Tricky People
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: Beware of people who try to trick you.
Props: A box of tissues, a child's chair, and a little bit of magic skill. Set the chair up so that the child's back is to the congregation.
How to do the magic trick: In front of the child, ball--up a tissue and hold it up by the tips of your right hand thumb and middle finger. Put the tissue into the left hand and close your hand and tell the child you will be making it disappear. Show that the paper is still in the left hand and put the tissue back between your right hand fingers. Now, continue to do this as you tell him you will make it disappear, but add the following motion: after the switch, stretch out your arms above the child's head as if you are trying to get your sleeves to ride up on your arms. This motion should be done quickly. When you stretch, make sure your right arm goes over the child's head each time and the left hand moves just a little beyond his field of vision but not much. Now show the child that the tissue is indeed in the left hand and put the tissue back in the right hand and repeat this process three times. Make sure each time you show that the tissue is in the left hand. On the last stretch you will not be putting the tissue in the left hand but pretending as if you did. You will instead toss the tissue paper into the congregation with your right hand stretch. The higher it goes the better. The child will think that the tissue is still in your left hand.
Lesson: Good morning. I need a volunteer. Chose one of the smaller children and sit him down in the chair. I have a magic trick I am going to perform for you. Do you want to see it? (response) Okay. Watch this tissue very carefully; I am going to make it disappear. First stretch. Watch the tissue. Have you ever seen this done before? (response) Second stretch. Watch the tissue very closely. Do you think I can do it? (response) Third stretch. Toss the tissue. Point at the left hand, which is supposedly holding the tissue. Where is the tissue? (response) That's right and now we are going to make it disappear. To make this happen you have to blow on my hand. (response) Blow harder. (response) As she blows, open your hand. It's magic! It's gone!
Sit back down with the children. Now, let me ask you, was that real magic? (no) No? What was it then? (a trick) Why was it a trick? (response)
Application: There is story in the Bible about these guys who came up to Jesus and wanted to trick him. They were trying to get Jesus into trouble with the police, but Jesus saw what they were doing. He knew they were up to no good, that they were trying to trick him. Tricks can be fun, but when we try to trick someone to hurt someone, that is not good. If we try to trick someone to take money from him or take a toy from her, or if we try to trick our brother or our sister to get him or her in trouble ... this is not good.
Let's Pray: Dear Father, we don't want to trick people to hurt them. Teach us to treat others with respect. Amen.
Props: A box of tissues, a child's chair, and a little bit of magic skill. Set the chair up so that the child's back is to the congregation.
How to do the magic trick: In front of the child, ball--up a tissue and hold it up by the tips of your right hand thumb and middle finger. Put the tissue into the left hand and close your hand and tell the child you will be making it disappear. Show that the paper is still in the left hand and put the tissue back between your right hand fingers. Now, continue to do this as you tell him you will make it disappear, but add the following motion: after the switch, stretch out your arms above the child's head as if you are trying to get your sleeves to ride up on your arms. This motion should be done quickly. When you stretch, make sure your right arm goes over the child's head each time and the left hand moves just a little beyond his field of vision but not much. Now show the child that the tissue is indeed in the left hand and put the tissue back in the right hand and repeat this process three times. Make sure each time you show that the tissue is in the left hand. On the last stretch you will not be putting the tissue in the left hand but pretending as if you did. You will instead toss the tissue paper into the congregation with your right hand stretch. The higher it goes the better. The child will think that the tissue is still in your left hand.
Lesson: Good morning. I need a volunteer. Chose one of the smaller children and sit him down in the chair. I have a magic trick I am going to perform for you. Do you want to see it? (response) Okay. Watch this tissue very carefully; I am going to make it disappear. First stretch. Watch the tissue. Have you ever seen this done before? (response) Second stretch. Watch the tissue very closely. Do you think I can do it? (response) Third stretch. Toss the tissue. Point at the left hand, which is supposedly holding the tissue. Where is the tissue? (response) That's right and now we are going to make it disappear. To make this happen you have to blow on my hand. (response) Blow harder. (response) As she blows, open your hand. It's magic! It's gone!
Sit back down with the children. Now, let me ask you, was that real magic? (no) No? What was it then? (a trick) Why was it a trick? (response)
Application: There is story in the Bible about these guys who came up to Jesus and wanted to trick him. They were trying to get Jesus into trouble with the police, but Jesus saw what they were doing. He knew they were up to no good, that they were trying to trick him. Tricks can be fun, but when we try to trick someone to hurt someone, that is not good. If we try to trick someone to take money from him or take a toy from her, or if we try to trick our brother or our sister to get him or her in trouble ... this is not good.
Let's Pray: Dear Father, we don't want to trick people to hurt them. Teach us to treat others with respect. Amen.
