Bad Apples
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: Separation of the good and bad.
Props: A bushel of apples. The night before, damage half the apples by cutting them, bruising them, and taking a bite out of them. It would be best if you can find some genuinely bad apples.
Lesson: Set the bushel down in the middle and ask the children to sit in a circle around the bushel. Good morning. (response) I have a bushel full of...? (apples) This is the harvest season when all the fruit and vegetables are picked and stored for the winter. But, before we store them, do you know what we have to do? (response) When all the apples are picked, what is the first thing that you have to do? (response) You have to separate the good ones from the bad ones. So ... pour the apples onto the floor I need your help. I want you to separate the good apples from the bad apples. Put the good apples on my right and the bad apples on my left. Work with the children to separate the apples. As you work discuss with them the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday: Where do you go on Thanksgiving? (response) What's your favorite dessert? (response) Do you like apple pie? (response) Thanksgiving is a wonderful time. We come together as a family to say thank you to God.
What is wrong with these apples on my left? (response) Pointing to your right: Why were these apples good? (response) What can we use these good apples for? (response) What will happen to these bad apples? (response)
Application: Jesus told a story like this. It was about sheep and goats. When all things come to an end, he will gather the whole world before him and he will separate the sheep and the goats. He will put the sheep where? (on the right) and then he will put the goats on his...? (left) And he will say to the sheep, "Come into heaven. You have been kind--hearted." The children should be able to complete the following simple concepts: "I was hungry and you ...?" (gave me something to eat) "I was sick and you ...?" (looked after me) "I was naked and you gave me ...?" (something to wear) But do you know what he will say to the goats? (response) He will say, "Get away from me. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing ...?" (to drink) "I was hungry and you gave me ...?" (nothing to eat) "I needed clothes and you ...?" (did not clothe me)
Now, I am convinced that you are all sheep. When you see someone who is thirsty, you will do what? (give them something to drink) When you see someone who is sick, you will try to ...? (take care of them) Let's always be good like the sheep, so that, when the harvest comes looking at the apples now, God will place us on his right and will say to us, "Well done."
Let's Pray: Father, we are your sheep. We pray that your Holy Spirit will work within these children so that their lives will be a reflection of your great love. Amen.
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Proper 29 - Christ the King
Ephesians 1:15--23
Thanksgiving All Year 'Round
Exegetical Aim: Christians should be thankful.
Props: Pictures of a turkey, Abraham Lincoln, the Apostle Paul, figurines of Pilgrims and Native Americans, and a gourd.
Lesson: This week is a very special week. Do you know why? (response) Yes, it's going to be Thanksgiving. When you think of Thanksgiving, what comes to your mind? (response) Have your props ready to hold up when a child mentions them. Turkey, yes. We eat turkey. Hold up the picture of the turkey. I have a picture of a turkey here. What else do you think of? (Pilgrims) I have two statues of Pilgrims here and we put them on our table at our home. What else? (vegetables, fruit) Yes, we also put a gourd like this on the table with things inside. What else is there? (Indians) Yes, I have a picture here of some Indians, who also are called Native Americans.
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? (response) We remember how the first English settlers were so thankful to God for providing food for them, and how they shared that meal with the Indians who helped them survive. Hold up the picture of Lincoln. Does anyone know who this man was? (response) Yes, Abraham Lincoln. When he was the President of the United States, he declared that every year Americans should celebrate Thanksgiving and remember how God had blessed them. And that's why each year at the end of November we have a Day of Thanksgiving.
Application: Hold up the picture of Paul. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to some Christians. In that letter he told them that he gave thanks to God every day for them and their faith. Paul reminds us that as Christians, every single day is to be a day of ...? (thanksgiving), yes, thanksgiving. Every day we have something for which we should be thankful.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for food, for shelter, for church, for family, and for life. Thank you for friends who help us. Thank you for giving us every day that we have. Amen.
? ?
