Catching people
Children's sermon
Object:
a fishing net
Good morning! What do I have here? (Show the net and let
them answer.) Yes, this is a fishing net. Have any of ever been
fishing and used a net like this? (Let them answer.)
In the Gospel reading today, we heard about some friends of
Jesus who were fishing with nets. Now, the nets they used were
much bigger than this one. They would throw the net off the boat
and then pull it back in, catching the fish in it. Jesus told
these men that he was going to make them into a different kind of
fishermen. He was going to make them into fishers of people. What
do you think he meant by that? (Let them answer.) He meant that
they would be catching people for God. They would be telling
people the Good News about Jesus and bringing them into the
church.
Now there are two ways you can catch fish. You can throw a
net like these men did, or you can use a hook with bait on it.
The difference is that if you use a hook with bait, the fish
makes the decision to bite or not to bite. If you use a net, the
fish makes no decision at all. He is just swimming along minding
his own business, and the net surrounds him and pulls him in. God
doesn't use a hook to pull people into the church. He uses a net.
The net is the Good News about Jesus: how he died on the cross to
pay for our sins, and if we believe in him we go to Heaven. We
share this good news with people, and like a net it draws them to
God. Do you think God wants you and me to fish for people with
this net? (Let them answer.) Yes, He surely does! Just like those
friends of Jesus, God calls on us to spread His net over people
and bring them to church.
Let's ask God to help us catch people for Him.
Dear Father in Heaven: We know that You want us to catch people
with the Good News about Jesus. Help us spread Your wonderful
Good News about Jesus to all the people that we know. Amen.
them answer.) Yes, this is a fishing net. Have any of ever been
fishing and used a net like this? (Let them answer.)
In the Gospel reading today, we heard about some friends of
Jesus who were fishing with nets. Now, the nets they used were
much bigger than this one. They would throw the net off the boat
and then pull it back in, catching the fish in it. Jesus told
these men that he was going to make them into a different kind of
fishermen. He was going to make them into fishers of people. What
do you think he meant by that? (Let them answer.) He meant that
they would be catching people for God. They would be telling
people the Good News about Jesus and bringing them into the
church.
Now there are two ways you can catch fish. You can throw a
net like these men did, or you can use a hook with bait on it.
The difference is that if you use a hook with bait, the fish
makes the decision to bite or not to bite. If you use a net, the
fish makes no decision at all. He is just swimming along minding
his own business, and the net surrounds him and pulls him in. God
doesn't use a hook to pull people into the church. He uses a net.
The net is the Good News about Jesus: how he died on the cross to
pay for our sins, and if we believe in him we go to Heaven. We
share this good news with people, and like a net it draws them to
God. Do you think God wants you and me to fish for people with
this net? (Let them answer.) Yes, He surely does! Just like those
friends of Jesus, God calls on us to spread His net over people
and bring them to church.
Let's ask God to help us catch people for Him.
Dear Father in Heaven: We know that You want us to catch people
with the Good News about Jesus. Help us spread Your wonderful
Good News about Jesus to all the people that we know. Amen.
