Friends from enemies
Children's sermon
Object:
some burned charcoal
No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them
something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads."
(Romans 12:20)
Good morning, boys and girls. Does your family like to cook out? (let them answer) Do you have a grill that you put the hamburgers or chicken on to cook? (let them answer) Do some of you still use charcoal and have a red-hot fire? (show them the charcoal and let them answer) I love hamburgers cooked on a charcoal grill. They just taste different. The charcoal is really beautiful with the red shining through the black coals. The coals really get hot and you must be careful when you are cooking with charcoal.
Paul talks about burning coals today in the lesson from the book of Romans. Paul was talking about enemies and how we ought to treat them. Have you ever had an enemy? (let them answer) An enemy is someone that you have had a fight with or an argument. Usually our enemy is someone who used to be a friend. One minute you are very happy together and the next minute you get in a fight or an argument and you break up your friendship promising you will never talk or play with them again. It hurts; it really hurts.
Again, the usual way we treat our enemy is to talk about them to other friends or do something as mean as we can think of doing. When I was a boy, an enemy gave me an apple with a worm in it and I didn't know it had a worm until I bit into the apple. I also remember the time I let the air out of one of my enemy's bicycle tires so that he could not ride with the group one day. He sure was mad at me. After I did it, I didn't feel so good, either.
That's the way we are sometimes but that is not what Paul taught the people in his time. Paul tells us in the lesson today that the best way to get even with an enemy is be as good as you can be to the enemy. If he looks hungry, give him something to eat. If she is thirsty, give her your soda. If he needs a ride, let him use your bike. Just show her great love in the Christian way.
At first those people may think you are kidding with them. Some people will think there is a trick to all of this sharing. But soon the person you thought was your enemy is going to wonder what is going on. The enemy is going to start feeling guilty and embarrassed. This is what Paul calls heaping coals on the enemy's head. In time it will change both of you and you will make a friend of the enemy and it will all be done in the name of Jesus Christ.
Don't forget -- don't try to get even but instead give all you have to the person you think dislikes you and you will have a wonderful friend for the rest of your life. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. Does your family like to cook out? (let them answer) Do you have a grill that you put the hamburgers or chicken on to cook? (let them answer) Do some of you still use charcoal and have a red-hot fire? (show them the charcoal and let them answer) I love hamburgers cooked on a charcoal grill. They just taste different. The charcoal is really beautiful with the red shining through the black coals. The coals really get hot and you must be careful when you are cooking with charcoal.
Paul talks about burning coals today in the lesson from the book of Romans. Paul was talking about enemies and how we ought to treat them. Have you ever had an enemy? (let them answer) An enemy is someone that you have had a fight with or an argument. Usually our enemy is someone who used to be a friend. One minute you are very happy together and the next minute you get in a fight or an argument and you break up your friendship promising you will never talk or play with them again. It hurts; it really hurts.
Again, the usual way we treat our enemy is to talk about them to other friends or do something as mean as we can think of doing. When I was a boy, an enemy gave me an apple with a worm in it and I didn't know it had a worm until I bit into the apple. I also remember the time I let the air out of one of my enemy's bicycle tires so that he could not ride with the group one day. He sure was mad at me. After I did it, I didn't feel so good, either.
That's the way we are sometimes but that is not what Paul taught the people in his time. Paul tells us in the lesson today that the best way to get even with an enemy is be as good as you can be to the enemy. If he looks hungry, give him something to eat. If she is thirsty, give her your soda. If he needs a ride, let him use your bike. Just show her great love in the Christian way.
At first those people may think you are kidding with them. Some people will think there is a trick to all of this sharing. But soon the person you thought was your enemy is going to wonder what is going on. The enemy is going to start feeling guilty and embarrassed. This is what Paul calls heaping coals on the enemy's head. In time it will change both of you and you will make a friend of the enemy and it will all be done in the name of Jesus Christ.
Don't forget -- don't try to get even but instead give all you have to the person you think dislikes you and you will have a wonderful friend for the rest of your life. Amen.
