No wrangling
Children's sermon
Object:
a lasso or a pair of spurs
Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid
wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. (v.
14)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you would like to be real cowboys or cowgirls? (let them answer) Good, because I always wanted to be a cowboy. I would love to ride a horse and round up cows or maybe find some beautiful wild horses or ponies. Just think about sleeping on your saddle, under the stars with a fire burning quietly near you. Once in a while you might hear a coyote howling at the moon and a rattlesnake moving in the brush. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well, it did until the rattlesnake showed up!
There is another word for cowboy and that is a "wrangler." Do you know what a wrangler does? (let them answer) They do most of the things a cowboy does but they are also the guys that break in a wild horse and tame it so you can ride. It isn't easy being a wrangler. It's easy getting hurt when you have a rope around the neck of a wild horse that does not want to have anyone on its back.
You have to be good with a lasso. (show them the lasso) You have to throw it so that it goes over the horse's head and slides down its neck. You can't pull it too hard (demonstrate) or the rope will hurt the horse. It can't be too loose or it will slide right off the horse. This can be a fight to the end between the wrangler and the horse. Most people would not like this kind of a job.
The Bible uses the word wrangle for a different reason. The Bible teaches us not to wrangle with words. Some people are word wranglers. They are always trying to put the lasso on other people and make them feel bad with their words. It is hard to listen to what someone is saying when the words that are being said make someone hurt.
The Bible teaches us not to be word wranglers. It is not a good way to act. You don't want to make someone feel that you know too much or that you are too smart. You don't want people to think you are making fun of them or shaming them. Those kinds of words never do any good.
Christians should not be wranglers. They should be kind, helpful, useful, loving, and encouraging. When you are making people feel good, they can really listen. If we want people to follow Jesus, we will forget about being a wrangler and instead be a good friend.
The next time you think about being a cowboy or cowgirl think about the cowboy that is kind, helpful, encouraging, and full of love. Horses love those kinds of cowboys and cowgirls. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you would like to be real cowboys or cowgirls? (let them answer) Good, because I always wanted to be a cowboy. I would love to ride a horse and round up cows or maybe find some beautiful wild horses or ponies. Just think about sleeping on your saddle, under the stars with a fire burning quietly near you. Once in a while you might hear a coyote howling at the moon and a rattlesnake moving in the brush. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Well, it did until the rattlesnake showed up!
There is another word for cowboy and that is a "wrangler." Do you know what a wrangler does? (let them answer) They do most of the things a cowboy does but they are also the guys that break in a wild horse and tame it so you can ride. It isn't easy being a wrangler. It's easy getting hurt when you have a rope around the neck of a wild horse that does not want to have anyone on its back.
You have to be good with a lasso. (show them the lasso) You have to throw it so that it goes over the horse's head and slides down its neck. You can't pull it too hard (demonstrate) or the rope will hurt the horse. It can't be too loose or it will slide right off the horse. This can be a fight to the end between the wrangler and the horse. Most people would not like this kind of a job.
The Bible uses the word wrangle for a different reason. The Bible teaches us not to wrangle with words. Some people are word wranglers. They are always trying to put the lasso on other people and make them feel bad with their words. It is hard to listen to what someone is saying when the words that are being said make someone hurt.
The Bible teaches us not to be word wranglers. It is not a good way to act. You don't want to make someone feel that you know too much or that you are too smart. You don't want people to think you are making fun of them or shaming them. Those kinds of words never do any good.
Christians should not be wranglers. They should be kind, helpful, useful, loving, and encouraging. When you are making people feel good, they can really listen. If we want people to follow Jesus, we will forget about being a wrangler and instead be a good friend.
The next time you think about being a cowboy or cowgirl think about the cowboy that is kind, helpful, encouraging, and full of love. Horses love those kinds of cowboys and cowgirls. Amen.
