Erasers Are For Mistakes
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: After the resurrection, pronouncing forgiveness on others is the first responsibility that Jesus gives his disciples.
Props: A board, a marker, and an eraser. This could be a small chalkboard or the dry eraser kind (extra props: a box of school erasers would be a nice touch).
Lesson: What is the first thing you did before you ate your dinner last night? (washed hands, gave thanks) What is the first thing you did last night before you went to bed? (brushed teeth, said prayers) What is the first thing you did this morning when you got up? (ate breakfast, took a bath) All these things are important. There are some things that are so important that they have to be done first. What is the number one thing that God wants us to do? (response) That's right; he wants us to love - to love him and love one another. I'm going to teach you how to do that.
Does anyone remember what last week was? (Easter) What happened on Easter? (response) Did you know that it is still Easter? In the Church the season of Easter goes on for several weeks. So, I have another Easter story to tell. The disciples were all in a room and they locked the door because they were afraid. Then something wonderful happened; Jesus appeared right in front of them and he made everything peaceful. They were no longer afraid.
And then do you know what was the very first thing that Jesus told them to do? (response) He didn't tell them to wash their hands or brush their teeth or take a bath; he told them to go and forgive people of their sins.
Application: Holding up the eraser: What do I have in my hand? (response) That's right and what do we do with erasers? (response) I'm going to let you do some erasing. Give the eraser(s) to the children. It would be most effective if every child could be given an eraser. But first we need to write some things on the board. I want to write something down that I did wrong. Time for confession - come up with a legitimate wrongdoing you can publicly admit and write it down (one word) leaving room for the kids' confessions. Can you think of something you did wrong that we can write down? (response) When the list is complete, ask the children who were given the eraser(s) to come up and wipe the board clean.
Holding the clean board before the children: I will never write these things down again. I want you to know that they have been erased. God forgives you and I forgive you. The first thing Jesus asked his disciples to do was forgive. He gave them erasers as I have given you today and he told them to go into all the world and erase people's sins and say, "God forgives you and I forgive you."
Let's Pray: Here is my prayer: Remember what God has given you - an eraser. Go forgive one another. Amen.
?
Easter 2
1 Peter 1:3--9
Perishables
Exegetical Aim: Our inheritance kept in heaven, which will never perish.
Props: A bag, two bananas, two apples, and two children's books. Allow one of the bananas and one of the apples to spoil and rot and put them in a zip--lock bag. The other two fruits should be fresh. One of the books should be torn up and falling apart. A loose binding will produce the best effect. Have the first several pages missing as well. The other book should be in good shape.
Lesson: Good morning. (response) I need a volunteer. Have the child sit beside you. I brought some books for us to read. Take out your book, show it, and announce what it is. And I brought a book for you to read, John. As you hand him the book, it should fall apart. Go ahead and start reading. (response) Something wrong? (response) You're missing pages? You've got plenty of pages there. (response)
Oh, yeah, if you get hungry I brought fruit. Take your apple out and take a big bite. This is pretty good, really sweet. Chew. Chew. Sorry, I forgot about yours. Hand him the rotten apple in the bag and go back to your reading. Refer to your book: This is the good part. This is where ... You didn't get your apple out yet? (response) Just eat the good part. (response)
I think I'll eat my banana now. As soon as you open your banana take a bite and then offer the other. Oh, yeah, here's your banana. Hand him the rotten banana in the bag and go back to your reading. Refer to your reading again: This is the funny part. Look at this. Show a picture in the book. You're not eating. (response) Are there any good parts on it? (response) No, I don't think there are any good parts.
Application: Referring to the spoiled fruit. What happened to these? (response) Why did they spoil? (response) This kind of food is actually called perishable food because it quickly rots. Show the book: And what happened to this? (response) Is there anything in the world that doesn't get old? (response) Fruit spoils. Books get old and fall apart. People get old; they can even spoil too. Everything on earth spoils, but the Bible says that in heaven there is a life waiting for us that will never perish, spoil, or fade.
Let's Pray: Lord, this fruit here looks pretty awful! So many things spoil and get old, but I know in heaven it isn't like that. In heaven life is always new. Amen.
