Love is ...
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: Obedience is the most appropriate expression of our love.
Props: None.
Lesson: With each of these questions allow several children to express their thoughts. Who knows what love is? (response) Okay, what is love? (response) Now, I suppose that your mom loves you ... she does, doesn't she? (response) How does your mom show her love for you? What does she do? (response) Those are all very good ways that moms show their love. Now let me ask you a different question. Do you love your mom? (response) How do you show your love to her? What do you do for her? (response)
Those are all very good ways to show your love for Mom. Who knows what today is? (response) It's Mother's Day! Are you going to do anything special today to tell Mom how much you appreciate her? (response) What are you going to do? (response) Well, if you don't have candy or flowers, I can get you out of trouble. Here's what to do. All day today when your mom asks you to do something, I want you to say, "Yes, ma'am," and immediately go and do what she told you. It will be the best Mother's Day ever if you do this.
Application: Listen to something Jesus said. He said, "If you love me, you will obey me." What did Jesus mean: If you love me, you will obey me? (response) He was telling us that the best way to show our love for God is to obey him and do what he tells us to do. This is also the best way to show our love for Mom. You need to do what Mom tells you to do. If she tells you to sit up and eat your lunch and chew with your mouth closed, then you need to sit up, eat your lunch, and not smack your food. If she tells you to pick up your toys, then what do you need to do? (response) That's right. If she tells you to be polite and say thank you, then what are going to do? (response)
This is Mother's Day. Today you are going to tell Mom how much you love her. The best way to tell her is to show her by being obedient and doing what you are asked to do. Then she will know how much you love and care for her.
Let's Pray: Lord, teach us that love means more than saying, "I love you." True love for you and our mothers means being obedient. Amen.
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Easter 6
1 Peter 3:13--22
A Clear Conscience
Exegetical Aim: Keeping a clear conscience.
Props: A dry erase board positioned for all to see, markers, and an eraser.
Lesson: Do any of you like to draw on chalkboards or dry erase boards? (response) What are some things that you like to draw? (response) You like to draw all sorts of things: people, words, shapes, and animals. Once there was a little boy, and he enjoyed writing on chalkboards. One day at school the boy was going to draw something on the board. All of a sudden the other children rushed in the room, grabbed all of the chalk, and began writing on the board. Give the markers to the children and tell them to draw or write something on the board. Tell them that they have thirty seconds. Allow them to fill the board. When the children finish, continue: The boy got pushed out of the way, and didn't have a piece of chalk to draw. Then all of the children left, and the board was full of their drawings. So he was really sad because he wanted to draw something on the board. Then he had an idea. What do you think it was? (response) Yes. He saw the eraser, picked it up, pick up the eraser looked around, look around and began to erase all of their writing. Erase a portion of their writing. Then he drew the thing that he wanted to draw. Draw a cross in the erased area. The end. How did you like my story? (response)
Application: The Bible reminds us that our minds are like this dry erase board. God wants to write his love in our minds and hearts. But sometimes there are so many other things in there that we do not leave room for what God wants. What are some things that get in the way of God? Lead the children to answer bad things, fighting, being mean to others, lying, etc. Things can really clutter our minds and hearts. And when all of these things get into our minds and hearts, God doesn't have room to speak to us.
Let's Pray: Help us, O Lord, to have a clear conscience so that we might see Jesus more clearly. Amen.
?
Props: None.
Lesson: With each of these questions allow several children to express their thoughts. Who knows what love is? (response) Okay, what is love? (response) Now, I suppose that your mom loves you ... she does, doesn't she? (response) How does your mom show her love for you? What does she do? (response) Those are all very good ways that moms show their love. Now let me ask you a different question. Do you love your mom? (response) How do you show your love to her? What do you do for her? (response)
Those are all very good ways to show your love for Mom. Who knows what today is? (response) It's Mother's Day! Are you going to do anything special today to tell Mom how much you appreciate her? (response) What are you going to do? (response) Well, if you don't have candy or flowers, I can get you out of trouble. Here's what to do. All day today when your mom asks you to do something, I want you to say, "Yes, ma'am," and immediately go and do what she told you. It will be the best Mother's Day ever if you do this.
Application: Listen to something Jesus said. He said, "If you love me, you will obey me." What did Jesus mean: If you love me, you will obey me? (response) He was telling us that the best way to show our love for God is to obey him and do what he tells us to do. This is also the best way to show our love for Mom. You need to do what Mom tells you to do. If she tells you to sit up and eat your lunch and chew with your mouth closed, then you need to sit up, eat your lunch, and not smack your food. If she tells you to pick up your toys, then what do you need to do? (response) That's right. If she tells you to be polite and say thank you, then what are going to do? (response)
This is Mother's Day. Today you are going to tell Mom how much you love her. The best way to tell her is to show her by being obedient and doing what you are asked to do. Then she will know how much you love and care for her.
Let's Pray: Lord, teach us that love means more than saying, "I love you." True love for you and our mothers means being obedient. Amen.
?
Easter 6
1 Peter 3:13--22
A Clear Conscience
Exegetical Aim: Keeping a clear conscience.
Props: A dry erase board positioned for all to see, markers, and an eraser.
Lesson: Do any of you like to draw on chalkboards or dry erase boards? (response) What are some things that you like to draw? (response) You like to draw all sorts of things: people, words, shapes, and animals. Once there was a little boy, and he enjoyed writing on chalkboards. One day at school the boy was going to draw something on the board. All of a sudden the other children rushed in the room, grabbed all of the chalk, and began writing on the board. Give the markers to the children and tell them to draw or write something on the board. Tell them that they have thirty seconds. Allow them to fill the board. When the children finish, continue: The boy got pushed out of the way, and didn't have a piece of chalk to draw. Then all of the children left, and the board was full of their drawings. So he was really sad because he wanted to draw something on the board. Then he had an idea. What do you think it was? (response) Yes. He saw the eraser, picked it up, pick up the eraser looked around, look around and began to erase all of their writing. Erase a portion of their writing. Then he drew the thing that he wanted to draw. Draw a cross in the erased area. The end. How did you like my story? (response)
Application: The Bible reminds us that our minds are like this dry erase board. God wants to write his love in our minds and hearts. But sometimes there are so many other things in there that we do not leave room for what God wants. What are some things that get in the way of God? Lead the children to answer bad things, fighting, being mean to others, lying, etc. Things can really clutter our minds and hearts. And when all of these things get into our minds and hearts, God doesn't have room to speak to us.
Let's Pray: Help us, O Lord, to have a clear conscience so that we might see Jesus more clearly. Amen.
?
