Shepherd's Helpers
Children's sermon
The Shepherd and His Sheep
Eight Children's Sermons and Activity Pages for Lent and Easter
Object:
Activity sheets; snacks, if desired. A fork, a spoon, crackers, an apple, a Bible.
We are the Good Shepherd's helpers.
Scripture: John 21:15; 1 Peter 5:4
Background Devotions: John 21:1-19; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:28
Visual Aids: A fork, a spoon, crackers, an apple, a Bible
Handouts: Activity sheets; snacks, if desired
Advance Preparations: Copy enough activity pages for each child to have one.
The Lesson:
Have you ever been hungry? There's an empty place in your stomach, isn't there? It doesn't feel good to have an empty stomach. Sometimes it makes us feel grouchy, unhappy, or maybe even weak.
What should we do? Yes, eat something. Maybe it is dinner time* and we'll have meat, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit. If it is lunch time, we might have a sandwich or soup.* But if it is not really time to eat, a little snack such as crackers* or an apple* will do. Then in a few minutes we feel much better.
There is another way to feel empty. It can make us unhappy, too. It can make us grouchy and weak. There is an unhappy empty place inside us when we do not make Jesus our Lord and let him be part of our lives. We need Jesus to fill us up with happiness and the help we need to live good lives.
Last Sunday we talked about Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and how he rose from the dead. It was Easter and we celebrated. He is still alive! Before Jesus went back to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father, he spent some time with his friends. There were still some things he wanted to tell them. One day he had breakfast with them. John 21:15 says:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
Jesus said, "Peter, I want you to feed my lambs and tend my sheep." When Jesus asked Peter to feed his lambs, he was talking about his people; he called those who loved him his sheep. Now Peter is asked to feed them. Jesus does not mean meat and potatoes. He means that Peter is to teach and preach about Jesus and his love, to fill up the empty, unhappy, hungry places in the lives of those who need to know about Jesus. Peter did as Jesus asked.
Today we still have people who do as Jesus asked Peter to do. They are called pastors. The word pastor comes from the word pasture. Our churches, the congregations, are sometimes called flocks. Our pastors are to feed their flocks, giving God's Word,* helping people fill up the empty places in the lives of all who need to know more about Jesus. They are shepherds helping Jesus do the work of caring for Jesus' sheep until the day when Jesus, who is the Chief Shepherd, comes back again (1 Peter 5:4).
This is a big job. We can help. We can all be shepherds' helpers when we share Jesus and his love with others, when we love and help and share. Let's all be shepherds' helpers. This will please Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
*Use visual aids
Scripture: John 21:15; 1 Peter 5:4
Background Devotions: John 21:1-19; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 20:28
Visual Aids: A fork, a spoon, crackers, an apple, a Bible
Handouts: Activity sheets; snacks, if desired
Advance Preparations: Copy enough activity pages for each child to have one.
The Lesson:
Have you ever been hungry? There's an empty place in your stomach, isn't there? It doesn't feel good to have an empty stomach. Sometimes it makes us feel grouchy, unhappy, or maybe even weak.
What should we do? Yes, eat something. Maybe it is dinner time* and we'll have meat, potatoes, vegetables, and fruit. If it is lunch time, we might have a sandwich or soup.* But if it is not really time to eat, a little snack such as crackers* or an apple* will do. Then in a few minutes we feel much better.
There is another way to feel empty. It can make us unhappy, too. It can make us grouchy and weak. There is an unhappy empty place inside us when we do not make Jesus our Lord and let him be part of our lives. We need Jesus to fill us up with happiness and the help we need to live good lives.
Last Sunday we talked about Jesus, our Good Shepherd, and how he rose from the dead. It was Easter and we celebrated. He is still alive! Before Jesus went back to heaven to be with his Heavenly Father, he spent some time with his friends. There were still some things he wanted to tell them. One day he had breakfast with them. John 21:15 says:
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs."
Jesus said, "Peter, I want you to feed my lambs and tend my sheep." When Jesus asked Peter to feed his lambs, he was talking about his people; he called those who loved him his sheep. Now Peter is asked to feed them. Jesus does not mean meat and potatoes. He means that Peter is to teach and preach about Jesus and his love, to fill up the empty, unhappy, hungry places in the lives of those who need to know about Jesus. Peter did as Jesus asked.
Today we still have people who do as Jesus asked Peter to do. They are called pastors. The word pastor comes from the word pasture. Our churches, the congregations, are sometimes called flocks. Our pastors are to feed their flocks, giving God's Word,* helping people fill up the empty places in the lives of all who need to know more about Jesus. They are shepherds helping Jesus do the work of caring for Jesus' sheep until the day when Jesus, who is the Chief Shepherd, comes back again (1 Peter 5:4).
This is a big job. We can help. We can all be shepherds' helpers when we share Jesus and his love with others, when we love and help and share. Let's all be shepherds' helpers. This will please Jesus, our Good Shepherd.
*Use visual aids
