Pass it on
Children's sermon
Object:
a chain letter
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a special letter with me today. It's not a regular letter from a friend or relative that asks how you are doing and tells you how the other person is doing. This letter is called a chain letter. Do you know what a chain is? (let them answer) A chain is a long piece of usually some kind of metal and it is made of circles of metal all linked together like this. (demonstrate with your thumb and forefinger of each hand) Now a chain letter isn't made of metal. But it is linked together to make it strong. Usually a chain letter works like this: You get a letter. It says don't break the chain. You copy the letter six times and send your letters to six other people. Then each of those people sends it to six other people and each of those people sends their letters to six other people. Pretty soon there are tons of chain letters out there! They all say, DON'T BREAK THE CHAIN! Does that sound scary? DON'T BREAK THE CHAIN! (let them answer) Sometimes your name goes on a list to the other letters and you might get a recipe or a postcard or something special from some of the other people. You will have to send something to other people on the list, too. But what if someone gets a letter and they don't copy it and send it to six other people? (let them answer) You've broken the chain. Oh, no! Will something awful happen? (let them answer) Not really, because it's just a fun game.
In our lesson today, Jesus told the disciples a new rule of love. It was like a chain letter. He told them that they should love others like God loved them. It was God's chain love letter. God loves us, so we love others. We love other people and they love a few more people, and it gets passed on and on just like a chain letter. Does something awful happen if you break the chain and forget to love someone else? (let them answer) Yes, there is war and hate in the world. So don't break the chain of love. But the great thing is that even when we forget to love and break that chain of love, God keeps on reminding us and loving us anyway. Every time we read our Bible, it's like getting God's love letter over and over. We get another reminder to keep on loving and not to break the chain of love.
In our lesson today, Jesus told the disciples a new rule of love. It was like a chain letter. He told them that they should love others like God loved them. It was God's chain love letter. God loves us, so we love others. We love other people and they love a few more people, and it gets passed on and on just like a chain letter. Does something awful happen if you break the chain and forget to love someone else? (let them answer) Yes, there is war and hate in the world. So don't break the chain of love. But the great thing is that even when we forget to love and break that chain of love, God keeps on reminding us and loving us anyway. Every time we read our Bible, it's like getting God's love letter over and over. We get another reminder to keep on loving and not to break the chain of love.
