Rest
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: In Christ there is rest from weariness.
Props: An alarm clock.
Lesson: How is everyone? (response) We are going to pretend like we are all sleeping. Everyone lay your head down. Let them rest for a few seconds and set off the alarm. Good morning! It's 7:00 and time to get up. Everyone get up. Imitate the motions for them. Let's stretch. Everybody stretch. (stretching motion) Make your bed. Everybody make your bed. (response) 7:20 Pick up the room. (response) 7:30 Time to eat breakfast. (response) 7:40 Time to get dressed. Put on your shirt, pants, socks, and shoes. Tie your shoes. (response) We're going to be late. Gotta' run and catch the bus. Let's run. (response) Time to study and read. Everyone read. (response) Time to write. (response)
12:00 Lunch time. Time to eat again. (response) 12:30 Lunch is over. Pick your tray up. Put it away. Throw away the paper. Get your books. Run back to class. (response) 12:40 Time for math. Act like you're doing math problems on a chalkboard. 2:00 Recess! Run outside. Play some baseball. (response) Hopscotch. (response) Now some football. (response) Tennis. (response) Give me three push--ups. (response) Get up, recess is over; run back in. (response) Time for spelling. How do you spell "flabbergasted"? (blank looks on their faces) You don't know? Ah, that's an easy one. How do you spell annoying? (response) Ring, Ring, Ring. 3:15 School's over; time to run back home. (running motion)
Finally home. Whew! Everybody wipe your brow and go, Whew! (response) Get your books and folders. 4:00 Time to do your homework. (response) 5:00 Time to play. Ride your bike. (response) 6:00 Time for dinner. Wash your hands. (response) Let's eat. (response) String together these next several things too quickly so they can't keep up with the motions: Pick up your dirty dishes, pick up your room, finish your homework, take a bath, wash behind your ears, you missed a spot, dry your hair, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, say your prayers, kiss your mom, kiss your dad, kiss your dog, lay your head down, everyone lay down, go to sleep, everyone rest. You need to rest. You've had a big day.
Application: While you're laying down, let me tell you something that Jesus said. He said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." God knows that we all need rest. So he provided us with a wonderful thing called sleep. But, sometimes we need more than sleep. Sometimes we need simply to be still and rest. We are so busy all day and sometimes we feel awful and feel like we just can't go another step. That's when Jesus comes into our lives and tells us to stop running so hard and stop worrying so much. "Just stop," he says, "put it all down. Put down the books, put down the problems, put down the pencil, stop running, and just rest."
Let's Pray: Oh, God, save us from ourselves. Help us to find rest in you. Give us peace of heart so that we might know the pace of life that only comes from your Son Jesus. Amen.
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Proper 9
Romans 7:15--25a
Help!
Exegetical Aim: Jesus Christ rescues us from our sinful selves.
Props: Some candy, a soda, a piece of cake, a tray, and a volunteer.
Lesson: I'm glad to see you. Today I want to talk to you about ... Have a volunteer come inside the church at precisely this point carrying a tray with the items on it. Stare at the person as he/she places the tray down and says, "Would you all please watch this for me? I have to go over there." Sure, I'll watch it for you. The volunteer then walks out another door. Stare until he/she is gone. Wow! That was strange, wasn't it? (response) Look over at the tray of food and then turn back to the children. What I wanted to talk to you about was ... Look back at the tray of food. You know, all of that looks really good, doesn't it? (response) But I'm supposed to watch this food for that person. Oh, well. I wanted to talk to you today about ... Look at the tray again. You know, maybe if I just had one piece of candy it wouldn't matter. Take a small piece of candy and eat it. And it probably wouldn't hurt if I had some soda. Pop the top and drink a small sip. That cake looks good, too. Pinch off a piece with your fingers and eat it. Place your finger over your mouth as if you are telling the children to be quiet and not to tell. I didn't want to do that, but I couldn't help myself. Have the volunteer return and take the tray away with a scolding look. Oops! I messed up, didn't I? (response) I wasn't supposed to eat or drink that. I just couldn't help it. I feel really bad.
Application: Have you ever done anything that you weren't supposed to do? (response) Yes, all of us have, haven't we? We don't want to get into a fight, but someone makes us mad. We don't want to steal, but the candy was right there and no one was looking. We don't want to be mean, but someone calls us a name and we call them a bad name back. We don't want to do bad things sometimes, but we do them. The Bible calls this sin. Sin is the bad things that we do. But the Bible also says when we do something wrong God will forgive us. He promises he will because you love his Son Jesus Christ.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for giving us forgiveness through Jesus Christ when we do things that we shouldn't do. Amen.
?
