Jesus Was A Teacher
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: To talk about Jesus as a Teacher.
Props: Simple signs: On each sign write one number starting with number 1 and go up. Make as many signs with numbers as there are children. Make one secret surprise sign with a huge number on it: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. The children should face the congregation.
Lesson: Can anyone tell me what a teacher does? (response) How many of you have teachers? (response) You have a teacher? (response) What's the teacher's name? (response) What did you learn this week from your teacher? (response) How many of you have Sunday school teachers? Can anyone tell me their names? Can you tell me what you learned last week in Sunday school? (response) Teachers are so helpful. You know what? I need you to teach me how to count. I can't count very high. How high can you count? (response) Good! Can you teach me to count that high? (response) I've made some signs hand one sign to each child and each of you need to take one hand them out in sequence (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ...) so that there are no breaks. Give 1, 2, and 3 to bigger children to kind of set the tempo. Take a look at your number. Do you know what number you have? Good, remember your number.
Now, you're going to teach me how to count. We are all going to start counting out loud slowly, and when your number is called out, you need to stand up and show me your number and then sit back down. Okay? (response) Maybe I can learn to count this way. Ready? (response) Motion with your hands just a little to show the slow rhythm of the count. You hope the children will know their numbers and stand at the appropriate times. If they mess up, have fun with it. During the course of the counting, you are going to throw the thing off by calling out the wrong numbers. Speak loudly so that the congregation can hear you just over the kids' voices. The child should speak loudly, also. One, two, three, FIVE! (response) What? (response) Oh, four comes after three? Let's begin again. Ready? (response) When six is said, make sure that the child stands up by the time you say, incorrectly, "nine." One, two, three, four, five, NINE! Corrections follow. What's wrong? That's a nine! (it's a six) I always get those confused. Do you get sixes and nines confused? (response) Teach me again: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, W! (response) What? (that's a letter) Oh, that's right. Now, teach me one more time. Count all the way this time.
Application: There are so many kinds of teachers. There are teachers that teach us how to count and teachers that tell stories and people even called Jesus a teacher. Jesus was a great teacher. In fact, he was the greatest teacher that ever lived. The whole world studies the things that he taught. He taught how to love God and to love one another. He taught us that God is our heavenly Father and that the Holy Spirit is alive in our hearts. His teachings are so high - they're higher than one million trillion! Hold up your surprise sign. That's pretty high, isn't it? (response) You see, Jesus knows so much that we can never stop learning from him. So remember when you need a teacher, Jesus can count higher than one million trillion and he can teach you to count as high as the heavens.
Let's Pray: Lord, there are so many kinds of teachers, but you are the greatest of them all! Amen.
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Epiphany 2
1 Corinthians 1:1--9
Mold Me And Make Me
Exegetical Aim: God made us to praise him.
Props: An earthenware bowl, some clay, and an apple or orange.
Lesson: I have a bowl to show you. What is a bowl used for? (response) We use a bowl for food, don't we? Place the fruit in the bowl. That makes the bowl look much better, doesn't it? Now the bowl is doing what it was made to do. Do you know how this bowl was made? (response) Let me show you. Hold up the clay. What is this? (response) Clay. That's right. As you say the following, mold the clay into a bowl shape: A potter takes the clay, puts it on a wheel, adds a little water, and molds the clay into a bowl.
Application: The Bible says that God is the potter and that we are the clay. What do you suppose that means? (response) Yes, God made us just exactly who we are. And God made us for a purpose. Just like a bowl should be used for food, God made us for a reason. Do you know why God made you? (response) According to the Bible, we all were made to give glory to God. All we say and all we do should give glory to God. Hold up the bowl with the fruit inside. A bowl that holds food is a good bowl, because it is doing what it is made to do. When we give glory and praise to God, we are doing what we are meant to do. Always be willing to love others, to forgive one another, to help those who are poor and needy, and to serve God, because all of those things bring glory to God. Hold up the clay. And that's what we are made to do.
Let's Pray: You are the Potter; we are the clay. Mold us and make us; this is what we pray. Amen.
