Keep alert
Children's sermon
Object:
an egg timer with a bell set to go off as you talk with
them and a prize of some kind
Good morning! What is this thing? (Show the timer and let
them answer.) Yes, this is a timer. Do you know what it's used
for? (Let them answer.) Perhaps you might use this to time
something that you were cooking. When the bell goes off, you know
that it's time to take something out of the oven or off the
stove.
Have you ever used one of these? (Let them answer.)
Now I have this one set to go off, but I'm the only one who
knows what time I set it for. It may go off in the next minute or
it may not go off for an hour. If it does go off while we are
talking, I will give a prize to the first person who can hit the
button that turns it off. After all, we don't want to wake up
anybody here in church who is sleeping.
Jesus has told us in the Bible that God is the only one who
knows when this world is going to end -- just like I am the only
one who knows when this bell will go off. God wants us to be
ready, however, when Jesus comes back to take us all to Heaven.
How can we be ready if we don't know when he is coming? (Let
them answer.) We will be ready anytime if we believe that Jesus
is our Savior and trust him. He wants us to be alert, and that
means paying attention to the way we are living, just like all of
you are being alert right now, waiting for the timer to go off.
If you are living your life the way God wants you to live, you
will be ready no matter when he comes. Are all of you ready right
now to meet Jesus if he comes back before this service is over?
(Let them answer.)
(Note: It doesn't really matter when the timer goes off as
you're talking because you can finish before or after it goes
off.)
Well, ___________ was certainly alert and got to the button
first, so he/she gets the prize. When Jesus comes back, we will
all get a wonderful prize -- eternal life with him in Heaven.
Let's thank him for that.
Dear Jesus: We thank you for making us your people and giving us
faith to believe so that we will all be ready when you come back
to take us to Heaven. Amen.
them answer.) Yes, this is a timer. Do you know what it's used
for? (Let them answer.) Perhaps you might use this to time
something that you were cooking. When the bell goes off, you know
that it's time to take something out of the oven or off the
stove.
Have you ever used one of these? (Let them answer.)
Now I have this one set to go off, but I'm the only one who
knows what time I set it for. It may go off in the next minute or
it may not go off for an hour. If it does go off while we are
talking, I will give a prize to the first person who can hit the
button that turns it off. After all, we don't want to wake up
anybody here in church who is sleeping.
Jesus has told us in the Bible that God is the only one who
knows when this world is going to end -- just like I am the only
one who knows when this bell will go off. God wants us to be
ready, however, when Jesus comes back to take us all to Heaven.
How can we be ready if we don't know when he is coming? (Let
them answer.) We will be ready anytime if we believe that Jesus
is our Savior and trust him. He wants us to be alert, and that
means paying attention to the way we are living, just like all of
you are being alert right now, waiting for the timer to go off.
If you are living your life the way God wants you to live, you
will be ready no matter when he comes. Are all of you ready right
now to meet Jesus if he comes back before this service is over?
(Let them answer.)
(Note: It doesn't really matter when the timer goes off as
you're talking because you can finish before or after it goes
off.)
Well, ___________ was certainly alert and got to the button
first, so he/she gets the prize. When Jesus comes back, we will
all get a wonderful prize -- eternal life with him in Heaven.
Let's thank him for that.
Dear Jesus: We thank you for making us your people and giving us
faith to believe so that we will all be ready when you come back
to take us to Heaven. Amen.
