Childrens Sermon Service

Good morning! Are you ready for Halloween? Do you have a costume picked out? (let them answer) Are you keeping it a secret or do you want to tell me what costume you are going to wear? (let them answer) Sometimes it is fun to pretend to be someone else and to dress like that person. If you do a really good job, it is hard to figure out who you are when you are in a costume.

A long time ago people were trying to figure out who Jesus was. He didn't wear a costume, but he could do things that no one else could do. He also said things that no one else had ever heard. Some people just loved him and some of the other people were afraid of him. The people who were afraid of Jesus sometimes tried to trick him. They asked him questions hoping he would say something people would not like. But Jesus knew that they were mean-spirited.

One day a group of these people decided to test Jesus. They asked him which was the most important commandment. Jesus answered that the most important commandment was to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." He also said that you should "love your neighbor as yourself." Those are the great commandments and they go together.

I am trying to think of things that go together. What do you call this? (let them answer) That's right, a candle. A candle is made up of two parts. First you have the candle wax and on the inside you have a wick. Without the wick the candle will not burn. The two of those things go together.

I have something else that goes together. (hold up the salt and pepper shakers) What do we call these? (let them answer) That's right, salt and pepper shakers. One has salt and one has pepper. We use them to make our food taste even better. You don't have two salt shakers or two pepper shakers but one of each.

Jesus says that we need two commandments and they go together. First we should love God with our hearts and our minds. Every day we should get up and thank God for his love for us. But Jesus says that we should also love all people just as much as we love ourselves. Those are two things that also go together.

The next time you see a candle or salt and pepper shakers you should think about what Jesus said are the two great commandments. Love God with everything that you have, and love your neighbors as yourself.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for telling us what is important to please you. And help us to do it. Amen.