Follow The Leader
Children's sermon
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Object:
The game of "Follow the Leader"
Let's play a game together today. Many of you may know it already. It is called “Follow the Leader.” We are going to walk around. I will lead you and you will go behind me and do what I do. (Raise arms, scratch head, tap your head, wave to the people in the church.) Today we are going to learn about following our leader, Jesus.
In Luke 14:25 it says:
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them he said, ”If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." In other words, he told them if they wanted to follow him they would have to give up a lot! It is not that we actually have to hate our family but he used strong words to make a point to us. But you know what Jesus was asking them to do, he had done as well.
Let me tell you a story about a young girl to illustrate this. There was a young woman in her early twenties that felt God wanted her to go and serve him in the Dominican Republic. She lived in a very poor house, was away from family, everything was unfamiliar like mosquito nets, the food was unusual like hot soup for breakfast, and the language was unfamiliar to her. But one day she was thinking about how what Jesus had done for her in leaving his family of his heavenly Father and the angels and how he had come to a very poor place in comparison to heaven. She had left America that was like heaven and come to a very poor place, but it made her understand how much love Jesus showed and made her want to do the same for these people in the Dominican Republic.
Following Jesus has to be more than sweet little words of "I Love Jesus." It is a deep tight relationship with Jesus that causes us to want to do, go, and be whatever he desires. As Jesus said in Luke 14:33, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
How Can We Apply This to Our Lives?
You are young and you think “how can I do any of this?” But it starts out when you are young in being willing to obey Jesus in whatever way you can. When we follow Jesus it may not always be easy. You may need to get off the couch, leave your comfortable home and do something of sacrifice. Christianity is not for wimps, it takes commitment and a deep love for Jesus. Let's follow our leader, Jesus!
Let us Pray,
Dear Jesus, we are going to do our best to love you deeply and to follow you in our lives. Amen.
In Luke 14:25 it says:
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus and turning to them he said, ”If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters -- yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." In other words, he told them if they wanted to follow him they would have to give up a lot! It is not that we actually have to hate our family but he used strong words to make a point to us. But you know what Jesus was asking them to do, he had done as well.
Let me tell you a story about a young girl to illustrate this. There was a young woman in her early twenties that felt God wanted her to go and serve him in the Dominican Republic. She lived in a very poor house, was away from family, everything was unfamiliar like mosquito nets, the food was unusual like hot soup for breakfast, and the language was unfamiliar to her. But one day she was thinking about how what Jesus had done for her in leaving his family of his heavenly Father and the angels and how he had come to a very poor place in comparison to heaven. She had left America that was like heaven and come to a very poor place, but it made her understand how much love Jesus showed and made her want to do the same for these people in the Dominican Republic.
Following Jesus has to be more than sweet little words of "I Love Jesus." It is a deep tight relationship with Jesus that causes us to want to do, go, and be whatever he desires. As Jesus said in Luke 14:33, "Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple."
How Can We Apply This to Our Lives?
You are young and you think “how can I do any of this?” But it starts out when you are young in being willing to obey Jesus in whatever way you can. When we follow Jesus it may not always be easy. You may need to get off the couch, leave your comfortable home and do something of sacrifice. Christianity is not for wimps, it takes commitment and a deep love for Jesus. Let's follow our leader, Jesus!
Let us Pray,
Dear Jesus, we are going to do our best to love you deeply and to follow you in our lives. Amen.