Props: An alarm clock.
Lesson: How is everyone? (response) We are going to pretend like we are all sleeping. Everyone lay your head down. Let them rest for a few seconds and set off the alarm. Good morning! It's 7:00 and time to get up. Everyone get up. Imitate the motions for them. Let's stretch. Everybody stretch. (stretching motion) Make your bed. Everybody make your bed. (response) 7:20 Pick up the room. (response) 7:30 Time to eat breakfast. (response) 7:40 Time to get dressed. Put on your shirt, pants, socks, and shoes. Tie your shoes. (response) We're going to be late. Gotta' run and catch the bus. Let's run. (response) Time to study and read. Everyone read. (response) Time to write. (response)
12:00 Lunch time. Time to eat again. (response) 12:30 Lunch is over. Pick your tray up. Put it away. Throw away the paper. Get your books. Run back to class. (response) 12:40 Time for math. Act like you're doing math problems on a chalkboard. 2:00 Recess! Run outside. Play some baseball. (response) Hopscotch. (response) Now some football. (response) Tennis. (response) Give me three push--ups. (response) Get up, recess is over; run back in. (response) Time for spelling. How do you spell "flabbergasted"? (blank looks on their faces) You don't know? Ah, that's an easy one. How do you spell annoying? (response) Ring, Ring, Ring. 3:15 School's over; time to run back home. (running motion)
Finally home. Whew! Everybody wipe your brow and go, Whew! (response) Get your books and folders. 4:00 Time to do your homework. (response) 5:00 Time to play. Ride your bike. (response) 6:00 Time for dinner. Wash your hands. (response) Let's eat. (response) String together these next several things too quickly so they can't keep up with the motions: Pick up your dirty dishes, pick up your room, finish your homework, take a bath, wash behind your ears, you missed a spot, dry your hair, brush your teeth, put on your pajamas, say your prayers, kiss your mom, kiss your dad, kiss your dog, lay your head down, everyone lay down, go to sleep, everyone rest. You need to rest. You've had a big day.
Application: While you're laying down, let me tell you something that Jesus said. He said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." God knows that we all need rest. So he provided us with a wonderful thing called sleep. But, sometimes we need more than sleep. Sometimes we need simply to be still and rest. We are so busy all day and sometimes we feel awful and feel like we just can't go another step. That's when Jesus comes into our lives and tells us to stop running so hard and stop worrying so much. "Just stop," he says, "put it all down. Put down the books, put down the problems, put down the pencil, stop running, and just rest."
Let's Pray: Oh, God, save us from ourselves. Help us to find rest in you. Give us peace of heart so that we might know the pace of life that only comes from your Son Jesus. Amen.
?
Proper 9
Romans 7:15--25a
Help!
Exegetical Aim: Jesus Christ rescues us from our sinful selves.
Props: Some candy, a soda, a piece of cake, a tray, and a volunteer.
Lesson: I'm glad to see you. Today I want to talk to you about ... Have a volunteer come inside the church at precisely this point carrying a tray with the items on it. Stare at the person as he/she places the tray down and says, "Would you all please watch this for me? I have to go over there." Sure, I'll watch it for you. The volunteer then walks out another door. Stare until he/she is gone. Wow! That was strange, wasn't it? (response) Look over at the tray of food and then turn back to the children. What I wanted to talk to you about was ... Look back at the tray of food. You know, all of that looks really good, doesn't it? (response) But I'm supposed to watch this food for that person. Oh, well. I wanted to talk to you today about ... Look at the tray again. You know, maybe if I just had one piece of candy it wouldn't matter. Take a small piece of candy and eat it. And it probably wouldn't hurt if I had some soda. Pop the top and drink a small sip. That cake looks good, too. Pinch off a piece with your fingers and eat it. Place your finger over your mouth as if you are telling the children to be quiet and not to tell. I didn't want to do that, but I couldn't help myself. Have the volunteer return and take the tray away with a scolding look. Oops! I messed up, didn't I? (response) I wasn't supposed to eat or drink that. I just couldn't help it. I feel really bad.
Application: Have you ever done anything that you weren't supposed to do? (response) Yes, all of us have, haven't we? We don't want to get into a fight, but someone makes us mad. We don't want to steal, but the candy was right there and no one was looking. We don't want to be mean, but someone calls us a name and we call them a bad name back. We don't want to do bad things sometimes, but we do them. The Bible calls this sin. Sin is the bad things that we do. But the Bible also says when we do something wrong God will forgive us. He promises he will because you love his Son Jesus Christ.
Let's Pray: Thank you, God, for giving us forgiveness through Jesus Christ when we do things that we shouldn't do. Amen.
?
