Beauty That's All In The Family
Children's sermon
Ping-Pong Words
And 30 More Children's Sermons
Object:
Scripture Reference
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
-- Romans 10:15b
Materials Needed
Family pictures -- two or three pairs of pictures that show family members who look alike (These may be the family of the speaker or from different families in the congregation.)
Card stock printed with the scripture reference and verse
Feet cut out from card stock (optional)
Telling The Story
It's fun to look at family photographs. Part of the fun is noticing how much family members look alike. Maybe you have your father's nose, your mother's smile, or your grandmother's hair. It can be a lot of fun looking at those pictures and finding out who we "match." (Show one pair of pictures. Identify the family members shown and point out common physical features.) When we see these features, we can see that they are related. These people belong to each other. (Repeat for each set of pictures.)
Wouldn't it be nice if we could look at pictures to figure out who belongs to God? But we don't have any pictures of God. No one really knows what he looks like, and since God can do anything that he wants to do, he can make himself look however he wants. God probably doesn't have one set face the way you and I do. Since we don't know what God looks like, we can't say, "I belong to God because I have his chin or his freckles." But just the same, if you belong to God, I know what you'll look like. Your hands will look helpful. Your smile will look warm and friendly. Your shoulder will look comforting. Your heart will look big and full of love. And your feet will be beautiful.
You might think that's funny. Nobody -- except maybe little babies -- has beautiful feet! They're down there on the ground, carrying the entire weight of your body, stuck in smelly shoes or getting calluses from stepping on rough ground. How can anybody say your feet are beautiful?
Well, Paul said it the Bible. (Hold up the card stock printed with the scripture reference and verse.) The verse is Romans 10:15b. The "b" means that I'm only reading the second part of the verse. Romans 10:15b says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Paul doesn't mean that literally. Just because you tell someone about God, that doesn't mean you get an instant pedicure! What it does mean is that when you bring someone good news, they're glad to see you coming. Remember, in Bible times, people traveled by donkey, camel, or by foot. When you tell someone how much God loves him or her, you're giving the best news of all. That will make you a welcome sight and give you helping hands, a friendly smile, comforting shoulders, a heart full of love, and the beautiful feet of someone who belongs to God.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for this beautiful day and for loving us so very much. Thank you, too, that as we try to do what you want us to do, we become more like you. Help us to help other people the way you would have us to, and help us to show other people how much you love them, too.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Optional: Give each child a card stock cutout of a foot to decorate. Tell them that each time they see the foot, they should think of the beautiful feet of Romans 10:15b.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
-- Romans 10:15b
Materials Needed
Family pictures -- two or three pairs of pictures that show family members who look alike (These may be the family of the speaker or from different families in the congregation.)
Card stock printed with the scripture reference and verse
Feet cut out from card stock (optional)
Telling The Story
It's fun to look at family photographs. Part of the fun is noticing how much family members look alike. Maybe you have your father's nose, your mother's smile, or your grandmother's hair. It can be a lot of fun looking at those pictures and finding out who we "match." (Show one pair of pictures. Identify the family members shown and point out common physical features.) When we see these features, we can see that they are related. These people belong to each other. (Repeat for each set of pictures.)
Wouldn't it be nice if we could look at pictures to figure out who belongs to God? But we don't have any pictures of God. No one really knows what he looks like, and since God can do anything that he wants to do, he can make himself look however he wants. God probably doesn't have one set face the way you and I do. Since we don't know what God looks like, we can't say, "I belong to God because I have his chin or his freckles." But just the same, if you belong to God, I know what you'll look like. Your hands will look helpful. Your smile will look warm and friendly. Your shoulder will look comforting. Your heart will look big and full of love. And your feet will be beautiful.
You might think that's funny. Nobody -- except maybe little babies -- has beautiful feet! They're down there on the ground, carrying the entire weight of your body, stuck in smelly shoes or getting calluses from stepping on rough ground. How can anybody say your feet are beautiful?
Well, Paul said it the Bible. (Hold up the card stock printed with the scripture reference and verse.) The verse is Romans 10:15b. The "b" means that I'm only reading the second part of the verse. Romans 10:15b says, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Paul doesn't mean that literally. Just because you tell someone about God, that doesn't mean you get an instant pedicure! What it does mean is that when you bring someone good news, they're glad to see you coming. Remember, in Bible times, people traveled by donkey, camel, or by foot. When you tell someone how much God loves him or her, you're giving the best news of all. That will make you a welcome sight and give you helping hands, a friendly smile, comforting shoulders, a heart full of love, and the beautiful feet of someone who belongs to God.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for this beautiful day and for loving us so very much. Thank you, too, that as we try to do what you want us to do, we become more like you. Help us to help other people the way you would have us to, and help us to show other people how much you love them, too.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Optional: Give each child a card stock cutout of a foot to decorate. Tell them that each time they see the foot, they should think of the beautiful feet of Romans 10:15b.
