Watch And Be Ready!
Children's sermon
Children's Sermons A To Z
Exegetical Aim: Conditioning God's children to be watchful and ready.
Props: A tennis ball or something comparable.
Lesson: Tossing the ball from hand to hand: Good morning! (response) A long, long time ago, when people used candles and lamps to see at night because there was no electricity, there was this man and he left home to go to a party. His maids and his servants had no idea when he would return home, so they waited into the night for him to come home. Toss the ball from the waist to one of the children. Don't telecast your toss; make it immediate so it is a surprise. Motion for the ball to be returned to you - do not ask for it. It was getting late and the man had not returned home. The maids and the servants kept looking out the windows and wondering when their master would return. Toss the ball from the waist to another child. Motion for the ball to be returned.
Now it was very late, all the stars were out and the moon was slowly sinking down. All the maids and servants who were waiting for their master to return from the party were very tired and sleepy. What do you think they did? (response) Toss the ball from the waist to another child. Motion for the ball to be returned. Well, they kept the lamps and candles burning all night, and they stayed up because when the master came home they wanted to meet him at the door, welcome him home, and help him get ready for bed. Toss the ball once more from the waist. Motion for the ball to be returned. It doesn't matter if the ball is caught by a child - it is enough that they are watching for you to throw it.
Application: At first you were surprised when I threw the ball at you and you weren't able to catch it. But then what happened? (we caught it) Yes, you learned to be ready. You were watching for me to toss it to you. If no one caught the ball, then simply explain that they at least were watching for you to throw it. Now, hold up the ball: This is what we are doing as Christians. We are watching for Jesus to come back. He is going to come back one day and it might be soon. Fake a throw to one of the children. And we need to be ready.
How can we get ourselves ready for his coming? (response) We can love God and love one another. How do we help people who are hungry? (response) How can we help people who need clothes? (response) If someone is sick, what can we do for them? (response) That's right. What else can we do? (pray, read our Bibles, etc.) These are ways that we can be good maids and servants waiting for our master to come. Toss the ball high in the air into the middle of the children or throw it straight up so that you catch it. Let's not be surprised when Jesus returns. Let's be watching and ready!
Let's Pray: Lord, help your children to be ready when you return. Amen.
* * * * * * *
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Faith
Exegetical Aim: Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Props: Someone to work the lights of the church. You must talk to this person beforehand, and have him/her prepared to time his/her task perfectly.
Lesson: Good morning. Today I want to tell you that something different is going to happen in church today. Something really different. Do you believe me? (response) As a matter of fact, something really different is going to happen while you are sitting here. Do you believe me? (response) You really have to believe me. Okay. This is what's going to happen. The lights are going to go out! That's right; the lights out - poof! In church! Cool, huh? You might determine beforehand if you want all the lights or just some of the lights. Obviously, the more lights that go out, the more effective the demonstration. Do you want this to happen? (response) Okay. But there's only one way for the lights to go off. I need someone to walk by himself/herself over to the wall, and knock three times. If you do that, the lights will go out. Do you believe me? Send a volunteer to knock on the wall. The person working the lights will immediately turn the designated lights off after the third knock, and then back on after a couple of seconds.
Application: Did you think that was really going to work? Usually, you have to turn on a light switch to make lights turn on and off. But I knew it would work if you knocked. Do you know how I knew? Because before you got here, I talked to [name of the light person] and instructed him/her to turn the lights off at just the right moment. Even though you didn't know how it was going to happen, I knew. You trusted in me that it would happen. That's called faith. You had faith in my words.
There was a man named Abraham who believed God's word. God promised him something strange. God said, Abraham, you're an old man, but you and your wife are going to have a child and you will become the father of many nations. Abraham believed God even though God's promise sounded strange. Then it happened. They actually had a baby and they named him Isaac. Abraham trusted in God. He had faith.
We are called to have the same faith in God's word even when we don't fully understand. We have to trust that God knows what he is doing. Study your Bibles, because in it you will find God's promises and you can trust in those promises. We call that having faith.
