What's Inside
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A paper dusk jacket from a hardbound novel slipped onto a Bible.
This morning a large group of children has assembled, their numbers increased by junior-high youths who are visiting from another denomination. I begin by holding up the covered Bible, and ask one of the older children to read the title on the cover.
"A Piece of the Moon Is Missing,"1 Arthur responds.
"My goodness," I answer, "A Piece of the Moon Is Missing!" Does that sound like an interesting story?"
"No," young John pipes up with a growl, little knowing he's actually helped me with his negative attitude.
"Well, if it sounds that bad, John, let's set it aside for a minute while I ask everyone about something else. Does anyone know what it means to boast?" Several of the older children grin, but everyone remains silent as I begin to wonder if this is going to be "one of THOSE days."
"If I were boasting," I rephrase my question, "what would I be doing?"
"Bragging," Rick answers.
"Ah, so boasting is bragging," I reply. "Well, then, I wonder if any of you have anything to boast about -- anything to brag about."
"I have a cat and I bet you don't," John immediately responds in a sing-song voice, echoing his statement with a mocking, "Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh-nyeh, nyeh!"
"Ooooh, thank you, John," I compliment, refusing to be drawn into whatever has caused such sourpuss behavior. My thanks bring a glance of surprise as I continue: "You've not only got something to brag about, you've given us an example of your bragging! You're boasting that you have a cat and you bet I don't -- and even if I do, it can't be as good as your cat, right?" This question brings a reluctant grin to John's face.
Returning my attention then to the whole group, I ask, "What are some of the reasons people brag?"
"Because they're proud of something," Marcia suggests.
"Because they think they're better than someone else," Harry answers.
"Yes, people sometimes brag for both of those reasons," I reply. "Sometimes people think they won't be accepted just as they are so they brag or boast about themselves hoping to make themselves more likable, or to make themselves seem better than someone else. That sort of boasting is like putting on a false front or a mask almost."
As I pronounce the last few words, I pick up the book John did not think sounded interesting and draw it again to the children's attention as I say, "In some ways boasting is like this book. It looks like a mystery novel with an interesting story. Actually ..." (I begin to take the slipcover off the Bible as I continue), "it's not one story but a whole collection of stories." Surprised recognition appears on many young faces as I reveal beneath the cover a very familiar book.
"It's the Bible," Susan exclaims.
"That's right, Susan. And you know, when I put the cover of a novel on it, not one word inside of the Bible changed. The cover didn't affect what's inside at all. And of course, it's what's on the inside that counts, not what's on the outside.
"When the Bible had the cover on it, it appeared to be something it was not. Just like sometimes when people boast -- they appear to be something they really aren't -- something that really doesn't have anything at all to do with who they really are or with what is important about them.
"Now, the reason I've brought all of this up today is because of the scripture which was read right before you came up here. It was from one of Saint Paul's letters to the church at Corinth. Paul wrote to these folks and told them to quit arguing with one another -- to quit boasting to each other about who had baptized them.
"You see, some of the Corinthians were saying, 'I was baptized by Apollo, and that is a LOT better than being baptized by anyone else.' Others were saying, 'I was baptized by Peter and you weren't.' Paul told them that it didn't matter who had baptized any of them; what mattered was the change that had taken place within them because of their baptism. What mattered was who they were as Christians -- who they were on the inside.
"You know, the arguments among the Corinthians would be about like someone today boasting that he is a Methodist, and someone else bragging that she is a Baptist and that's better, and then a Presbyterian and a Christian Disciple both jumping into the argument claiming that they are better than either of the first two -- NONE of which really matters. What matters is what's inside of them, hearts transformed by the love of Jesus Christ, and that no matter what denomination they might outwardly be a member of, ALL of them are Christians underneath their outer labels -- on the inside.
"There are times in our lives when we may feel like bragging. There may be some special talent we have in sports, or music, or schoolwork that we'd really like to boast about. But it's important to remember that the talents we have are gifts from God. If we boast about them, we need to boast about the Giver rather than about ourselves.
"That's what Paul told the Corinthians too: 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:31). When we boast about the Lord who has given us life and talents to share, then we don't have the attitude that we're better than someone else, because we realize that all of us are children of God, and each of us has special gifts to share.
"And you know, the things that seem so important that we are tempted to brag about them, usually don't make much difference at all. The boasting, the bragging is just a cover. It's what's inside of us that counts -- love for God and for one another."