?
Props: A board, a marker, and an eraser. This could be a small chalkboard or the dry eraser kind (extra props: a box of school erasers would be a nice touch).
Lesson: What is the first thing you did before you ate your dinner last night? (washed hands, gave thanks) What is the first thing you did last night before you went to bed? (brushed teeth, said prayers) What is the first thing you did this morning when you got up? (ate breakfast, took a bath) All these things are important. There are some things that are so important that they have to be done first. What is the number one thing that God wants us to do? (response) That's right; he wants us to love - to love him and love one another. I'm going to teach you how to do that.
Does anyone remember what last week was? (Easter) What happened on Easter? (response) Did you know that it is still Easter? In the Church the season of Easter goes on for several weeks. So, I have another Easter story to tell. The disciples were all in a room and they locked the door because they were afraid. Then something wonderful happened; Jesus appeared right in front of them and he made everything peaceful. They were no longer afraid.
And then do you know what was the very first thing that Jesus told them to do? (response) He didn't tell them to wash their hands or brush their teeth or take a bath; he told them to go and forgive people of their sins.
Application: Holding up the eraser: What do I have in my hand? (response) That's right and what do we do with erasers? (response) I'm going to let you do some erasing. Give the eraser(s) to the children. It would be most effective if every child could be given an eraser. But first we need to write some things on the board. I want to write something down that I did wrong. Time for confession - come up with a legitimate wrongdoing you can publicly admit and write it down (one word) leaving room for the kids' confessions. Can you think of something you did wrong that we can write down? (response) When the list is complete, ask the children who were given the eraser(s) to come up and wipe the board clean.
Holding the clean board before the children: I will never write these things down again. I want you to know that they have been erased. God forgives you and I forgive you. The first thing Jesus asked his disciples to do was forgive. He gave them erasers as I have given you today and he told them to go into all the world and erase people's sins and say, "God forgives you and I forgive you."
Let's Pray: Here is my prayer: Remember what God has given you - an eraser. Go forgive one another. Amen.
?
Easter 2
1 Peter 1:3--9
Perishables
Exegetical Aim: Our inheritance kept in heaven, which will never perish.
Props: A bag, two bananas, two apples, and two children's books. Allow one of the bananas and one of the apples to spoil and rot and put them in a zip--lock bag. The other two fruits should be fresh. One of the books should be torn up and falling apart. A loose binding will produce the best effect. Have the first several pages missing as well. The other book should be in good shape.
Lesson: Good morning. (response) I need a volunteer. Have the child sit beside you. I brought some books for us to read. Take out your book, show it, and announce what it is. And I brought a book for you to read, John. As you hand him the book, it should fall apart. Go ahead and start reading. (response) Something wrong? (response) You're missing pages? You've got plenty of pages there. (response)
Oh, yeah, if you get hungry I brought fruit. Take your apple out and take a big bite. This is pretty good, really sweet. Chew. Chew. Sorry, I forgot about yours. Hand him the rotten apple in the bag and go back to your reading. Refer to your book: This is the good part. This is where ... You didn't get your apple out yet? (response) Just eat the good part. (response)
I think I'll eat my banana now. As soon as you open your banana take a bite and then offer the other. Oh, yeah, here's your banana. Hand him the rotten banana in the bag and go back to your reading. Refer to your reading again: This is the funny part. Look at this. Show a picture in the book. You're not eating. (response) Are there any good parts on it? (response) No, I don't think there are any good parts.
Application: Referring to the spoiled fruit. What happened to these? (response) Why did they spoil? (response) This kind of food is actually called perishable food because it quickly rots. Show the book: And what happened to this? (response) Is there anything in the world that doesn't get old? (response) Fruit spoils. Books get old and fall apart. People get old; they can even spoil too. Everything on earth spoils, but the Bible says that in heaven there is a life waiting for us that will never perish, spoil, or fade.
Let's Pray: Lord, this fruit here looks pretty awful! So many things spoil and get old, but I know in heaven it isn't like that. In heaven life is always new. Amen.
?
