CSSPlus!
(Children's Sermon Service...Plus)

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. (v. 1)


Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we're going to talk about words. How many of you know someone who uses really big words when they talk? (allow answers) Do you always understand what they are saying? (allow answers) Do you ever have to ask what a word means? (allow answers) Sometimes you might have to have someone help you look a word up in the dictionary!

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (v. 16)


Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we're going to talk about light. When you need more light, what do you do? (allow answers) In our houses, we have electricity -- we can just flip a switch and turn on a lamp. If we're outside, we can grab a flashlight. If we're camping, we can build a fire. There are lots of ways we can get light.

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


Directions:
Take children on a "tour" of the church to look for candles or symbols of light. Talk about the ways that candles are used in church services and why light is such an important symbol in the church. Be sure to point out special lights in the sanctuary, including the baptismal candle and the Eternal Candle.

It's snack time!  (Divide your group in half and give salty items to one group and unsalted items to the other )  I hope you enjoy!

Let's read our scripture for today in Matthew 5:13.  It says,

"You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again.  It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men."

Now do you know why you were given a snack?  How many of you liked what you ate?  Does the salt make a difference?  Aren't the saltless ones yucky?  You  almost want to just throw them out in the trash.

Light was an important commodity in Jesus’ world. One only got a days’ worth of sun and buying candles to extend the light meant using money that could also be used for food. Light was valuable so we see Jesus use it a lot to talk about our worth. Light also meant protection. Criminals used the cover of darkness to help them steal and hurt people. When Jesus says we are the light of the world we are being called to a specific task. To protect and add value to the world.

You will need a light source for this lesson. Any flashlight, even one on your phone, works well.

Say Something Like:

Object: A flashlight or other light, and something to put it under. A basket or bucket, or even a piece of cloth could work.

* * *

Hello, everyone! (Let them respond.) Are you ready to hear today’s story? (Let them respond.) Let’s get started!

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought some salt with me this morning. (Show the salt.) What do we use salt for? (Let them answer.) We use it for flavoring food. How many of you put salt on your popcorn? (Let them answer.) What else do we use salt for? (Let them answer.) We put salt on the sidewalks in winter to keep us from slipping. We put salt in water softeners to soften our water.

In this morning's lesson Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth. What do you think he meant by that? (Let them answer.) In Jesus' time salt was very important. It was used to keep food from spoiling, or tasting bad. It was used in religious services. It was an example of something that was very pure and valuable. Like today, salt in Jesus' time was also used to give flavor to

Good morning! Once Jesus told a whole crowd of people who
had come to hear him preach that they couldn't get into Heaven
unless they were more "righteous" than all the religious leaders
of that day. Does anyone know what that word means? What does it
mean to be righteous? (Let them answer.) It means to be good, to
be fair, and to be honest. Now, what do you think he meant by
that? Was he telling people that they had to do everything
perfectly in this life in order to get into Heaven? (Let them
answer.)

Let's see if I can explain to you what he was saying. I
brought this candy with me today and I would like to give one to
each of you. Now, if I say that I will only give the candy to

Good morning! How many of you own your own Bible? (Let them
answer.) When you read the Bible, do you find some things that
are hard to understand? (Let them answer.) Yes, I think there are
some tough things to comprehend in the Bible. After all, the
Bible is God's Word, and it's not always easy to understand God.
He is so much greater than we are and much more complex.

Now, I brought a New Testament with me this morning and I
want someone to read a verse for us. Can I have a volunteer? (Let
somebody agree to read.) Okay, ________, read this verse right
here (show a verse in the Greek New Testament). Of course, you
can't read it because it's in Greek, the language that the New

Teachers and Parents: The most common false doctrine, even
among some who consider themselves strong Christians, is that we
can earn our way into Heaven by our own works. Our children must
learn the basic Christian truth that Heaven is a gift of God and
that there is no way to be righteous enough to deserve it. We
must rely on the righteousness of Christ for our ticket into
Heaven.

* Make white paper ponchos with the name JESUS written in
large letters on each one. (A large hole for the head in a big
piece of paper is all that is needed.) Mark off an area of a room
and designate this area as Heaven. Have an entrance gate of some
kind and invite the children to come into Heaven through the

Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever tried to describe God or Jesus to someone? (Wait for a show of hands.) I've heard many people try to describe God. Sometimes they used big words that I didn't understand. Has that ever happened to you? (Let them answer.) I know sometimes when people talk about God and Jesus, they may use big words that even they don't understand. Here's an example. I read it in a book of famous quotations like the one I'm holding. Quotations are things that people say. Some of these become famous statements. Some of the statements have big words. This book is full of big words. It also has short words, too. (Show the book.) Someone used these words to describe God: "The presence of a superior reasoning power ... revealed in

Teachers: Jesus made a great compliment to people when he called them "the salt of the earth." In the ancient world salt was highly valued. Salt was connected with purity. In fact, Jewish sacrifices were made in salt.

Introduce your students to salt this week. You may chose one or a selection of the following suggestions. First, bring salt to class. Allow each student to feel the salt and let it run through their fingers. Then let them taste a small portion. You might let them mix a small portion in a glass of water. Have them taste the unsalted water first, then the salted water. Get their reactions. As a variation, try a salt of the earth taste test, similar to soft drink taste tests. Pour samples of salted water and