Child of God
Children's sermon
Object:
a bowl of water
The Point: As we turn to God, he claims us as his children.
The Lesson: Good morning, girls and boys. Thank you for coming up to share this time with me.
This morning I brought with me a bowl of water. We do lots of things with water. What are ways that your family uses water? (let children answer) We drink it. We swim and play in it. We use it to wash our dishes and do our laundry. We use water to fight fires. When we turn on our lawn sprinklers, the water helps our grass to grow. We use water to wash our hands before we eat and when they are dirty. Without water we wouldn't be able to take a bath. Water is certainly important in our lives.
Water has another very special use as a symbol of our faith, as a sign of turning to God. We heard about water used this way in our reading from Mark. John the Baptist is in the wilderness. Mark tells us how John is dressed, clothed in camel's hair and a leather belt. John eats locusts and wild honey. John's dress and diet tell us that he is a prophet of God. John is doing want God wants. He is calling people to follow God. As the people repented and turned to God in their hearts, they were baptized by John in the river Jordan. They were baptized with water as a sign that their hearts had turned to God.
Jesus came to you and me and all people with the message of a saving hope in him. He identifies with our need to turn to God. As John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, God and the Holy Spirit announce that Jesus is doing God's will. John tells us that he baptizes with water but that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. In the Spirit God fulfills his promise and claims us as his children.
The next time you turn on the water faucet to wash your hands, remember that in the water of your baptism God has claimed you as his child.
Closing Prayer: Let us hold hands and unite our hearts in prayer. Jesus, we turn our hearts and lives toward you. In baptism we announce that our saving hope is in you. Help us to be a child of God in all that we say and do. When we fail, forgive us and claim us again. Amen.
The Lesson: Good morning, girls and boys. Thank you for coming up to share this time with me.
This morning I brought with me a bowl of water. We do lots of things with water. What are ways that your family uses water? (let children answer) We drink it. We swim and play in it. We use it to wash our dishes and do our laundry. We use water to fight fires. When we turn on our lawn sprinklers, the water helps our grass to grow. We use water to wash our hands before we eat and when they are dirty. Without water we wouldn't be able to take a bath. Water is certainly important in our lives.
Water has another very special use as a symbol of our faith, as a sign of turning to God. We heard about water used this way in our reading from Mark. John the Baptist is in the wilderness. Mark tells us how John is dressed, clothed in camel's hair and a leather belt. John eats locusts and wild honey. John's dress and diet tell us that he is a prophet of God. John is doing want God wants. He is calling people to follow God. As the people repented and turned to God in their hearts, they were baptized by John in the river Jordan. They were baptized with water as a sign that their hearts had turned to God.
Jesus came to you and me and all people with the message of a saving hope in him. He identifies with our need to turn to God. As John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, God and the Holy Spirit announce that Jesus is doing God's will. John tells us that he baptizes with water but that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. In the Spirit God fulfills his promise and claims us as his children.
The next time you turn on the water faucet to wash your hands, remember that in the water of your baptism God has claimed you as his child.
Closing Prayer: Let us hold hands and unite our hearts in prayer. Jesus, we turn our hearts and lives toward you. In baptism we announce that our saving hope is in you. Help us to be a child of God in all that we say and do. When we fail, forgive us and claim us again. Amen.
