Remembering and being ready
Children's sermon
Object:
some tarnished silver and silver polish
Good morning! Today is a very special Sunday. Does anyone know why? (let them answer) All of those things make it special, but this is All Saints' Day, and it is special because we remember all of the Christians who have died during the past year and all of the years before.
Do you remember someone who has died? (let them answer) Grandfathers, grandmothers, friends die, and we remember them. We remember all of the good things they did with us before they died and how much we loved them. Dying is part of life. It is like being born or growing up. We are sad about those who died because we can't sit on their laps anymore or take walks or listen to them laugh and tell stories. But we believe they are with God in a different world and much closer to Jesus than they were even here on earth.
Jesus had a disciple named John, and John was a real believer. He knew about death and he also knew that when we died it made us more like Jesus who also died. Do you remember that Jesus died? (let them answer) Jesus was pure and did not have any sin. We are not pure like Jesus. We do have sin. So John told us that during our life we should prepare, get ready, to be with Jesus. He said we should clean up our lives.
Let me show you what I mean. I brought along something very beautiful. It is called silver and we make bowls and silverware out of silver. Some people have silver made into jewelry like rings or necklaces.
Today I have brought a silver spoon but it doesn't look very pretty. It is stained and ugly. But I have also brought along some silver polish and a cloth. Watch what happens to my spoon. (apply the silver cleaner and then begin to polish it) Isn't it beautiful?
John thought that we could do the same thing with our lives. We make our sins and they kind of hang on us, get inside of us, and make our lives a mess.
But when we ask Jesus to forgive us and try to live our lives like Jesus lived, then we are like polished silver. Polishing our lives comes from reading our Bibles, praying, worshiping, sharing our gifts with others, and helping other people who need our help.
Today we remember all who died and are with Jesus. While we remember them, we prepare our own lives to be like Jesus so that someday when God calls us we will be ready to die with Jesus and live again in his new world.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for all the people who have lived faithful to you and who are now with you in heaven. Amen.
Do you remember someone who has died? (let them answer) Grandfathers, grandmothers, friends die, and we remember them. We remember all of the good things they did with us before they died and how much we loved them. Dying is part of life. It is like being born or growing up. We are sad about those who died because we can't sit on their laps anymore or take walks or listen to them laugh and tell stories. But we believe they are with God in a different world and much closer to Jesus than they were even here on earth.
Jesus had a disciple named John, and John was a real believer. He knew about death and he also knew that when we died it made us more like Jesus who also died. Do you remember that Jesus died? (let them answer) Jesus was pure and did not have any sin. We are not pure like Jesus. We do have sin. So John told us that during our life we should prepare, get ready, to be with Jesus. He said we should clean up our lives.
Let me show you what I mean. I brought along something very beautiful. It is called silver and we make bowls and silverware out of silver. Some people have silver made into jewelry like rings or necklaces.
Today I have brought a silver spoon but it doesn't look very pretty. It is stained and ugly. But I have also brought along some silver polish and a cloth. Watch what happens to my spoon. (apply the silver cleaner and then begin to polish it) Isn't it beautiful?
John thought that we could do the same thing with our lives. We make our sins and they kind of hang on us, get inside of us, and make our lives a mess.
But when we ask Jesus to forgive us and try to live our lives like Jesus lived, then we are like polished silver. Polishing our lives comes from reading our Bibles, praying, worshiping, sharing our gifts with others, and helping other people who need our help.
Today we remember all who died and are with Jesus. While we remember them, we prepare our own lives to be like Jesus so that someday when God calls us we will be ready to die with Jesus and live again in his new world.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for all the people who have lived faithful to you and who are now with you in heaven. Amen.
