Trick Or Treat
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: Good leadership seeks to help people not burden them to point of despair. Key verses: 4 and 11.
Props: One small bag of dried uncooked noodles - bow tie pasta works best; a bag of candy, which is hidden.
Lesson: What happens this week? (Halloween) What do we do on Halloween? (response) I happen to have something for you, but you only get one. Allow each child to reach in the bag and pull out a noodle. As they are getting the noodles affirm the "prizes." Oh, look what you got! That looks good! Wow, another dried noodle. Don't you like dried pasta? Crunchy! (response) What did everybody get? You don't look very excited. (response) These are great! If you use a microphone, bite into a piece of pasta. Chew slowly with your mouth open so that the dry pasta makes a large crunching sound. Your attitude slowly changes as you crunch: Crunch. Crunch. These are great! Crunch. Crunch. Maybe these aren't so great after all. Crunch. They're kind of hard.
Application: Keep chewing. Jesus said that there are some people who make life hard on others. Crunch. Like giving them dried noodles to eat. He said that we as Christians are not to act that way. He said that from the greatest to the least we are to be humble and make life easier and better for one another. That's really the meaning of Halloween. It is a time when we celebrate those who died and were faithful to God. Halloween used to be called All Hallows' Eve - the evening before All Saints' Day.
How many of you know what Christmas Eve is? What is Christmas Eve? (the night before Christmas) Halloween is All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Saints' Day. This week let's celebrate the lives of God's faithful men and women who have died.
This is optional: I have another bag of treats. These are much better than the first. Let each child take a piece of candy. Let's try to be like the saints. Be helpful, humble, and kind.
Let's Pray: Dear Lord, we remember all the saints - those who have been faithful to you. Make of these boys and girls saints of your church. Amen.
?
Proper 26
1 Thessalonians 2:9--13
Hard Work
Exegetical Aim: The church exists because of the hard work of many.
Props: Any old pictures of the church, an old bulletin, old church newspapers, etc. If yours is a new church, you will have to adapt this by talking about another church.
Lesson: Do you know how old this church is? Take a guess. (response) That's a long time ago, isn't it? Look at some of these pictures and articles about the church. Show the children the old pictures, the old bulletin, etc.
Think about your parents. They are old, right? (response) Be careful how you answer that. This church was founded before they were even born! This is an old church, isn't it? (response) As a matter of fact, it was founded even before your grandparents were born, before your great--grandparents were born, even before your great--great grandparents were born. I imagine it was here before your great--great--great--great--grandparents were born! Now that's a long time, isn't it?
This may come as a surprise to many of you but this church was built before there were trains and planes, and before they discovered electricity. I mean they didn't even have any McDonalds. Imagine that! The church is very old. Say the number of years since the church was founded, and say something about the year in which the church was founded; e.g., there were no cars, no television, etc.
In this church, a lot of people have worshiped. Hundreds of preachers, lots of babies and moms and dads. People getting married here and buried here. And look at the building. Isn't it pretty? It must have taken a lot of work to build it. Do you think that it took a lot of work to keep the church going? (response)
Application: Let me tell you how old the church is. It's 2,000 years old. The Apostle Paul was one of the first preachers and he reminded the church that he worked hard to build the church. We ought always to remember that people before us worked hard to make the church. Hold up one of the pictures. We also should keep that work alive by working hard. That's what Jesus wants you and me to do.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for all of those in the past who have worked so hard for the church and for your kingdom. Help us to work hard for the church, too. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
?
Props: One small bag of dried uncooked noodles - bow tie pasta works best; a bag of candy, which is hidden.
Lesson: What happens this week? (Halloween) What do we do on Halloween? (response) I happen to have something for you, but you only get one. Allow each child to reach in the bag and pull out a noodle. As they are getting the noodles affirm the "prizes." Oh, look what you got! That looks good! Wow, another dried noodle. Don't you like dried pasta? Crunchy! (response) What did everybody get? You don't look very excited. (response) These are great! If you use a microphone, bite into a piece of pasta. Chew slowly with your mouth open so that the dry pasta makes a large crunching sound. Your attitude slowly changes as you crunch: Crunch. Crunch. These are great! Crunch. Crunch. Maybe these aren't so great after all. Crunch. They're kind of hard.
Application: Keep chewing. Jesus said that there are some people who make life hard on others. Crunch. Like giving them dried noodles to eat. He said that we as Christians are not to act that way. He said that from the greatest to the least we are to be humble and make life easier and better for one another. That's really the meaning of Halloween. It is a time when we celebrate those who died and were faithful to God. Halloween used to be called All Hallows' Eve - the evening before All Saints' Day.
How many of you know what Christmas Eve is? What is Christmas Eve? (the night before Christmas) Halloween is All Hallows' Eve, the night before All Saints' Day. This week let's celebrate the lives of God's faithful men and women who have died.
This is optional: I have another bag of treats. These are much better than the first. Let each child take a piece of candy. Let's try to be like the saints. Be helpful, humble, and kind.
Let's Pray: Dear Lord, we remember all the saints - those who have been faithful to you. Make of these boys and girls saints of your church. Amen.
?
Proper 26
1 Thessalonians 2:9--13
Hard Work
Exegetical Aim: The church exists because of the hard work of many.
Props: Any old pictures of the church, an old bulletin, old church newspapers, etc. If yours is a new church, you will have to adapt this by talking about another church.
Lesson: Do you know how old this church is? Take a guess. (response) That's a long time ago, isn't it? Look at some of these pictures and articles about the church. Show the children the old pictures, the old bulletin, etc.
Think about your parents. They are old, right? (response) Be careful how you answer that. This church was founded before they were even born! This is an old church, isn't it? (response) As a matter of fact, it was founded even before your grandparents were born, before your great--grandparents were born, even before your great--great grandparents were born. I imagine it was here before your great--great--great--great--grandparents were born! Now that's a long time, isn't it?
This may come as a surprise to many of you but this church was built before there were trains and planes, and before they discovered electricity. I mean they didn't even have any McDonalds. Imagine that! The church is very old. Say the number of years since the church was founded, and say something about the year in which the church was founded; e.g., there were no cars, no television, etc.
In this church, a lot of people have worshiped. Hundreds of preachers, lots of babies and moms and dads. People getting married here and buried here. And look at the building. Isn't it pretty? It must have taken a lot of work to build it. Do you think that it took a lot of work to keep the church going? (response)
Application: Let me tell you how old the church is. It's 2,000 years old. The Apostle Paul was one of the first preachers and he reminded the church that he worked hard to build the church. We ought always to remember that people before us worked hard to make the church. Hold up one of the pictures. We also should keep that work alive by working hard. That's what Jesus wants you and me to do.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for all of those in the past who have worked so hard for the church and for your kingdom. Help us to work hard for the church, too. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
?
