A Great Light
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: To convey the images of darkness (sin) and light (Gospel of Christ) and that the church has been given the source of that great light.
Props: A long flashlight that holds several batteries. Pass out the batteries among the congregation.
Lesson: What do I have in my hand? (response) Have you ever seen a flashlight this long before? (response) Hand the flashlight to several children so they can feel how lightweight it is. How many of you have flashlights at home? (response) What do we use flashlights for? (response) Yes, when it's really dark and we can't see we turn on turn on the flashlight the flashlight turn it on and off several times and we are no longer bang on the flashlight and look at the bulb to see if it is working in the dark. Continuing to work on the flashlight: Have any of you ever been in a really bad storm and the lights in the house go out? (response) That's when you really need to have a good flashlight shake the flashlight that works.
What's wrong with this thing? (response) Hand the children the flashlight. Can you figure out what's wrong? (it doesn't have any batteries) You know what? I know who has the batteries. Point to the congregation. They've got the batteries. I need all of you to go out and find the batteries. Go see if you can find them. Take the flashlight back. When you find one, come up and put it in the flashlight.
Application: When they are done: The Bible says, "The people living in darkness have seen a great turn on the flashlight light." What do you think that means? Hold the flashlight over the head of the child who responds like a floodlight. (response) It goes on to say, "On those living in death a light has dawned." Whoever answers this question gets to hold the flashlight. What do you think that means? (response) It means there are people who are living in darkness. They might have flashlights, but they don't work. They don't have the power of God in their lives. Without God they are dead, just like the flashlight is dead without its batteries.
God's light helps us to see through all the darkness of the world. When there is anger ... we need God's Light. When there is a lie ... we need God's Light. When there is pain ... we need God's Light. When there is sin ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) When there is sadness ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) When there are storms in our life ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) When there is darkness ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) Now who is God's light? (Jesus) God has come in turn the light upon the cross on the communion table or wherever the sanctuary cross is kept Jesus Christ and he is shining his light upon the world.
Let's Pray: Lord, you have given your church a great light - the light of Jesus Christ. Let it shine in the darkness so we can find our way. Amen.
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Epiphany 3
1 Corinthians 1:10--18
Stay Close
Exegetical Aim: There is strength in staying together.
Props: Wood blocks.
Lesson: When I was your age, one of my favorite things to do was to build houses, buildings, and tall skyscrapers! Do you believe that I did that? (response) Well, here's how I did it. Open the box of blocks. I could build any building that I wanted to build with these blocks. Sometimes I would build a little house place two blocks on the floor flush with one another, and then one block on the top of each block for a total of four blocks or sometimes I would build a tall skyscraper make a separate stack of many blocks one on top of the other. What I found was that one stack was a lot stronger than the other. Do you want to guess which one is stronger? (response) Well, you might think that the tall one is stronger because it is bigger and has more pieces, but just the slightest touch touch the top so that it crashes, making sure that it doesn't crash into the smaller one will bring it down. But you can touch the smaller one touch it the same as the other and it will remain. Do you know why? (response) Because all of its parts are closer together. When all the parts are close together, they are stronger. The tall building had a lot of parts. They are not as close and they are weaker.
Application: Saint Paul said that about people in the church. He said that there should be no divisions in the church. By that he meant for people not to argue about things, and get jealous of each other, and be mean to one another. In the church, we are supposed to be close to one another, so that we can be strong. Point to the smaller tower. If we are not close together, point to the crashed blocks what will happen to us? (response) Yes, we will fall apart. Remember to stay close together with your fellow church members so that the church can be strong.
Let's Pray: Dear God, help us to stay close so we can be strong. Amen.
?
Props: A long flashlight that holds several batteries. Pass out the batteries among the congregation.
Lesson: What do I have in my hand? (response) Have you ever seen a flashlight this long before? (response) Hand the flashlight to several children so they can feel how lightweight it is. How many of you have flashlights at home? (response) What do we use flashlights for? (response) Yes, when it's really dark and we can't see we turn on turn on the flashlight the flashlight turn it on and off several times and we are no longer bang on the flashlight and look at the bulb to see if it is working in the dark. Continuing to work on the flashlight: Have any of you ever been in a really bad storm and the lights in the house go out? (response) That's when you really need to have a good flashlight shake the flashlight that works.
What's wrong with this thing? (response) Hand the children the flashlight. Can you figure out what's wrong? (it doesn't have any batteries) You know what? I know who has the batteries. Point to the congregation. They've got the batteries. I need all of you to go out and find the batteries. Go see if you can find them. Take the flashlight back. When you find one, come up and put it in the flashlight.
Application: When they are done: The Bible says, "The people living in darkness have seen a great turn on the flashlight light." What do you think that means? Hold the flashlight over the head of the child who responds like a floodlight. (response) It goes on to say, "On those living in death a light has dawned." Whoever answers this question gets to hold the flashlight. What do you think that means? (response) It means there are people who are living in darkness. They might have flashlights, but they don't work. They don't have the power of God in their lives. Without God they are dead, just like the flashlight is dead without its batteries.
God's light helps us to see through all the darkness of the world. When there is anger ... we need God's Light. When there is a lie ... we need God's Light. When there is pain ... we need God's Light. When there is sin ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) When there is sadness ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) When there are storms in our life ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) When there is darkness ... what do we need? (We need God's Light!) Now who is God's light? (Jesus) God has come in turn the light upon the cross on the communion table or wherever the sanctuary cross is kept Jesus Christ and he is shining his light upon the world.
Let's Pray: Lord, you have given your church a great light - the light of Jesus Christ. Let it shine in the darkness so we can find our way. Amen.
?
Epiphany 3
1 Corinthians 1:10--18
Stay Close
Exegetical Aim: There is strength in staying together.
Props: Wood blocks.
Lesson: When I was your age, one of my favorite things to do was to build houses, buildings, and tall skyscrapers! Do you believe that I did that? (response) Well, here's how I did it. Open the box of blocks. I could build any building that I wanted to build with these blocks. Sometimes I would build a little house place two blocks on the floor flush with one another, and then one block on the top of each block for a total of four blocks or sometimes I would build a tall skyscraper make a separate stack of many blocks one on top of the other. What I found was that one stack was a lot stronger than the other. Do you want to guess which one is stronger? (response) Well, you might think that the tall one is stronger because it is bigger and has more pieces, but just the slightest touch touch the top so that it crashes, making sure that it doesn't crash into the smaller one will bring it down. But you can touch the smaller one touch it the same as the other and it will remain. Do you know why? (response) Because all of its parts are closer together. When all the parts are close together, they are stronger. The tall building had a lot of parts. They are not as close and they are weaker.
Application: Saint Paul said that about people in the church. He said that there should be no divisions in the church. By that he meant for people not to argue about things, and get jealous of each other, and be mean to one another. In the church, we are supposed to be close to one another, so that we can be strong. Point to the smaller tower. If we are not close together, point to the crashed blocks what will happen to us? (response) Yes, we will fall apart. Remember to stay close together with your fellow church members so that the church can be strong.
Let's Pray: Dear God, help us to stay close so we can be strong. Amen.
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