I'll Do Better Next Time
Children's sermon
Children's Sermons A To Z
Exegetical Aim: To explain that God is patient with us when we don't live as we should.
Props: Crayons, a blank sheet of paper, and a little bit of artistic talent (but not much). On your sheet of paper draw a jumbled picture of a house, tree, and landscape, but make all the colors appropriate to the object. Draw the horizon. Put the roof's flat side on the horizon. Then on the tip of the roof, place the frame of the house upside down so that the door is up and the windows are down. You've got the picture now. Place the trees and birds in awkward places and draw the sun square. Draw a stick person walking on the sun. That should do it!
Lesson: Place the drawing face down. This morning, I want to show you a picture I drew. I'm really proud of it. I worked really hard. It's a picture of my house on a sunshiny day. I mean it's got sunshine, a pretty house, trees, and birds in it. You want to see it? (response) Show the children the drawing. Isn't this great! (response) Do you like it? (response) What? (response) No, no, no, there's nothing wrong here. Here's my roof on the ground. (response) Doesn't the roof belong on the ground? (response) It doesn't? Where does it belong? (response) Okay, I'll remember that. The roof belongs on the top of the house. I'll do better next time.
Well, what about the sun? It's just shining! (response) What? (response) While they are shouting out it's square or it's supposed to be round, continue with your thoughts. I don't understand. (response) Interrupt them. No, look, it's shining nice and bright and making the grass grow. (response) What's wrong? (response) You mean, it's not supposed to be square? (response) It's supposed to be round? (response) Okay, I'll remember that. The sun is supposed to be round. I'll do better next time.
Well, this one is neat. This is me up here walking on the sun. (response) What? (response) You mean this is wrong too? (response) I got it all wrong, didn't I? (response)
Okay, I need to remember this. Point to the objects as you remember your corrections. The house goes under the roof and the roof on top of the house. And I'm not supposed to be walking on the sun. That's all wrong. I need to be down here on the grass. And the next time I draw the sun, I need to make it round not square. I'll do better next time.
Application: Sometimes we do get things all mixed up in life. Do you ever fight with your friends? (response) Have you ever been stingy and refused to share with your brother or sister? (response) Did you know that from time to time your mom and dad get things all mixed up and they get mad at each other? (response) When we fight and say bad things, our lives are all mixed up hold up the drawing like my picture. We need to do better.
I want you to know that God loves us all and is patient with us. And when we fight and act ugly, he is waiting for you and me to straighten up our lives. Now I will remember to put the roof and the sun and the little stick person in the right places next time. And I want you to remember not to fight with one another, not to be ugly, and to do as God asks: to love one another.
Let's Pray: Father, we make mistakes so we ask for your forgiveness, but help us all to do better next time. Amen.
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Lent 3
1 Corinthians 10:1--13
A Tempting Offer
Exegetical Aim: To communicate God's love for us as he tells us to guard against temptation.
Props: Hershey's Kisses and a plate.
Lesson: Bring out the candy in a bag. Tell the children that you have something for them, and then pour the candy out on the plate, slowly. I have something for us to see this morning. What are these? (response) Yes, they are Kisses. Don't touch them! Let me just pour them out. Don't touch them! Sit and stare. After a few seconds, say again, No one touch them. Again stare longingly at the candy. You might even sigh and say, I sure would like some candy. As they giggle or lose composure, say, Would you like to eat the candy? (response) I would too but do you know why we can't have the candy right now? (because we're in church) Yes, we can't eat the candy now because it's not the appropriate time to do so. Sometimes we see things that look very good to us, but it's not always the best thing for us. When your mom tells you that you can't do something or you can't have something, you don't know why, but she knows why. She sees things you cannot see.
Application: In the same way, God our Father loves us very much and wants us to stay away from temptations. We need to stay away from temptations like being mean to people even when they are mean to us. Or if someone is breaking the rules at school and wants us to join along, we need to do what? (response) Right, we need to walk away and not do that. So you see, we might want to do something, but it may not be the best thing to do. You need to listen to your mom and dad who know best. No matter how disappointed you may be, remember, your parents are wise, and God is even wiser than we.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for loving us. Help us to stay away from temptations and to do only what you want us to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Allow the children to take one piece of candy to their seats, instructing them that they may eat it after church.
