The power source
Children's sermon
Object:
a boombox with an electrical plug and/or batteries with
a cassette of your congregation singing a hymn
Good morning! I have a wonderful song I want you to hear.
Are you ready? Listen to this song. (Push all the right
buttons, but leave the boombox unplugged so that it has no
power.) It doesn't work! What's wrong? (Let them answer.)
It's unplugged. Do you really think that's it? Maybe I need to
put the cassette in differently? (Do it.)
Wait, that didn't do
it either? Maybe I just need to turn the sound way up? (Do it.)
Oops. That didn't work either. What should I do to make it so
you can hear this wonderful cassette? Maybe I need to press some
other buttons? (Do it.)
None of these things work. Maybe the
cassette player is no good? What do you think? (Let them
answer.)
You think I need to plug it in? (Let them answer.) You may
be on to something here. Let's see what happens if I plug it in
... (Do it and play the tape. Make sure you don't have the
volume turned too high!) So that's all it needed. The boombox
needed power!
This whole thing reminds me of Jesus. When he began his
ministry, he began by doing great things that really impressed
people. He could heal people. He could make food come from two
small fish and five barley loaves of bread. He could even make
dead people come back to life. Furthermore, he could speak to
people and make them feel so much closer to God and to one
another. He did things that none of us could do. And he did it
because he was plugged in to his power source. What was the name
of that power source? (Let them answer.) The name of the power
source is the Holy Spirit.
Since Jesus was given power by God's Holy Spirit, he could
do all these great things. We also can be plugged into that
power. God's Holy Spirit is with us here today. While we may not
be able to do everything Jesus did, we can certainly have the
power of God within us. Shall we pray for that power now? (Let
them answer.) Okay. Let's do it.
Dear God: Give us the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Are you ready? Listen to this song. (Push all the right
buttons, but leave the boombox unplugged so that it has no
power.) It doesn't work! What's wrong? (Let them answer.)
It's unplugged. Do you really think that's it? Maybe I need to
put the cassette in differently? (Do it.)
Wait, that didn't do
it either? Maybe I just need to turn the sound way up? (Do it.)
Oops. That didn't work either. What should I do to make it so
you can hear this wonderful cassette? Maybe I need to press some
other buttons? (Do it.)
None of these things work. Maybe the
cassette player is no good? What do you think? (Let them
answer.)
You think I need to plug it in? (Let them answer.) You may
be on to something here. Let's see what happens if I plug it in
... (Do it and play the tape. Make sure you don't have the
volume turned too high!) So that's all it needed. The boombox
needed power!
This whole thing reminds me of Jesus. When he began his
ministry, he began by doing great things that really impressed
people. He could heal people. He could make food come from two
small fish and five barley loaves of bread. He could even make
dead people come back to life. Furthermore, he could speak to
people and make them feel so much closer to God and to one
another. He did things that none of us could do. And he did it
because he was plugged in to his power source. What was the name
of that power source? (Let them answer.) The name of the power
source is the Holy Spirit.
Since Jesus was given power by God's Holy Spirit, he could
do all these great things. We also can be plugged into that
power. God's Holy Spirit is with us here today. While we may not
be able to do everything Jesus did, we can certainly have the
power of God within us. Shall we pray for that power now? (Let
them answer.) Okay. Let's do it.
Dear God: Give us the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
