Hoping vs. knowing
Children's sermon
Object:
a dictionary
For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? (v. 24)
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about hope. Who can tell me what hope is? (allow answers) Hope is when we wish for something. We want something to happen, but we aren't sure. Hope is uncertain. Hope can be scary. Have you ever hoped for something? (allow answers) What have you hoped for? (allow answers) Did you get what you hoped for? (allow answers)
Hoping for something is different from knowing something. Who can tell me what it means to know something? (allow answers) When we know something that means it is a fact. We can see it with our own eyes or touch it with our hands. There is no doubt about something that we know. Knowing is certain.
Let's use an example to talk about hoping and knowing. Have you ever taken a spelling test at school? (allow answers) Well, when you go to school, you may have to take spelling tests to learn how to spell words. The teacher will give you a list of words to learn. At the end of the week, the teacher will read the words one by one and you spell out each of the words. When you are taking a spelling test, you hope that you are spelling each word correctly! But how can you know how a word is spelled? Where do you go to check how to spell a word? (allow answers) To check how a word is spelled, you might go to a book like this one. Who can tell me what this book is called? (show book; allow answers) This book is called the dictionary. A dictionary is a book that tells you the correct spellings of words. To check how a word is spelled, you just look it up in this book. When you see a word spelled in the dictionary, you know it is right. You can see it spelled with your eyes. You can feel the pages of the book with your hands. You don't have to hope that the word is spelled right in the dictionary, you know.
Our Bible verse today talks about the difference between hoping and knowing. It says: "Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?" The verse is telling us that when we see something, it changes from something we might have hoped for to something that we know. The reading is reminding us that when we believe in Jesus, we believe with hope. We don't know Jesus in a way that we can touch him or see him. Instead, we have faith in Jesus. We have hope for his saving grace to carry us through the hard times in our lives. We believe in his love. That faith isn't found in a dictionary but that's okay. Faith isn't something that you know. It's a lesson in hope. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How are you this morning? (allow answers) Today we are going to talk about hope. Who can tell me what hope is? (allow answers) Hope is when we wish for something. We want something to happen, but we aren't sure. Hope is uncertain. Hope can be scary. Have you ever hoped for something? (allow answers) What have you hoped for? (allow answers) Did you get what you hoped for? (allow answers)
Hoping for something is different from knowing something. Who can tell me what it means to know something? (allow answers) When we know something that means it is a fact. We can see it with our own eyes or touch it with our hands. There is no doubt about something that we know. Knowing is certain.
Let's use an example to talk about hoping and knowing. Have you ever taken a spelling test at school? (allow answers) Well, when you go to school, you may have to take spelling tests to learn how to spell words. The teacher will give you a list of words to learn. At the end of the week, the teacher will read the words one by one and you spell out each of the words. When you are taking a spelling test, you hope that you are spelling each word correctly! But how can you know how a word is spelled? Where do you go to check how to spell a word? (allow answers) To check how a word is spelled, you might go to a book like this one. Who can tell me what this book is called? (show book; allow answers) This book is called the dictionary. A dictionary is a book that tells you the correct spellings of words. To check how a word is spelled, you just look it up in this book. When you see a word spelled in the dictionary, you know it is right. You can see it spelled with your eyes. You can feel the pages of the book with your hands. You don't have to hope that the word is spelled right in the dictionary, you know.
Our Bible verse today talks about the difference between hoping and knowing. It says: "Hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?" The verse is telling us that when we see something, it changes from something we might have hoped for to something that we know. The reading is reminding us that when we believe in Jesus, we believe with hope. We don't know Jesus in a way that we can touch him or see him. Instead, we have faith in Jesus. We have hope for his saving grace to carry us through the hard times in our lives. We believe in his love. That faith isn't found in a dictionary but that's okay. Faith isn't something that you know. It's a lesson in hope. Amen.