Props: A bushel of apples. The night before, damage half the apples by cutting them, bruising them, and taking a bite out of them. It would be best if you can find some genuinely bad apples.
Lesson: Set the bushel down in the middle and ask the children to sit in a circle around the bushel. Good morning. (response) I have a bushel full of...? (apples) This is the harvest season when all the fruit and vegetables are picked and stored for the winter. But, before we store them, do you know what we have to do? (response) When all the apples are picked, what is the first thing that you have to do? (response) You have to separate the good ones from the bad ones. So ... pour the apples onto the floor I need your help. I want you to separate the good apples from the bad apples. Put the good apples on my right and the bad apples on my left. Work with the children to separate the apples. As you work discuss with them the meaning of the Thanksgiving holiday: Where do you go on Thanksgiving? (response) What's your favorite dessert? (response) Do you like apple pie? (response) Thanksgiving is a wonderful time. We come together as a family to say thank you to God.
What is wrong with these apples on my left? (response) Pointing to your right: Why were these apples good? (response) What can we use these good apples for? (response) What will happen to these bad apples? (response)
Application: Jesus told a story like this. It was about sheep and goats. When all things come to an end, he will gather the whole world before him and he will separate the sheep and the goats. He will put the sheep where? (on the right) and then he will put the goats on his...? (left) And he will say to the sheep, "Come into heaven. You have been kind--hearted." The children should be able to complete the following simple concepts: "I was hungry and you ...?" (gave me something to eat) "I was sick and you ...?" (looked after me) "I was naked and you gave me ...?" (something to wear) But do you know what he will say to the goats? (response) He will say, "Get away from me. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing ...?" (to drink) "I was hungry and you gave me ...?" (nothing to eat) "I needed clothes and you ...?" (did not clothe me)
Now, I am convinced that you are all sheep. When you see someone who is thirsty, you will do what? (give them something to drink) When you see someone who is sick, you will try to ...? (take care of them) Let's always be good like the sheep, so that, when the harvest comes looking at the apples now, God will place us on his right and will say to us, "Well done."
Let's Pray: Father, we are your sheep. We pray that your Holy Spirit will work within these children so that their lives will be a reflection of your great love. Amen.
?
Proper 29 - Christ the King
Ephesians 1:15--23
Thanksgiving All Year 'Round
Exegetical Aim: Christians should be thankful.
Props: Pictures of a turkey, Abraham Lincoln, the Apostle Paul, figurines of Pilgrims and Native Americans, and a gourd.
Lesson: This week is a very special week. Do you know why? (response) Yes, it's going to be Thanksgiving. When you think of Thanksgiving, what comes to your mind? (response) Have your props ready to hold up when a child mentions them. Turkey, yes. We eat turkey. Hold up the picture of the turkey. I have a picture of a turkey here. What else do you think of? (Pilgrims) I have two statues of Pilgrims here and we put them on our table at our home. What else? (vegetables, fruit) Yes, we also put a gourd like this on the table with things inside. What else is there? (Indians) Yes, I have a picture here of some Indians, who also are called Native Americans.
Why do we celebrate Thanksgiving? (response) We remember how the first English settlers were so thankful to God for providing food for them, and how they shared that meal with the Indians who helped them survive. Hold up the picture of Lincoln. Does anyone know who this man was? (response) Yes, Abraham Lincoln. When he was the President of the United States, he declared that every year Americans should celebrate Thanksgiving and remember how God had blessed them. And that's why each year at the end of November we have a Day of Thanksgiving.
Application: Hold up the picture of Paul. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul wrote a letter to some Christians. In that letter he told them that he gave thanks to God every day for them and their faith. Paul reminds us that as Christians, every single day is to be a day of ...? (thanksgiving), yes, thanksgiving. Every day we have something for which we should be thankful.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for food, for shelter, for church, for family, and for life. Thank you for friends who help us. Thank you for giving us every day that we have. Amen.
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