Don't Be Afraid!
Children's sermon
Object: This message includes a role-play instead of an object. The idea is to have everyone pretend they are riding in a small boat that is caught in a storm. It works well if everyone sits together on the floor and is encouraged to rock back and forth as you tell that part of the story. The more fun you have with the role-play the more memorable it will be.
NOTE: As an option, you could have one child play the role of Jesus and have them appear and get in the boat when you come to that part of the story.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have a really great story for you today. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.) Excellent!
This is a story about something that happened right after Jesus fed that big crowd of people with the bread and fish. Do you remember that story? (Let them respond.) One day, Jesus and his friends went across the Sea of Galilee to talk to people over there and a huge crowd of people came to see him. Jesus’ friends told him that all they had were five pieces of bread and two fish and there was no way they could feed all of those people with that. So, they told Jesus that he needed to make everyone go away so they could find their own food. But what did Jesus do? (Let them respond.) He put the bread and fish in a basket and told the crowd to come up one at a time and get some food out of the basket to eat. And after all of those people got enough to eat, there was still enough food left over to fill up twelve baskets of leftovers. Everyone was amazed and started running around telling everyone that Jesus had performed a miracle so he must really be God’s Son!
But that made Jesus nervous. He knew the leaders from the temple didn’t like him, and when they heard about the miracle he had performed, they would come and arrest him. So, Jesus took his friends back to their boat and told them to go back home on the other side of the Sea of Galilee where they would be safer. He told them he was going to go some place by himself and decide what he should do next.
(Have the children sit together on the floor like they are all sitting in a small boat. Have them calmly rocking back and forth as you continue.)
So, Jesus’ friends started sailing their boat home. But when it was dark and they were just part of the way across the sea, a big storm came up. The rain poured down, and the wind blew and blew, making great big waves that tossed their little boat all over the place. (Encourage the children to pretend their boat is rocking in the waves. Have the intensity of the storm and rocking increase as you continue.) Jesus’ friends got really scared. I think I would be scared if I was out in that storm too, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Well, do you know what happened next?
The rain was falling, and the wind was blowing, and the waves were crashing when one of them looked and saw Jesus walking toward them. Right on top of the water! Jesus walked across the water, got into the boat with them, and said, “Don’t be afraid.” And the storm stopped. (Have the children stop rocking and sit still.) That would be pretty amazing, wouldn’t it? (Let them respond.) It was another miracle. I wonder how that made his friends feel? (Let them respond.) I’ll bet they had been feeling pretty alone out in that boat in the storm, don’t you? (Let them respond.) And then they found out they weren’t alone after all. I’ll be they felt pretty good, don’t you? (Let them respond.)
Sometimes we feel alone and get afraid, don’t we? (Let them respond.) Maybe we see someone who needs help and no one else is helping them. We want to help, but if we do, it feels like we’ll be doing it all alone. That’s scary, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) Sometimes it is kind of scary to help other people, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) Especially if we think we are all alone.
But our story reminds us that we are never really alone. Even when it sure looks like we are alone, we are never really alone. It might be dark, and it might be stormy and scary, but if we look around we will see Jesus coming to be with us. So, let’s try our best to take care of each other. Even when it is scary. God will be with us.
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.
NOTE: As an option, you could have one child play the role of Jesus and have them appear and get in the boat when you come to that part of the story.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have a really great story for you today. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.) Excellent!
This is a story about something that happened right after Jesus fed that big crowd of people with the bread and fish. Do you remember that story? (Let them respond.) One day, Jesus and his friends went across the Sea of Galilee to talk to people over there and a huge crowd of people came to see him. Jesus’ friends told him that all they had were five pieces of bread and two fish and there was no way they could feed all of those people with that. So, they told Jesus that he needed to make everyone go away so they could find their own food. But what did Jesus do? (Let them respond.) He put the bread and fish in a basket and told the crowd to come up one at a time and get some food out of the basket to eat. And after all of those people got enough to eat, there was still enough food left over to fill up twelve baskets of leftovers. Everyone was amazed and started running around telling everyone that Jesus had performed a miracle so he must really be God’s Son!
But that made Jesus nervous. He knew the leaders from the temple didn’t like him, and when they heard about the miracle he had performed, they would come and arrest him. So, Jesus took his friends back to their boat and told them to go back home on the other side of the Sea of Galilee where they would be safer. He told them he was going to go some place by himself and decide what he should do next.
(Have the children sit together on the floor like they are all sitting in a small boat. Have them calmly rocking back and forth as you continue.)
So, Jesus’ friends started sailing their boat home. But when it was dark and they were just part of the way across the sea, a big storm came up. The rain poured down, and the wind blew and blew, making great big waves that tossed their little boat all over the place. (Encourage the children to pretend their boat is rocking in the waves. Have the intensity of the storm and rocking increase as you continue.) Jesus’ friends got really scared. I think I would be scared if I was out in that storm too, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Well, do you know what happened next?
The rain was falling, and the wind was blowing, and the waves were crashing when one of them looked and saw Jesus walking toward them. Right on top of the water! Jesus walked across the water, got into the boat with them, and said, “Don’t be afraid.” And the storm stopped. (Have the children stop rocking and sit still.) That would be pretty amazing, wouldn’t it? (Let them respond.) It was another miracle. I wonder how that made his friends feel? (Let them respond.) I’ll bet they had been feeling pretty alone out in that boat in the storm, don’t you? (Let them respond.) And then they found out they weren’t alone after all. I’ll be they felt pretty good, don’t you? (Let them respond.)
Sometimes we feel alone and get afraid, don’t we? (Let them respond.) Maybe we see someone who needs help and no one else is helping them. We want to help, but if we do, it feels like we’ll be doing it all alone. That’s scary, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) Sometimes it is kind of scary to help other people, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) Especially if we think we are all alone.
But our story reminds us that we are never really alone. Even when it sure looks like we are alone, we are never really alone. It might be dark, and it might be stormy and scary, but if we look around we will see Jesus coming to be with us. So, let’s try our best to take care of each other. Even when it is scary. God will be with us.
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.
