The prize of heaven
Children's sermon
Object:
a broom straw cut it into many pieces (but make sure that the one you hold and one other are exactly the same length), a package of Life Savers, and one candy bar
Good morning! How many of you like to play games? (let them answer) Good. Today I want to play a game with you, and the winner will get a special prize. Everyone will get something, but only one will get the prize.
Here is the game. I brought with me a broom straw that looks like this. But I cut up the broom straw into many different lengths. Now, I want everyone to choose one piece of the broom straw and hold it. (let them select a piece of the broom straw) I have in my pocket another piece of the straw that is a perfect match to a piece one of you have. Whoever has the one that matches mine wins the prize. (have each child measure his or her piece against the one you hold; try to make sure that the match is the last one)
We have a winner! Everyone else had a piece of the straw but only one matched. Let me give you your prizes. Everyone gets a Life Saver except Jackie and she gets the big prize, a candy bar. Did you like the game? (let them answer)
I played this game with you so that you would understand a teaching from God. God tells us that he is sharing his world with all of us. Have you noticed that we all have the same sky and the same clouds? Everybody shares the sun, the stars, the moon, the same day, the same week, the same month. When it rains, we all have rain, and when it gets cold, we all have the cold.
But God also sent us special teachings about love, forgiveness, sharing, worship, and many other things. God said it is important for us to follow those teachings. Sometimes we think God doesn't really care if we follow his teachings. God asks us to read our Bibles, learn his ways, share with others who do not have as much, be sorry for our sins, and many other things. Some people do and some people don't. What does it matter? The sun still shines on the good people and the bad people. What does it matter? The rain falls on the good people and the bad people.
But God says it does matter and only those people who love God and follow his teachings will share in heaven. This is a story Jesus told to his followers so they would know that God really does care about the way that we think and the ways that we do things.
Everybody got a Life Saver, but only one person got the candy bar. Everybody gets some of the good things of this world, but only those who love God get heaven.
Prayer: Thank you for the good things of this world, dear Lord, and for calling us to follow you. Amen.
Here is the game. I brought with me a broom straw that looks like this. But I cut up the broom straw into many different lengths. Now, I want everyone to choose one piece of the broom straw and hold it. (let them select a piece of the broom straw) I have in my pocket another piece of the straw that is a perfect match to a piece one of you have. Whoever has the one that matches mine wins the prize. (have each child measure his or her piece against the one you hold; try to make sure that the match is the last one)
We have a winner! Everyone else had a piece of the straw but only one matched. Let me give you your prizes. Everyone gets a Life Saver except Jackie and she gets the big prize, a candy bar. Did you like the game? (let them answer)
I played this game with you so that you would understand a teaching from God. God tells us that he is sharing his world with all of us. Have you noticed that we all have the same sky and the same clouds? Everybody shares the sun, the stars, the moon, the same day, the same week, the same month. When it rains, we all have rain, and when it gets cold, we all have the cold.
But God also sent us special teachings about love, forgiveness, sharing, worship, and many other things. God said it is important for us to follow those teachings. Sometimes we think God doesn't really care if we follow his teachings. God asks us to read our Bibles, learn his ways, share with others who do not have as much, be sorry for our sins, and many other things. Some people do and some people don't. What does it matter? The sun still shines on the good people and the bad people. What does it matter? The rain falls on the good people and the bad people.
But God says it does matter and only those people who love God and follow his teachings will share in heaven. This is a story Jesus told to his followers so they would know that God really does care about the way that we think and the ways that we do things.
Everybody got a Life Saver, but only one person got the candy bar. Everybody gets some of the good things of this world, but only those who love God get heaven.
Prayer: Thank you for the good things of this world, dear Lord, and for calling us to follow you. Amen.
