How many coats?
Children's sermon
Object:
a coat or jacket and some food
Can you imagine what it would be like not to have a coat in
the wintertime? What if you had two people who lived next to
each other? One person had two coats, but the other had none.
That wouldn't be fair, would it? (Let them answer.) Or can you
imagine one person having lots of food while his next-door
neighbor has nothing? Would that be fair? (Let them answer.)
Of course not! The world does not treat all people alike. Some
people have plenty and others have very little.
Today we read about a man named John. What did they call
him? (Let them answer.)
They called him "John the Baptist"
because he baptized people. He told people to "repent." In
other words, he wanted people to change the way they thought and
the way they did things.
So the people did repent and they asked John the Baptist,
"What should we do?" He said we should share. Those who have
more than enough should share with those who have too little. If
one person has two coats and another has none, the one with two
coats should share with the one who has none. That way BOTH
could keep warm! Likewise, the person with plenty of food should
share with the one who has too little. That way BOTH could have
enough to eat!
We still repent today. We change our ways of doing things.
Instead of being selfish, we share with others. At Christmastime
especially many people do special things to help those who have
so much less. (Perhaps your church has a special project that
could be mentioned here.) The world is not fair, but Christians
share what they have so that those who have less can go without
suffering.
Dear Lord God: Teach us to share when we have plenty. Amen.
the wintertime? What if you had two people who lived next to
each other? One person had two coats, but the other had none.
That wouldn't be fair, would it? (Let them answer.) Or can you
imagine one person having lots of food while his next-door
neighbor has nothing? Would that be fair? (Let them answer.)
Of course not! The world does not treat all people alike. Some
people have plenty and others have very little.
Today we read about a man named John. What did they call
him? (Let them answer.)
They called him "John the Baptist"
because he baptized people. He told people to "repent." In
other words, he wanted people to change the way they thought and
the way they did things.
So the people did repent and they asked John the Baptist,
"What should we do?" He said we should share. Those who have
more than enough should share with those who have too little. If
one person has two coats and another has none, the one with two
coats should share with the one who has none. That way BOTH
could keep warm! Likewise, the person with plenty of food should
share with the one who has too little. That way BOTH could have
enough to eat!
We still repent today. We change our ways of doing things.
Instead of being selfish, we share with others. At Christmastime
especially many people do special things to help those who have
so much less. (Perhaps your church has a special project that
could be mentioned here.) The world is not fair, but Christians
share what they have so that those who have less can go without
suffering.
Dear Lord God: Teach us to share when we have plenty. Amen.
