Small and mighty
Children's sermon
Object:
some mustard seeds
It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. (vv. 31-32)
Good morning, boys and girls. What is the biggest thing you have ever seen? (let them answer) All of those things are pretty big. I want to talk to you today about a very big bush, but before I tell you about it, I want to show you something that is very small. This is a mustard seed. (share one mustard seed with each child) It is pretty small, isn't it? (let them answer) Did you know that you are holding one of the very tiniest seeds we have on earth?
Jesus used this little seed in a story he told people a long time ago. He was trying to teach people about the new world that God was making for us. It would be a special place for everyone who believed. Jesus said that this very small seed could be planted in the earth and in a few years it would grow to be one of the biggest bushes you will ever see. Take a look at this seed and imagine that inside of it there is a big bush, one of the biggest bushes that grow on earth. Amazing, isn't it? This bush grows so big that a whole flock of birds can live in it. Have you ever seen a flock of birds fly into a tree or out of a tree? When a tree is full of birds it is a pretty noisy place.
Jesus was talking about his church and how it would grow. It would start with only a few people, but God would give these people great strength. These few would invite others to share the good news about God and how much he loved all of the people. It would not be easy, but the people would become stronger and stronger. Soon there would be Christians almost all the way around the world. And remember there were no trains, airplanes, busses, or cars. Christians walked around the world telling everyone they met about Jesus.
It always started with only a few people, but they all told the same story about the new world that God was creating and how it was for all of us. The new world was not just for Jews or Romans or Greeks or Indians. It was for everyone and soon the church grew into something so big that there was room for everyone who believed. The church started as small as this tiny seed but it grew until it was as large as a mustard bush. In the beginning, the seed was so small that you could hardly see it, but today there is a Christian church almost everywhere you look. Jesus knew it was going to happen this way and he knows now that you are a part of it.
The next time you hear of something really small that grows into something very big, I want you to think about the day Jesus told his friends about the mustard seed. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. What is the biggest thing you have ever seen? (let them answer) All of those things are pretty big. I want to talk to you today about a very big bush, but before I tell you about it, I want to show you something that is very small. This is a mustard seed. (share one mustard seed with each child) It is pretty small, isn't it? (let them answer) Did you know that you are holding one of the very tiniest seeds we have on earth?
Jesus used this little seed in a story he told people a long time ago. He was trying to teach people about the new world that God was making for us. It would be a special place for everyone who believed. Jesus said that this very small seed could be planted in the earth and in a few years it would grow to be one of the biggest bushes you will ever see. Take a look at this seed and imagine that inside of it there is a big bush, one of the biggest bushes that grow on earth. Amazing, isn't it? This bush grows so big that a whole flock of birds can live in it. Have you ever seen a flock of birds fly into a tree or out of a tree? When a tree is full of birds it is a pretty noisy place.
Jesus was talking about his church and how it would grow. It would start with only a few people, but God would give these people great strength. These few would invite others to share the good news about God and how much he loved all of the people. It would not be easy, but the people would become stronger and stronger. Soon there would be Christians almost all the way around the world. And remember there were no trains, airplanes, busses, or cars. Christians walked around the world telling everyone they met about Jesus.
It always started with only a few people, but they all told the same story about the new world that God was creating and how it was for all of us. The new world was not just for Jews or Romans or Greeks or Indians. It was for everyone and soon the church grew into something so big that there was room for everyone who believed. The church started as small as this tiny seed but it grew until it was as large as a mustard bush. In the beginning, the seed was so small that you could hardly see it, but today there is a Christian church almost everywhere you look. Jesus knew it was going to happen this way and he knows now that you are a part of it.
The next time you hear of something really small that grows into something very big, I want you to think about the day Jesus told his friends about the mustard seed. Amen.
