The Good Shepherd
Children's sermon
From a Mustard Seed
Children's Sermons
Object:
A variety of stuffed animals.
Message: Today I brought along a bunch of animals who live at our house. Not real animals this time, but stuffed animals that decorate our beds and sit in various places around the house. I'll bet some of you have stuffed animals as well. Now the easy thing about stuffed animals is that you don't have to do anything to take care of them. They just sit there and look nice.
That is not the case with real animals, is it? They demand a lot of care if they are to be healthy and strong. Do any of you have pets at home? What kinds of pets do you have? What types of things do you have to do in order to care for them? You have to feed them. They need water every day. They need to have exercise. They need a bath every now and then. But most important of all, they need to know that we love them and to have us show them that love every day.
Just as we take care of our pets and show them love, God tells us that He cares for us every day. The Psalms speak of God as a shepherd. A shepherd is someone whose job is to care for the sheep. He has to watch over them. It is his responsibility to lead them to the pastures where there is enough grass to eat. He also needs to protect them from wolves and lions and other animals who would try to kill the sheep.
Just as a shepherd does all of that for his sheep, God is watching over you and me. He is the One who cares for us daily. He protects us from harm. He is watching over every part of our lives each day.
When you go home today and care for your pets, I want you to remember that God is also watching over you. He meets the needs of our lives and loves us more than we will ever know.
That is not the case with real animals, is it? They demand a lot of care if they are to be healthy and strong. Do any of you have pets at home? What kinds of pets do you have? What types of things do you have to do in order to care for them? You have to feed them. They need water every day. They need to have exercise. They need a bath every now and then. But most important of all, they need to know that we love them and to have us show them that love every day.
Just as we take care of our pets and show them love, God tells us that He cares for us every day. The Psalms speak of God as a shepherd. A shepherd is someone whose job is to care for the sheep. He has to watch over them. It is his responsibility to lead them to the pastures where there is enough grass to eat. He also needs to protect them from wolves and lions and other animals who would try to kill the sheep.
Just as a shepherd does all of that for his sheep, God is watching over you and me. He is the One who cares for us daily. He protects us from harm. He is watching over every part of our lives each day.
When you go home today and care for your pets, I want you to remember that God is also watching over you. He meets the needs of our lives and loves us more than we will ever know.
