Read the signs
Children's sermon
Object:
a sawhorse and a "Do not enter" sign
There is no restriction in our affections, but only in yours. In return -- I speak as to children -- open wide your hearts also. (vv. 12-13)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know what a detour means? (let them answer) When we have a detour, we see things that block the road so we can't go to places where we might get hurt or cause trouble.
I brought along with me a sawhorse that is used to block roads or maybe the steps into a house that are dangerous. Sometimes men will put them up where they have just poured cement. You would not want to ride your bike through wet cement, would you? (let them answer) Sometimes people put up their own detour signs or "Do not enter" signs. (show the sign) When this happens, we think people are very unfriendly to us and we don't like them. This is a very bad thing because this makes two unhappy people, the other person and you.
Some people are very shy. They are afraid that you will not like them so they act unhappy. When you see how unhappy they look, it makes you want to go away. Sometimes people have been hurt by other people because of what they have said or made fun of how he/she looks and instead of crying, they look angry.
Paul must have seen a lot of this kind of behavior because he talks about it in the Bible. He tells us that Christians should love even the most unhappiest person and show it with signs of love like praying for them, listening to them be angry, and sharing what we have with people who act like this to us. We can't change people if we are the same way toward them that they are to us. If they are angry and we are angry then we have two people angry. If someone is shy and we are shy then we will never meet each other. If someone is hungry and we do not feed him or her with part of what we have, then they will not be happy. All of these things are like detour signs. The signs on people's faces, the angry voices, the selfishness are all like signs written on their faces.
We want to put a smile on our face, invite the unhappy to join us in what we are doing, sharing with these unhappy people, and pretty soon they will be a part of the world that God shares with us. It isn't always easy to be a Christian. Sometimes we need to share our love with people that do not love us. It doesn't always work right away, but if we keep on showing them that we love them because God loves them, we can change a lot of detours into brand new roads for Jesus.
The next time you are in the car with your parents and you see a detour sign, remember this is not just a sign to keep you out, but also to tell you that the road is being fixed.
You can, with God's help, be a fixer of unhappy boys and girls. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know what a detour means? (let them answer) When we have a detour, we see things that block the road so we can't go to places where we might get hurt or cause trouble.
I brought along with me a sawhorse that is used to block roads or maybe the steps into a house that are dangerous. Sometimes men will put them up where they have just poured cement. You would not want to ride your bike through wet cement, would you? (let them answer) Sometimes people put up their own detour signs or "Do not enter" signs. (show the sign) When this happens, we think people are very unfriendly to us and we don't like them. This is a very bad thing because this makes two unhappy people, the other person and you.
Some people are very shy. They are afraid that you will not like them so they act unhappy. When you see how unhappy they look, it makes you want to go away. Sometimes people have been hurt by other people because of what they have said or made fun of how he/she looks and instead of crying, they look angry.
Paul must have seen a lot of this kind of behavior because he talks about it in the Bible. He tells us that Christians should love even the most unhappiest person and show it with signs of love like praying for them, listening to them be angry, and sharing what we have with people who act like this to us. We can't change people if we are the same way toward them that they are to us. If they are angry and we are angry then we have two people angry. If someone is shy and we are shy then we will never meet each other. If someone is hungry and we do not feed him or her with part of what we have, then they will not be happy. All of these things are like detour signs. The signs on people's faces, the angry voices, the selfishness are all like signs written on their faces.
We want to put a smile on our face, invite the unhappy to join us in what we are doing, sharing with these unhappy people, and pretty soon they will be a part of the world that God shares with us. It isn't always easy to be a Christian. Sometimes we need to share our love with people that do not love us. It doesn't always work right away, but if we keep on showing them that we love them because God loves them, we can change a lot of detours into brand new roads for Jesus.
The next time you are in the car with your parents and you see a detour sign, remember this is not just a sign to keep you out, but also to tell you that the road is being fixed.
You can, with God's help, be a fixer of unhappy boys and girls. Amen.
