Learning the hard way
Children's sermon
Object:
a bandage to wrap on a volunteer child's hand
Good morning, boys and girls! I'm going to bandage NAME's hand. (apply the bandage) I'll tell you why in a minute. But first, in our lesson, the Apostle Paul writes about hardship. Can anyone tell me what hardship means? (see if anyone knows) Hardship is another word for suffering. Listen to a few lines again. (read vv. 3-4a) When Paul wrote this passage he was suffering. He had been thrown in jail for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and people were punishing him for what he believed. He was experiencing a time of hardship.
We all experience hardship from time to time. Sometimes our lives are hard because of mistakes we make and sometimes our lives are hard because something happens to us. Hard times can come even when we don't make any mistakes at all. However it happens, hardship comes into all of our lives. Paul understood this, but he teaches us that we don't have to let our hardships defeat us. Hard times can really make us stronger, and we can learn from them.
Let's use an example. Have you ever been burned? If we touch fire or a hot stove we will get burned. It hurts us, doesn't it? That's why I bandaged NAME's hand, which is what we might do if he/she had burned it. We also learn something: We learn to be careful with hot things.
But some hardships we may even have to experience over and over. It's frustrating, but each struggle teaches us something. Each struggle makes us stronger. Each and every struggle can make us better people.
The words we read say that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character. Think about that the next time you have to learn from your hardships. Be patient with yourself and with others as you learn, because your learning is making you a stronger person.
Prayer: Help us be patient and learn from our hardships. Amen.
We all experience hardship from time to time. Sometimes our lives are hard because of mistakes we make and sometimes our lives are hard because something happens to us. Hard times can come even when we don't make any mistakes at all. However it happens, hardship comes into all of our lives. Paul understood this, but he teaches us that we don't have to let our hardships defeat us. Hard times can really make us stronger, and we can learn from them.
Let's use an example. Have you ever been burned? If we touch fire or a hot stove we will get burned. It hurts us, doesn't it? That's why I bandaged NAME's hand, which is what we might do if he/she had burned it. We also learn something: We learn to be careful with hot things.
But some hardships we may even have to experience over and over. It's frustrating, but each struggle teaches us something. Each struggle makes us stronger. Each and every struggle can make us better people.
The words we read say that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character. Think about that the next time you have to learn from your hardships. Be patient with yourself and with others as you learn, because your learning is making you a stronger person.
Prayer: Help us be patient and learn from our hardships. Amen.
