Practice what you preach
Children's sermon
Object:
some peanuts in shells
Good morning! I want to ask you about a big word this
morning to see if you know what it means. The word is hyprocrisy.
Can any of you tell me what it means? (Let them answer.) Instead
of telling you what it means, I'm going to show you.
Do you see what I have here? (Show the peanuts and let them
answer.) Yes, these are peanuts. Now most people like peanuts,
and there are times when it is nice to have peanuts to eat. For
instance, most people like to eat peanuts at a ballgame. But,
there are some times and places where you should never eat
peanuts. For instance, you should never eat peanuts in church.
(As you speak start breaking open a peanut, dropping the shell on
the floor and eating the peanut.) If you eat peanuts at church,
it's disrespectful, and the shells get on the floor and it
bothers the people sitting around you. (At some point as you
speak they are going to start telling you that you are doing what
you told them not to do.) Yes, you're right. I was doing the very
thing I told you not to do. That's hypocrisy; doing the thing
that you tell others not to do; pretending to be something that
you are not.
Jesus talked a lot about hypocrisy and warned us against it.
Today, we are celebrating the Reformation, the reforming of the
church that took place 400 years ago. At that time there was a
lot of hypocrisy in the church and one of the reasons for the
Reformation was to get rid of hypocrisy in the church. Do you
think it's important to be honest with people and always do what
you tell them it is good to do? (Let them answer.) Good! I
certainly agree with you, so let's pick up these peanut shells
and ask God to help us be the kind of people He wants us to be.
Dear Father in Heaven: We know that You want us to be honest and
faithful and to act the way we teach others to act. Help us to be
faithful to all of Your teaching and to live the way You want us
to live. Amen.
morning to see if you know what it means. The word is hyprocrisy.
Can any of you tell me what it means? (Let them answer.) Instead
of telling you what it means, I'm going to show you.
Do you see what I have here? (Show the peanuts and let them
answer.) Yes, these are peanuts. Now most people like peanuts,
and there are times when it is nice to have peanuts to eat. For
instance, most people like to eat peanuts at a ballgame. But,
there are some times and places where you should never eat
peanuts. For instance, you should never eat peanuts in church.
(As you speak start breaking open a peanut, dropping the shell on
the floor and eating the peanut.) If you eat peanuts at church,
it's disrespectful, and the shells get on the floor and it
bothers the people sitting around you. (At some point as you
speak they are going to start telling you that you are doing what
you told them not to do.) Yes, you're right. I was doing the very
thing I told you not to do. That's hypocrisy; doing the thing
that you tell others not to do; pretending to be something that
you are not.
Jesus talked a lot about hypocrisy and warned us against it.
Today, we are celebrating the Reformation, the reforming of the
church that took place 400 years ago. At that time there was a
lot of hypocrisy in the church and one of the reasons for the
Reformation was to get rid of hypocrisy in the church. Do you
think it's important to be honest with people and always do what
you tell them it is good to do? (Let them answer.) Good! I
certainly agree with you, so let's pick up these peanut shells
and ask God to help us be the kind of people He wants us to be.
Dear Father in Heaven: We know that You want us to be honest and
faithful and to act the way we teach others to act. Help us to be
faithful to all of Your teaching and to live the way You want us
to live. Amen.
