Words!
Children's sermon
Objects: Notecards with phrases written on them, big enough for everyone to see. Or if you want to give the children something to take with them, you might create little sets of cards with the phrases to give to each child. The phrases are: “I love you!” “I hate you!” I am sorry,” “Thank you,” “You are super!” Feel free to add others if you want to.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (vv. 1-9)
NOTE: If you are presenting your children’s messages virtually, or in some other way that makes a normal activity difficult, you can still have fun with today’s role-play story. For example, if you are with just one child, you might play the part of the parent with the baby, and have the child play the part of Anna or Simeon, and the two of you act it all out. If you are doing this virtually, you might encourage your “viewers” to still pretend to be Anna or Simeon and act out the story, or, you could find another person to be with you ‘on-screen’, and have the two of you do the role-play for the children. However you might do it, the overall goal of the message is to use Anna and Simeon to talk about the excitement of the Christmas birth!
Words!
Hi everyone! Happy New Year! (Let them respond.) I want to play a little game today and would like you to join me. Okay? (Let them respond.) It’s easy to play. I’m going to show you some words I’ve got on these cards. Some of them are what I call happy words, and some of them are sad words. I want you to tell me if you think each one is a happy word or a sad word. Does that make sense? When I show you a word, you just tell me if you think it is a word that, if someone said it to you, would make you feel happy or if it might make you feel sad. Okay? (Let them respond.) Great. Let’s play the game.
(Hold up a card and read it to them. You can do them in any order, or you can put them in an order that will be sure to mix up the “happy” and “sad” words. It’s up to you.)
The first card says, (read the card.) If someone said that to you, do you think it would make you feel happy or sad? (Let them respond.) Great! You understand the game. Let’s try another word and see if you think it is a happy word or a sad word. (Hold up another card and read it and let them respond. Continue going through the cards until you have used them all.”
Isn’t it amazing how powerful words are? (Let them respond.) Did you know that a long time ago when the world was created, everything was really dark because there was no sun and no stars anywhere? It was REALLY dark. And then God said, “Let there be light!” and, POOF, the sun and stars appeared. That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) God didn’t call a lighting construction company to build the sun and stars or flip a switch to run on the lights. God just said words and the light turned on. Those were pretty powerful words, weren’t they?
And a long time ago when God wanted to do something special for people, God didn’t do something big and fancy. Do you remember what God did? (Let them respond.) The story in the Bible today said that God just took a word and turned it into a little baby and gave it to the people. One of God’s words became flesh, became the baby, Jesus.
Isn’t it interesting how powerful words can be sometimes? (Let them respond). Just by saying words, we can sometimes make someone feel really happy, or by saying other words we can make them feel really sad. And it doesn’t matter how big we are, or how old we are. Our words are really something important, aren’t they?
I hope you will remember how powerful your words are and remember to always be careful how you use them. One of my goals for this new year is to try and remember to use my words to make people feel happier, and to make them feel better, and to not say words that will make them sad or unhappy. I think that’s how God wants us to use our words, to make other people feel better instead of hurting them, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Do you think you can try to do that with me this year? (Let them respond.) That is awesome!
Let’s say a prayer to ask God to help us remember just how special and powerful our words are and ask God to help us remember to use our words to help other people.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember to use our words to help the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. (vv. 1-9)
NOTE: If you are presenting your children’s messages virtually, or in some other way that makes a normal activity difficult, you can still have fun with today’s role-play story. For example, if you are with just one child, you might play the part of the parent with the baby, and have the child play the part of Anna or Simeon, and the two of you act it all out. If you are doing this virtually, you might encourage your “viewers” to still pretend to be Anna or Simeon and act out the story, or, you could find another person to be with you ‘on-screen’, and have the two of you do the role-play for the children. However you might do it, the overall goal of the message is to use Anna and Simeon to talk about the excitement of the Christmas birth!
Words!
Hi everyone! Happy New Year! (Let them respond.) I want to play a little game today and would like you to join me. Okay? (Let them respond.) It’s easy to play. I’m going to show you some words I’ve got on these cards. Some of them are what I call happy words, and some of them are sad words. I want you to tell me if you think each one is a happy word or a sad word. Does that make sense? When I show you a word, you just tell me if you think it is a word that, if someone said it to you, would make you feel happy or if it might make you feel sad. Okay? (Let them respond.) Great. Let’s play the game.
(Hold up a card and read it to them. You can do them in any order, or you can put them in an order that will be sure to mix up the “happy” and “sad” words. It’s up to you.)
The first card says, (read the card.) If someone said that to you, do you think it would make you feel happy or sad? (Let them respond.) Great! You understand the game. Let’s try another word and see if you think it is a happy word or a sad word. (Hold up another card and read it and let them respond. Continue going through the cards until you have used them all.”
Isn’t it amazing how powerful words are? (Let them respond.) Did you know that a long time ago when the world was created, everything was really dark because there was no sun and no stars anywhere? It was REALLY dark. And then God said, “Let there be light!” and, POOF, the sun and stars appeared. That’s pretty cool, isn’t it? (Let them respond.) God didn’t call a lighting construction company to build the sun and stars or flip a switch to run on the lights. God just said words and the light turned on. Those were pretty powerful words, weren’t they?
And a long time ago when God wanted to do something special for people, God didn’t do something big and fancy. Do you remember what God did? (Let them respond.) The story in the Bible today said that God just took a word and turned it into a little baby and gave it to the people. One of God’s words became flesh, became the baby, Jesus.
Isn’t it interesting how powerful words can be sometimes? (Let them respond). Just by saying words, we can sometimes make someone feel really happy, or by saying other words we can make them feel really sad. And it doesn’t matter how big we are, or how old we are. Our words are really something important, aren’t they?
I hope you will remember how powerful your words are and remember to always be careful how you use them. One of my goals for this new year is to try and remember to use my words to make people feel happier, and to make them feel better, and to not say words that will make them sad or unhappy. I think that’s how God wants us to use our words, to make other people feel better instead of hurting them, don’t you? (Let them respond.) Do you think you can try to do that with me this year? (Let them respond.) That is awesome!
Let’s say a prayer to ask God to help us remember just how special and powerful our words are and ask God to help us remember to use our words to help other people.
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for reminding us how much you love us. Please help us remember to use our words to help the people around us know that we love them just like Jesus loves us. Amen.
