Chosen
Children's sermon
Object:
a very small puppy or kitty in a decorated box
Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are beginning another new year. About a month ago we celebrated the beginning of a new church year when we welcomed in Advent. Now we are beginning a new calendar year with the start of what month? (let them answer) That's right, January. I think all of us like new beginnings, don't we? (let them answer)
I brought along a friend that is looking for a new beginning. (bring out the puppy or kitty in a nice box with some ribbons on it) This little friend doesn't have a name or a place to live, but isn't he/she beautiful? The reason that he/she doesn't have a name or a place to live is because he/she doesn't belong to anyone. But this puppy will have a name and a home pretty soon because he/she is going to be adopted by a very nice family. Someone has chosen her/him. After she/he is adopted, the family will give her/him a new home and a name. Isn't that wonderful? Being adopted means being chosen. Being chosen means being loved.
Saint Paul, who loved Jesus with all his heart, wrote to some people in a city named Ephesus. In his letter, he talked about the great love God has for us and how he chose us to be his children. We certainly do not have the same parents. But God loved us so much that even though we were born into sin he wanted to adopt us and make us brothers and sisters of Jesus.
What a wonderful thought! Because of God's love we are made part of the family of God. Remember this little puppy doesn't have a home and doesn't have a family name but because a family loves him/her so much they are going to adopt him/her. That means the puppy will have a place to live, a name, and great love. The same thing is true for you and your parents and all of the people who believe in God. God adopts us as his own children, gives us Christian names, and promises us we will live with him in his world. Now we share our lives with God in this world, and when we die, he promises us that we will live with Jesus in heaven.
The next time you see a little puppy in a store window waiting to be adopted, you can think of how God chose you and adopted you to be his very own and a brother or sister to Jesus.
I brought along a friend that is looking for a new beginning. (bring out the puppy or kitty in a nice box with some ribbons on it) This little friend doesn't have a name or a place to live, but isn't he/she beautiful? The reason that he/she doesn't have a name or a place to live is because he/she doesn't belong to anyone. But this puppy will have a name and a home pretty soon because he/she is going to be adopted by a very nice family. Someone has chosen her/him. After she/he is adopted, the family will give her/him a new home and a name. Isn't that wonderful? Being adopted means being chosen. Being chosen means being loved.
Saint Paul, who loved Jesus with all his heart, wrote to some people in a city named Ephesus. In his letter, he talked about the great love God has for us and how he chose us to be his children. We certainly do not have the same parents. But God loved us so much that even though we were born into sin he wanted to adopt us and make us brothers and sisters of Jesus.
What a wonderful thought! Because of God's love we are made part of the family of God. Remember this little puppy doesn't have a home and doesn't have a family name but because a family loves him/her so much they are going to adopt him/her. That means the puppy will have a place to live, a name, and great love. The same thing is true for you and your parents and all of the people who believe in God. God adopts us as his own children, gives us Christian names, and promises us we will live with him in his world. Now we share our lives with God in this world, and when we die, he promises us that we will live with Jesus in heaven.
The next time you see a little puppy in a store window waiting to be adopted, you can think of how God chose you and adopted you to be his very own and a brother or sister to Jesus.
