Gifts Of Love
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
An apple
"What happened in some of your lives this week that hasn't happened all summer?"
"We went to school!" the older children respond.
"Ah, yes, school has begun. Well, I have something in my pocket that could have something to do with school. Whatever it is, it's making quite a lump, isn't it?" The children nod affirmatively, some serious, some grinning as their imaginations spill over onto their faces. "What do you think I have in my pocket to make such a lump?"
"A ball?" one little girl asks.
"No, it's not a ball, but that's a good guess. You can see it's sort of round."
"An apple!" states a boy in the center, with no trace of uncertainty.
"Yes, it's an apple. Why do you suppose I would have an apple in my pocket?"
"To eat it!"
"That's one thing I might do."
"To give it to your teacher!"
"Yes, that's another thing I might do with it. Why would I give an apple to my teacher?"
"So she'd have an apple."
My personal public-speaking panic level begins to rise with that response. But I move on, asking, "Why would I want my teacher to have my apple?"
"So she could eat it!"
This conversation was getting nowhere fast; it was time to try another tactic. "You know, I gave several of my teachers apples when I was in school; so did some of my classmates. But I never once saw a teacher EAT an apple. Do teachers eat apples?"
"Of course they do!" several children reply all at once amidst the giggles of others.
"Well, then, that brings us back to why I would give a teacher an apple."
"Maybe because you liked her?" one child offered.
"Yes," I said, "maybe because I liked her -- or even because I loved her. It is possible to love teachers ... if they're nice." This comment elicits several more giggles.
"Well," I continue, "almost 2,000 years ago, God gave us a very precious gift. Does anyone know what that was? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't an apple."
The children sit with puzzled looks on their faces, thinking about what God's gift might have been so long ago. As the silence grows, I prod their thoughts: "Two thousand years is a long time, isn't it? What did God give us so long ago? I'll give you another hint. God's gift was a person."
Immediately their faces light up with understanding. "Jesus!" several children exclaim together.
"Yes, God gave us Jesus, God's son. Why would God do that?"
"Because God loves us?" one of the older boys questions.
"That's right, because God loves us. You know, gifts are a wonderful way to tell someone you love him, and sometimes the nicest gifts are the ones we don't expect. When you surprise your teacher with an apple or give a friend a present just because the person is your friend, you're saying, 'You are important to me; I care about you.' And when people receive your gifts, they feel your love; through your love, they can know God's love too."
A little girl raises her hand. I nod to her and she says, "I gave my teacher some flowers this week."
"How nice of you!" I answer. "What are some of the other things, besides apples and flowers, you might give to your teachers?"
"A letter!"
"A banana!"
"A hug!"
"Yes! All of those are good presents. Sometimes something as simple as a smile is a wonderful present for a teacher. I hope you'll remember what we talked about this week: whenever you give a teacher, a friend, a brother, a sister, or anyone else a present because you love them, perhaps they will know that God loves them too -- just as God loves each of you."
"We went to school!" the older children respond.
"Ah, yes, school has begun. Well, I have something in my pocket that could have something to do with school. Whatever it is, it's making quite a lump, isn't it?" The children nod affirmatively, some serious, some grinning as their imaginations spill over onto their faces. "What do you think I have in my pocket to make such a lump?"
"A ball?" one little girl asks.
"No, it's not a ball, but that's a good guess. You can see it's sort of round."
"An apple!" states a boy in the center, with no trace of uncertainty.
"Yes, it's an apple. Why do you suppose I would have an apple in my pocket?"
"To eat it!"
"That's one thing I might do."
"To give it to your teacher!"
"Yes, that's another thing I might do with it. Why would I give an apple to my teacher?"
"So she'd have an apple."
My personal public-speaking panic level begins to rise with that response. But I move on, asking, "Why would I want my teacher to have my apple?"
"So she could eat it!"
This conversation was getting nowhere fast; it was time to try another tactic. "You know, I gave several of my teachers apples when I was in school; so did some of my classmates. But I never once saw a teacher EAT an apple. Do teachers eat apples?"
"Of course they do!" several children reply all at once amidst the giggles of others.
"Well, then, that brings us back to why I would give a teacher an apple."
"Maybe because you liked her?" one child offered.
"Yes," I said, "maybe because I liked her -- or even because I loved her. It is possible to love teachers ... if they're nice." This comment elicits several more giggles.
"Well," I continue, "almost 2,000 years ago, God gave us a very precious gift. Does anyone know what that was? I'll give you a hint: it wasn't an apple."
The children sit with puzzled looks on their faces, thinking about what God's gift might have been so long ago. As the silence grows, I prod their thoughts: "Two thousand years is a long time, isn't it? What did God give us so long ago? I'll give you another hint. God's gift was a person."
Immediately their faces light up with understanding. "Jesus!" several children exclaim together.
"Yes, God gave us Jesus, God's son. Why would God do that?"
"Because God loves us?" one of the older boys questions.
"That's right, because God loves us. You know, gifts are a wonderful way to tell someone you love him, and sometimes the nicest gifts are the ones we don't expect. When you surprise your teacher with an apple or give a friend a present just because the person is your friend, you're saying, 'You are important to me; I care about you.' And when people receive your gifts, they feel your love; through your love, they can know God's love too."
A little girl raises her hand. I nod to her and she says, "I gave my teacher some flowers this week."
"How nice of you!" I answer. "What are some of the other things, besides apples and flowers, you might give to your teachers?"
"A letter!"
"A banana!"
"A hug!"
"Yes! All of those are good presents. Sometimes something as simple as a smile is a wonderful present for a teacher. I hope you'll remember what we talked about this week: whenever you give a teacher, a friend, a brother, a sister, or anyone else a present because you love them, perhaps they will know that God loves them too -- just as God loves each of you."
