Childrens Sermon Service

Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. (v. 10)

Good morning, boys and girls. When I was a boy, I used to take an apple to my teacher. (show the apple) I was not always sure why I took the apple but my mother thought it was a good idea. My mother would also give me cookies to take to our neighbor next door and the neighbor would always thank me and look very pleased.

On my birthday, my aunts and uncles always sent me funny cards and it made me happy because they remembered me. (show the card) It did not make me as happy as the gifts my mother and father gave me on my birthday but I really enjoyed the funny cards.

When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). (vv. 6-7)

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

Materials:
Small, clear juice cups
Large mixing bowl
Oreos
Chocolate instant pudding
Milk

Directions:
1. Have the children crumble the Oreos to resemble dirt.

2. Have the children mix the pudding according to package directions.

3. Pour the pudding into the individual juice cups.

4. Stir in the Oreo crumbs carefully and sprinkle the tops with additional crumbs to resemble dirt.

5. Chill and eat while discussing the story of healing the blind man.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. (v. 11)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you have seen a camera like this before? (allow answers) Ten years ago, almost everyone used cameras like these! They aren't digital cameras, like we use today. These cameras use something called film. You would take pictures with the camera and then take the camera film to be developed -- at someplace like CVS or a photography shop. You didn't get to see the photos until after they were developed! How is that different from using a digital camera? (allow answers)

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. (v. 5)

Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) How many of you have ever had a job to do? (allow answers) How many of you have had a job that you didn't want to do? (allow answers) We've all had jobs that we don't really like. Even though we don't always like our jobs, we know they have to get done. Sometimes, if our chore is to help clean the house, maybe, we don't do as good of a job as we could do. Our attitude toward the work -- how we feel about it -- shows in how well we accomplish our job.

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

*Discuss this activity with the church custodian before hand.


Materials:
Dust rags/feather dusters
Other cleaning supplies (optional)
Smocks (optional)


Directions:
Select an area of the church for the children to clean. (If the weather is nice and the ground is dry, take them outside to pick up trash.) Discuss what it means to work for God. Sometimes it isn't glamorous or easy, but it is still important that each of us do our part with a humble and happy heart. Even if we don't like the work, we can still give glory to God that we are helping his word have a place in our community.

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

Let's imagine that there is a new student that comes to your school. They don't have any friends so you invite them to play with you at recess.  But when your other friends see you do that they say things like what are on my cards.  Can you read them with me.  (Read off the cards together.)  It could really be painful hearing these words and you may feel like giving up doing the kind deed. 

This is sort of how Jesus must have felt.  He happened to see a blind man along the road and he showed tremendous kindness. He healed his blindness.  You would think that everyone would be calling Jesus a hero.  But do you know what was said about Jesus?

There are many wonderful moments in this scripture selection. The one that stood out for me is the moment the man who use to be blind gets thrown out for telling his truth. He is treated unfairly by no fault of his own. It is an important lesson for us to learn and re-learn, some people will simply not be for us. We can be living examples of God’s love and a walking miracle and some will still turn us away. We can not let our value be downgraded by their response. Jesus will always be there to remind us of our worth.

In your message say something like:

Object: A small bowl made of clay or plain ceramic. The beggar’s bowl would probably have been very plain-looking, strong enough to be carried around in a sack, and looking very well-worn.

Note: This is optional. I have used hand motions to help the children reinforce the message of the story. When you talk about how the people saw the bowl, hold your hands out in front of you with your palms down, like you have made the decision and the conversation is over. When you talk about the man who carries the bowl, hold your hands out in front of you with your palms up, like you are open to listening and caring. At the end, I ask the children to make the motions with me.

* * *

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought with me a very beautiful flower in a flowerpot. (have the can covering the flower) Unfortunately, my flower is having a hard time growing. When I checked it last night it wasn't looking very healthy. Each night I remove the can and give the flower a good drink but it seems to be getting worse. I brought the flower with me this morning so that you could help me. Do you have any ideas for ways to make my flower grow again? (let them answer)

Good morning, boys and girls. Is there anyone here who is perfect? (let them answer) I have a friend who uses this cane. Do you know why he uses this kind of cane? (let them answer) That's right, he's blind. Do you think he is perfect? (let them answer)

Good morning, boys and girls. I want to ask you a question. How many of you live in a house or an apartment? (Let them answer.) Everyone does. I brought a locket to show you. It's in the shape of a heart. There is something that lives inside my locket, just like you live in a house or apartment. It is a photograph. (Open the locket.) Here is the photograph that lives in my locket. The person in the photo is important to me (name the reason, for example, your spouse or child.)

Good morning, boys and girls. I brought my favorite mug with me this morning. It's my favorite because (explain why here). I like this mug so well that sometimes things I drink even taste better when I use it instead of other mugs. Do any of you have a favorite drinking cup? (Let them answer.) Do your parents have a favorite cup? (Let them answer.) I brought my mug to help me tell you the story about today's lesson. The story is about Jesus.

Jesus was walking with his disciples to Jerusalem. he knew that he was about to die. He knew that he was going to be put on trial. He knew that he would be crucified. He even knew that on the third day he would be raised from the dead. The disciples knew none of this.

