Motivation!
Children's sermon
Object: An x-ray showing the human heart. I have attached a public domain image you may use if you like.
* * *
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! But first, I have a question for you. Can anyone tell us what the word motivation means? (Let them respond.) Have you heard that word before? (Let them respond.) Motivation is a really important word. Motivation is like a little engine inside of us that makes us do the things we do. In fact, let me show you a picture of something. (Show the x-ray.) Can anyone tell us what this is? (Let them respond.) It is an x-ray of our chest, isn’t it? (Let them respond as you point to the heart.) And who can tell us what this is right here? (Let them respond.) This is our heart, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) People used to believe that our heart was that little engine inside of us that made us do the things we do. When someone did something nice, people said they had a “big heart”, or they were “soft-hearted”. And when someone did something mean or bad, people said they had a “hard heart” or were “cold-hearted” or even “heartless”. They believed that our heart was the thing that motivated us to do the things we do. Now, we all know that Jesus cares about the things we do, doesn’t he? (Let them respond.) But our story today reminds us that Jesus cares even more about our motivation for doing the things we do, or why we do those things. Let’s hear the story and see what happened.
One day, Jesus and his friends went to Jerusalem to visit the temple. It was a big holiday called Passover, so there were lots and lots of people there who came to celebrate the holiday. And one of the things they all did was to give an offering to the priests who ran the temple. The people stood in long lines to go up and put their offerings in the big box by the temple gate. After Jesus and his friends gave their offerings, they stood by the gate and watched the other people. People came from all over the country to give their Passover offering so there were all kinds of people standing in the line. While they watched, some scribes came to give their offering. The Scribes were like teachers at the temple. They were very rich, and wore big, fancy robes, with big, tall hats. They were very important people. Everyone cheered for them and bowed down to them when they walked by. When they got to the offering box, the Scribes waved their arms around and did other things to make sure everyone saw how much money they put into the box. The Scribes always gave a really big offering and made sure everyone else knew about it.
A little bit later, Jesus pointed to another person in line and told his friends to watch them. It was an older lady standing in line all by herself. Her clothes were old and worn, and all she had was a little bag she carried in her hand. When she got to the offering box she stopped and looked at her little bag. Finally, she opened the bag and took out the two little coins that were inside and dropped them in the offering box. They were the only coins in the bag, and they were the only coins she had in the entire world. Some of the people in line started telling her to “Hurry up and get out of the way!”, so the rest of the Scribes and other important people could give their offerings. Nobody knew her. Nobody bowed to her. Nobody cared about her. She just wasn’t important to them.
But Jesus looked at his friends and said, “Did you see that!” His friends were confused. Jesus said, “That woman just put more in the offering box than anyone else, even more than those Scribes put in!” His friends were still confused and said, “But she only put in two little coins.” And Jesus said, “Yes, but those Scribes are so rich and have so much money left, they will never even remember how much they put in the box today. They did not give their gift because they loved God’s people. They put their money into the box so everyone would see how rich and important they are. They were just showing off and trying to make themselves look like they care so people would think they are important and would do favors for them later. That is why the Scribes gave their gifts. But those two little coins were all she had to give. Do you know how hard it must have been for her to do that? It means that now she has no money left for food, or anything else. She did not give her gift to make herself look rich or important. She gave her gift because she loves God and loves God’s children. So, her gift was a lot bigger and more important than any of the gifts the Scribes gave.”
Why did the Scribes give their gifts at the temple? (Let them respond.) They gave them to make themselves look good, didn’t they? That was her motivation, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) But why did the lady give her gift? (Let them respond.) She gave it because she cared about God and God’s people and wanted to do what she could to help, didn’t she? (Let them respond.) That was her motivation, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) And Jesus said that her gift was greater than all of the other gifts the people gave, not because of how much she gave, but because of why she gave it.
We know that Jesus cares about the things we do, but our story reminds us that He cares even more about what we feel inside that makes us do the things we do. Jesus wants us to be nice to other people, doesn’t he? (Let them respond.) But if we are nice to someone just to make ourselves look good, it isn’t what Jesus wants, is it? (Let them respond.) Jesus wants us do things to help other people, doesn’t he? (Let them respond.) But if we help other people because someone will think we are a good person, or because we will get something back, that isn’t what Jesus wants, is it? (Let them respond as you show the x-ray.) Jesus wants us to love and take of others because we really care about them inside, and not because it makes us look special and important.