1. Johnson, James L., A Piece of the Moon Is Missing (New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1979).
"A Piece of the Moon Is Missing,"1 Arthur responds.
"My goodness," I answer, "A Piece of the Moon Is Missing!" Does that sound like an interesting story?"
"No," young John pipes up with a growl, little knowing he's actually helped me with his negative attitude.
"Well, if it sounds that bad, John, let's set it aside for a minute while I ask everyone about something else. Does anyone know what it means to boast?" Several of the older children grin, but everyone remains silent as I begin to wonder if this is going to be "one of THOSE days."
"If I were boasting," I rephrase my question, "what would I be doing?"
"Bragging," Rick answers.
"Ah, so boasting is bragging," I reply. "Well, then, I wonder if any of you have anything to boast about -- anything to brag about."
"I have a cat and I bet you don't," John immediately responds in a sing-song voice, echoing his statement with a mocking, "Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh-nyeh, nyeh!"
"Ooooh, thank you, John," I compliment, refusing to be drawn into whatever has caused such sourpuss behavior. My thanks bring a glance of surprise as I continue: "You've not only got something to brag about, you've given us an example of your bragging! You're boasting that you have a cat and you bet I don't -- and even if I do, it can't be as good as your cat, right?" This question brings a reluctant grin to John's face.
Returning my attention then to the whole group, I ask, "What are some of the reasons people brag?"
"Because they're proud of something," Marcia suggests.
"Because they think they're better than someone else," Harry answers.
"Yes, people sometimes brag for both of those reasons," I reply. "Sometimes people think they won't be accepted just as they are so they brag or boast about themselves hoping to make themselves more likable, or to make themselves seem better than someone else. That sort of boasting is like putting on a false front or a mask almost."
As I pronounce the last few words, I pick up the book John did not think sounded interesting and draw it again to the children's attention as I say, "In some ways boasting is like this book. It looks like a mystery novel with an interesting story. Actually ..." (I begin to take the slipcover off the Bible as I continue), "it's not one story but a whole collection of stories." Surprised recognition appears on many young faces as I reveal beneath the cover a very familiar book.
"It's the Bible," Susan exclaims.
"That's right, Susan. And you know, when I put the cover of a novel on it, not one word inside of the Bible changed. The cover didn't affect what's inside at all. And of course, it's what's on the inside that counts, not what's on the outside.
"When the Bible had the cover on it, it appeared to be something it was not. Just like sometimes when people boast -- they appear to be something they really aren't -- something that really doesn't have anything at all to do with who they really are or with what is important about them.
"Now, the reason I've brought all of this up today is because of the scripture which was read right before you came up here. It was from one of Saint Paul's letters to the church at Corinth. Paul wrote to these folks and told them to quit arguing with one another -- to quit boasting to each other about who had baptized them.
"You see, some of the Corinthians were saying, 'I was baptized by Apollo, and that is a LOT better than being baptized by anyone else.' Others were saying, 'I was baptized by Peter and you weren't.' Paul told them that it didn't matter who had baptized any of them; what mattered was the change that had taken place within them because of their baptism. What mattered was who they were as Christians -- who they were on the inside.
"You know, the arguments among the Corinthians would be about like someone today boasting that he is a Methodist, and someone else bragging that she is a Baptist and that's better, and then a Presbyterian and a Christian Disciple both jumping into the argument claiming that they are better than either of the first two -- NONE of which really matters. What matters is what's inside of them, hearts transformed by the love of Jesus Christ, and that no matter what denomination they might outwardly be a member of, ALL of them are Christians underneath their outer labels -- on the inside.
"There are times in our lives when we may feel like bragging. There may be some special talent we have in sports, or music, or schoolwork that we'd really like to boast about. But it's important to remember that the talents we have are gifts from God. If we boast about them, we need to boast about the Giver rather than about ourselves.
"That's what Paul told the Corinthians too: 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord' (1 Corinthians 1:31). When we boast about the Lord who has given us life and talents to share, then we don't have the attitude that we're better than someone else, because we realize that all of us are children of God, and each of us has special gifts to share.
"And you know, the things that seem so important that we are tempted to brag about them, usually don't make much difference at all. The boasting, the bragging is just a cover. It's what's inside of us that counts -- love for God and for one another."
1. Johnson, James L., A Piece of the Moon Is Missing (New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1979).
