It's Tempting
Children's sermon
The Giant Book Of Children's Sermons
Matthew To Revelation
Object: a television schedule
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought something along with me this morning that I think all of you will recognize immediately. (hold up the television guide) What is it? (let them answer) Right, it is the television guide from the Saturday paper. If you want to know what is going to be on this week, or what the special programs are going to be for each day, you can read all about them in the television guide.
How many of you like television? (let them answer) Do you watch it often? Do you wish that you could watch it more? (let them answer) How many of you think that you watch television too much? (let them answer) Not many of you think that you watch it too much. How many of your parents think that you watch it too much? (let them answer) I thought so.
If you had some homework to do and you also wanted to watch a special program on television, which would you do? (let them answer) Does the television ever tempt you to lie? (let them answer) I know some boys and girls who tell their mothers and dads that they don't have any homework, so that their parents will let them watch the television.
Anything we like as much as television is bound to be a temptation. It causes us to act differently than we should, and say things that we should not, because we like television so much that we do not want to give it up for anything.
We call that temptation. Jesus knew about temptation. As a matter of fact, he told the devil one day that he should not tempt God or ask anyone else to tempt God. Temptation is a bad thing. The devil tried to get Jesus to tempt God by asking Jesus to jump off a high building, so that the angels would catch him before he hit the ground. Jesus said that there was no reason for him to jump off a high building. If you jumped from a high building, you would be hurt. If you do not study, but watch television instead, you could flunk your school tests. We can't blame the television. We have to blame ourselves instead. God says that we should not tempt ourselves or other people. When you do the wrong thing, you should not expect it to turn out right. We know how to act for God and with God, and when we don't do what we should, we have problems. When we do right and share our lives in the right way, we have right things happen to us.
Maybe the next time you decide to watch television instead of doing your homework, you will remember how Jesus told the devil to leave when he tried to get Jesus to tempt God. Then you will turn off the television and do what is expected of you. The television can be good, or it can be a temptation for you. Only you know when it is right and when it is wrong. Use it the right way and you will be pleasing to God and to yourself.
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought something along with me this morning that I think all of you will recognize immediately. (hold up the television guide) What is it? (let them answer) Right, it is the television guide from the Saturday paper. If you want to know what is going to be on this week, or what the special programs are going to be for each day, you can read all about them in the television guide.
How many of you like television? (let them answer) Do you watch it often? Do you wish that you could watch it more? (let them answer) How many of you think that you watch television too much? (let them answer) Not many of you think that you watch it too much. How many of your parents think that you watch it too much? (let them answer) I thought so.
If you had some homework to do and you also wanted to watch a special program on television, which would you do? (let them answer) Does the television ever tempt you to lie? (let them answer) I know some boys and girls who tell their mothers and dads that they don't have any homework, so that their parents will let them watch the television.
Anything we like as much as television is bound to be a temptation. It causes us to act differently than we should, and say things that we should not, because we like television so much that we do not want to give it up for anything.
We call that temptation. Jesus knew about temptation. As a matter of fact, he told the devil one day that he should not tempt God or ask anyone else to tempt God. Temptation is a bad thing. The devil tried to get Jesus to tempt God by asking Jesus to jump off a high building, so that the angels would catch him before he hit the ground. Jesus said that there was no reason for him to jump off a high building. If you jumped from a high building, you would be hurt. If you do not study, but watch television instead, you could flunk your school tests. We can't blame the television. We have to blame ourselves instead. God says that we should not tempt ourselves or other people. When you do the wrong thing, you should not expect it to turn out right. We know how to act for God and with God, and when we don't do what we should, we have problems. When we do right and share our lives in the right way, we have right things happen to us.
Maybe the next time you decide to watch television instead of doing your homework, you will remember how Jesus told the devil to leave when he tried to get Jesus to tempt God. Then you will turn off the television and do what is expected of you. The television can be good, or it can be a temptation for you. Only you know when it is right and when it is wrong. Use it the right way and you will be pleasing to God and to yourself.
