A different kind of money
Children's sermon
Object:
a credit card and a checkbook
What does money look like? (Let them answer. They will probably answer that it looks like coins and bills.) Now I want to show you a different kind of money. (Show them the credit card.) This will buy almost anything that regular money can buy and it can buy many things that regular money can't buy. So will this. This is a checkbook. It contains checks that I can write and it will buy me things I want.
The Apostle Peter talks about money that's different. In those days money was mostly gold or silver coins. But he says that we get acceptance from God "not with ... silver or gold."
Do you think he really means that we can't buy God's love for us? Do you think it's not for purchase with our money? If we can't buy acceptance from God with money like silver or gold, how can we get it? Do you think a credit card would buy it? How about a checkbook? Could I write a check? Does anybody have an idea? (Let them answer.)
It's hard for me to understand, but Peter says we were given acceptance from God by the money which was Jesus' life. Jesus' life was given as payment for heaven. That's a different kind of money, isn't it? A person's life instead of money! Yet Jesus loved us that much that he would give his life for us. What a wonderful person Jesus is!
Dear Jesus: Thank you for paying our way with your life. Amen.
Alternative: Object -- a ransom note. If someone "kidnaps" me, what have they done to me? (Let them answer.) People are usually kidnapped so that someone will pay the kidnappers money. The money that people pay to get another person free from kidnappers is called ransom money. Jesus paid the ransom with his life so that we can be free. Jesus used his life for the money. That's how much Jesus loved us!
The Apostle Peter talks about money that's different. In those days money was mostly gold or silver coins. But he says that we get acceptance from God "not with ... silver or gold."
Do you think he really means that we can't buy God's love for us? Do you think it's not for purchase with our money? If we can't buy acceptance from God with money like silver or gold, how can we get it? Do you think a credit card would buy it? How about a checkbook? Could I write a check? Does anybody have an idea? (Let them answer.)
It's hard for me to understand, but Peter says we were given acceptance from God by the money which was Jesus' life. Jesus' life was given as payment for heaven. That's a different kind of money, isn't it? A person's life instead of money! Yet Jesus loved us that much that he would give his life for us. What a wonderful person Jesus is!
Dear Jesus: Thank you for paying our way with your life. Amen.
Alternative: Object -- a ransom note. If someone "kidnaps" me, what have they done to me? (Let them answer.) People are usually kidnapped so that someone will pay the kidnappers money. The money that people pay to get another person free from kidnappers is called ransom money. Jesus paid the ransom with his life so that we can be free. Jesus used his life for the money. That's how much Jesus loved us!