?
Props: Crayons, a blank sheet of paper, and a little bit of artistic talent (but not much). On your sheet of paper draw a jumbled picture of a house, tree, and landscape, but make all the colors appropriate to the object. Draw the horizon. Put the roof's flat side on the horizon. Then on the tip of the roof, place the frame of the house upside down so that the door is up and the windows are down. You've got the picture now. Place the trees and birds in awkward places and draw the sun square. Draw a stick person walking on the sun. That should do it!
Lesson: Place the drawing face down. This morning, I want to show you a picture I drew. I'm really proud of it. I worked really hard. It's a picture of my house on a sunshiny day. I mean it's got sunshine, a pretty house, trees, and birds in it. You want to see it? (response) Show the children the drawing. Isn't this great! (response) Do you like it? (response) What? (response) No, no, no, there's nothing wrong here. Here's my roof on the ground. (response) Doesn't the roof belong on the ground? (response) It doesn't? Where does it belong? (response) Okay, I'll remember that. The roof belongs on the top of the house. I'll do better next time.
Well, what about the sun? It's just shining! (response) What? (response) While they are shouting out it's square or it's supposed to be round, continue with your thoughts. I don't understand. (response) Interrupt them. No, look, it's shining nice and bright and making the grass grow. (response) What's wrong? (response) You mean, it's not supposed to be square? (response) It's supposed to be round? (response) Okay, I'll remember that. The sun is supposed to be round. I'll do better next time.
Well, this one is neat. This is me up here walking on the sun. (response) What? (response) You mean this is wrong too? (response) I got it all wrong, didn't I? (response)
Okay, I need to remember this. Point to the objects as you remember your corrections. The house goes under the roof and the roof on top of the house. And I'm not supposed to be walking on the sun. That's all wrong. I need to be down here on the grass. And the next time I draw the sun, I need to make it round not square. I'll do better next time.
Application: Sometimes we do get things all mixed up in life. Do you ever fight with your friends? (response) Have you ever been stingy and refused to share with your brother or sister? (response) Did you know that from time to time your mom and dad get things all mixed up and they get mad at each other? (response) When we fight and say bad things, our lives are all mixed up hold up the drawing like my picture. We need to do better.
I want you to know that God loves us all and is patient with us. And when we fight and act ugly, he is waiting for you and me to straighten up our lives. Now I will remember to put the roof and the sun and the little stick person in the right places next time. And I want you to remember not to fight with one another, not to be ugly, and to do as God asks: to love one another.
Let's Pray: Father, we make mistakes so we ask for your forgiveness, but help us all to do better next time. Amen.
?
Lent 3
1 Corinthians 10:1--13
A Tempting Offer
Exegetical Aim: To communicate God's love for us as he tells us to guard against temptation.
Props: Hershey's Kisses and a plate.
Lesson: Bring out the candy in a bag. Tell the children that you have something for them, and then pour the candy out on the plate, slowly. I have something for us to see this morning. What are these? (response) Yes, they are Kisses. Don't touch them! Let me just pour them out. Don't touch them! Sit and stare. After a few seconds, say again, No one touch them. Again stare longingly at the candy. You might even sigh and say, I sure would like some candy. As they giggle or lose composure, say, Would you like to eat the candy? (response) I would too but do you know why we can't have the candy right now? (because we're in church) Yes, we can't eat the candy now because it's not the appropriate time to do so. Sometimes we see things that look very good to us, but it's not always the best thing for us. When your mom tells you that you can't do something or you can't have something, you don't know why, but she knows why. She sees things you cannot see.
Application: In the same way, God our Father loves us very much and wants us to stay away from temptations. We need to stay away from temptations like being mean to people even when they are mean to us. Or if someone is breaking the rules at school and wants us to join along, we need to do what? (response) Right, we need to walk away and not do that. So you see, we might want to do something, but it may not be the best thing to do. You need to listen to your mom and dad who know best. No matter how disappointed you may be, remember, your parents are wise, and God is even wiser than we.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for loving us. Help us to stay away from temptations and to do only what you want us to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Allow the children to take one piece of candy to their seats, instructing them that they may eat it after church.
?
