Being Honest!
Children's sermon
Object: A large paper bag with candy or stickers inside, depending on what you are comfortable giving your children.
Note: When the child reaches into the bag, quickly squeeze or shake the bag and make a noise to surprise them. The goal is just to surprise them, not scare them. Have fun with this!
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! It is a story about how important it is to tell the truth. But before I tell you the story, I brought some treats for us. (Invite the first child to get something from the sack. As they reach inside, surprise them.) Did I surprise you? (Let them respond.) I was just playing a trick on you. Okay, this time you can get a piece. (Offer the sack and repeat the surprise. If they hesitate at first, tell them you were just kidding before and won’t do it again. But then do it again.) Surprise! Okay, that wasn’t very nice, was it? (Let them respond.) Want to try one more time? (Let them respond. If they try again, let them successfully pull a piece from the sack.)
(Select another child and invite them to reach into the sack. Act like you might surprise them again.) You look like you aren’t sure you trust me. (Let them respond.) Why don’t you trust me? (Let them respond.) Is it because I didn’t tell the truth before and kept grabbing the bag? (Let them respond.) What if I promise not to do it again? Does that help? (Let them respond as you invite them to reach into the sack again. Act like you are going to surprise them, but go ahead and let them pull something from the sack.) You weren’t sure, were you? (Let them respond.)
And that’s what happens when we don’t tell the truth, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) If we don’t tell the truth, people might think we will do it again, won’t they? (Let them respond.) Even if we just tell one lie, people might have a hard time trusting us again. And our story today is about three men who didn’t trust someone because they knew he told lies sometimes.
Does anyone remember what we called the three men who came to see the baby Jesus when He was born? (Let them respond.) We called them the three wise men, or the Magi, didn’t we? (Let them respond.) They were important men from far away who had followed a star to find where Jesus was born. And when they got to Israel, they had to stop and see King Herod to get his permission to visit. When they told Herod where they were going, Herod thought he would trick the wise men so he could find out where the baby was so he could send his soldiers to get him. Herod was afraid Jesus might grow up and cause problems for him. So, Herod told the three men they were welcome to look for the baby, and when they found him, he said they should come back and tell Herod where he was so he could go and worship him, too. But Herod was not telling the truth, was he? (Let them respond.) Herod was lying to the three men, wasn’t he? (Let them respond.)
But the men knew about King Herod and knew that he had told a lot of lies and tricked people before, so they did not believe him at all. So, when they found the baby in Bethlehem, did they go back and tell King Herod where he was? (Let them respond.) No, they didn’t. They knew that Herod was not telling them the truth, so they went back home a different way so Herod could not find Jesus to hurt him. Herod said he wanted to follow Jesus, but he wasn’t telling the truth, was he? (Let them respond.) And since the three men knew he wasn’t telling the truth, they did not trust him.
So, if we want people to trust us, what do we need to do? (Let them respond.) We need to be truthful, don’t we? (Let them respond.) If we want people to believe we are trying to follow Jesus, we need to make sure we show them we are telling the truth. And who can remember what two things we need to do if we are following Jesus? (Let them respond.) We need to love God, and what else? (Let them respond.) We need to love and take care of each other, don’t we? (Let them respond.) That’s what Jesus told us to do, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) We need to help take care of all of God’s children, no matter who or where they are.
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
(As the children leave, invite each child to ‘safely’ pick one thing from the sack. No surprises this time.)
Note: When the child reaches into the bag, quickly squeeze or shake the bag and make a noise to surprise them. The goal is just to surprise them, not scare them. Have fun with this!
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Excellent! It is a story about how important it is to tell the truth. But before I tell you the story, I brought some treats for us. (Invite the first child to get something from the sack. As they reach inside, surprise them.) Did I surprise you? (Let them respond.) I was just playing a trick on you. Okay, this time you can get a piece. (Offer the sack and repeat the surprise. If they hesitate at first, tell them you were just kidding before and won’t do it again. But then do it again.) Surprise! Okay, that wasn’t very nice, was it? (Let them respond.) Want to try one more time? (Let them respond. If they try again, let them successfully pull a piece from the sack.)
(Select another child and invite them to reach into the sack. Act like you might surprise them again.) You look like you aren’t sure you trust me. (Let them respond.) Why don’t you trust me? (Let them respond.) Is it because I didn’t tell the truth before and kept grabbing the bag? (Let them respond.) What if I promise not to do it again? Does that help? (Let them respond as you invite them to reach into the sack again. Act like you are going to surprise them, but go ahead and let them pull something from the sack.) You weren’t sure, were you? (Let them respond.)
And that’s what happens when we don’t tell the truth, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) If we don’t tell the truth, people might think we will do it again, won’t they? (Let them respond.) Even if we just tell one lie, people might have a hard time trusting us again. And our story today is about three men who didn’t trust someone because they knew he told lies sometimes.
Does anyone remember what we called the three men who came to see the baby Jesus when He was born? (Let them respond.) We called them the three wise men, or the Magi, didn’t we? (Let them respond.) They were important men from far away who had followed a star to find where Jesus was born. And when they got to Israel, they had to stop and see King Herod to get his permission to visit. When they told Herod where they were going, Herod thought he would trick the wise men so he could find out where the baby was so he could send his soldiers to get him. Herod was afraid Jesus might grow up and cause problems for him. So, Herod told the three men they were welcome to look for the baby, and when they found him, he said they should come back and tell Herod where he was so he could go and worship him, too. But Herod was not telling the truth, was he? (Let them respond.) Herod was lying to the three men, wasn’t he? (Let them respond.)
But the men knew about King Herod and knew that he had told a lot of lies and tricked people before, so they did not believe him at all. So, when they found the baby in Bethlehem, did they go back and tell King Herod where he was? (Let them respond.) No, they didn’t. They knew that Herod was not telling them the truth, so they went back home a different way so Herod could not find Jesus to hurt him. Herod said he wanted to follow Jesus, but he wasn’t telling the truth, was he? (Let them respond.) And since the three men knew he wasn’t telling the truth, they did not trust him.
So, if we want people to trust us, what do we need to do? (Let them respond.) We need to be truthful, don’t we? (Let them respond.) If we want people to believe we are trying to follow Jesus, we need to make sure we show them we are telling the truth. And who can remember what two things we need to do if we are following Jesus? (Let them respond.) We need to love God, and what else? (Let them respond.) We need to love and take care of each other, don’t we? (Let them respond.) That’s what Jesus told us to do, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) We need to help take care of all of God’s children, no matter who or where they are.
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
(As the children leave, invite each child to ‘safely’ pick one thing from the sack. No surprises this time.)
