Childrens Sermon Service

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. (v. 22)

Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have an aquarium at home? (let them answer) Have you ever tried to clean the aquarium where your fish live? (let them answer) It isn't an easy job. You can put the fish in a different bowl but how do you get rid of the rest of the things that are floating around in the water? You don't want to move all of the things that are planted in the aquarium. You need to be careful. I like to clean my aquarium once each week and this is how I do it. (demonstrate taking the water out of the aquarium and pouring it through the cheesecloth)

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. (v. 30)

Good morning, boys and girls. Easter was a busy time for God. Let's think about the things that Jesus did and how he did them. We have talked about the way he left the tomb and spoke with Mary Magdalene, and most of the disciples. Last week we saw how Jesus could just appear in front of people. One moment they were alone with the door locked and the next moment Jesus was in the room sharing the peace.

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME

Materials:
6 slices white bread per group
6 tablespoons white glue per group
1/2 teaspoon detergent or 2 teaspoons glycerin per group
Brown food coloring
Polyurethane (optional)

Directions:
1. Have the children work in pairs or groups of four, depending on the size of bread loaf desired.

2. Have the children remove the crusts and mix the bread with the glue, kneading completely.

3. Have the children mix in either the detergent or glycerin.

4. Tell the children to continue kneading the dough until the mixture is no longer sticky.

If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. (v. 17)

Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have perfect behavior? (allow answers) Probably no one! We might try to be well-behaved, but none of us is perfect. We all slip up sometimes.

Who tells us how to behave? (allow answers) Our parents usually tell us how to behave. So do our teachers, our babysitters, and maybe our grandparents or aunts and uncles. There are lots of people who tell us how to behave.

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. (vv. 15-16)

Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have a pair of sunglasses? (show sunglasses; allow answers) When do you wear your sunglasses? (allow answers) When it's sunny out, of course! But why else might somebody wear sunglasses? (allow answers)

SHARING THIS WEEK'S GOSPEL THEME
AT SUNDAY SCHOOL AND AT HOME


Materials:
Large piece of newsprint
Construction paper/ large sheets of colored paper
Scissors
Tape
Blindfold


Directions:
1. Either as a group or as a preparation, have a person lay on the newsprint. Trace them. Hang the newsprint on the wall. This is the "Pin the features on the person" template. From construction paper and the large colored paper, cut out features and clothing: pants, shirt, eyes, ears, nose, glasses, hair, etc. If possible without being offensive, try to make the template a specific person (eg, Mr. Rogers; or maybe the church's pastor).

• First Thoughts
• Teaching On Your Own
• Teaching As A Team
• Closing Prayer
• Follow-Up Lesson

I have an umbrella with me today, not because it is raining outside (or maybe it is!) but I want to talk about how it can sometimes “rain” in our lives. Have you ever had a situation where just one thing after another goes wrong? You wake up late, you forget your homework, you hate what is for lunch, and your best friend gets angry at you. It goes on and on! You might say when it rains it pours. It just gets worse and worse.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. (v. 30)

Good morning, boys and girls. Easter was a busy time for God. Let's think about the things that Jesus did and how he did them. We have talked about the way he left the tomb and spoke with Mary Magdalene, and most of the disciples. Last week we saw how Jesus could just appear in front of people. One moment they were alone with the door locked and the next moment Jesus was in the room sharing the peace.

Object: You will need bread. Most authentic would be some type of unleavened bread, like a flatbread, or pita, but I have also used a small loaf of regular bread at times.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) I have a question for you. How good is your memory? (Let them respond.) For example, if you meet someone new and then see them again sometime later, do you usually remember their name and who they are? (Let them respond.) Sometimes it is hard to remember things like that, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) Today’s story is about some people who had a hard time remembering.

Good morning! I have here a newspaper article about a kidnapping. It seems that ... (tell them about the story in the clipping). Now when somebody is kidnapped, the usual reason for kidnapping them is money. The kidnappers want somebody to pay them money to release the prisoner. Does anybody know what we call the money paid to get someone released from the kidnappers? (Let them answer.) It's called a "ransom." A ransom is paid in order to get someone released by the bad guys.

Good morning! Did you know that after Jesus was raised from the dead, he went around showing himself to some of his followers? Some of the disciples saw him and recognized him right away. One of the disciples, Thomas, recognized him but he didn't believe that it was really Jesus. He wanted proof before he would believe.

Today we hear about another time that Jesus showed himself after the Resurrection. Jesus met two of his followers on the road to Emmaus. Jesus approached them, but they did not recognize him. He asked them what they were talking about, and they told him how sad they were. They told him that their Lord was crucified and that they'd heard that his body was missing from the tomb. There were rumors that he was alive, but they didn't know what to believe.

