Backpack Unpacked
Children's sermon
Object:
Backpack and labeled weights (stones, rocks, or dumbbell)
Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (v. 28)
Good morning girls and boys,
Do you ever get tired? So tired that you just want to lay down and take a nap? (children share) A lot of things in life can wear us out -- like too many chores, too much playing sports, too much homework, going on a long, boring trip? Sometimes people even get tired in church.
People get tired physically. People also get tired spiritually. Here's why:
Here is a stone (or brick or dumbbell) that says “anger.” Let's put this in my back pack.
Here's another weight -- labeled “jealousy.” Put in back pack. Oh here's a weight labeled (use several such as “sadness,” “sin,” “lying”, “swearing,” “no praying” etc. as time allows). Now, who would like to wear this back pack for a week 24 hours a day -- even when you are in bed? (discuss the peculiarities of this assignment)
Now carrying this packed back pack around would make any kid or person very weary.
So what can we do with all the weights that tire us out so much?
Jesus told his disciples, and us, “come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
So we take our loaded down back packs filled with anger, jealousy, sadness, sin, lies and swearing to Jesus. We leave the back pack at the foot of the cross where Jesus died for all these transgressions. He takes the weights upon himself and suddenly we receive rest.
We quit carrying around these weights. Oh by the way, these weights will sneak back into our lives. So what! We just deliver them to the One gives us rest from them.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for taking my heavy burdens away. Amen.
Good morning girls and boys,
Do you ever get tired? So tired that you just want to lay down and take a nap? (children share) A lot of things in life can wear us out -- like too many chores, too much playing sports, too much homework, going on a long, boring trip? Sometimes people even get tired in church.
People get tired physically. People also get tired spiritually. Here's why:
Here is a stone (or brick or dumbbell) that says “anger.” Let's put this in my back pack.
Here's another weight -- labeled “jealousy.” Put in back pack. Oh here's a weight labeled (use several such as “sadness,” “sin,” “lying”, “swearing,” “no praying” etc. as time allows). Now, who would like to wear this back pack for a week 24 hours a day -- even when you are in bed? (discuss the peculiarities of this assignment)
Now carrying this packed back pack around would make any kid or person very weary.
So what can we do with all the weights that tire us out so much?
Jesus told his disciples, and us, “come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
So we take our loaded down back packs filled with anger, jealousy, sadness, sin, lies and swearing to Jesus. We leave the back pack at the foot of the cross where Jesus died for all these transgressions. He takes the weights upon himself and suddenly we receive rest.
We quit carrying around these weights. Oh by the way, these weights will sneak back into our lives. So what! We just deliver them to the One gives us rest from them.
Prayer: Thank you Jesus for taking my heavy burdens away. Amen.
