Looking To Jesus
Children's sermon
Ants Work Best Together
31 Object Lessons from Nature
Object:
a frog
Scripture: Acts 3:1-8; Romans 1:20
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse.
Material: a frog
Here is our friend the frog again. (show the frog; this time you may want to pick it up so everyone can see, but don't allow touching by the children because frogs can carry bacteria) Do you notice something about this frog? He has really big and strong back legs for jumping. When I look at Mr. Frog, I think of a story about a man who got healed back in Bible days. This man was a beggar who sat by the temple gate. He was crippled and he could not walk. One day, when two of Jesus' special helpers (called apostles) saw the man they said, "Look at us." Then the apostles used the name of Jesus to bring healing to the man so he could walk and would not have to beg for money anymore. The Bible tells us that he went running and leaping and praising God. I wonder if that man could leap as well as Mr. Frog?
But I want you to see something else about our frog, too. He has great big eyes, and they are almost on top of his head! (point these out to the children) When Mr. Frog is in the muddy pond, he isn't looking at the dirty water around him. His eyes are above the water, looking all around at the beautiful world God has made. The man who needed healing looked at the apostles. They told him about Jesus and then he was healed. Mr. Frog is looking at God's beautiful world. Mr. Frog may not know it, but God's world can tell about Jesus, too. Let's follow their example and look only at things that will teach us about God and Jesus.
One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse.
Material: a frog
Here is our friend the frog again. (show the frog; this time you may want to pick it up so everyone can see, but don't allow touching by the children because frogs can carry bacteria) Do you notice something about this frog? He has really big and strong back legs for jumping. When I look at Mr. Frog, I think of a story about a man who got healed back in Bible days. This man was a beggar who sat by the temple gate. He was crippled and he could not walk. One day, when two of Jesus' special helpers (called apostles) saw the man they said, "Look at us." Then the apostles used the name of Jesus to bring healing to the man so he could walk and would not have to beg for money anymore. The Bible tells us that he went running and leaping and praising God. I wonder if that man could leap as well as Mr. Frog?
But I want you to see something else about our frog, too. He has great big eyes, and they are almost on top of his head! (point these out to the children) When Mr. Frog is in the muddy pond, he isn't looking at the dirty water around him. His eyes are above the water, looking all around at the beautiful world God has made. The man who needed healing looked at the apostles. They told him about Jesus and then he was healed. Mr. Frog is looking at God's beautiful world. Mr. Frog may not know it, but God's world can tell about Jesus, too. Let's follow their example and look only at things that will teach us about God and Jesus.