After the resurrection of Jesus -- but before it was known -- two of his followers were walking along a road. They were sad about the crucifixion and mourning that their friend was gone. Jesus joined them on the road, but they did not recognize him. He challenged their lack of belief in the resurrection. Didn't the prophecies say that the Messiah would be brought back from the dead? Why, then, didn't they believe them? Jesus tells them that they are slow to believe.

Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you live in a house? (let them answer) Does anyone live in a mobile home or an apartment? (let them answer) Does anyone live in a tent? (let them answer)

Do you think you will live in your house for a long time? (let them answer) Did you move from another house to the house you now live in? (let them answer)

My grandmother only ever lived in one house. Her parents lived in that house and she was born in that house. After she was married, she and her husband lived in that same house, but most people live in a number of houses over the years.

Good morning, boys and girls. Have you heard about __________________? Did you see the stories in the newspaper? (let them answer) It's been on television and the radio, also. Have you heard your mom and dad talking about it? (let them answer) By the time they are tired of talking about it, someone else will bring it up. This is quite a story.

The same thing happened about Jesus. After Jesus was resurrected there was a lot of talk, especially in and around Jerusalem. Some said that Jesus was hiding while others said that the Roman soldiers must have hidden his body. Others said he was resurrected. It didn't really make any difference where people went, because there was a lot of talk about Jesus just as there is about ___________________ in our town.

What does money look like? (Let them answer. They will probably answer that it looks like coins and bills.) Now I want to show you a different kind of money. (Show them the credit card.) This will buy almost anything that regular money can buy and it can buy many things that regular money can't buy. So will this. This is a checkbook. It contains checks that I can write and it will buy me things I want.

The Apostle Peter talks about money that's different. In those days money was mostly gold or silver coins. But he says that we get acceptance from God "not with ... silver or gold."

The two disciples were sad because Jesus had died. They had to walk about seven miles because they didn't have cars to ride in. While they were walking, Jesus joined them and asked about what they were talking about. They said they were talking about the life and death of Jesus. They were surprised that this man, who was really Jesus, didn't know all that had happened that weekend when Jesus was killed.

Jesus then explained to them how this had to happen. How Jesus had to die. Jesus walked with them, talked with them, and yet they didn't recognize him. Finally they came to where they were going and the two men invited Jesus to stay and eat with them. Jesus did this. (Break the bread.) When Jesus broke the bread, they finally recognized him.

Good morning! Some of you are in school, so you should
recognize this. What is it? (Show the textbook and let them
answer.) Yes, it's a textbook on mathematics -- arithmetic. If we
look in this book it will tell us a lot of facts about
arithmetic. It will say, for instance, that 2 + 2 = 4. Are two
and two four? Are they always four no matter what? (Let them
answer.) Yes, of course they are. It's a fact and it isn't going
to change, no matter what anybody thinks. What would you think of
someone who, even though they read this entire book, says that
two and two are five? (Let them answer.) They would have to be
dumb to say that, wouldn't they? They would be denying something
that is a proven fact.

Good morning, boys and girls! (hold up the trap) Who can tell me what this is? (see if they know)

Yes, it's a trap, the kind that can catch an animal without hurting it. I brought it along to help us learn about the word "ransom," which is in our scripture reading for the day. The lesson says that we have been ransomed from the pointless things we've learned to do. What does ransom mean? (see if anyone can tell you)

Materials:
Envelope patterns (directions below)
Wallpaper samples (many stores will give these to you)
White paper
Pencils, pens
Glue

Directions:

Start by having the children write a letter telling the good news of Jesus' resurrection to a friend. They can also do this in the form of a card if they like.

Using the patterns, have the children trace an envelope onto a piece of wallpaper. Glue the edges to make a colorful envelope for the letters. If possible, mail the letters, since everyone loves to get good news in the mail!

Teachers or Parents: Take the bread used for the object lesson and eat it as a class. While eating, ask, "Why do you suppose the two disciples walking along didn't recognize Jesus?" (Perhaps their grief overcame them. Dead people do not walk around after they have died.) Why might bread make them think of Jesus? (Perhaps bread is like a body. It is soft [feel your upper arm or upper leg for comparison]. Maybe they remembered what Jesus said in the Upper Room when he broke the bread and told them to eat it "in remembrance" of him.)

* Talk about the importance of Holy Communion in your church's tradition. Have the pastor speak to your class about the meaning of communion and the significance of memory tied to the breaking and taking of bread.

Teachers or Parents: Jesus, our Master, tells the two
disciples on the road to Emmaus that they need to read the book
and let their minds be opened to see that the Scriptures speak of
him and reveal what must happen to him. Our children must see
that what God has revealed in His Holy Word is the truth.

*Bring an old science textbook of some kind and point out to
the children all the things in the book that are no longer true
based on modern discoveries. Then show the Bible and ask how many
errors are in it. When you have established that there are no
errors in the Bible, point out the difference between human and
divine authorship.