Pretty packages
Children's sermon
Object:
a gift-wrapped package with trash inside
Good morning, boys and girls. I want to share with you a package that I received this morning. Doesn't it look beautiful? (let them answer) I wonder who sent this to me? I think someone may have made a mistake. Today is not my birthday. It isn't Christmas, is it? (let them answer) Do you think we should open it and see what is inside? (let them answer) It could be a beautiful shirt or maybe a new book. I need a new billfold.
I guess the only way we will know what is inside is if we open it. (open it very carefully so that the children can see it unfold) Oh, my heavens, this is just a box of trash. (show the contents to the children) Uck! What good is any of this? Isn't that awful? How would you like to get a package like this? (let them answer)
I was only kidding. No one gave me this package. I wrapped it myself. I wanted to teach you something that Jesus taught his disciples. Jesus said some people are like this package. They look good on the outside with nice clothes, and cars, and homes. Sometimes they pray where other people will see them pray, and if a lot of people are looking, they will give money to the poor. But guess what? Inside they are not good people. They hate many people who are not like them. They pray only for others to hear them pray. They are only for show.
These people do not have love in their hearts. They do not love Jesus but only themselves. They are like my package. They look good on the outside, but the inside is more like trash. As you grow up, you learn to be careful of people who always want to be first and show off. They look good and they sound good. You want to be friends with people who do not make a lot of noise about themselves but are friends of the poor and are always willing to help others.
So the next time you see a pretty package with beautiful paper, I want you to think about my surprise package this morning. When you think about it, I hope you will remember that it is not how it looks on the outside that makes it a good gift but what is on the inside. The same thing is true with people. No matter how good they look and act on the outside, it is how they think and feel on the inside that makes them special people.
I guess the only way we will know what is inside is if we open it. (open it very carefully so that the children can see it unfold) Oh, my heavens, this is just a box of trash. (show the contents to the children) Uck! What good is any of this? Isn't that awful? How would you like to get a package like this? (let them answer)
I was only kidding. No one gave me this package. I wrapped it myself. I wanted to teach you something that Jesus taught his disciples. Jesus said some people are like this package. They look good on the outside with nice clothes, and cars, and homes. Sometimes they pray where other people will see them pray, and if a lot of people are looking, they will give money to the poor. But guess what? Inside they are not good people. They hate many people who are not like them. They pray only for others to hear them pray. They are only for show.
These people do not have love in their hearts. They do not love Jesus but only themselves. They are like my package. They look good on the outside, but the inside is more like trash. As you grow up, you learn to be careful of people who always want to be first and show off. They look good and they sound good. You want to be friends with people who do not make a lot of noise about themselves but are friends of the poor and are always willing to help others.
So the next time you see a pretty package with beautiful paper, I want you to think about my surprise package this morning. When you think about it, I hope you will remember that it is not how it looks on the outside that makes it a good gift but what is on the inside. The same thing is true with people. No matter how good they look and act on the outside, it is how they think and feel on the inside that makes them special people.
