Putting out fires
Children's sermon
Object:
baking soda
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (v. 21)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we're going to talk about fires. Have any of you ever had a fire in your house? (allow answers) Fires are very dangerous! If a house catches on fire, everything inside could burn. We have to be very careful when we light candles or have other flames in our houses so that the fire does not get out of control and burn our home.
Although fires are bad, they sometimes happen. Where is a place that you think many fires begin? (allow answers) Many fires begin in the kitchen. Why do you think that is? (allow answers) We use a lot of things in the kitchen that are very hot, and we also use a lot of things that can catch fire easily. That's why your parents probably don't want you playing in the kitchen if they are trying to cook!
One kind of fire that happens in the kitchen is a grease fire. A grease fire happens when oil gets too hot. Who can tell me what oil looks like? (allow answers) Oil is a liquid, kind of like water. Sometimes it looks a little bit yellow, and it is very slippery. If you heat oil too much, it will catch on fire, with big flames! Now, how are you supposed to put out a fire? (allow answers) Usually we would think that we should throw water on it to put it out. But with a grease fire, this only makes the flames worse. We can't use a liquid to put out this fire! Instead, we use baking soda -- this powder (show baking soda) -- to put out the flames. We cover the oil with baking soda, and it smothers the fire.
Our lesson today doesn't talk about fire but it does talk about a situation that is kind of like a fire. It talks about evil. Have you heard people say, "Pray for your enemies"? (allow answers) Our lesson today says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." It is kind of like that saying. When we have enemies or people who are mean to us, we can compare them to a grease fire. When they do bad things, it is like they have gotten too hot with unkindness and start burning with bad flames. We should not return their mean actions with our own mean actions -- that would be like putting water on a grease fire. It seems like the easy thing to do, but it just causes more problems! Instead, we take a different approach. While they burn like liquid oil, we can be the baking soda that puts out their flames. We can smother their bad actions by showing them God's love and kindness in our own way. We do this by not getting angry, by still treating them with fairness, and just by being kind to them when we see them. It's hard to do, but it will do much more to put out their fire of anger than if we returned meanness for meanness. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we're going to talk about fires. Have any of you ever had a fire in your house? (allow answers) Fires are very dangerous! If a house catches on fire, everything inside could burn. We have to be very careful when we light candles or have other flames in our houses so that the fire does not get out of control and burn our home.
Although fires are bad, they sometimes happen. Where is a place that you think many fires begin? (allow answers) Many fires begin in the kitchen. Why do you think that is? (allow answers) We use a lot of things in the kitchen that are very hot, and we also use a lot of things that can catch fire easily. That's why your parents probably don't want you playing in the kitchen if they are trying to cook!
One kind of fire that happens in the kitchen is a grease fire. A grease fire happens when oil gets too hot. Who can tell me what oil looks like? (allow answers) Oil is a liquid, kind of like water. Sometimes it looks a little bit yellow, and it is very slippery. If you heat oil too much, it will catch on fire, with big flames! Now, how are you supposed to put out a fire? (allow answers) Usually we would think that we should throw water on it to put it out. But with a grease fire, this only makes the flames worse. We can't use a liquid to put out this fire! Instead, we use baking soda -- this powder (show baking soda) -- to put out the flames. We cover the oil with baking soda, and it smothers the fire.
Our lesson today doesn't talk about fire but it does talk about a situation that is kind of like a fire. It talks about evil. Have you heard people say, "Pray for your enemies"? (allow answers) Our lesson today says, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." It is kind of like that saying. When we have enemies or people who are mean to us, we can compare them to a grease fire. When they do bad things, it is like they have gotten too hot with unkindness and start burning with bad flames. We should not return their mean actions with our own mean actions -- that would be like putting water on a grease fire. It seems like the easy thing to do, but it just causes more problems! Instead, we take a different approach. While they burn like liquid oil, we can be the baking soda that puts out their flames. We can smother their bad actions by showing them God's love and kindness in our own way. We do this by not getting angry, by still treating them with fairness, and just by being kind to them when we see them. It's hard to do, but it will do much more to put out their fire of anger than if we returned meanness for meanness. Amen.
