Alone
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A dictionary.
"I've brought a big book with me today. Does anyone know what it is?" Eager hands shoot up as the older children recognize the volume. I nod to one of them.
"It's a dictionary!" he announces.
"Yes, it's a dictionary," I respond. "What does one find in a dictionary?"
"Words!" many of the children reply in concert.
"Yes, WORDS!" I agree, with emphasis on "words." "I love words," I continue. "I was thinking about a particular word this week, the word 'alone.' Have any of you ever been alone?"
The hand of every child is raised, some more slowly than others, as they think back to times when they have been alone.
"I think most of us have been alone at some time or another," I continue.
"Well, the neat thing about a dictionary is that when you look up a word, sometimes it tells you other words which that word is made of. When I looked up 'alone,' I found out that it is made up of two words. Now, if someone had told me that, I would have thought, 'Okay. "A" is one word and "lone" is the other word.' But, that's not the way it is. 'Alone' is made up of 'all,' a - l - l, and 'one,' o - n - e. One of the l's was dropped when these two words were put together to make 'alone.'
"But if 'alone' is 'all' plus 'one ...' That seems kind of strange for a word that means to be by yourself, doesn't it? Because, if it's 'all' PLUS 'one,' you have added something. And if you add something, you are no longer alone." I can see by the looks on their young faces that the children are wondering where I am going with this idea.
"Well, I want you to remember, whenever you think you're alone, you aren't. You are 'all' plus 'one.' Do you know who that 'plus one' is?" Aaron, a youngster who is always willing to risk a response, raises his hand. I nod for him to speak.
"Jesus," he says with a big smile.
"Jesus! That's right. Now we just heard nine of your friends make their confession of faith that Jesus is their personal savior; that Jesus is with them, an important part of their lives -- just as Jesus is with every one of you. Because you are never really alone; you're 'all' plus...." I pause for the children's response, which comes immediately:
"ONE!" they announce in chorus.
"That's right. And Jesus is the 'One,' " I reiterate one more time. "So, the next time you feel like you are alone, I hope you'll remember what we talked about today. Then you need never, ever feel totally alone again. You are 'all' plus 'One,' and that 'One' loves you very much."
"It's a dictionary!" he announces.
"Yes, it's a dictionary," I respond. "What does one find in a dictionary?"
"Words!" many of the children reply in concert.
"Yes, WORDS!" I agree, with emphasis on "words." "I love words," I continue. "I was thinking about a particular word this week, the word 'alone.' Have any of you ever been alone?"
The hand of every child is raised, some more slowly than others, as they think back to times when they have been alone.
"I think most of us have been alone at some time or another," I continue.
"Well, the neat thing about a dictionary is that when you look up a word, sometimes it tells you other words which that word is made of. When I looked up 'alone,' I found out that it is made up of two words. Now, if someone had told me that, I would have thought, 'Okay. "A" is one word and "lone" is the other word.' But, that's not the way it is. 'Alone' is made up of 'all,' a - l - l, and 'one,' o - n - e. One of the l's was dropped when these two words were put together to make 'alone.'
"But if 'alone' is 'all' plus 'one ...' That seems kind of strange for a word that means to be by yourself, doesn't it? Because, if it's 'all' PLUS 'one,' you have added something. And if you add something, you are no longer alone." I can see by the looks on their young faces that the children are wondering where I am going with this idea.
"Well, I want you to remember, whenever you think you're alone, you aren't. You are 'all' plus 'one.' Do you know who that 'plus one' is?" Aaron, a youngster who is always willing to risk a response, raises his hand. I nod for him to speak.
"Jesus," he says with a big smile.
"Jesus! That's right. Now we just heard nine of your friends make their confession of faith that Jesus is their personal savior; that Jesus is with them, an important part of their lives -- just as Jesus is with every one of you. Because you are never really alone; you're 'all' plus...." I pause for the children's response, which comes immediately:
"ONE!" they announce in chorus.
"That's right. And Jesus is the 'One,' " I reiterate one more time. "So, the next time you feel like you are alone, I hope you'll remember what we talked about today. Then you need never, ever feel totally alone again. You are 'all' plus 'One,' and that 'One' loves you very much."
