to do and are things we can do while we wait.
Before we go, let’s say a short prayer again to ask God to help us remember some of the things we can do for those around us this week while we wait for Christmas to get here.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you again for reminding us how much you love all of us, and how important it is for us to take care of each other. Please help us find ways to let the people around us know that we love them. Amen.
