The Good Shepherd
Children's sermon
Object:
pieces of a puzzle in a puzzle board, marked on the backs of the pieces by number so that the pieces and the frame match quickly (use a limited number of pieces)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to put puzzles together? (let them answer) Very good! I think it is fun, too.
I brought with me parts of a puzzle. First, I want to hand each one of you a piece because it is an important part of our story. I will keep the frame. It is hard to figure out the picture from the small piece that you have, but I will show you the picture at the end of our story.
How many of you love Jesus? (let them answer) That's wonderful! And how many of you think Jesus loves you? (let them answer) That is also wonderful, because it is true.
Jesus liked to think of himself as a shepherd, and he also thought of us as his sheep. There is a good reason why he called himself the Good Shepherd. A shepherd has to work hard. First, he needs to know all the sheep. Second, he must find a good place for them to eat during the day and a safe place for them to stay at night. He must care for the whole flock. He has to protect the sheep from animals that love to eat sheep.
We are like the sheep in this world. We need a good leader who cares for each one of us. We need food to eat and safe places to stay at night. Whether we are big or little we still need to be cared for by Jesus.
We are part of life's puzzle. Each one of us is a little different. We look different, we talk differently, we like different things, and we are very happy to be different. We are like the puzzle. Do you think any of the pieces of my puzzle are the same? You're right. They are all different. But we need to come together just like the shepherd and the sheep. We need to fit so that we live happily. Let me show you what I mean.
I am going to match a piece of my puzzle with each one of you so that you can see how we fit together. (take each piece, look on the back, and then search through the pieces you have until you find the match; show the finished puzzle picture)
Now do you understand how pieces of a puzzle are like sheep and Jesus, the shepherd, brings us all together? Jesus watches over us day and night to make us safe, feeds us, and shares the good things of God with us.
I brought with me parts of a puzzle. First, I want to hand each one of you a piece because it is an important part of our story. I will keep the frame. It is hard to figure out the picture from the small piece that you have, but I will show you the picture at the end of our story.
How many of you love Jesus? (let them answer) That's wonderful! And how many of you think Jesus loves you? (let them answer) That is also wonderful, because it is true.
Jesus liked to think of himself as a shepherd, and he also thought of us as his sheep. There is a good reason why he called himself the Good Shepherd. A shepherd has to work hard. First, he needs to know all the sheep. Second, he must find a good place for them to eat during the day and a safe place for them to stay at night. He must care for the whole flock. He has to protect the sheep from animals that love to eat sheep.
We are like the sheep in this world. We need a good leader who cares for each one of us. We need food to eat and safe places to stay at night. Whether we are big or little we still need to be cared for by Jesus.
We are part of life's puzzle. Each one of us is a little different. We look different, we talk differently, we like different things, and we are very happy to be different. We are like the puzzle. Do you think any of the pieces of my puzzle are the same? You're right. They are all different. But we need to come together just like the shepherd and the sheep. We need to fit so that we live happily. Let me show you what I mean.
I am going to match a piece of my puzzle with each one of you so that you can see how we fit together. (take each piece, look on the back, and then search through the pieces you have until you find the match; show the finished puzzle picture)
Now do you understand how pieces of a puzzle are like sheep and Jesus, the shepherd, brings us all together? Jesus watches over us day and night to make us safe, feeds us, and shares the good things of God with us.
