Coming home
Children's sermon
Object:
an umbrella
For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls. (v. 25)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you today? (allow answers) How many of you have ever been outside in a rainstorm? (allow answers) What was it like? (allow answers) Did you have an umbrella? (show umbrella; allow answers)
Rainstorms aren't fun to be in, but if someone you're with has an umbrella, at least you can stay dry! If you are with someone who has an umbrella, do you ever go out from beneath the umbrella? (allow answers) Sometimes you have to -- maybe you have to walk around something, or maybe you just want to run in the rain! But you always come back to the dry, safe circle underneath the umbrella.
God's love is like our umbrella. When we follow God's will, it's like we are standing under his umbrella, protected from the bad things that are raining down around us. But sometimes we don't follow God's will. Sometimes we do bad things and run out from the protective circle of God's umbrella. Sometimes we might think it is fun to play in the rain -- to do things that are not pleasing to God. But we know that God's umbrella of love is still there. We know that we can go back to stand beneath his shelter and be dry from the storm. It might be hard to leave some of the bad things behind but being beneath the shelter of God's love is important. When things are difficult in life, we can return and God will shelter us and keep us safe from the storm. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you today? (allow answers) How many of you have ever been outside in a rainstorm? (allow answers) What was it like? (allow answers) Did you have an umbrella? (show umbrella; allow answers)
Rainstorms aren't fun to be in, but if someone you're with has an umbrella, at least you can stay dry! If you are with someone who has an umbrella, do you ever go out from beneath the umbrella? (allow answers) Sometimes you have to -- maybe you have to walk around something, or maybe you just want to run in the rain! But you always come back to the dry, safe circle underneath the umbrella.
God's love is like our umbrella. When we follow God's will, it's like we are standing under his umbrella, protected from the bad things that are raining down around us. But sometimes we don't follow God's will. Sometimes we do bad things and run out from the protective circle of God's umbrella. Sometimes we might think it is fun to play in the rain -- to do things that are not pleasing to God. But we know that God's umbrella of love is still there. We know that we can go back to stand beneath his shelter and be dry from the storm. It might be hard to leave some of the bad things behind but being beneath the shelter of God's love is important. When things are difficult in life, we can return and God will shelter us and keep us safe from the storm. Amen.
