Children, Get Ready!
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: Christmas reminds us to "produce fruit in keeping with repentance."
Props: A teddy bear gift wrapped in a box so that the smallest child can unwrap it.
Lesson: I have a question for you: Who is John the Baptist? (response) That's right. He was that really strange guy in the Bible who ate locusts and wild honey. He knew that Jesus was coming and he wanted everyone to get ready. Do you remember what he said? (response) He said, "Prepare the way for the Lord" and "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is coming. Get ready! Get ready!" He was really excited and he wanted everyone to prepare their hearts and do good things.
Well, it is so good to see everyone, and I know that you are all excited. Something great is coming in three weeks. What is it? (Christmas!) What is Christmas? (response) Allow some time here. It is the birth of Jesus. And, what did you do this week to get ready for Christmas? (response) Did you buy any presents to give away? (response) Interact with their responses. These are all ways that we celebrate and get ready for Christmas. Of course what we do the most hold the gift up before them is we give gifts to those we love.
Application: Who wants the present? (response) Ask the smallest female child to come forward and present her with the gift. Position the gift so the children can see what's inside. We want to give you this present for Christmas. Go ahead and open it. As the gift is opened: This is the way we get ready for Christmas - by having a giving heart. John the Baptist was telling everybody to get ready for the coming of Jesus. We get ready for Christmas in a lot of ways: a Christmas tree and lights, shopping in the stores and presents under the tree, and visiting friends and family. But, let us not forget the most important preparation of them all: The getting ready of our hearts to love and give to others. The present is open: Look at what she got, a teddy bear. We all want you to know that we love you and hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Let's Pray: Lord, we are preparing our hearts today. We know your birthday is almost here and we want to be ready. Amen.
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Advent 2
Romans 15:4--13
One Voice
Exegetical Aim: Glorifying God with one voice.
Props: Arrange with the choir first to sing various hymns together creating a cacophony of voices and then, secondly, choose a single hymn to sing in unison.
Lesson: I want to talk to you today about unity. What does unity mean? (response) I have asked the choir to help us understand what unity means. They have worked very hard on a special just for us. I told them to pick out their favorite hymn. Let's hear it. Choir should sing the various hymns together. What was that? (response) What went wrong? (response) Address the choir director: You did tell them to pick out one hymn, together, didn't you? (response) Address the children: Do you think we can get them to do it right? (response) Address the choir director: You think you can do it right this time? Choir should respond with a single hymn in unison. That was much better, wasn't it? (response) Why did that sound so good? (response)
Application: The choir just reminded us that the church sometimes speaks with one voice. It is united. But sometimes it speaks with all kinds of different voices and when it does that it is...? (divided) I will admit to you that the church can sometimes sound like the choir's first song. All confused and divided. The church isn't very pretty when it sounds like that. But I want you to know that the church can also be united like the second song. What kind of things can the church do when it is united? (response) The Apostle Paul said, "May God give you a spirit of unity so that with one heart and one voice we glorify God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Unity is important to God and it should be to us.
Let's Pray: Dear God, we praise you with one heart and one voice. Where we are divided, unite us. Where we are united, strengthen us. Amen.
?
Props: A teddy bear gift wrapped in a box so that the smallest child can unwrap it.
Lesson: I have a question for you: Who is John the Baptist? (response) That's right. He was that really strange guy in the Bible who ate locusts and wild honey. He knew that Jesus was coming and he wanted everyone to get ready. Do you remember what he said? (response) He said, "Prepare the way for the Lord" and "Repent, the kingdom of heaven is coming. Get ready! Get ready!" He was really excited and he wanted everyone to prepare their hearts and do good things.
Well, it is so good to see everyone, and I know that you are all excited. Something great is coming in three weeks. What is it? (Christmas!) What is Christmas? (response) Allow some time here. It is the birth of Jesus. And, what did you do this week to get ready for Christmas? (response) Did you buy any presents to give away? (response) Interact with their responses. These are all ways that we celebrate and get ready for Christmas. Of course what we do the most hold the gift up before them is we give gifts to those we love.
Application: Who wants the present? (response) Ask the smallest female child to come forward and present her with the gift. Position the gift so the children can see what's inside. We want to give you this present for Christmas. Go ahead and open it. As the gift is opened: This is the way we get ready for Christmas - by having a giving heart. John the Baptist was telling everybody to get ready for the coming of Jesus. We get ready for Christmas in a lot of ways: a Christmas tree and lights, shopping in the stores and presents under the tree, and visiting friends and family. But, let us not forget the most important preparation of them all: The getting ready of our hearts to love and give to others. The present is open: Look at what she got, a teddy bear. We all want you to know that we love you and hope you have a Merry Christmas.
Let's Pray: Lord, we are preparing our hearts today. We know your birthday is almost here and we want to be ready. Amen.
?
Advent 2
Romans 15:4--13
One Voice
Exegetical Aim: Glorifying God with one voice.
Props: Arrange with the choir first to sing various hymns together creating a cacophony of voices and then, secondly, choose a single hymn to sing in unison.
Lesson: I want to talk to you today about unity. What does unity mean? (response) I have asked the choir to help us understand what unity means. They have worked very hard on a special just for us. I told them to pick out their favorite hymn. Let's hear it. Choir should sing the various hymns together. What was that? (response) What went wrong? (response) Address the choir director: You did tell them to pick out one hymn, together, didn't you? (response) Address the children: Do you think we can get them to do it right? (response) Address the choir director: You think you can do it right this time? Choir should respond with a single hymn in unison. That was much better, wasn't it? (response) Why did that sound so good? (response)
Application: The choir just reminded us that the church sometimes speaks with one voice. It is united. But sometimes it speaks with all kinds of different voices and when it does that it is...? (divided) I will admit to you that the church can sometimes sound like the choir's first song. All confused and divided. The church isn't very pretty when it sounds like that. But I want you to know that the church can also be united like the second song. What kind of things can the church do when it is united? (response) The Apostle Paul said, "May God give you a spirit of unity so that with one heart and one voice we glorify God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Unity is important to God and it should be to us.
Let's Pray: Dear God, we praise you with one heart and one voice. Where we are divided, unite us. Where we are united, strengthen us. Amen.
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