Hey batta batta...swing!
Children's sermon
Object:
a baseball glove
"Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening." (v. 14)
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have ever been on a team? (allow answers) What kind of team? (allow answers) Usually when we think of teams, we think of sports teams -- like maybe a T-ball, a baseball, or softball team. When you are on a ball team, what equipment do you need? (allow answers) Good answers! You need baseballs, bats, helmets, catcher's pads -- there is a lot of stuff you need in order to play baseball! But there is something else we need when we play baseball, too. This isn't something you can pick up at the store, but it's something you've been learning your whole life: when we play baseball, we need communication.
Who can tell me what communication is? (allow answers) Communication is when you talk to each other! No matter what sport you're playing -- baseball, football, basketball, soccer, volleyball -- your teammates need to be able to let each other know what is going on. Lots of times you will hear fans shouting for their players to "talk to each other!" Can you think of an example of a time when players would need to talk to each other? (allow answers) When teammates talk to one another during a game, they can help each other be more aware of the game around them. Communication is important!
But communication can also hurt a team. Have you ever been in a situation where someone on your team calls someone else names or teases them? (allow answers) How did that make the other person feel? (allow answers) Teasing teammates or calling them names is not good for the team. In fact, this kind of communication may make your team play worse!
Our reading talks about communication. It says, "avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening." If you call your teammates names, it does not help your team play better. Instead, it hurts the feelings of your teammate and creates problems for your team. The same is true in life, even when we aren't playing sports. When you work in a group at school or help your family at home, it is not helpful to call people names or say bad things. God wants us to use our words to build each other up, not tear each other down. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have ever been on a team? (allow answers) What kind of team? (allow answers) Usually when we think of teams, we think of sports teams -- like maybe a T-ball, a baseball, or softball team. When you are on a ball team, what equipment do you need? (allow answers) Good answers! You need baseballs, bats, helmets, catcher's pads -- there is a lot of stuff you need in order to play baseball! But there is something else we need when we play baseball, too. This isn't something you can pick up at the store, but it's something you've been learning your whole life: when we play baseball, we need communication.
Who can tell me what communication is? (allow answers) Communication is when you talk to each other! No matter what sport you're playing -- baseball, football, basketball, soccer, volleyball -- your teammates need to be able to let each other know what is going on. Lots of times you will hear fans shouting for their players to "talk to each other!" Can you think of an example of a time when players would need to talk to each other? (allow answers) When teammates talk to one another during a game, they can help each other be more aware of the game around them. Communication is important!
But communication can also hurt a team. Have you ever been in a situation where someone on your team calls someone else names or teases them? (allow answers) How did that make the other person feel? (allow answers) Teasing teammates or calling them names is not good for the team. In fact, this kind of communication may make your team play worse!
Our reading talks about communication. It says, "avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening." If you call your teammates names, it does not help your team play better. Instead, it hurts the feelings of your teammate and creates problems for your team. The same is true in life, even when we aren't playing sports. When you work in a group at school or help your family at home, it is not helpful to call people names or say bad things. God wants us to use our words to build each other up, not tear each other down. Amen.
