Bullies Begone!
Children's sermon
Object:
A white garment, a yardstick painted gold
“Love your enemies...pray for them...do to others as you would have them do to you.” (vs. 27b, 28b, 31)
Good morning beautiful saints,
Thanks so much for joining me for this children’s message. Did you notice I called you children saints? (children respond) Let me ask two questions. Raise your hand if you are a sinner. (children respond) Raise your hand if you are a saint. (children respond)
Well the truth is, you and I are both. We are at the same time sinners and saints.
You and I as sinners, became saints because Jesus died for us and cleansed us from our sin. Our sin is covered like a garment put upon us. (demonstrate with a white garment)
Jesus gave amazing sermons. One sermon, the greatest, we call the Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon, Jesus tells his sinner/saints disciples to “do to others as you would have them do to you.” We call this the Golden Rule. (show yardstick)
How is the Golden Rule practiced? Jesus explains, as sinner/saints, “love your enemies, pray for them and do to others as you would have them do to you.”
For children (and adults too) an enemy may be a bully. Know what a bully is? (children respond) A bully is a person who acts tough. One who is mean and puts you down calling “you a loser, dumb, weak and stupid.”
Jesus says to love your enemy and pray for them. So how do kids deal with a bully? Love and pray. Love means you try to understand why they are acting so mean.
Often bullies are jealous of you. Often bullies have low self-esteem. So loving a bully is to realize they have problems. It is not about you. It is about them.
When you pray to Jesus for a bully, you remain confident in yourself. As a sinner/saint you remind yourself, “I am great.” Know and believe you are loved and strong. You stay close to trusted friends. You always report bad, bully behavior to a trusted adult.
What are other ways children and adults my practice the Golden Rule? (children respond)
Prayer: Jesus, we are sinner/saints saved by you, show us how to behave. Amen.
Good morning beautiful saints,
Thanks so much for joining me for this children’s message. Did you notice I called you children saints? (children respond) Let me ask two questions. Raise your hand if you are a sinner. (children respond) Raise your hand if you are a saint. (children respond)
Well the truth is, you and I are both. We are at the same time sinners and saints.
You and I as sinners, became saints because Jesus died for us and cleansed us from our sin. Our sin is covered like a garment put upon us. (demonstrate with a white garment)
Jesus gave amazing sermons. One sermon, the greatest, we call the Sermon on the Mount. In that sermon, Jesus tells his sinner/saints disciples to “do to others as you would have them do to you.” We call this the Golden Rule. (show yardstick)
How is the Golden Rule practiced? Jesus explains, as sinner/saints, “love your enemies, pray for them and do to others as you would have them do to you.”
For children (and adults too) an enemy may be a bully. Know what a bully is? (children respond) A bully is a person who acts tough. One who is mean and puts you down calling “you a loser, dumb, weak and stupid.”
Jesus says to love your enemy and pray for them. So how do kids deal with a bully? Love and pray. Love means you try to understand why they are acting so mean.
Often bullies are jealous of you. Often bullies have low self-esteem. So loving a bully is to realize they have problems. It is not about you. It is about them.
When you pray to Jesus for a bully, you remain confident in yourself. As a sinner/saint you remind yourself, “I am great.” Know and believe you are loved and strong. You stay close to trusted friends. You always report bad, bully behavior to a trusted adult.
What are other ways children and adults my practice the Golden Rule? (children respond)
Prayer: Jesus, we are sinner/saints saved by you, show us how to behave. Amen.
