A Clean Heart
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: What makes a heart clean.
Props: An unwrapped white bar of soap, a bowl with a little water in it, a pitcher of water, a towel, and a white marshmallow cut to resemble the corner of the bar of soap.
Lesson: Good morning! (response) I have several things with me and I am going to need your help. Hold up the unwrapped soap. What is this? (soap) What is it for? (response) How do I use it? (response) Act as though you are washing your hands with the unwrapped bar. What? (unwrap it) Unwrap the soap and then begin washing with the dry soap. Well, this isn't working very well. My hands are still dirty. (response) Oh, put my hands in the water! You think that will help? (response) Wash your hands thoroughly. This is much better. My hands are really getting clean. My mom always told me to wash the back of my hands. Can someone help me with the water? Poor it slowly so I can rinse my hands. There, they are all clean.
Hold up your hands. Can someone tell me how hands get dirty? (several responses) Our hands are not the only things that get dirty. What else gets dirty? (response) If I ate with dirty hands, would that get my heart dirty? (response) No, it wouldn't, would it? How does our heart get dirty? (response)
Application: Jesus said we get our heart dirty when we do something bad, or when we take something that doesn't belong to us, or when we try to hurt someone. We get our hearts dirty when we tell a fib or lie about something. We get dirty hearts when we call someone names or say dirty words (cf. verse 19). When we have dirty hearts, how can we wash them? (response) Optional: Hide the piece of marshmallow in your hand along with the visible bar of soap. Pretend to tear off a piece of soap (which is actually the marshmallow) and eat it but first show it to the kids. Swallow hard as you talk. I know how to get my heart clean! I will eat some soap pause here and chew and that will clean my heart. (response) Why won't that work? (response) What can I do to wash my heart? (response) I need to ask God to forgive me? (response)
Let's Pray: Okay, I'm going to do that right now. Let's pray. God, forgive me for doing bad things on purpose and for that time I called someone a name. Forgive me and wash my heart so that it will be clean, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Proper 15
Romans 11:1--2a, 29--32
Can't Take It Back
Exegetical Aim: Words and promises, especially God's promises, cannot be taken away.
Props: A tube of toothpaste, a large spoon or ladle, and a towel for cleanup. Initially place the towel under the activity to cover mishaps.
Lesson: Has anyone ever made a promise to you? (response) What was the promise? (response) Did they keep their promise? (response) We usually remember the promises people make to us, especially if it's a good promise like Dad promising you that you'll get an ice cream cone after school.
I want you to help me today with an experiment. I need two volunteers. Choose two children. I need one of you to hold this tube of toothpaste, and one of you to hold the spoon. I want you squeeze the toothpaste into the spoon. Make sure that you hold the spoon and toothpaste over the towel in case of spills. Have the child fill the spoon. Now, I want you to put the toothpaste back in the tube. (response) Allow a time for thought here. You can't do it, can you? Why? (response)
Application: God's promise to us is like that toothpaste. Once it's out, it can't be put back in. God makes all kinds of promises to us. Let's name some of his promises. What does he promise? (response) He has promised to watch over us, to love us, never to leave us, and to save us through his Son Jesus Christ. I want you to know that God will remember those promises. He's not going to put them back in the tube.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, that your promises will never be taken back. Thank you for loving us, caring for us, and saving us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Props: An unwrapped white bar of soap, a bowl with a little water in it, a pitcher of water, a towel, and a white marshmallow cut to resemble the corner of the bar of soap.
Lesson: Good morning! (response) I have several things with me and I am going to need your help. Hold up the unwrapped soap. What is this? (soap) What is it for? (response) How do I use it? (response) Act as though you are washing your hands with the unwrapped bar. What? (unwrap it) Unwrap the soap and then begin washing with the dry soap. Well, this isn't working very well. My hands are still dirty. (response) Oh, put my hands in the water! You think that will help? (response) Wash your hands thoroughly. This is much better. My hands are really getting clean. My mom always told me to wash the back of my hands. Can someone help me with the water? Poor it slowly so I can rinse my hands. There, they are all clean.
Hold up your hands. Can someone tell me how hands get dirty? (several responses) Our hands are not the only things that get dirty. What else gets dirty? (response) If I ate with dirty hands, would that get my heart dirty? (response) No, it wouldn't, would it? How does our heart get dirty? (response)
Application: Jesus said we get our heart dirty when we do something bad, or when we take something that doesn't belong to us, or when we try to hurt someone. We get our hearts dirty when we tell a fib or lie about something. We get dirty hearts when we call someone names or say dirty words (cf. verse 19). When we have dirty hearts, how can we wash them? (response) Optional: Hide the piece of marshmallow in your hand along with the visible bar of soap. Pretend to tear off a piece of soap (which is actually the marshmallow) and eat it but first show it to the kids. Swallow hard as you talk. I know how to get my heart clean! I will eat some soap pause here and chew and that will clean my heart. (response) Why won't that work? (response) What can I do to wash my heart? (response) I need to ask God to forgive me? (response)
Let's Pray: Okay, I'm going to do that right now. Let's pray. God, forgive me for doing bad things on purpose and for that time I called someone a name. Forgive me and wash my heart so that it will be clean, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
?
Proper 15
Romans 11:1--2a, 29--32
Can't Take It Back
Exegetical Aim: Words and promises, especially God's promises, cannot be taken away.
Props: A tube of toothpaste, a large spoon or ladle, and a towel for cleanup. Initially place the towel under the activity to cover mishaps.
Lesson: Has anyone ever made a promise to you? (response) What was the promise? (response) Did they keep their promise? (response) We usually remember the promises people make to us, especially if it's a good promise like Dad promising you that you'll get an ice cream cone after school.
I want you to help me today with an experiment. I need two volunteers. Choose two children. I need one of you to hold this tube of toothpaste, and one of you to hold the spoon. I want you squeeze the toothpaste into the spoon. Make sure that you hold the spoon and toothpaste over the towel in case of spills. Have the child fill the spoon. Now, I want you to put the toothpaste back in the tube. (response) Allow a time for thought here. You can't do it, can you? Why? (response)
Application: God's promise to us is like that toothpaste. Once it's out, it can't be put back in. God makes all kinds of promises to us. Let's name some of his promises. What does he promise? (response) He has promised to watch over us, to love us, never to leave us, and to save us through his Son Jesus Christ. I want you to know that God will remember those promises. He's not going to put them back in the tube.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, that your promises will never be taken back. Thank you for loving us, caring for us, and saving us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