I hope our story will help us remember that God created us to take care of each other. 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.) Are you ready for our story today? (Let them respond.) Great! But first, I have a question for you. Can anyone tell us what the word motivation means? (Let them respond.) Have you heard that word before? (Let them respond.) Motivation is a really important word. Motivation is like a little engine inside of us that makes us do the things we do. In fact, let me show you a picture of something. (Show the x-ray.) Can anyone tell us what this is? (Let them respond.) It is an x-ray of our chest, isn’t it? (Let them respond as you point to the heart.) And who can tell us what this is right here? (Let them respond.) This is our heart, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) People used to believe that our heart was that little engine inside of us that made us do the things we do. When someone did something nice, people said they had a “big heart”, or they were “soft-hearted”. And when someone did something mean or bad, people said they had a “hard heart” or were “cold-hearted” or even “heartless”. They believed that our heart was the thing that motivated us to do the things we do. Now, we all know that Jesus cares about the things we do, doesn’t he? (Let them respond.) But our story today reminds us that Jesus cares even more about our motivation for doing the things we do, or why we do those things. Let’s hear the story and see what happened.
One day, Jesus and his friends went to Jerusalem to visit the temple. It was a big holiday called Passover, so there were lots and lots of people there who came to celebrate the holiday. And one of the things they all did was to give an offering to the priests who ran the temple. The people stood in long lines to go up and put their offerings in the big box by the temple gate. After Jesus and his friends gave their offerings, they stood by the gate and watched the other people. People came from all over the country to give their Passover offering so there were all kinds of people standing in the line. While they watched, some scribes came to give their offering. The Scribes were like teachers at the temple. They were very rich, and wore big, fancy robes, with big, tall hats. They were very important people. Everyone cheered for them and bowed down to them when they walked by. When they got to the offering box, the Scribes waved their arms around and did other things to make sure everyone saw how much money they put into the box. The Scribes always gave a really big offering and made sure everyone else knew about it.
A little bit later, Jesus pointed to another person in line and told his friends to watch them. It was an older lady standing in line all by herself. Her clothes were old and worn, and all she had was a little bag she carried in her hand. When she got to the offering box she stopped and looked at her little bag. Finally, she opened the bag and took out the two little coins that were inside and dropped them in the offering box. They were the only coins in the bag, and they were the only coins she had in the entire world. Some of the people in line started telling her to “Hurry up and get out of the way!”, so the rest of the Scribes and other important people could give their offerings. Nobody knew her. Nobody bowed to her. Nobody cared about her. She just wasn’t important to them.
But Jesus looked at his friends and said, “Did you see that!” His friends were confused. Jesus said, “That woman just put more in the offering box than anyone else, even more than those Scribes put in!” His friends were still confused and said, “But she only put in two little coins.” And Jesus said, “Yes, but those Scribes are so rich and have so much money left, they will never even remember how much they put in the box today. They did not give their gift because they loved God’s people. They put their money into the box so everyone would see how rich and important they are. They were just showing off and trying to make themselves look like they care so people would think they are important and would do favors for them later. That is why the Scribes gave their gifts. But those two little coins were all she had to give. Do you know how hard it must have been for her to do that? It means that now she has no money left for food, or anything else. She did not give her gift to make herself look rich or important. She gave her gift because she loves God and loves God’s children. So, her gift was a lot bigger and more important than any of the gifts the Scribes gave.”
Why did the Scribes give their gifts at the temple? (Let them respond.) They gave them to make themselves look good, didn’t they? That was her motivation, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) But why did the lady give her gift? (Let them respond.) She gave it because she cared about God and God’s people and wanted to do what she could to help, didn’t she? (Let them respond.) That was her motivation, wasn’t it? (Let them respond.) And Jesus said that her gift was greater than all of the other gifts the people gave, not because of how much she gave, but because of why she gave it.
We know that Jesus cares about the things we do, but our story reminds us that He cares even more about what we feel inside that makes us do the things we do. Jesus wants us to be nice to other people, doesn’t he? (Let them respond.) But if we are nice to someone just to make ourselves look good, it isn’t what Jesus wants, is it? (Let them respond.) Jesus wants us do things to help other people, doesn’t he? (Let them respond.) But if we help other people because someone will think we are a good person, or because we will get something back, that isn’t what Jesus wants, is it? (Let them respond as you show the x-ray.) Jesus wants us to love and take of others because we really care about them inside, and not because it makes us look special and important.
I hope our story will help us remember that God created us to take care of each other. 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.
