Giving support
Children's sermon
Object:
a chair
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a chair today. How many legs
does a chair have? (Let them respond.) Chairs have four legs. How many do
we have? (Let them respond.) We only have two legs. Can you stand on one
leg? (Let them demonstrate.) Yes, you can. How long can you stand on one
leg? (Let them respond.) Not for very long. You need both legs to stand.
What do you do when you've been standing for too long? (Let them
respond.) You sit down on a chair. Can chairs stand on one leg?
(Demonstrate.) No, they fall over. What about on two legs? (Demonstrate.)
No, chairs can't stand on two legs. Some children try to make them balance
on two legs, but many times they end up on the floor because chairs need
all four legs. Then they can support us when we are tired.
There are lots of ways we use the word "stand" means a kind of support like a chair gives us. One of them is from a wedding. The best man or maid of honor are the two people who "stand up" for the bride and groom. In a movie or play when an actor or actress is not able to be on the stage or set, another actor or actress fills in for him and does his part. He is called a "stand-in." When you tell what you want and make yourself very clear, you are "standing up" for yourself. All of these are ways to support another person or yourself.
Our lesson today is from a letter Paul, Jesus' helper, wrote to Timothy, Paul's helper. Paul was in prison and he said that all his friends deserted him. No one "stood" by him. They all left. Do you think Paul felt alone? (Let them respond.) No, he told Timothy that even though everyone else left him, God stayed with him. Paul said, "The Lord stood by me, and gave me strength." God was with Paul and made Paul feel like he wasn't alone. Paul's support wasn't a chair, it was God. Paul didn't need his friends to stand up for him, God did it. Paul didn't need someone to fill in for him because God gave him strength to go on and keep telling his stories about God to all the people who had never heard them. God was Paul's support and strength. God was like a chair to support Paul when he was tired. God is our strength, too.
There are lots of ways we use the word "stand" means a kind of support like a chair gives us. One of them is from a wedding. The best man or maid of honor are the two people who "stand up" for the bride and groom. In a movie or play when an actor or actress is not able to be on the stage or set, another actor or actress fills in for him and does his part. He is called a "stand-in." When you tell what you want and make yourself very clear, you are "standing up" for yourself. All of these are ways to support another person or yourself.
Our lesson today is from a letter Paul, Jesus' helper, wrote to Timothy, Paul's helper. Paul was in prison and he said that all his friends deserted him. No one "stood" by him. They all left. Do you think Paul felt alone? (Let them respond.) No, he told Timothy that even though everyone else left him, God stayed with him. Paul said, "The Lord stood by me, and gave me strength." God was with Paul and made Paul feel like he wasn't alone. Paul's support wasn't a chair, it was God. Paul didn't need his friends to stand up for him, God did it. Paul didn't need someone to fill in for him because God gave him strength to go on and keep telling his stories about God to all the people who had never heard them. God was Paul's support and strength. God was like a chair to support Paul when he was tired. God is our strength, too.
