Bearing fruit
Children's sermon
Object:
a piece of ripe fruit
Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (v. 10)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you know what an orchard is? (allow answers) An orchard is like a garden of trees. Lots of times, people will have fruit orchards, so that they can grow apples, peaches, or pears. How many of you have ever been to a fruit orchard? (allow answers) Did you help pick fruit at the orchard? (allow answers) If you've ever picked fruit in an orchard, you know that some trees have a whole bunch of fruit hanging from their branches, and some trees only have a couple pieces of small, rotten fruit hanging from their branches. Which kind of tree would you prefer to have? The tree with lots of ripe fruit, or the tree with a couple pieces of rotten fruit? (allow answers) Most people would want the tree with lots of healthy fruit!
Our gospel today talks about fruit. In the gospel, John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, is preaching to a bunch of people. He is reminding them to do good works in their lives. John compares people to fruit trees. He says in an orchard, trees that do not bear good fruit are cut down and used for firewood. Farmers do not care for orchard trees just because they are trees in the orchard; they care for orchard trees because they bear good fruit.
John says that as people we should have a similar attitude. Just because we are humans and children of God does not mean that we can be careless about our thoughts and actions. Although God cares for us unconditionally, that doesn't mean that we can be lazy! How many of you know what "unconditional" means? (allow answers) God loves us with unconditional love. That means God will love us no matter what. We can't earn God's love -- he gives it to us like a gift. When you give someone a gift, it is theirs forever, no matter what happens between them and you in the future. You don't go and take back a gift you give someone! God's love is like that. It is a gift given to us when we become part of God's family, and it is a gift that can never be taken away.
However, that doesn't mean we should do whatever we want to. God gives us his love as a gift; although there is nothing we can do to deserve his love, we should try our best every day to bear good fruit for God's orchard. God's orchard is the whole world! What do you think it means for people to bear good fruit? (allow answers) When people bear good fruit, they show love toward others. They show their love by being patient, kind, generous, and forgiving to others.
Think about that next time you go to an orchard or help your mom buy fruit at the grocery store. Just like trees in an orchard should bear good fruit, so we should bear good fruit by showing God's love to everyone we meet. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you know what an orchard is? (allow answers) An orchard is like a garden of trees. Lots of times, people will have fruit orchards, so that they can grow apples, peaches, or pears. How many of you have ever been to a fruit orchard? (allow answers) Did you help pick fruit at the orchard? (allow answers) If you've ever picked fruit in an orchard, you know that some trees have a whole bunch of fruit hanging from their branches, and some trees only have a couple pieces of small, rotten fruit hanging from their branches. Which kind of tree would you prefer to have? The tree with lots of ripe fruit, or the tree with a couple pieces of rotten fruit? (allow answers) Most people would want the tree with lots of healthy fruit!
Our gospel today talks about fruit. In the gospel, John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin, is preaching to a bunch of people. He is reminding them to do good works in their lives. John compares people to fruit trees. He says in an orchard, trees that do not bear good fruit are cut down and used for firewood. Farmers do not care for orchard trees just because they are trees in the orchard; they care for orchard trees because they bear good fruit.
John says that as people we should have a similar attitude. Just because we are humans and children of God does not mean that we can be careless about our thoughts and actions. Although God cares for us unconditionally, that doesn't mean that we can be lazy! How many of you know what "unconditional" means? (allow answers) God loves us with unconditional love. That means God will love us no matter what. We can't earn God's love -- he gives it to us like a gift. When you give someone a gift, it is theirs forever, no matter what happens between them and you in the future. You don't go and take back a gift you give someone! God's love is like that. It is a gift given to us when we become part of God's family, and it is a gift that can never be taken away.
However, that doesn't mean we should do whatever we want to. God gives us his love as a gift; although there is nothing we can do to deserve his love, we should try our best every day to bear good fruit for God's orchard. God's orchard is the whole world! What do you think it means for people to bear good fruit? (allow answers) When people bear good fruit, they show love toward others. They show their love by being patient, kind, generous, and forgiving to others.
Think about that next time you go to an orchard or help your mom buy fruit at the grocery store. Just like trees in an orchard should bear good fruit, so we should bear good fruit by showing God's love to everyone we meet. Amen.
