Childrens Sermon Service

Jesus told a story once to tell us something about God. He said that a man needed people to work for him so he said, "I'll pay you good money if you will work for me today." (Now ask: "Which of you will pretend to be this worker?" Let them respond. Use more than one child so that, in the end, the last one hired is the remaining child.) A few hours later he still needed help. "I still need someone to work for me. I'll be fair and pay you what you deserve for working for me," he said. (Ask: "Now who will pretend to be this second worker?") At noon the owner still needed workers. He went looking for someone to work for him. "Will you work for me for the rest of the day" he asked. (Ask: "Who will be this third worker?") Again, in the middle of the afternoon, he needed more workers. He asked yet another man, "Will you work for me?" (Recruit yet a fourth child to be this worker.) Then, just before quitting time, he said to another, "Will you work for me?" (Get a child to represent this last hired worker.)

Shortly after the last worker was hired, the owner began paying his workers. The one he chose to pay first was the last one who had just started working. The owner gave him lots of money for just working a short time. (Give this child twelve coins.) What do you suppose the other workers thought would happen when they got paid? Some of them had worked twelve hours. The one who only worked one hour got twelve coins. (Let them answer.) They thought they would get lots more since they had worked so much more. But they each got the same as the last one hired. They each got a full day's wage -- even though only a few actually worked the full twelve hours. (Give each of the children twelve coins.)

Jesus told this story to tell us something about God and this thing we call "God's grace." God's grace does not seem fair. God gives eternal life to all who believe. Some people may not believe in God until they are very old. Some people may have done some very bad things and we might think they surely don't deserve to have the gift of God's love. But God gives his grace anyway!

I'm so glad we have God's grace.

Dearest Lord God: Thank you for your love for us. Amen.