If You Love Me!
Children's sermon
Object: A box of chocolate, and a single red rose. The goal is to show things that people use to show they love someone, so feel free to add other things you might think of.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.)
What do I have here? (Let the children respond as you show each item one at a time.) Now, can anyone tell me what these things have in common? How are they alike? (Let them respond and draw them out.) These are all things we might give someone if we wanted to show that we loved them, aren’t they? (Show each item again and let them respond.) Can anyone think of other things we might give someone to let them know we care about them and love them? (Let them respond.) There are a lot of different ways people might show they love someone, aren’t there? (Let them respond.)
Now, I have another question for you. What can we do to show Jesus that we love him? (Let them respond.) Some people believe that if we love God, we will not eat certain foods, and not wear certain clothes. Some people believe that if we love God, we will say certain words or sing certain songs, or pray certain prayers. Some people believe that if we love God we will stay away from certain people and stay away from certain places. Some people believe that if we love God, we will do certain things and not do other things. It can get really confusing, can’t it? (Let them respond.)
It has been confusing for a long time. One day, Jesus heard a bunch of Pharisees telling people that if they wanted to show that they loved God, they needed to follow a whole bunch of rules and laws, and if they broke any of the rules and laws, they needed to pay money to be forgiven. And the Pharisees told them they needed to eat certain foods, and wear certain clothes, and say certain words, and pray certain prayers, and stay away from certain people, and stay away from certain places. That’s the same thing we hear today, isn’t it? (Let them respond.)
The people saw Jesus standing there, and one of them said to him, “Jesus, what do you say? If we want to show that we love you and love God, what do we have to do?”
Jesus looked at them and said: “If you love me, keep my commands.” “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.“
They looked at him and said, “But it is so confusing because there are so many commands everyone says we have to follow. What are we supposed to do?
And Jesus said, “If you want to show that you love God, there are two things you need to do. First, you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Love God more than anything else. And the second thing you need to do is to love other people as much as you love yourself. Take care of other people the way you want someone to take care of you. That’s it. That’s how you show that you love God.”
It can be confusing to understand what God wants us to do, can’t it? (Let them respond.) And it is especially confusing when so many different people are telling us we have to do so many different things, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) But I think we can trust Jesus, don’t you? (Let them respond.) And Jesus told the people there were only two things they needed to do to show they loved God. And what were those two things? (Let them respond.) To love God more than anything else, and to love and take care of other people the way you want to be loved and taken care of.
I think we can do that, don’t you? (Let them respond.)
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us, and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created, and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.)
What do I have here? (Let the children respond as you show each item one at a time.) Now, can anyone tell me what these things have in common? How are they alike? (Let them respond and draw them out.) These are all things we might give someone if we wanted to show that we loved them, aren’t they? (Show each item again and let them respond.) Can anyone think of other things we might give someone to let them know we care about them and love them? (Let them respond.) There are a lot of different ways people might show they love someone, aren’t there? (Let them respond.)
Now, I have another question for you. What can we do to show Jesus that we love him? (Let them respond.) Some people believe that if we love God, we will not eat certain foods, and not wear certain clothes. Some people believe that if we love God, we will say certain words or sing certain songs, or pray certain prayers. Some people believe that if we love God we will stay away from certain people and stay away from certain places. Some people believe that if we love God, we will do certain things and not do other things. It can get really confusing, can’t it? (Let them respond.)
It has been confusing for a long time. One day, Jesus heard a bunch of Pharisees telling people that if they wanted to show that they loved God, they needed to follow a whole bunch of rules and laws, and if they broke any of the rules and laws, they needed to pay money to be forgiven. And the Pharisees told them they needed to eat certain foods, and wear certain clothes, and say certain words, and pray certain prayers, and stay away from certain people, and stay away from certain places. That’s the same thing we hear today, isn’t it? (Let them respond.)
The people saw Jesus standing there, and one of them said to him, “Jesus, what do you say? If we want to show that we love you and love God, what do we have to do?”
Jesus looked at them and said: “If you love me, keep my commands.” “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.“
They looked at him and said, “But it is so confusing because there are so many commands everyone says we have to follow. What are we supposed to do?
And Jesus said, “If you want to show that you love God, there are two things you need to do. First, you should love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. Love God more than anything else. And the second thing you need to do is to love other people as much as you love yourself. Take care of other people the way you want someone to take care of you. That’s it. That’s how you show that you love God.”
It can be confusing to understand what God wants us to do, can’t it? (Let them respond.) And it is especially confusing when so many different people are telling us we have to do so many different things, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) But I think we can trust Jesus, don’t you? (Let them respond.) And Jesus told the people there were only two things they needed to do to show they loved God. And what were those two things? (Let them respond.) To love God more than anything else, and to love and take care of other people the way you want to be loved and taken care of.
I think we can do that, don’t you? (Let them respond.)
Let’s pray and ask God to remind us that Jesus loves every one of us and wants us to follow him and take care of each other the way God takes care of us.
Prayer
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us, and for forgiving us when we forget that. And please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created, and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
