Burdens eased
Children's sermon
Object:
a dolly (a two-wheeled cart)
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. (v. 7)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Do any of you know what this is? (allow answers) This is called a dolly. Do any of you know what a dolly is used for? (allow answers) A dolly is a kind of cart that people use to move heavy things. Instead of carrying all the weight of a heavy box, you can put the box on the dolly. It will still be heavy to move, but the dolly eases the burden -- it helps you move the weight more easily. People who use dollies to move things have less chance of pulling a muscle or getting hurt.
Some people might think that using a dolly is a wimpy way to move things! They might say, "Hey! Are you too weak to carry that by yourself?" But people who have jobs where they move heavy things all day know that using a dolly isn't a sign of weakness. A dolly makes their jobs safer and easier, and lets them get more things done quickly. They don't use dollies because they are weak; they use dollies so that they can keep from being injured and can stay strong and healthy.
Sometimes when we are scared or worried about something, we might feel like we are carrying a heavy burden. Have you ever felt scared or worried? (allow answers) When your fear or worry went away -- when the problem was solved -- did you feel lighter? You might feel like "a weight had been lifted off your shoulders," as people often say. (allow answers)
We all carry burdens like that at some time or another. Each person has a time when they feel like all of their fears and worries are too heavy to carry alone. We might feel like we need a dolly to help us with all of this weight!
Lucky for us, we have something that is kind of like a dolly to help us. Can any of you guess what that might be? (allow answers) It's Jesus! Jesus is our helper when things become too heavy for us to carry on our own. We can put our cares on Jesus, just like we can put our heavy boxes or packages on a dolly. When we put our worries on Jesus, it doesn't mean that our problems automatically go away -- and when we put heavy things on a dolly, it doesn't mean they go away, either. In both cases, we still have to deal with our burdens. But Jesus -- the dolly of our soul, we might call him -- helps us carry our burdens with us more easily. He takes some of the weight so that we can keep moving through our lives. As our problems work out, the load gets lighter and lighter.
Next time you feel worried or afraid, remember to put your cares on Jesus. It won't magically solve all of your problems, but you'll feel a lot better. And your load will feel much, much lighter. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Do any of you know what this is? (allow answers) This is called a dolly. Do any of you know what a dolly is used for? (allow answers) A dolly is a kind of cart that people use to move heavy things. Instead of carrying all the weight of a heavy box, you can put the box on the dolly. It will still be heavy to move, but the dolly eases the burden -- it helps you move the weight more easily. People who use dollies to move things have less chance of pulling a muscle or getting hurt.
Some people might think that using a dolly is a wimpy way to move things! They might say, "Hey! Are you too weak to carry that by yourself?" But people who have jobs where they move heavy things all day know that using a dolly isn't a sign of weakness. A dolly makes their jobs safer and easier, and lets them get more things done quickly. They don't use dollies because they are weak; they use dollies so that they can keep from being injured and can stay strong and healthy.
Sometimes when we are scared or worried about something, we might feel like we are carrying a heavy burden. Have you ever felt scared or worried? (allow answers) When your fear or worry went away -- when the problem was solved -- did you feel lighter? You might feel like "a weight had been lifted off your shoulders," as people often say. (allow answers)
We all carry burdens like that at some time or another. Each person has a time when they feel like all of their fears and worries are too heavy to carry alone. We might feel like we need a dolly to help us with all of this weight!
Lucky for us, we have something that is kind of like a dolly to help us. Can any of you guess what that might be? (allow answers) It's Jesus! Jesus is our helper when things become too heavy for us to carry on our own. We can put our cares on Jesus, just like we can put our heavy boxes or packages on a dolly. When we put our worries on Jesus, it doesn't mean that our problems automatically go away -- and when we put heavy things on a dolly, it doesn't mean they go away, either. In both cases, we still have to deal with our burdens. But Jesus -- the dolly of our soul, we might call him -- helps us carry our burdens with us more easily. He takes some of the weight so that we can keep moving through our lives. As our problems work out, the load gets lighter and lighter.
Next time you feel worried or afraid, remember to put your cares on Jesus. It won't magically solve all of your problems, but you'll feel a lot better. And your load will feel much, much lighter. Amen.
