Decisions!
Children's sermon
Object: One of those “Magic Eight Balls”, or a simple coin to toss. You could also use any other object you have that people might use to help them make decisions.
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Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Then I will start with a question.
How do you make decisions? (Let them respond.) When you have to make a choice about what to do, how do you decide? (Let them respond.) For example, how would you decide what to do if one of these things happened?
You see someone who looks really afraid or lonely. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
You see someone being laughed at or picked on. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
You see someone who lives someplace that is very dangerous and they want to come and live where you live because it is much safer. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
You see someone being completely ignored by everyone else. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
How did you decide what you were going to do for each of those questions? (Let them respond.) There are a lot of ways to make decisions. (Show the Magic 8 Ball or coin.) Some people use things like this to help them make decisions. Have you done that before? (Let them respond.) Maybe we want to decide what to have for lunch, either a hot dog or a taco.
OPTION 1: So, we ask the Magic 8 Ball, “Should I have a hot dog for lunch?” and we look to see what it says. (Use the Magic 8 Ball and tell the children what it says.)
OPTION 2: So, we take our coin and say, “Heads I have a hot dog, and tails I have a taco.” (Flip the coin and tell the children what it says.)
That’s one way we might make decisions. Another way might be to wait and see what everyone else is having, and then decide what we will have. Or we might just ask someone else what they think we should have. There are a lot of ways to make decisions, aren’t there? (Let them respond.)
Well, one day Jesus told his friends that he was going to leave them soon, and he wanted to make sure they knew how to make good decisions so they could keep helping people the way God wanted them to. He told them that when they made a decision about what to do, they just needed to remember that he was going to come back again one of these days, and when he came back, he would reward each person according to what they had done. The reward they get will depend on the decisions they have made.
Another time Jesus told people that they would reap what they sow. Just like in a garden, if we plant tomato seeds, we will end up having tomatoes, and if we plant corn seeds, we will end up having corn. So, if we make the decision to plant “mean” seeds, we will end up getting mean things back. But if we make decisions that are good, we will end up having good things, too.
Another time Jesus said that we should do things for other people that we would want them to do for us. If we want people to be nice to us, we should be nice to them. And if we want people to help us when we need help, we should help other people when they need help.
Jesus talked about making decisions so many times I think it must be pretty important, don’t you? (Let them respond.) He wants us to remember that the decisions we make do impact other people, but they impact us too! Jesus said that the way we treat other people is the way God will treat us.
So, let me ask those questions again, the way that Jesus might ask them.
You are afraid or lonely. What would you like someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
You are being laughed at or picked on. What would you like someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
You live someplace very dangerous and want to come and live where it is safer. What would you want someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
You are being ignored by everyone else. What would you want someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
(Show the Magic 8 Ball or coin.) Things like this might be fun to play with sometimes, but they probably aren’t the best way for us to make decisions, are they? (Let them respond.) Jesus wants us to remember that God wants us to make decisions that will help us take care of each other. If we do that, God will take care of us. God will give us what we give to others.
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.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! Then I will start with a question.
How do you make decisions? (Let them respond.) When you have to make a choice about what to do, how do you decide? (Let them respond.) For example, how would you decide what to do if one of these things happened?
You see someone who looks really afraid or lonely. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
You see someone being laughed at or picked on. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
You see someone who lives someplace that is very dangerous and they want to come and live where you live because it is much safer. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
You see someone being completely ignored by everyone else. How would you decide what to do? (Let them respond.)
How did you decide what you were going to do for each of those questions? (Let them respond.) There are a lot of ways to make decisions. (Show the Magic 8 Ball or coin.) Some people use things like this to help them make decisions. Have you done that before? (Let them respond.) Maybe we want to decide what to have for lunch, either a hot dog or a taco.
OPTION 1: So, we ask the Magic 8 Ball, “Should I have a hot dog for lunch?” and we look to see what it says. (Use the Magic 8 Ball and tell the children what it says.)
OPTION 2: So, we take our coin and say, “Heads I have a hot dog, and tails I have a taco.” (Flip the coin and tell the children what it says.)
That’s one way we might make decisions. Another way might be to wait and see what everyone else is having, and then decide what we will have. Or we might just ask someone else what they think we should have. There are a lot of ways to make decisions, aren’t there? (Let them respond.)
Well, one day Jesus told his friends that he was going to leave them soon, and he wanted to make sure they knew how to make good decisions so they could keep helping people the way God wanted them to. He told them that when they made a decision about what to do, they just needed to remember that he was going to come back again one of these days, and when he came back, he would reward each person according to what they had done. The reward they get will depend on the decisions they have made.
Another time Jesus told people that they would reap what they sow. Just like in a garden, if we plant tomato seeds, we will end up having tomatoes, and if we plant corn seeds, we will end up having corn. So, if we make the decision to plant “mean” seeds, we will end up getting mean things back. But if we make decisions that are good, we will end up having good things, too.
Another time Jesus said that we should do things for other people that we would want them to do for us. If we want people to be nice to us, we should be nice to them. And if we want people to help us when we need help, we should help other people when they need help.
Jesus talked about making decisions so many times I think it must be pretty important, don’t you? (Let them respond.) He wants us to remember that the decisions we make do impact other people, but they impact us too! Jesus said that the way we treat other people is the way God will treat us.
So, let me ask those questions again, the way that Jesus might ask them.
You are afraid or lonely. What would you like someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
You are being laughed at or picked on. What would you like someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
You live someplace very dangerous and want to come and live where it is safer. What would you want someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
You are being ignored by everyone else. What would you want someone to do for you? (Let them respond.)
(Show the Magic 8 Ball or coin.) Things like this might be fun to play with sometimes, but they probably aren’t the best way for us to make decisions, are they? (Let them respond.) Jesus wants us to remember that God wants us to make decisions that will help us take care of each other. If we do that, God will take care of us. God will give us what we give to others.
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.
