The Loving Father
Children's sermon
Story Time At The Altar
86 Messages For Children
"Alan, you are late again!" Alan's father's jaw twitched, which meant Alan's father was not pleased. Alan's father was angry. "This is the third time this week you have been late to dinner!" The family was seated at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what time it was." It was Alan's usual excuse.
The next morning at the breakfast table there was a surprise package beside Alan's plate. Alan unwrapped the package. It was an inexpensive watch, but it was Alan's. He grinned. "Now I don't have an excuse."
That evening the family was sitting at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I forgot to watch the time." Father glared at Alan across the table, his jaw twitching, which meant Alan's father was angry. "If you are late tomorrow, your dinner will be bread and water!"
The next night dinner was later than usual. "Mary, what is slowing up dinner?" Father asked. Mother said nothing, simply setting the table, seeing Alan's empty chair. When everyone was at last seated at the dinner table, their plates filled with food, Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry ..." Alan looked down at his plate with a piece of dry bread and a glass of water and remembered. Everyone was eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and crisp orange carrots, his favorite foods. His stomach growled with hunger and he coughed so no one would hear it. He wanted to hold his nose so he wouldn't smell the fried chicken. Then a tear rolled down Alan's cheek. Everyone continued to eat. No one paid any attention to Alan until his father reached out, took Alan's empty plate and glass of water and gave Alan his plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, crisp orange carrots, and glass of milk.
That night Alan's father went to bed hungry and Alan never forgot that meal, for as he told his children years later, "All my life I have known what God is like because of what my father did that night."
Talk together: How do you know God is like a loving Parent? Do you have a "father like that"? Jesus told a story of a "father like that."
Prayer: Thank you, God, for being our loving Parent.
The next morning at the breakfast table there was a surprise package beside Alan's plate. Alan unwrapped the package. It was an inexpensive watch, but it was Alan's. He grinned. "Now I don't have an excuse."
That evening the family was sitting at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I forgot to watch the time." Father glared at Alan across the table, his jaw twitching, which meant Alan's father was angry. "If you are late tomorrow, your dinner will be bread and water!"
The next night dinner was later than usual. "Mary, what is slowing up dinner?" Father asked. Mother said nothing, simply setting the table, seeing Alan's empty chair. When everyone was at last seated at the dinner table, their plates filled with food, Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry ..." Alan looked down at his plate with a piece of dry bread and a glass of water and remembered. Everyone was eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and crisp orange carrots, his favorite foods. His stomach growled with hunger and he coughed so no one would hear it. He wanted to hold his nose so he wouldn't smell the fried chicken. Then a tear rolled down Alan's cheek. Everyone continued to eat. No one paid any attention to Alan until his father reached out, took Alan's empty plate and glass of water and gave Alan his plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, crisp orange carrots, and glass of milk.
That night Alan's father went to bed hungry and Alan never forgot that meal, for as he told his children years later, "All my life I have known what God is like because of what my father did that night."
Talk together: How do you know God is like a loving Parent? Do you have a "father like that"? Jesus told a story of a "father like that."
Prayer: Thank you, God, for being our loving Parent.
