Following directions
Children's sermon
Object:
a manual for a piece of equipment, an appliance, or a car
He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory
of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah
might be fulfilled. (vv. 13-14)
Good morning, boys and girls. When you buy something at a store and bring it home to put together, what do you do first? (let them answer) That's right, you open the box. Then what do you do? (let them answer) Right again, you take out the parts. After the box is opened and the parts are out on the floor, what do you do? (let them answer) You are probably wrong this time. You do not start putting it together. (show them the manual) What do you do? (let them answer) That's right, you read the directions. There is a certain way to do it and when you do it the right way, it works. People spend a lot of money making directions or manuals to help us. There is one for every refrigerator, car, toy, bicycle, computer game, and almost anything else that you buy.
I thought it was interesting when I read the Bible this week about a time in Jesus' life. John the Baptist was arrested, and Jesus decided that he should leave his hometown and move to an area around the Sea of Galilee. The name of the place was Capernaum and it was right by the water. I asked myself the question, why did Jesus choose Capernaum? Why not some other village? Did he like living by the water? Other people like living in the mountains. Some people like living near a big forest or where the grass grows tall and the wind blows free. But Jesus chose Capernaum. Moving is hard work. It means leaving our family and friends. But Jesus decided to move and I wondered why.
Then I read the Bible very closely and I learned what I should have known. Jesus moved to Capernaum because he read the scriptures every day like we should. Jesus read something that God had shared with the prophet Isaiah and there was no doubt in the mind of Jesus that this was the place to go. It told that it would be by the sea and around a lot of Gentiles, people that were not Jews.
It was a great move. From that moment on, Jesus began to preach that we should all ask for forgiveness because we are coming very close to the kingdom of heaven. The next time or every time you read your Bible, you should ask yourself the same question. What is God telling me when I read these verses? Before long you will be living your life in the way that God wants you to live. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls. When you buy something at a store and bring it home to put together, what do you do first? (let them answer) That's right, you open the box. Then what do you do? (let them answer) Right again, you take out the parts. After the box is opened and the parts are out on the floor, what do you do? (let them answer) You are probably wrong this time. You do not start putting it together. (show them the manual) What do you do? (let them answer) That's right, you read the directions. There is a certain way to do it and when you do it the right way, it works. People spend a lot of money making directions or manuals to help us. There is one for every refrigerator, car, toy, bicycle, computer game, and almost anything else that you buy.
I thought it was interesting when I read the Bible this week about a time in Jesus' life. John the Baptist was arrested, and Jesus decided that he should leave his hometown and move to an area around the Sea of Galilee. The name of the place was Capernaum and it was right by the water. I asked myself the question, why did Jesus choose Capernaum? Why not some other village? Did he like living by the water? Other people like living in the mountains. Some people like living near a big forest or where the grass grows tall and the wind blows free. But Jesus chose Capernaum. Moving is hard work. It means leaving our family and friends. But Jesus decided to move and I wondered why.
Then I read the Bible very closely and I learned what I should have known. Jesus moved to Capernaum because he read the scriptures every day like we should. Jesus read something that God had shared with the prophet Isaiah and there was no doubt in the mind of Jesus that this was the place to go. It told that it would be by the sea and around a lot of Gentiles, people that were not Jews.
It was a great move. From that moment on, Jesus began to preach that we should all ask for forgiveness because we are coming very close to the kingdom of heaven. The next time or every time you read your Bible, you should ask yourself the same question. What is God telling me when I read these verses? Before long you will be living your life in the way that God wants you to live. Amen.