Good morning! Sometimes I feel like I'm in darkness. I get confused sometimes and wonder what is the right thing to do or not to do. Sometimes I don't feel very brave and sometimes I don't feel very strong. Sometimes I do and say things that are not exactly the way I want to say and do things. Sometimes I think things I would rather not think. I feel like this light here. What would happen if this light were in a dark room? (Let them answer.) The answer is that nothing would happen to this light -- unless the light is plugged in and turned on! (Do it to the lamp.) Now we have light!

The story about the man who received sight reminds me so much of a favorite hymn. See if you can tell me what hymn this is when I tell (sing) you the lines:

"... I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see."

(Let them answer.) The hymn is "Amazing Grace" which begins with these words:

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see."

Have you ever been lost? (Let them answer.) I have been lost before. Sometimes I get angry and frustrated because I'm lost. Sometimes I get scared. But when I find the way, I feel so much better.

Good morning! How's your eyesight? Can you all see fairly
well? (Let them answer.) God is very good to us. He gave us eyes
to see. As we look around the world that He created, we can see
all kinds of beauty everywhere. We see the pretty flowers, the
birds in the sky, the mountains, the rivers, and all that God has
created. But, what if there was no light? What if the sun never
came up and we had to live in darkness all the time? How would
you like that? (Let them answer.)

Let's see how that would be. Let's blindfold one of you so
that you can't see. Will somebody volunteer? (Let one child
volunteer and blindfold hin/her.) Okay, now _____________, can

Good morning! Do you know anyone who is blind? (Let them
answer.) Well, I suppose for most of us, being blind would be one
of the worst things that could happen to us. We use our eyes so
much that it's very hard even to think about what life would be
like if we couldn't see. One way we help blind people is to
provide books like this one (show the book) that they can read by
feeling. (Let the children run their fingers over the Braille
book.)

Jesus healed a lot of blind people when he was living here
on earth. Once he healed a blind man on the Sabbath day, which
was against the rules they had then. Instead of being excited
that a blind man had been healed, a lot of the religious leaders

It's nice to see you today, boys and girls. Now, who can tell me what a miracle is? (get a few responses) You're right. A miracle is an incredible thing that seems unbelievable. It's something amazing. It's something that seems impossible. Did you know that Jesus performed many miracles? He did. The Bible is full of stories when Jesus did something amazing. Today's lesson is one of those miracles.

One day Jesus met a man who was blind. The disciples with Jesus were interested in the man. Why was he blind? they wondered. Had he done something wrong? Had his parents done something wrong? Jesus told his disciples, No, neither the man nor his parents had done anything wrong. He was simply blind. But then Jesus told them that God's power could be revealed in the man.

Good morning! Today, I want to read one verse from the New Testament lesson again. Don't worry: it's short! (read verse 13) The lesson says that things in darkness will be uncovered when light shines on them. (hold up the flashlight) I use this flashlight to help me see when it is dark. If I lose something under my bed, for example, my flashlight shines in the dark corners. The darkness isn't dark anymore once the light shines on it. The light is more powerful than the darkness.

Materials:
Construction paper
Scissors
Markers, pencils
Stickers
Yarn
Hole punch

Directions:

Have each child trace his/her hand-fingers spread on five sheets of construction paper. Then ask them to write on each one how they help others or are helped by someone else. Then the children can decorate the hands with the markers and stickers.

Finally, punch two holes in the top of the middle two "fingers." Run the yarn through the holes to make a hand chain. Remind the children that no one is perfect and how we all depend on each other to work together.

Teachers: Jesus asks the disciples if they are able to drink the cup he is about to drink. Tell your class that Jesus is talking about his approaching trial, crucifixion and death on the cross. Jesus closes his talk by telling his disciples that whoever wishes to be great must be a servant.

Teachers or Parents: Learn the hymn "Amazing Grace." If possible, see if it can be sung in worship today. Explain various terms in the hymn such as wretch and, especially, grace itself. If practical, learn the hymn with the children blindfolded -- as if blind. When they get to the end of the first verse, "Was blind, but now I see," they can take off their blindfolds. (The children can also put their hands over their eyes until this portion of the hymn.)

Teachers or Parents: Spiritual blindness (the condition of a
large majority of the people in this world) is a much more
serious condition than physical blindness. Our children need to
see the truth through the eyes of faith. They need to understand
that those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior are
in danger of eternal damnation and need to be healed, just as
Jesus healed the blind man in the Gospel narrative.

*Lay a 2x4 plank on the floor and ask the children to walk
it. After some have done so, blindfold one or two and let them
try it. When finished, relate the two experiences to living with
the eyes of faith or the blindfold of unbelief.

This week we again are treated to an example of Jesus using the ordinary to do something extraordinary. Jesus comes upon a man who has been blind from birth. The disciples are curious about the blind man and wonder why he is blind. Jesus tells them that the man was born blind in order that God's power could be made manifest in him. Then Jesus takes ordinary mud, places it on the man's eyes and tells him to go and bathe. When the man returns, he is completely healed. Using ordinary mud, Jesus performed a miracle.