Tickets Please!
Children's sermon
Object: A ticket to give to each child. You may print the tickets that are included (download here) or design one of your own.
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) It is great to see you! I have a question for you today. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.) Great! Here we go!
Have you ever worried about something? (Let them respond.) I mean, really, REALLY, worried about something? (Let them respond.) I think we all worry sometimes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And we worry about a lot of different things, don’t we? (Let them respond.) One day, Jesus was talking with a bunch of people who were really, REALLY, worried! But they weren’t worried about being late for something or getting their homework done, or about having to clean their rooms. They were worried about God. The people were worried because they thought that God was mad at them.
The people knew that if they wanted God to like them, they had to follow all of the rules and laws. And, if you broke the rules, that made you a criminal, and they all believed that God hated criminals. So, if you broke a rule and became a criminal, you could never be with God. But there were so many laws and rules to follow it was almost impossible to not break some of them and be called a criminal. So, the people talking with Jesus were worried that they weren’t good enough and that meant they could never, ever be with God.
Have you ever worried that maybe you weren’t good enough? (Let them respond.) I think we all do that sometimes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) Maybe we worry that we aren’t good enough, or aren’t doing enough, or have enough of something, and we worry that God might not be happy with us. In fact, some people get so worried that God is not happy with them that they are afraid God is going to do something to punish them for not being good enough. That sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.)
Well, Jesus looked at the worried people and told them some very good news. Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
He said God wanted all of them to be welcome in God’s kingdom, and they didn’t have to worry about being “good enough” or try to be perfect to get God to love them. We are all God’s children, and God loves all of us.
But the people were still worried about all of those laws. Does anyone remember what Jesus did to help them stop worrying about the laws? (Let them respond.)
Jesus went to Jerusalem where all of the big lawmakers lived and talked to them about what God wanted. The lawmakers got mad at him and said he was breaking the laws by pretending to be “God.” They had Jesus arrested, and what did that make Jesus? (Let them respond.) It made him a criminal, didn’t it? (Let them respond.) And what did the law say criminals can never do? (Let them respond.) They can never be with God, can they? (Let them respond.) So, they killed Jesus like a criminal to show everyone that this is what God does to anyone who breaks God’s laws. They will never, ever, be with God.
But what happened next? (Let them respond.) Jesus came back, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) He was not only alive, but he was with God again and wants us to know that God loves all of us and wants all of us to be in God’s Kingdom. No one needs to worry about being good enough to be with God, it’s like God has already given each of us a ticket to get in.
I thought it would be fun if we all had a ticket to remind us of how much God loves us, so I have something for you. I made us all tickets to get into God’s kingdom. (Give each child a ticket.) When we see our ticket, maybe it will help remind us of how much God loves us, and of what Jesus did to help us stop worrying and be closer to God.
We don’t have to do anything to get our ticket, but does anyone have an idea of how we can thank God for giving us our free ticket? (Let them respond.) Maybe by just doing what God asks us to do and try to take care of each other? (Let them respond.) I think that would be awesome!
Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how Jesus wants us to love each other and take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) It is great to see you! I have a question for you today. Are you ready to hear it? (Let them respond.) Great! Here we go!
Have you ever worried about something? (Let them respond.) I mean, really, REALLY, worried about something? (Let them respond.) I think we all worry sometimes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) And we worry about a lot of different things, don’t we? (Let them respond.) One day, Jesus was talking with a bunch of people who were really, REALLY, worried! But they weren’t worried about being late for something or getting their homework done, or about having to clean their rooms. They were worried about God. The people were worried because they thought that God was mad at them.
The people knew that if they wanted God to like them, they had to follow all of the rules and laws. And, if you broke the rules, that made you a criminal, and they all believed that God hated criminals. So, if you broke a rule and became a criminal, you could never be with God. But there were so many laws and rules to follow it was almost impossible to not break some of them and be called a criminal. So, the people talking with Jesus were worried that they weren’t good enough and that meant they could never, ever be with God.
Have you ever worried that maybe you weren’t good enough? (Let them respond.) I think we all do that sometimes, don’t we? (Let them respond.) Maybe we worry that we aren’t good enough, or aren’t doing enough, or have enough of something, and we worry that God might not be happy with us. In fact, some people get so worried that God is not happy with them that they are afraid God is going to do something to punish them for not being good enough. That sounds pretty scary, doesn’t it? (Let them respond.)
Well, Jesus looked at the worried people and told them some very good news. Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom.”
He said God wanted all of them to be welcome in God’s kingdom, and they didn’t have to worry about being “good enough” or try to be perfect to get God to love them. We are all God’s children, and God loves all of us.
But the people were still worried about all of those laws. Does anyone remember what Jesus did to help them stop worrying about the laws? (Let them respond.)
Jesus went to Jerusalem where all of the big lawmakers lived and talked to them about what God wanted. The lawmakers got mad at him and said he was breaking the laws by pretending to be “God.” They had Jesus arrested, and what did that make Jesus? (Let them respond.) It made him a criminal, didn’t it? (Let them respond.) And what did the law say criminals can never do? (Let them respond.) They can never be with God, can they? (Let them respond.) So, they killed Jesus like a criminal to show everyone that this is what God does to anyone who breaks God’s laws. They will never, ever, be with God.
But what happened next? (Let them respond.) Jesus came back, didn’t he? (Let them respond.) He was not only alive, but he was with God again and wants us to know that God loves all of us and wants all of us to be in God’s Kingdom. No one needs to worry about being good enough to be with God, it’s like God has already given each of us a ticket to get in.
I thought it would be fun if we all had a ticket to remind us of how much God loves us, so I have something for you. I made us all tickets to get into God’s kingdom. (Give each child a ticket.) When we see our ticket, maybe it will help remind us of how much God loves us, and of what Jesus did to help us stop worrying and be closer to God.
We don’t have to do anything to get our ticket, but does anyone have an idea of how we can thank God for giving us our free ticket? (Let them respond.) Maybe by just doing what God asks us to do and try to take care of each other? (Let them respond.) I think that would be awesome!
Let’s all pray together and ask God to help us remember how Jesus wants us to love each other and take care of each other.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember that you love all of the people you have created and help us let the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