Let's Pray: Dear God, we trust in you even when it seems strange to do so. Amen.
Props: A tennis ball or something comparable.
Lesson: Tossing the ball from hand to hand: Good morning! (response) A long, long time ago, when people used candles and lamps to see at night because there was no electricity, there was this man and he left home to go to a party. His maids and his servants had no idea when he would return home, so they waited into the night for him to come home. Toss the ball from the waist to one of the children. Don't telecast your toss; make it immediate so it is a surprise. Motion for the ball to be returned to you - do not ask for it. It was getting late and the man had not returned home. The maids and the servants kept looking out the windows and wondering when their master would return. Toss the ball from the waist to another child. Motion for the ball to be returned.
Now it was very late, all the stars were out and the moon was slowly sinking down. All the maids and servants who were waiting for their master to return from the party were very tired and sleepy. What do you think they did? (response) Toss the ball from the waist to another child. Motion for the ball to be returned. Well, they kept the lamps and candles burning all night, and they stayed up because when the master came home they wanted to meet him at the door, welcome him home, and help him get ready for bed. Toss the ball once more from the waist. Motion for the ball to be returned. It doesn't matter if the ball is caught by a child - it is enough that they are watching for you to throw it.
Application: At first you were surprised when I threw the ball at you and you weren't able to catch it. But then what happened? (we caught it) Yes, you learned to be ready. You were watching for me to toss it to you. If no one caught the ball, then simply explain that they at least were watching for you to throw it. Now, hold up the ball: This is what we are doing as Christians. We are watching for Jesus to come back. He is going to come back one day and it might be soon. Fake a throw to one of the children. And we need to be ready.
How can we get ourselves ready for his coming? (response) We can love God and love one another. How do we help people who are hungry? (response) How can we help people who need clothes? (response) If someone is sick, what can we do for them? (response) That's right. What else can we do? (pray, read our Bibles, etc.) These are ways that we can be good maids and servants waiting for our master to come. Toss the ball high in the air into the middle of the children or throw it straight up so that you catch it. Let's not be surprised when Jesus returns. Let's be watching and ready!
Let's Pray: Lord, help your children to be ready when you return. Amen.
* * * * * * *
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Faith
Exegetical Aim: Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Props: Someone to work the lights of the church. You must talk to this person beforehand, and have him/her prepared to time his/her task perfectly.
Lesson: Good morning. Today I want to tell you that something different is going to happen in church today. Something really different. Do you believe me? (response) As a matter of fact, something really different is going to happen while you are sitting here. Do you believe me? (response) You really have to believe me. Okay. This is what's going to happen. The lights are going to go out! That's right; the lights out - poof! In church! Cool, huh? You might determine beforehand if you want all the lights or just some of the lights. Obviously, the more lights that go out, the more effective the demonstration. Do you want this to happen? (response) Okay. But there's only one way for the lights to go off. I need someone to walk by himself/herself over to the wall, and knock three times. If you do that, the lights will go out. Do you believe me? Send a volunteer to knock on the wall. The person working the lights will immediately turn the designated lights off after the third knock, and then back on after a couple of seconds.
Application: Did you think that was really going to work? Usually, you have to turn on a light switch to make lights turn on and off. But I knew it would work if you knocked. Do you know how I knew? Because before you got here, I talked to [name of the light person] and instructed him/her to turn the lights off at just the right moment. Even though you didn't know how it was going to happen, I knew. You trusted in me that it would happen. That's called faith. You had faith in my words.
There was a man named Abraham who believed God's word. God promised him something strange. God said, Abraham, you're an old man, but you and your wife are going to have a child and you will become the father of many nations. Abraham believed God even though God's promise sounded strange. Then it happened. They actually had a baby and they named him Isaac. Abraham trusted in God. He had faith.
We are called to have the same faith in God's word even when we don't fully understand. We have to trust that God knows what he is doing. Study your Bibles, because in it you will find God's promises and you can trust in those promises. We call that having faith.
Let's Pray: Dear God, we trust in you even when it seems strange to do so. Amen.