Giving with joy
Children's sermon
Object:
a coloring book with some unfinished pages and a box of Cheerios
And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something -- now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. (vv. 10-11)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know about the special holiday that is coming up this week? (let them answer) That's right, it's the Fourth of July. Do you know why we celebrate the Fourth of July? (let them answer) Very good, this is the day that we became our own country so that we could choose our way of living. Happy Fourth of July, everyone, and may God bless America.
Today, I brought a couple of things with me so that I can talk about something very important in the Bible. First, I brought a coloring book that I wanted you to see. (show them the unfinished page) What's wrong with this picture? (let them answer) That's right, the picture isn't finished. There are many colors missing.
Second, I brought a box of Cheerios because I heard someone was hungry. What's wrong with the Cheerios? (let them answer) If you were hungry and I just gave you a box of Cheerios, would you wonder where the spoon, the dish, and the milk were? You would think that I only did part of my job.
Paul wrote to the people in Corinth about the joy of giving to people who needed their help. Some of the people complained that they had given last year, but the needs of the people were still there. They didn't have money for clothing, food, a place to live, and other things. Paul was trying to help out these Christians with gifts from other Christians. We still do what Paul taught the people in Corinth to do.
First, we should give cheerfully. We should look for places to help when we have so much and other people have so little. We should not wait to be asked to help. If your friend is hungry you should feed him before he asks, if he needs a sweater or a coat you and you have two or three coats or sweaters you should share one of your sweaters. You should feel really good about helping someone. Second, we need to keep giving of ourselves until the job is done. When people are hurting they need more than a one-time gift. We need to keep checking until we know that the job is done. One box of Cheerios is not going to keep someone from being hungry.
Right now we are thinking about all of the help we sent to people during the hurricanes, the floods, the tornadoes, and the fires. One gift is not going to make the difference in how they live. We need to be checking up and finding out what people need and we must finish the job. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know about the special holiday that is coming up this week? (let them answer) That's right, it's the Fourth of July. Do you know why we celebrate the Fourth of July? (let them answer) Very good, this is the day that we became our own country so that we could choose our way of living. Happy Fourth of July, everyone, and may God bless America.
Today, I brought a couple of things with me so that I can talk about something very important in the Bible. First, I brought a coloring book that I wanted you to see. (show them the unfinished page) What's wrong with this picture? (let them answer) That's right, the picture isn't finished. There are many colors missing.
Second, I brought a box of Cheerios because I heard someone was hungry. What's wrong with the Cheerios? (let them answer) If you were hungry and I just gave you a box of Cheerios, would you wonder where the spoon, the dish, and the milk were? You would think that I only did part of my job.
Paul wrote to the people in Corinth about the joy of giving to people who needed their help. Some of the people complained that they had given last year, but the needs of the people were still there. They didn't have money for clothing, food, a place to live, and other things. Paul was trying to help out these Christians with gifts from other Christians. We still do what Paul taught the people in Corinth to do.
First, we should give cheerfully. We should look for places to help when we have so much and other people have so little. We should not wait to be asked to help. If your friend is hungry you should feed him before he asks, if he needs a sweater or a coat you and you have two or three coats or sweaters you should share one of your sweaters. You should feel really good about helping someone. Second, we need to keep giving of ourselves until the job is done. When people are hurting they need more than a one-time gift. We need to keep checking until we know that the job is done. One box of Cheerios is not going to keep someone from being hungry.
Right now we are thinking about all of the help we sent to people during the hurricanes, the floods, the tornadoes, and the fires. One gift is not going to make the difference in how they live. We need to be checking up and finding out what people need and we must finish the job. Amen.
