Does God care?
Children's sermon
Object:
a digital camera, keys to a car, shoes with a hole in the sole,
Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters. Has not God chosen the poor in the
world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to
those who love him? (v. 5)
Good morning, boys and girls. The other day, I was walking in the park and I saw a man that I thought looked like a bum. How many of you know what I mean when I say a man looked like a bum? (let them answer) Okay, I think we all know what a bum is, but I also noticed how he looked. His clothes were too big and baggy. I am sure that they had not been washed in a long time. His shoes had holes in the soles. Beside him was a grocery cart that he told me he found in a creek and inside of the grocery cart were other clothes, also dirty, and a lot of newspapers. I asked him if he read all of the newspapers and he said the newspapers were his blanket on a cold night. He collected aluminum cans to get money and he ate in a lot of different places, including churches that served free meals.
I asked him if I could take his picture with my digital camera. He said, "Why not?" I asked him if he would tell me his story about how he became so poor. He said it was not very interesting. I noticed that he had a Bible in his cart and I asked him if he had ever read it. He said, "I read it every morning and every night. Sometimes I even read it when I visit the bus station." All I could think about was how poor he was and how poor I wasn't. I looked at my nice watch, my clean blue shirt, and the gold buckle on my belt. He used a thin rope for his belt.
I asked him what he did during the day. He said he used to go to the library, but they didn't want him to come in any more. He used to drink coffee in a hamburger shop, but they didn't want him, either. Sometimes he walked down to the train station and that took most of the morning and then he would walk back to the park in the afternoon and that took almost the whole afternoon. He had to be careful because the police did not like for him to sleep on the park bench and they would make him move a couple of times every night.
I thought about my beautiful car and how I could drive to the train station and back home in minutes. Usually I stopped and bought a newspaper that I would throw away when I finished reading it, then I would go home to a good meal.
I kept asking myself, "Does God really care about him?" Then I remembered James 2, verse 5. (read it to them) I had another question, "If God loves the poor so much, should I also love them and share my things with them?"
What do you think? (let them answer) When you go home today, ask your mother and dad if your family should love the poor and share with them, also. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. The other day, I was walking in the park and I saw a man that I thought looked like a bum. How many of you know what I mean when I say a man looked like a bum? (let them answer) Okay, I think we all know what a bum is, but I also noticed how he looked. His clothes were too big and baggy. I am sure that they had not been washed in a long time. His shoes had holes in the soles. Beside him was a grocery cart that he told me he found in a creek and inside of the grocery cart were other clothes, also dirty, and a lot of newspapers. I asked him if he read all of the newspapers and he said the newspapers were his blanket on a cold night. He collected aluminum cans to get money and he ate in a lot of different places, including churches that served free meals.
I asked him if I could take his picture with my digital camera. He said, "Why not?" I asked him if he would tell me his story about how he became so poor. He said it was not very interesting. I noticed that he had a Bible in his cart and I asked him if he had ever read it. He said, "I read it every morning and every night. Sometimes I even read it when I visit the bus station." All I could think about was how poor he was and how poor I wasn't. I looked at my nice watch, my clean blue shirt, and the gold buckle on my belt. He used a thin rope for his belt.
I asked him what he did during the day. He said he used to go to the library, but they didn't want him to come in any more. He used to drink coffee in a hamburger shop, but they didn't want him, either. Sometimes he walked down to the train station and that took most of the morning and then he would walk back to the park in the afternoon and that took almost the whole afternoon. He had to be careful because the police did not like for him to sleep on the park bench and they would make him move a couple of times every night.
I thought about my beautiful car and how I could drive to the train station and back home in minutes. Usually I stopped and bought a newspaper that I would throw away when I finished reading it, then I would go home to a good meal.
I kept asking myself, "Does God really care about him?" Then I remembered James 2, verse 5. (read it to them) I had another question, "If God loves the poor so much, should I also love them and share my things with them?"
What do you think? (let them answer) When you go home today, ask your mother and dad if your family should love the poor and share with them, also. Amen.
