Keeping in touch
Children's sermon
Object:
a telephone
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you brought your parents with you to church today? (let them answer) How many of you brought a friend with you today? (let them answer) Most of you just brought your parents. Not many brought a friend. This week, find a friend who does not have his or her own church and bring him or her with you. Then I can make a new friend and they will have a new friend.
By the way, I have been hearing things about you. (hold up telephone) I called Mike's parents and asked them how he was doing. I called Dan's schoolteacher and asked her how Dan was doing. I called Sally's neighbor who also goes to our church and asked how Sally was doing. And I had a hard time getting a message through to Patty's grandparents, but they finally called back and told me how Patty was doing.
One of the things I asked all of these people about you was how you shared Jesus with them or with your friends. I got some very surprising answers. One of these people told me that you say your prayers regularly and very often say the table grace. Another one told me that they didn't hear you talking about Jesus but you were in a pretty bad mood and your friends were not really happy that day with you. I think it was Patty's grandparents who told me that she always told them how much she loved them and prayed for them every night.
The reason I made these phone calls was because I read how Paul kept in touch with people and how he prayed that they would live like they were friends of Jesus. He said he asked about them often and felt good because they were such good Jesus followers and everyone was learning more about Jesus because of them.
I thought if Paul was keeping in touch with friends about other friends I should do the same thing. I want to know that you are living like Jesus taught us to live. I want to hear that you are filled with love, and that you are sharing your talents with others. I want to know that you are forgiving friends who make you unhappy and that you are asking your friends to forgive you when you make them unhappy.
Is that all right with you if I call your parents, grandparents, teachers and neighbors and ask them how you are sharing Jesus with them and with others? (let them answer) Good, I will also share with them how much I love you. God bless you.
Prayer: Help us to share the Good News about Jesus, and to behave as Jesus would want us to. Amen.
By the way, I have been hearing things about you. (hold up telephone) I called Mike's parents and asked them how he was doing. I called Dan's schoolteacher and asked her how Dan was doing. I called Sally's neighbor who also goes to our church and asked how Sally was doing. And I had a hard time getting a message through to Patty's grandparents, but they finally called back and told me how Patty was doing.
One of the things I asked all of these people about you was how you shared Jesus with them or with your friends. I got some very surprising answers. One of these people told me that you say your prayers regularly and very often say the table grace. Another one told me that they didn't hear you talking about Jesus but you were in a pretty bad mood and your friends were not really happy that day with you. I think it was Patty's grandparents who told me that she always told them how much she loved them and prayed for them every night.
The reason I made these phone calls was because I read how Paul kept in touch with people and how he prayed that they would live like they were friends of Jesus. He said he asked about them often and felt good because they were such good Jesus followers and everyone was learning more about Jesus because of them.
I thought if Paul was keeping in touch with friends about other friends I should do the same thing. I want to know that you are living like Jesus taught us to live. I want to hear that you are filled with love, and that you are sharing your talents with others. I want to know that you are forgiving friends who make you unhappy and that you are asking your friends to forgive you when you make them unhappy.
Is that all right with you if I call your parents, grandparents, teachers and neighbors and ask them how you are sharing Jesus with them and with others? (let them answer) Good, I will also share with them how much I love you. God bless you.
Prayer: Help us to share the Good News about Jesus, and to behave as Jesus would want us to. Amen.
