Login / Signup

Free Access

A seat in heaven

Children's sermon
Object: 
pictures of different kinds of chairs (a straight chair, a beanbag chair, a rocker, a piano bench, a lounge chair, a beach chair, an office chair)
Good morning, boys and girls. I want to ask you a very special question. You can think about it for a minute and then I am going to ask you to answer it. Here is my question, "What do you think Jesus is doing in heaven this very minute?" If you were in heaven and looking around what do you think Jesus would be doing? (let them answer and repeat the answers so everyone can hear them) Those are very interesting answers.

The reason I asked this question is because our Bible lesson tells us that when Jesus raises us up from the dead he seats us with him in heavenly places. In other words, Jesus brings us into heaven and then asks us to sit down and enjoy his company and all that is going on in heaven.

I brought pictures of a few chairs with me so that you could choose the kind of chair you think Jesus would have ready for you when you get to heaven. (show them all of the chairs, describe them, and tell them what they are used for) How many of you think Jesus has straight chairs in heaven? (let them raise their hands) How many of you think Jesus would have beanbag chairs? (let them answer; continue in this manner with each picture)

This is pretty interesting. We have different ideas about what kind of chairs Jesus has in heaven. Of course, maybe we will all just sit down without a chair, kind of like you are doing right now.

What else do you think you will do in heaven? Do you think you are going to heaven to just sit around and watch the angels fly around? Tell me what you think you are going to do when you arrive in heaven. (let them answer)

Each one of us thinks we are going to do something different, but nothing seems to involve sitting. Perhaps what the Bible means is that when we arrive in heaven we are going to be in the presence of Jesus and we are going to be introduced to all of the heavenly bodies that live there. We will be in God's kingdom and it will be wonderful. There will be no death, no sickness, no fighting, no hate, no anger, and no secrets. Instead we will be filled with love, good health, peace, joy, and happiness. Sounds great, doesn't it?

We will all be thrilled to be in the presence of Jesus in this heavenly way. God bless you. Amen.

UPCOMING WEEKS
In addition to the lectionary resources there are thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...
Epiphany 7 (OT 7)
24 – Sermons
130+ – Illustrations / Stories
24 – Children's Sermons / Resources
17 – Worship Resources
24 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Transfiguration Sunday
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
36 – Children's Sermons / Resources
24 – Worship Resources
34 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Ash Wednesday
32 – Sermons
180+ – Illustrations / Stories
35 – Children's Sermons / Resources
22 – Worship Resources
29 – Commentary / Exegesis
4 – Pastor's Devotions
and more...
Plus thousands of non-lectionary, scripture based resources...

New & Featured This Week

CSSPlus

John Jamison
Object: Two small containers or boxes and several pieces of paper. I used two shoe boxes with lids and about fifty pieces of used printer paper. Label one box “Judge” and the other box “Not Judge.”

* * *

The Immediate Word

Dean Feldmeyer
Katy Stenta
Thomas Willadsen
Christopher Keating
George Reed
Mary Austin
For February 23, 2025:

StoryShare

Frank Ramirez
I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. (v. 4)

Spoiler alert!

Those two words warn us not to read, listen, or watch any further. Something crucial about a book, show, film, or fact is about to be revealed, and we’re being told if we want to be surprised when we finally get around to reading or watching we’d better stop listening right now.

Emphasis Preaching Journal

Frank Ramirez
Mark Ellingsen
Bill Thomas
Bonnie Bates
Genesis 45:3-11, 15
Christal Berns wrote, in a May 23, 2023, article for Christian Learning, about Jacksonville, FL police officer Ike Brown. On May 27, 2002, Brown received heartbreaking news from his colleagues. His sergeant, lieutenant, chief, and chaplain came to his home and told him his son had lost his life in a shooting incident.
Wayne Brouwer
We all believe in justice; we all cry out to have our rights protected. Yet the power of revenge eventually takes us beyond where any of us truly want to go, for two reasons.

First of all, because of sin, we tend to be more zealous in our vindictiveness than we are in our love. I am much quicker to strike out at someone else and seek revenge against him for what he’s done to me, than I am to be that righteous myself.

SermonStudio

Carlos Wilton
Some years back, there was a best-selling book that got a lot of attention in the church, one written by a rabbi, Harold Kushner. The book was called When Bad Things Happen to Good People (HarperCollins, 1982). It is an honest attempt to grapple with the problem of evil. Why is it, Rabbi Kushner wants to know, that good and faithful people sometimes have to suffer?

John T. Ball
The honored dead from our fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq have created a problem for Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. So many have rightly claimed burial in Arlington National Cemetery that the cemetery is running out of space. Rightful burials may soon have to be denied because there is no place for them.

Mary S. Lautensleger
Sibling rivalry. It's the pits. It has been around as long as there have been siblings around. Beginning with Cain and Abel, we see one brother disgruntled because God likes the other brother's sacrificial offering better. We remember, too, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Rachel and Leah, the prodigal son and his older brother. Life is not fair.
James T. Garrett
When a person enters into any society or any fellowship, he takes upon himself the obligations to live a certain way, by certain standards. If the person fails to live the kind of life necessary, he hinders the purpose of the society.

Once we make the claim that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true then a claim is put on our lives. In today's Scripture lesson, Jesus sets down behavior patterns for kingdom people.

Special Occasion

Wildcard SSL