Inextinguishable Light
Children's sermon
Cows In Church
80 Biblically Based Children's Sermons
Object:
A "magic" birthday candle (the type that relights itself when it is blown out) inserted in a muffin or cupcake
"This morning I'd like you to help me understand the last of the Beatitudes. Jesus said, 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' 'Persecute' is a big word, isn't it? Does anyone know what it means?"
Most of the children sit in silence but one of the older ones suggests that "persecute" means to pester someone. This elicits other responses: to be mean to someone, to be hateful to other people. I agree with the children and point out that the reason people get persecuted is usually because they have ideas which disagree with majority opinion. "That, in fact, is what happened to the early Christians who were persecuted in terrible ways because of their belief in Jesus -- and their expression of that belief.
"Jesus told his followers, 'Blessed are you when people persecute you and say all manner of evil things against you for my sake.'1
He said this to them because he knew how people were going to treat them."
"Not me!" announces a young lady on the front row. "I don't hate God! I believe in God!"
"I'm sure you do, Amanda," I answer. "But some people do not. And persecution and hatred are some of the dark things in life that all of us will run into at some time. However, we also have light in our lives. I'd like you to look around the sanctuary and see all the candles that are here this morning. Over there we have the Advent candles. In the windows we have candles with the Christmas decorations. On the altar we have two big white candles. And ..."
As I pause, I reveal the candle I have been concealing in my hand. It is a birthday candle, inserted in a cupcake. The children's eyes widen with increased interest. I ask one child to hold the cupcake while I light the candle it holds.
"We seem to have a lot of candles in the sanctuary this morning," I note. "Why are candles so important?" I should have seen the first response coming ...
"Because they're for birthdays!"
"That's one reason," I agree. "What else?"
"Because they're for Christmas!
"Because they light the dark."
"Because they represent Jesus."
Now we are getting somewhere. "Birthdays, Christmas, dark, and Jesus ... Whose birthday is Christmas?" I ask.
"Jesus'!" the children tell me.
"And who lights up the dark places in life?" I continue.
"Jesus!" they answer again.
"That's right," I agree. "Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.'2 In the Gospel of John, it is written that 'the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.'3 What happens when you put a light in the dark?" I ask.
"You see the light," several children answer.
"So, which is stronger, the light or the dark?"
"The light!" comes their unanimous response.
"Well," I continue, "that suggests to me that if hatred and meanness are darknesses, they can be overcome by the light of Jesus." To illustrate this idea of light being stronger than darkness, I ask one of the children to blow out the birthday candle. She does -- but it's a trick candle, and in a few seconds it is once again burning brightly.
"Trick candle!" several of the older children announce.
"Yes," I agree, "it's a trick candle.4 It's a candle made a special way -- with a light so strong you can't blow it out. And that's how God's love is. No matter how mean someone is to you or how mean you may be to someone else, God's love is going to keep on shining. That's why God sent us Jesus, the light of the world -- to tell us how much we are loved. And nothing we human beings do to one another can ever separate us from that love. It's not good to hate one another. It's not good to be mean to one another. It's not good to persecute one another. But as long as you live as rightly as you are able, with the love of God in your heart, you will be blessed. That's what Jesus meant when he said, 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' "
1. Matthew 5:11.
2. John 8:12.
3. John 1:5.
4. It is wise to have a glass of water available to extinguish the candle when this children's sermon is concluded.
Most of the children sit in silence but one of the older ones suggests that "persecute" means to pester someone. This elicits other responses: to be mean to someone, to be hateful to other people. I agree with the children and point out that the reason people get persecuted is usually because they have ideas which disagree with majority opinion. "That, in fact, is what happened to the early Christians who were persecuted in terrible ways because of their belief in Jesus -- and their expression of that belief.
"Jesus told his followers, 'Blessed are you when people persecute you and say all manner of evil things against you for my sake.'1
He said this to them because he knew how people were going to treat them."
"Not me!" announces a young lady on the front row. "I don't hate God! I believe in God!"
"I'm sure you do, Amanda," I answer. "But some people do not. And persecution and hatred are some of the dark things in life that all of us will run into at some time. However, we also have light in our lives. I'd like you to look around the sanctuary and see all the candles that are here this morning. Over there we have the Advent candles. In the windows we have candles with the Christmas decorations. On the altar we have two big white candles. And ..."
As I pause, I reveal the candle I have been concealing in my hand. It is a birthday candle, inserted in a cupcake. The children's eyes widen with increased interest. I ask one child to hold the cupcake while I light the candle it holds.
"We seem to have a lot of candles in the sanctuary this morning," I note. "Why are candles so important?" I should have seen the first response coming ...
"Because they're for birthdays!"
"That's one reason," I agree. "What else?"
"Because they're for Christmas!
"Because they light the dark."
"Because they represent Jesus."
Now we are getting somewhere. "Birthdays, Christmas, dark, and Jesus ... Whose birthday is Christmas?" I ask.
"Jesus'!" the children tell me.
"And who lights up the dark places in life?" I continue.
"Jesus!" they answer again.
"That's right," I agree. "Jesus said, 'I am the light of the world.'2 In the Gospel of John, it is written that 'the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.'3 What happens when you put a light in the dark?" I ask.
"You see the light," several children answer.
"So, which is stronger, the light or the dark?"
"The light!" comes their unanimous response.
"Well," I continue, "that suggests to me that if hatred and meanness are darknesses, they can be overcome by the light of Jesus." To illustrate this idea of light being stronger than darkness, I ask one of the children to blow out the birthday candle. She does -- but it's a trick candle, and in a few seconds it is once again burning brightly.
"Trick candle!" several of the older children announce.
"Yes," I agree, "it's a trick candle.4 It's a candle made a special way -- with a light so strong you can't blow it out. And that's how God's love is. No matter how mean someone is to you or how mean you may be to someone else, God's love is going to keep on shining. That's why God sent us Jesus, the light of the world -- to tell us how much we are loved. And nothing we human beings do to one another can ever separate us from that love. It's not good to hate one another. It's not good to be mean to one another. It's not good to persecute one another. But as long as you live as rightly as you are able, with the love of God in your heart, you will be blessed. That's what Jesus meant when he said, 'Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' "
1. Matthew 5:11.
2. John 8:12.
3. John 1:5.
4. It is wise to have a glass of water available to extinguish the candle when this children's sermon is concluded.
