Working
Children's sermon
Object:
some chips from a board game -- different colors, if possible
Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due.
But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is
reckoned as righteousness. (vv. 4-5)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have jobs to do at home? (let them answer) Do you help with the dishes, feed your pets, clean up your room, take out the trash, or help put away your clothes after they have been washed and dried? Those are the kinds of jobs I am talking about. How many of you have a job? Do you get paid to do these things? Do your parents pay you to do any of those things? (let them answer) Does your dad or mom work for pay? Do they do something special that someone pays them for doing? (let them answer) I am sure that they are paid for their work. If you work, you get paid. If you do not work, you do not get paid.
Suppose we got paid each time we sang a hymn, said a prayer, or read the Bible? How many hymns have you sung today? If I paid you one red chip for every hymn and one blue chip for every prayer that you prayed and a white chip for every time you read the Bible, you would have a lot of chips.
Has the church ever paid you for coming to Sunday school or our worship services? (let them answer) Does the church pay you to sing hymns or pray the Lord's Prayer? Do you think the church should pay you? (let them answer) You could be delivering newspapers on Sunday morning. You could mow the lawn for a neighbor on Sunday morning and get paid for doing it. You come to church, pray for other people, and study the Bible, but nobody pays you. Is that fair? (let them answer) Remember, if this is work to you, then you should be paid. The Bible says that we should be paid for our work.
The Bible teaches us that doing things like singing hymns, praying, and sharing our gifts with others helps build faith. Faith gives us the power to believe in God and all of his promises. We are not doing things like praying, reading the Bible, and singing hymns for pay, but because God is giving us great faith to help us believe. That is really special. The Bible calls it receiving righteousness or being right with God. A righteous person comes to church because God gives him the right things to build his faith. This doesn't only happen in church, but also when you are at home or in school. We learn to love others, forgive others, and share with others, and when we do, we become righteous and are given faith.
The next time you think about how much you should be paid, ask yourself this question: Am I doing work or am I becoming a more faithful member of my family and God's family? Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have jobs to do at home? (let them answer) Do you help with the dishes, feed your pets, clean up your room, take out the trash, or help put away your clothes after they have been washed and dried? Those are the kinds of jobs I am talking about. How many of you have a job? Do you get paid to do these things? Do your parents pay you to do any of those things? (let them answer) Does your dad or mom work for pay? Do they do something special that someone pays them for doing? (let them answer) I am sure that they are paid for their work. If you work, you get paid. If you do not work, you do not get paid.
Suppose we got paid each time we sang a hymn, said a prayer, or read the Bible? How many hymns have you sung today? If I paid you one red chip for every hymn and one blue chip for every prayer that you prayed and a white chip for every time you read the Bible, you would have a lot of chips.
Has the church ever paid you for coming to Sunday school or our worship services? (let them answer) Does the church pay you to sing hymns or pray the Lord's Prayer? Do you think the church should pay you? (let them answer) You could be delivering newspapers on Sunday morning. You could mow the lawn for a neighbor on Sunday morning and get paid for doing it. You come to church, pray for other people, and study the Bible, but nobody pays you. Is that fair? (let them answer) Remember, if this is work to you, then you should be paid. The Bible says that we should be paid for our work.
The Bible teaches us that doing things like singing hymns, praying, and sharing our gifts with others helps build faith. Faith gives us the power to believe in God and all of his promises. We are not doing things like praying, reading the Bible, and singing hymns for pay, but because God is giving us great faith to help us believe. That is really special. The Bible calls it receiving righteousness or being right with God. A righteous person comes to church because God gives him the right things to build his faith. This doesn't only happen in church, but also when you are at home or in school. We learn to love others, forgive others, and share with others, and when we do, we become righteous and are given faith.
The next time you think about how much you should be paid, ask yourself this question: Am I doing work or am I becoming a more faithful member of my family and God's family? Amen.
