Lessons to learn
Children's sermon
Object:
a newspaper
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says." (v. 6)
Good morning, boys and girls! Today we're going to talk about opinions. Who knows what an opinion is? (allow answers) An opinion is something that someone thinks. For example, in my opinion, blue might be the best color. But in your opinion, another color might be better. What is your favorite color? (allow answers) Those are all good answers! No answer is any more right or wrong than another -- each is an opinion. Opinions are neither right nor wrong.
However, sometimes people disagree over opinions. Have you ever gotten into an argument with someone over an opinion? (allow answers) Maybe you argued about the best kind of ice cream or the best place to go on vacation. Arguments over opinions are hard to resolve, because there is no definite answer. It depends on what each person thinks!
Sometimes people will write opinion articles and publish them in newspapers or magazines. These articles are just based on what the writer thinks -- they are not always based on facts. Sometimes their opinions are helpful or good; sometimes their opinions are hurtful. Sometimes the people who read these articles disagree with the authors. People write letters to the newspaper and argue against the writer.
Sometimes it's hard to read opinions that we don't agree with. We might be angered by the other person's opinion. Maybe they say things that are cruel, or maybe they believe something different from what we believe. However, it is important that we do not stop listening to these opinions. We do not have to believe the other person's opinion, but it is important that we try to understand their point of view.
Even if we think that someone is wrong, it is still important to understand their opinion. We may discover that we actually agree with them on some points. The more we understand other peoples' opinions, the more it helps us to understand the things we believe -- and why it is that we believe them.
Next time you disagree with someone, take a moment to understand their point of view. Talk to them about it. Whether you end up agreeing with them or not, you may be able to learn something from the way they look at the world. God wants us to love our brothers and sisters, and loving them means taking the time to try and understand them. Only then will we know the best way to share God's love. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! Today we're going to talk about opinions. Who knows what an opinion is? (allow answers) An opinion is something that someone thinks. For example, in my opinion, blue might be the best color. But in your opinion, another color might be better. What is your favorite color? (allow answers) Those are all good answers! No answer is any more right or wrong than another -- each is an opinion. Opinions are neither right nor wrong.
However, sometimes people disagree over opinions. Have you ever gotten into an argument with someone over an opinion? (allow answers) Maybe you argued about the best kind of ice cream or the best place to go on vacation. Arguments over opinions are hard to resolve, because there is no definite answer. It depends on what each person thinks!
Sometimes people will write opinion articles and publish them in newspapers or magazines. These articles are just based on what the writer thinks -- they are not always based on facts. Sometimes their opinions are helpful or good; sometimes their opinions are hurtful. Sometimes the people who read these articles disagree with the authors. People write letters to the newspaper and argue against the writer.
Sometimes it's hard to read opinions that we don't agree with. We might be angered by the other person's opinion. Maybe they say things that are cruel, or maybe they believe something different from what we believe. However, it is important that we do not stop listening to these opinions. We do not have to believe the other person's opinion, but it is important that we try to understand their point of view.
Even if we think that someone is wrong, it is still important to understand their opinion. We may discover that we actually agree with them on some points. The more we understand other peoples' opinions, the more it helps us to understand the things we believe -- and why it is that we believe them.
Next time you disagree with someone, take a moment to understand their point of view. Talk to them about it. Whether you end up agreeing with them or not, you may be able to learn something from the way they look at the world. God wants us to love our brothers and sisters, and loving them means taking the time to try and understand them. Only then will we know the best way to share God's love. Amen.
