Secrets
Children's Activity
Object:
Teachers or Parents: Help your children start a journal. This
could be a simple notebook or pieces of paper stapled together
with a title page that the children could color and decorate.
Encourage them to record events as well as their thoughts and
feelings. Journals can help us deal with the darker side of our
natures, which, as the text says, will be brought to light.
Obviously younger children will not have the writing skills to do
this.
*Make a prayer diary. Encourage the children to pray for specific individuals. Write the name, date, and reason for praying for that person. Younger children who cannot write can work with their parents or teachers to say daily prayers for specific people and situations. Younger children could also draw pictures about their day or things they would like to do. Record God's answer to each prayer.
*The full gospel text deals with a number of other issues that your minister may use as a theme today.
-- A disciple (student) is not above the teacher (vv. 24-25). Here the teaching might be for respect for those in authority: teachers, parents, pastors, law officials, and so forth.
-- Secrets (vv. 26-27)
-- Fear (v. 28)
-- The value of each person (vv. 29-31). Jesus uses the humble sparrow and God's knowledge of the sparrow as an example of God's knowledge and love of us. This portion of the text relates well with today's children's sermon.
-- Witnessing (vv. 32-33)
-- Division caused by faithfulness (vv. 34-39)
-- Losing life in order to find it (v. 39)
*Show how even "the least" of us human beings are valuable to God even though the world might find us to be of no value. Role- play a tailor, a cobbler, and a king. The world might think the king is most important, but the king would look funny without clothes made by the tailor or shoes made by the cobbler. To God, each is important.
*Deal with the powerful issue of shame and acceptance. Put on the board ideas (not personal experiences) of shameful thoughts or deeds and how God still accepts the person.
*Make a prayer diary. Encourage the children to pray for specific individuals. Write the name, date, and reason for praying for that person. Younger children who cannot write can work with their parents or teachers to say daily prayers for specific people and situations. Younger children could also draw pictures about their day or things they would like to do. Record God's answer to each prayer.
*The full gospel text deals with a number of other issues that your minister may use as a theme today.
-- A disciple (student) is not above the teacher (vv. 24-25). Here the teaching might be for respect for those in authority: teachers, parents, pastors, law officials, and so forth.
-- Secrets (vv. 26-27)
-- Fear (v. 28)
-- The value of each person (vv. 29-31). Jesus uses the humble sparrow and God's knowledge of the sparrow as an example of God's knowledge and love of us. This portion of the text relates well with today's children's sermon.
-- Witnessing (vv. 32-33)
-- Division caused by faithfulness (vv. 34-39)
-- Losing life in order to find it (v. 39)
*Show how even "the least" of us human beings are valuable to God even though the world might find us to be of no value. Role- play a tailor, a cobbler, and a king. The world might think the king is most important, but the king would look funny without clothes made by the tailor or shoes made by the cobbler. To God, each is important.
*Deal with the powerful issue of shame and acceptance. Put on the board ideas (not personal experiences) of shameful thoughts or deeds and how God still accepts the person.
