Be prepared
Children's sermon
Object:
a flashlight
Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. (v. 8b)
Good morning, boys and girls! This morning we have a gospel story about some bridesmaids who didn't take enough oil for their lamps and missed a wedding! Have you ever been to a wedding? (allow answers) Is it something you would want to miss? No! It's a very special day for everybody, especially the bride and groom. Well, I brought a flashlight today (flash flashlight) to help explain this story.
We'll use a similar story. This is a story about two friends, Tina and Mark, who went on a camping trip. They went camping in the woods all night long. The reason they camped was because they wanted to see a very rare animal that only came out at night. The only way they could see this animal was if they listened for its call and then shined a flashlight on it. This animal is very special, and Tina and Mark were really excited. Tina and Mark settled down in their tent and started to wait. Suddenly, their flashlights went out! "Oh, no!" Tina says. "Our batteries died!" Mark had thought ahead, though, and pulled some extra batteries out of his pocket. "Hey, Mark," Tina said, "could I use some of those batteries? I really want to see this animal!" But Mark only had enough batteries for one flashlight. He told Tina she should hurry to the nearest store and get some more. Tina takes off at a sprint and finally reaches the nearest store. "Please, can I have some batteries?" she asks. The cashier sold them to her and she sprinted back to the woods. When she got back, Mark had a great big smile on his face. "I saw it!" he said. "It showed up just a little while ago. That animal was really cool, Tina! I'm sorry you missed it!"
How would you feel if you were Tina in that story? (allow answers) Tina missed out on her big chance because she wasn't prepared. Like the foolish bridesmaids in the gospel, she didn't think ahead and missed an important event. Jesus is like that rare animal Tina and Mark were trying to catch a glimpse of, and Jesus is also like the wedding the bridesmaids missed. Jesus is the one we want to be prepared for! Back in Bible times, they used oil lamps to see in the dark just like we use flashlights. Do you know the song, "Give Me Oil In My Lamp"? When you sing that song, you're asking Jesus to help you be prepared to do his work. We could also say, "Give me batteries for my flashlight!" We need Jesus to help us be prepared to follow him whenever he may appear. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! This morning we have a gospel story about some bridesmaids who didn't take enough oil for their lamps and missed a wedding! Have you ever been to a wedding? (allow answers) Is it something you would want to miss? No! It's a very special day for everybody, especially the bride and groom. Well, I brought a flashlight today (flash flashlight) to help explain this story.
We'll use a similar story. This is a story about two friends, Tina and Mark, who went on a camping trip. They went camping in the woods all night long. The reason they camped was because they wanted to see a very rare animal that only came out at night. The only way they could see this animal was if they listened for its call and then shined a flashlight on it. This animal is very special, and Tina and Mark were really excited. Tina and Mark settled down in their tent and started to wait. Suddenly, their flashlights went out! "Oh, no!" Tina says. "Our batteries died!" Mark had thought ahead, though, and pulled some extra batteries out of his pocket. "Hey, Mark," Tina said, "could I use some of those batteries? I really want to see this animal!" But Mark only had enough batteries for one flashlight. He told Tina she should hurry to the nearest store and get some more. Tina takes off at a sprint and finally reaches the nearest store. "Please, can I have some batteries?" she asks. The cashier sold them to her and she sprinted back to the woods. When she got back, Mark had a great big smile on his face. "I saw it!" he said. "It showed up just a little while ago. That animal was really cool, Tina! I'm sorry you missed it!"
How would you feel if you were Tina in that story? (allow answers) Tina missed out on her big chance because she wasn't prepared. Like the foolish bridesmaids in the gospel, she didn't think ahead and missed an important event. Jesus is like that rare animal Tina and Mark were trying to catch a glimpse of, and Jesus is also like the wedding the bridesmaids missed. Jesus is the one we want to be prepared for! Back in Bible times, they used oil lamps to see in the dark just like we use flashlights. Do you know the song, "Give Me Oil In My Lamp"? When you sing that song, you're asking Jesus to help you be prepared to do his work. We could also say, "Give me batteries for my flashlight!" We need Jesus to help us be prepared to follow him whenever he may appear. Amen.
