Fish and Bread
Children's sermon
Object: A bag of croutons and a bag of goldfish crackers. Use the included instructions to create a “Miracle Sack” and follow the ‘script’ for the activity. Prepare the sack ahead of time, putting enough croutons and goldfish crackers in the Miracle Sack so you can give some to each child, and keeping the five croutons and 2 goldfish crackers out to show as you tell the story.
IMPORTANT: For the best experience, practice the “Miracle Sack” activity in front of a mirror a few times to make sure you are hiding the “secret.”
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wage to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (vv. 5-9)
* * *
Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.) We have a great story about Jesus today, but instead of just telling it to you, I want to show you the story! Are you ready? (Let them respond.)
One day Jesus was on a hillside talking to people and the crowds got really, really big. It was already crowded in the morning, but by the afternoon there were so many people the disciples didn’t know what they were going to do with them, especially as they all started getting hungry. There were no restaurants there, so the disciples started to panic a little bit. They went to Jesus and said, “Where are we going to get the food for all of these people. Even if there was a store here, it would cost too much to buy enough food for all of them. (Show the two fish and five croutons in your hand.) There are thousands of them here and all we can find is this boy who has two fish and five loaves of bread, and that just isn’t going to be enough. What should we do?”
Jesus just smiled and told them to trust God and everything will be okay.
Jesus told them to put the two fish and five loaves of bread in a basket. We’ll use this sack and pretend it’s a basket. They put the two fish and five loaves of bread in the basket and then told people to line up and come to get their food. I wonder what the disciples were thinking as the people started coming to get their food? (Let them respond.)
Do you know what happened? (Let them respond.). Let’s try it ourselves and see if we can find out what happened. We put the five loaves of bread and two fish in our basket, (Drop the two goldfish and five croutons into the sack.) and now I want each of you to come up so I can give you your food. We’ll give each of you a fish and two pieces of bread in case you want to make a sandwich, okay? (Let them respond.) What do you think is going to happen? (Let them respond.) Well, let’s try it and see!
[As each child comes to you, reach in the sack and get one a goldfish cracker and two croutons for them, and count them out loud as you do it. Look kind of nervous as you begin since everyone knows you didn’t put enough in the basket for everyone. Keep giving food to the children and act really surprised when you end up having enough for everyone! The more nervous and then surprised you act the more fun the time will be.]
[Note, if one of the children thinks they know how the “trick” is being done, just keep going and keep giving food to everyone. Afterward, you can admit that you played a “trick” on them but remind them that what God did was no “trick”! It was AMAZING!]
WOW! We even have enough for leftovers!!
Isn’t this a great story! (Let them respond.)
The disciples were really worried, but Jesus told them God would take care of them, and God sure did!
I hope this story will help us remember that God will take care of us, too. And, if we are going to be like Jesus, our job is to help take care of others the way Jesus takes care of us.
I hope you will remember how much God loves you, and how much God wants us to show everyone around us how much we love them, too.
Let’s have our prayer and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. 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.
IMPORTANT: For the best experience, practice the “Miracle Sack” activity in front of a mirror a few times to make sure you are hiding the “secret.”
When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.
Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wage to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”
Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (vv. 5-9)
* * *
Hi, everyone! (Let them respond.) We have a great story about Jesus today, but instead of just telling it to you, I want to show you the story! Are you ready? (Let them respond.)
One day Jesus was on a hillside talking to people and the crowds got really, really big. It was already crowded in the morning, but by the afternoon there were so many people the disciples didn’t know what they were going to do with them, especially as they all started getting hungry. There were no restaurants there, so the disciples started to panic a little bit. They went to Jesus and said, “Where are we going to get the food for all of these people. Even if there was a store here, it would cost too much to buy enough food for all of them. (Show the two fish and five croutons in your hand.) There are thousands of them here and all we can find is this boy who has two fish and five loaves of bread, and that just isn’t going to be enough. What should we do?”
Jesus just smiled and told them to trust God and everything will be okay.
Jesus told them to put the two fish and five loaves of bread in a basket. We’ll use this sack and pretend it’s a basket. They put the two fish and five loaves of bread in the basket and then told people to line up and come to get their food. I wonder what the disciples were thinking as the people started coming to get their food? (Let them respond.)
Do you know what happened? (Let them respond.). Let’s try it ourselves and see if we can find out what happened. We put the five loaves of bread and two fish in our basket, (Drop the two goldfish and five croutons into the sack.) and now I want each of you to come up so I can give you your food. We’ll give each of you a fish and two pieces of bread in case you want to make a sandwich, okay? (Let them respond.) What do you think is going to happen? (Let them respond.) Well, let’s try it and see!
[As each child comes to you, reach in the sack and get one a goldfish cracker and two croutons for them, and count them out loud as you do it. Look kind of nervous as you begin since everyone knows you didn’t put enough in the basket for everyone. Keep giving food to the children and act really surprised when you end up having enough for everyone! The more nervous and then surprised you act the more fun the time will be.]
[Note, if one of the children thinks they know how the “trick” is being done, just keep going and keep giving food to everyone. Afterward, you can admit that you played a “trick” on them but remind them that what God did was no “trick”! It was AMAZING!]
WOW! We even have enough for leftovers!!
Isn’t this a great story! (Let them respond.)
The disciples were really worried, but Jesus told them God would take care of them, and God sure did!
I hope this story will help us remember that God will take care of us, too. And, if we are going to be like Jesus, our job is to help take care of others the way Jesus takes care of us.
I hope you will remember how much God loves you, and how much God wants us to show everyone around us how much we love them, too.
Let’s have our prayer and ask God to help us remember to do the things God wants us to do to take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. 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.
