Connected
Children's sermon
Object:
a pocket watch or something passed on to you from a parent, a
grandparent, or a great-grandparent
They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and
those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal
myself to them. (v. 21)
Good morning, boys and girls. My great-grandfather left this watch (show the pocket watch or other inherited object) to my grandfather, and my grandfather left it to my father, and my father gave it to me. Guess what I am going to do with it? (let them answer) That's right, I am going to give it to my child. The watch doesn't keep time very well but it would if I had it fixed. The time isn't important because I have other watches. It isn't important because it is a fancy watch. Do you know why it is important? (let them answer) That's right, because it connects us. My great-grandfather is important to me. I even have a picture of him and I keep this picture in my house near the pictures of my grandfather and my father. We are together. I have heard stories about my grandfather and my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather lived in another country before he moved to America. But some of his rules are still passed along in our family. We always listen to our grandfather and we never speak to him unless he speaks to us first and then includes us in the conversation. My great-grandfather learned this from his father.
Jesus felt very close to his heavenly Father and he showed it in many ways. Jesus talked about his heavenly Father a lot. Sometimes he prayed or talked things over with his Father alone and sometimes he included others in his prayers to his Father. It was a very close connection, but it doesn't end there, either.
Jesus tells us that if we do the things that he has asked us to do that it will be a sign of our love to him. Jesus said that if we love him then we also love his Father and if we love the Father then the Father also loves us. We are all in this together. The Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us, we love Jesus, Jesus loves the Father, and we all love one another. Pretty neat, don't you think? (let them answer)
I guess that means we are connected to heaven. We are connected to the Father, to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and they are connected to us.
The next time you look at a picture or something that belonged to your grandparents or great-grandparents, think about how you are connected. Then while you are thinking about that you can think about how you and Jesus and the Father and Holy Spirit are all connected to you. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. My great-grandfather left this watch (show the pocket watch or other inherited object) to my grandfather, and my grandfather left it to my father, and my father gave it to me. Guess what I am going to do with it? (let them answer) That's right, I am going to give it to my child. The watch doesn't keep time very well but it would if I had it fixed. The time isn't important because I have other watches. It isn't important because it is a fancy watch. Do you know why it is important? (let them answer) That's right, because it connects us. My great-grandfather is important to me. I even have a picture of him and I keep this picture in my house near the pictures of my grandfather and my father. We are together. I have heard stories about my grandfather and my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather lived in another country before he moved to America. But some of his rules are still passed along in our family. We always listen to our grandfather and we never speak to him unless he speaks to us first and then includes us in the conversation. My great-grandfather learned this from his father.
Jesus felt very close to his heavenly Father and he showed it in many ways. Jesus talked about his heavenly Father a lot. Sometimes he prayed or talked things over with his Father alone and sometimes he included others in his prayers to his Father. It was a very close connection, but it doesn't end there, either.
Jesus tells us that if we do the things that he has asked us to do that it will be a sign of our love to him. Jesus said that if we love him then we also love his Father and if we love the Father then the Father also loves us. We are all in this together. The Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us, we love Jesus, Jesus loves the Father, and we all love one another. Pretty neat, don't you think? (let them answer)
I guess that means we are connected to heaven. We are connected to the Father, to Jesus, and the Holy Spirit and they are connected to us.
The next time you look at a picture or something that belonged to your grandparents or great-grandparents, think about how you are connected. Then while you are thinking about that you can think about how you and Jesus and the Father and Holy Spirit are all connected to you. Amen.
