Childrens Sermon Service

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought an oil can with me this morning because I want to talk about sticky situations. What does oil do? (let them answer) It helps parts run smoothly and not stick. How many of you have had a squeaky door in your house before? (wait for a show of hands) When doors squeak, sometimes you can put a drop or two of oil on them and they won't squeak anymore. Have you ever been with your mom and dad at a gas station or service center to get the oil changed in the car? (wait for a show of hands) Cars have very large engines and to keep them running smoothly so none of the parts stick, we need to put special oil in the car. The oil runs on all the parts of the engine that need it and all the parts can turn or go up and down so the car will run.

How many of you have brothers and sisters? (wait for a show of hands) Do you always get along with each other? (let them answer) No, of course you don't. I think brothers and sisters always fight and argue, some more than others. It's not very much fun to fight and argue, is it? (let them answer) It doesn't feel good to have someone mad at you or to be mad at someone else. It feels even worse to have your parents upset with both of you. It's too bad there's not a magic oil can that your parents could drip a few drops on the fighting children in a sticky fight and all of a sudden all the fighting would stop.

Our lesson today says that brothers and sisters do have a magic oil can! The magic oil can doesn't have oil in it, but it has good news in it. Do you know what the good news is? (let them answer) The good news is love. Love from God, love from our parents, love from our brothers and sisters! It's also love for God, love for our parents, and love for our brothers and sisters! There is a lot of love coming from that magic oil can. Sometimes people in the church act like brothers and sisters and fight and argue, too. They all have their own ideas of how to do God's work in the world, and sometimes those ideas are different and they forget the good news of love, just like little children do. So, no matter how old we are, we all need to think about God's magic oil can. All it takes is a few drops of the good news of love to get things running smoothly again.