How Much Is It Worth?
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: Life is more valuable than material things.
Props: A marble, a toy, a twenty--dollar bill, a cell phone, and your spouse or child to participate.
Lesson: How is everyone? (response) I'm going to show you a few things and I want you to tell me how much they are worth. Place the following objects one by one in the middle of the children. The first thing I have is this. What is this? (marble) What kind of marble is it? Is it a gold marble? (response) Is it a silver marble? (no) What kind of marble is it? (it's just a marble) It's a plain old marble. What is it worth? (response) Why is it worth just a few pennies? (response)
The toy: The next thing I have is this. What is this? (response) What does it do? (response) What is it worth? (response) Why is it worth that? (response) All right, here's the next thing I have. The money: What is this? (response) What is it worth? (response) The cell phone: Now what is this? (response) Is it a toy phone or a real phone? (response) How much is this worth? (response)
The person: I have one more to show you. Your spouse should come from the pews and climb over the children and sit down in the middle. What is this? (response) Is it made of silver? (no) Is it made of gold? (no) Did I buy it with money? (no) Is it round like a marble? Can you play marbles with it? (response) Can you answer phone calls with it? (response) For a bit of humor: Can you clean with it? (response) Well, if you can't use it like a marble, and you can't answer phone calls with it, and it's not made of gold, it must not be worth a lot, is it? (response) How much is it worth? (response) Why is it worth so much? (response)
Application: Jesus said something like that. He said, "What can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Is my wife worth five dollars? (response) Is she worth $500? (response) Is she worth $5,000,000? (response) Let me tell you. You couldn't give me $10 billion for her/him. God says that she is worth more than all the toys and gadgets in the world and there is nothing that you could pay for her. Always remember: People are more important than money, and you are more important than gold.
Let's Pray: Lord, help us all understand that family and neighbors are more important than money and the latest gadget. Amen.
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Proper 17
Romans 12:9--21
Putting Out Fires
Exegetical Aim: Do not repay evil for evil.
Props: A glass bowl, a match or lighter, several pieces of paper, a new and empty gas container, and a pitcher of water.
Lesson: How many of you have ever been in an argument? (response) I think we probably all have at one time or another. How many of you have ever been in a fight? (response) Yes. I see some of you have even been in a fight. Tell me, what are some things that people argue or fight about? (response) We often fight or argue because we are not getting our way. Someone yells at us, and so we yell back at them. And an argument begins. Or someone hits us, and we hit them back. And then a fight begins. After an argument or a fight with someone, how do you feel? (response) Right. We feel bad after an argument or fight, because someone has hurt us and we have hurt somebody. Let me show you something. Take out the glass bowl and put some paper inside of it. Wad the pieces of paper so that they will produce a small flame when lit. You will want to practice this before doing it in the worship service. Make sure that the children are back from the bowl. If I have a fire that is burning hold up the new and empty gas container, should I pour this on the fire? (response) Why not? (response) Oh, gasoline would make the fire just get bigger. What should I use? (water) Let's try that. Pour the water into the bowl. You're right. The water put the fire out. So it was not smart to add gas to the fire, but it was smart to use water.
Application: The Bible tells us not to repay evil with evil. That means that when someone says something mean to us we shouldn't ... (say something mean to them) because it's like hold up the empty gas can adding gas to the fire. It only makes the situation worse. How should we act if someone says something mean to us? (response) We should be nice to them instead of being mean. That way we can hold up the pitcher of water put the fire out. Don't fight and don't argue. Don't repay evil with evil, but repay evil with good.
Let's Pray: Dear Father, help us not to argue and fight, but to be nice to those who are mean to us and in doing so bring peace to our relationships. Amen.
?
Props: A marble, a toy, a twenty--dollar bill, a cell phone, and your spouse or child to participate.
Lesson: How is everyone? (response) I'm going to show you a few things and I want you to tell me how much they are worth. Place the following objects one by one in the middle of the children. The first thing I have is this. What is this? (marble) What kind of marble is it? Is it a gold marble? (response) Is it a silver marble? (no) What kind of marble is it? (it's just a marble) It's a plain old marble. What is it worth? (response) Why is it worth just a few pennies? (response)
The toy: The next thing I have is this. What is this? (response) What does it do? (response) What is it worth? (response) Why is it worth that? (response) All right, here's the next thing I have. The money: What is this? (response) What is it worth? (response) The cell phone: Now what is this? (response) Is it a toy phone or a real phone? (response) How much is this worth? (response)
The person: I have one more to show you. Your spouse should come from the pews and climb over the children and sit down in the middle. What is this? (response) Is it made of silver? (no) Is it made of gold? (no) Did I buy it with money? (no) Is it round like a marble? Can you play marbles with it? (response) Can you answer phone calls with it? (response) For a bit of humor: Can you clean with it? (response) Well, if you can't use it like a marble, and you can't answer phone calls with it, and it's not made of gold, it must not be worth a lot, is it? (response) How much is it worth? (response) Why is it worth so much? (response)
Application: Jesus said something like that. He said, "What can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Is my wife worth five dollars? (response) Is she worth $500? (response) Is she worth $5,000,000? (response) Let me tell you. You couldn't give me $10 billion for her/him. God says that she is worth more than all the toys and gadgets in the world and there is nothing that you could pay for her. Always remember: People are more important than money, and you are more important than gold.
Let's Pray: Lord, help us all understand that family and neighbors are more important than money and the latest gadget. Amen.
?
Proper 17
Romans 12:9--21
Putting Out Fires
Exegetical Aim: Do not repay evil for evil.
Props: A glass bowl, a match or lighter, several pieces of paper, a new and empty gas container, and a pitcher of water.
Lesson: How many of you have ever been in an argument? (response) I think we probably all have at one time or another. How many of you have ever been in a fight? (response) Yes. I see some of you have even been in a fight. Tell me, what are some things that people argue or fight about? (response) We often fight or argue because we are not getting our way. Someone yells at us, and so we yell back at them. And an argument begins. Or someone hits us, and we hit them back. And then a fight begins. After an argument or a fight with someone, how do you feel? (response) Right. We feel bad after an argument or fight, because someone has hurt us and we have hurt somebody. Let me show you something. Take out the glass bowl and put some paper inside of it. Wad the pieces of paper so that they will produce a small flame when lit. You will want to practice this before doing it in the worship service. Make sure that the children are back from the bowl. If I have a fire that is burning hold up the new and empty gas container, should I pour this on the fire? (response) Why not? (response) Oh, gasoline would make the fire just get bigger. What should I use? (water) Let's try that. Pour the water into the bowl. You're right. The water put the fire out. So it was not smart to add gas to the fire, but it was smart to use water.
Application: The Bible tells us not to repay evil with evil. That means that when someone says something mean to us we shouldn't ... (say something mean to them) because it's like hold up the empty gas can adding gas to the fire. It only makes the situation worse. How should we act if someone says something mean to us? (response) We should be nice to them instead of being mean. That way we can hold up the pitcher of water put the fire out. Don't fight and don't argue. Don't repay evil with evil, but repay evil with good.
Let's Pray: Dear Father, help us not to argue and fight, but to be nice to those who are mean to us and in doing so bring peace to our relationships. Amen.
?
