It's a sensation!
Children's sermon
Object:
National Enquirer or other sensational tabloid
"Not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here." (v. 2)
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have been to the grocery store or out shopping with a parent or relative? (allow answers) When you were out shopping, how many of you have seen magazines like this one? (show tabloid) Where in the store do you see these magazines? (allow answers) A lot of times, magazines like this one will be displayed along the checkout line. As people wait in line to buy their groceries or other items, the headlines on these magazines seem to scream at them in big, bright letters! Do you know what kinds of things these magazines have in them? (allow answers) They might have stories about celebrities, aliens, or Bigfoot. Many of the stories in these magazines are exaggerated -- some of them might be outright lies! These kinds of magazines are described as being "sensational"! When we talk about magazines being sensational, we mean that they have far-fetched stories that are not necessarily true. They run the wildest stories they can so that people will buy the magazines. Sometimes their stories are hoaxes, or practical jokes, that people are trying to pull -- maybe someone makes up a Bigfoot sighting and fakes photographs to get attention.
While these magazines are sometimes fun to read, we shouldn't put too much trust in what they tell us. These magazines do not have reliable information. Let's say you saw a story in one of these magazines that said there would be a giant earthquake next month. Would you believe it? (allow answers) Probably not, unless the newspapers and TV news stations had stories about it, too. While we might hear about something from a sensational magazine, we don't believe it until we can get more information from a source we trust. For news, that source might be the local TV news, an online news website, or a local newspaper.
Although there's no sensational magazine for the church, we sometimes hear sensational stories anyway. Sometimes we hear people proclaiming that the end is near -- God is coming tomorrow, or next month, or within the year! But we shouldn't believe just anyone standing on the street corner. Before we can trust people's words, we need to find more information in a source we can trust. Can anyone tell me what that source would be for the church? (allow answers) The Bible is our true source of information. The Bible teaches us how to live, how to get along with others, how to praise God, and how to share his love. It tells us everything we need to know to live good lives! It records the truth -- no frills, no spin, no rumors. God wants us to live on the authority of the Bible, not the authority of sensational stories. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! How many of you have been to the grocery store or out shopping with a parent or relative? (allow answers) When you were out shopping, how many of you have seen magazines like this one? (show tabloid) Where in the store do you see these magazines? (allow answers) A lot of times, magazines like this one will be displayed along the checkout line. As people wait in line to buy their groceries or other items, the headlines on these magazines seem to scream at them in big, bright letters! Do you know what kinds of things these magazines have in them? (allow answers) They might have stories about celebrities, aliens, or Bigfoot. Many of the stories in these magazines are exaggerated -- some of them might be outright lies! These kinds of magazines are described as being "sensational"! When we talk about magazines being sensational, we mean that they have far-fetched stories that are not necessarily true. They run the wildest stories they can so that people will buy the magazines. Sometimes their stories are hoaxes, or practical jokes, that people are trying to pull -- maybe someone makes up a Bigfoot sighting and fakes photographs to get attention.
While these magazines are sometimes fun to read, we shouldn't put too much trust in what they tell us. These magazines do not have reliable information. Let's say you saw a story in one of these magazines that said there would be a giant earthquake next month. Would you believe it? (allow answers) Probably not, unless the newspapers and TV news stations had stories about it, too. While we might hear about something from a sensational magazine, we don't believe it until we can get more information from a source we trust. For news, that source might be the local TV news, an online news website, or a local newspaper.
Although there's no sensational magazine for the church, we sometimes hear sensational stories anyway. Sometimes we hear people proclaiming that the end is near -- God is coming tomorrow, or next month, or within the year! But we shouldn't believe just anyone standing on the street corner. Before we can trust people's words, we need to find more information in a source we can trust. Can anyone tell me what that source would be for the church? (allow answers) The Bible is our true source of information. The Bible teaches us how to live, how to get along with others, how to praise God, and how to share his love. It tells us everything we need to know to live good lives! It records the truth -- no frills, no spin, no rumors. God wants us to live on the authority of the Bible, not the authority of sensational stories. Amen.