?
Props: Simple signs: On each sign write one number starting with number 1 and go up. Make as many signs with numbers as there are children. Make one secret surprise sign with a huge number on it: 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. The children should face the congregation.
Lesson: Can anyone tell me what a teacher does? (response) How many of you have teachers? (response) You have a teacher? (response) What's the teacher's name? (response) What did you learn this week from your teacher? (response) How many of you have Sunday school teachers? Can anyone tell me their names? Can you tell me what you learned last week in Sunday school? (response) Teachers are so helpful. You know what? I need you to teach me how to count. I can't count very high. How high can you count? (response) Good! Can you teach me to count that high? (response) I've made some signs hand one sign to each child and each of you need to take one hand them out in sequence (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ...) so that there are no breaks. Give 1, 2, and 3 to bigger children to kind of set the tempo. Take a look at your number. Do you know what number you have? Good, remember your number.
Now, you're going to teach me how to count. We are all going to start counting out loud slowly, and when your number is called out, you need to stand up and show me your number and then sit back down. Okay? (response) Maybe I can learn to count this way. Ready? (response) Motion with your hands just a little to show the slow rhythm of the count. You hope the children will know their numbers and stand at the appropriate times. If they mess up, have fun with it. During the course of the counting, you are going to throw the thing off by calling out the wrong numbers. Speak loudly so that the congregation can hear you just over the kids' voices. The child should speak loudly, also. One, two, three, FIVE! (response) What? (response) Oh, four comes after three? Let's begin again. Ready? (response) When six is said, make sure that the child stands up by the time you say, incorrectly, "nine." One, two, three, four, five, NINE! Corrections follow. What's wrong? That's a nine! (it's a six) I always get those confused. Do you get sixes and nines confused? (response) Teach me again: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, W! (response) What? (that's a letter) Oh, that's right. Now, teach me one more time. Count all the way this time.
Application: There are so many kinds of teachers. There are teachers that teach us how to count and teachers that tell stories and people even called Jesus a teacher. Jesus was a great teacher. In fact, he was the greatest teacher that ever lived. The whole world studies the things that he taught. He taught how to love God and to love one another. He taught us that God is our heavenly Father and that the Holy Spirit is alive in our hearts. His teachings are so high - they're higher than one million trillion! Hold up your surprise sign. That's pretty high, isn't it? (response) You see, Jesus knows so much that we can never stop learning from him. So remember when you need a teacher, Jesus can count higher than one million trillion and he can teach you to count as high as the heavens.
Let's Pray: Lord, there are so many kinds of teachers, but you are the greatest of them all! Amen.
?
Epiphany 2
1 Corinthians 1:1--9
Mold Me And Make Me
Exegetical Aim: God made us to praise him.
Props: An earthenware bowl, some clay, and an apple or orange.
Lesson: I have a bowl to show you. What is a bowl used for? (response) We use a bowl for food, don't we? Place the fruit in the bowl. That makes the bowl look much better, doesn't it? Now the bowl is doing what it was made to do. Do you know how this bowl was made? (response) Let me show you. Hold up the clay. What is this? (response) Clay. That's right. As you say the following, mold the clay into a bowl shape: A potter takes the clay, puts it on a wheel, adds a little water, and molds the clay into a bowl.
Application: The Bible says that God is the potter and that we are the clay. What do you suppose that means? (response) Yes, God made us just exactly who we are. And God made us for a purpose. Just like a bowl should be used for food, God made us for a reason. Do you know why God made you? (response) According to the Bible, we all were made to give glory to God. All we say and all we do should give glory to God. Hold up the bowl with the fruit inside. A bowl that holds food is a good bowl, because it is doing what it is made to do. When we give glory and praise to God, we are doing what we are meant to do. Always be willing to love others, to forgive one another, to help those who are poor and needy, and to serve God, because all of those things bring glory to God. Hold up the clay. And that's what we are made to do.
Let's Pray: You are the Potter; we are the clay. Mold us and make us; this is what we pray. Amen.
?
