Written words
Children's sermon
Object:
a book
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. (v. 4)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you go to school? (show of hands) What grade are you in? (allow answers) How many of you have learned to read? (allow answers) What kinds of books do you like to read -- or if you can't read, what kinds of books do you like other people to read to you? (allow answers) Lots of people like to read books -- and reading is a very important part of our lives in this country! Think of all the places where you have to read something. Tell me some of them. (allow answers) We have to read at school, sometimes at church; we have to read menus at restaurants and road signs when we are going to new places. We have to read if we want to use the internet. We have to read if we want to look up someone's name in the phone book. Wow! There are a lot of times we read in our lives!
Long ago, most people did not read. Can you imagine that? (allow answers) Not even parents and adults could read! Instead of writing the name of a business on a sign, business owners would draw a picture. Maybe instead of saying "McDonald's," a restaurant would have had a picture of a hamburger painted on the side of the building. A barber shop wouldn't have a sign out front; instead, it would have a striped barber's pole to let people know a barber worked there.
But we don't just read signs. When we read, we have the ability to learn things even when people aren't there to teach us. Imagine: When people couldn't read, they couldn't learn things unless they had someone right there to show them how. That could be dangerous! Let's say there was just one baker in town. Maybe the baker didn't have any sons or other people to help him with his work. Eventually, the baker would grow old and die, and no one would know how to take over his job! That could be a catastrophe!
The Bible was written in the time when few people learned to read. This means that it took special people, called scribes, to copy down the word of God. Church leaders would have to be well-educated so that they could read God's word to others. Why do you think God's word was written down in a book even though lots of people couldn't read? (allow answers) The people who wrote the Bible wanted to make sure that people would always be able to read Jesus' original words. They were worried that church leaders would pass away without passing on God's good news -- and they didn't want that to happen! They carefully preserved God's word so that today, when we learn to read when we are very young, all of us can learn from God's word. Hallelujah! Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you go to school? (show of hands) What grade are you in? (allow answers) How many of you have learned to read? (allow answers) What kinds of books do you like to read -- or if you can't read, what kinds of books do you like other people to read to you? (allow answers) Lots of people like to read books -- and reading is a very important part of our lives in this country! Think of all the places where you have to read something. Tell me some of them. (allow answers) We have to read at school, sometimes at church; we have to read menus at restaurants and road signs when we are going to new places. We have to read if we want to use the internet. We have to read if we want to look up someone's name in the phone book. Wow! There are a lot of times we read in our lives!
Long ago, most people did not read. Can you imagine that? (allow answers) Not even parents and adults could read! Instead of writing the name of a business on a sign, business owners would draw a picture. Maybe instead of saying "McDonald's," a restaurant would have had a picture of a hamburger painted on the side of the building. A barber shop wouldn't have a sign out front; instead, it would have a striped barber's pole to let people know a barber worked there.
But we don't just read signs. When we read, we have the ability to learn things even when people aren't there to teach us. Imagine: When people couldn't read, they couldn't learn things unless they had someone right there to show them how. That could be dangerous! Let's say there was just one baker in town. Maybe the baker didn't have any sons or other people to help him with his work. Eventually, the baker would grow old and die, and no one would know how to take over his job! That could be a catastrophe!
The Bible was written in the time when few people learned to read. This means that it took special people, called scribes, to copy down the word of God. Church leaders would have to be well-educated so that they could read God's word to others. Why do you think God's word was written down in a book even though lots of people couldn't read? (allow answers) The people who wrote the Bible wanted to make sure that people would always be able to read Jesus' original words. They were worried that church leaders would pass away without passing on God's good news -- and they didn't want that to happen! They carefully preserved God's word so that today, when we learn to read when we are very young, all of us can learn from God's word. Hallelujah! Amen.
