They Recognized Him
Children's sermon
THE BIG INFLUENCE OF SMALL THINGS
Exegetical Aim: To teach that we need God's assistance to truly see.
Props: Prescription eyeglasses and an eye chart (the chart can be hand drawn). The ideal situation is to use glasses that one of the children may be wearing. If you have an optometrist in your congregation, ask him/her to participate and bring an actual eye chart. Hannah will be the child with glasses and Tom will be without. Other children will participate.
Lesson: Good morning! (response) I want to ask Hannah to come and sit beside me and I am going to need one other volunteer. Choose the child without glasses. I have asked Hannah to come sit beside me because she wears glasses and I have asked Tom to sit on my other side because he does not wear glasses. I also have another volunteer who is going to help. Introduce the optometrist or person who will hold the eye chart. He/she should already be in place. He has brought an eye chart. Does anyone know what an optometrist is? (response) And what is an eye chart? (response) In just a minute he is going to hold up the eye chart and I am going to have Hannah and Tom read the chart, but before they do I am going to ask Hannah to give me her glasses. May I have your glasses for just a minute? (child should hand the glasses to you) Now I am going to ask Tom to put the glasses on. If either of your eyes hurt, you can close them until I am ready for you. Make sure that the children's head sizes match so the glasses are not stretched. Put them on the child yourself to be sure.
Eye chart holder should point to the appropriate lines. Now I only want Hannah and Tom to read the lines on the chart. No one else call out the letters. Hannah can you read the first line? (response) How about you, Tom, can you read the first line? (response) Hannah can you read the second line? (response) How about you, Tom? Can you read the second line? (response) Okay, Tom you can take the glasses off and let's give them back to Hannah. Is there anybody here like Hannah and Tom who cannot read the second line? (response) Is there anybody here that can't read the third line? (response) Proceed to the line that indicates 20/20 vision. Be attentive at this point to actual eyesight problems. This may be the first time a child is able to compare himself to others. However, do not call attention to it at this time.
Application: What would happen if we couldn't see clearly? (response) That's right. We wouldn't be able to read very well and we would have problems at school seeing the board. It would be very difficult to learn and grow. Being able to see and see well is extremely important and when we can't see we need our eyes fixed. Jesus fixed the eyes of a couple of guys. Now, I am not talking about these eyes. Point to your eyes then your heart. I am talking about the eyes of the heart. He didn't give them glasses; he gave them a new understanding.
Let's Pray: Jesus fix our eyes; open them so we may learn and grow. Amen.
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Easter 3
1 Peter 1:17--23
Filtered Lives
Exegetical Aim: Christians are to live holy lives and to love one another.
Props: A cup of water with several small, clean pebbles, a coffee filter, and an empty cup.
Lesson: How many of you get thirsty? (response) What do you like to drink when you get thirsty? (response) When I get thirsty, I like to drink a cup of water, but I've got a problem. My water is dirty. Show the water with the pebbles in it. I guess I can't drink it, can I? (response) Do you want to drink it? (response) No? Maybe there is something I can do to make the water clean. What can I do? (response) Hold up the filter. Does anyone know what this is? (response) It's a coffee filter. When you make coffee, you put the coffee grounds in this and run the water through it. When the water runs through it, the grounds stay in the filter. I can use this filter for my water. Put the filter over the cup of water and clasp it tightly against the cup with your hand. If I pour the water through the filter, begin pouring the water through the filter into the other cup, what do you see in the filter? (response) Put the filter aside and show the water. What happened to the water? (response) Is the water safe to drink? (response) Let's see. Drink the water. The filter worked! That was good clean water.
Application: Now show the filter with the rocks in it. How many rocks are in there? (response) What would that have done to my stomach? (response) As they look at the rocks: There is another filter that we need to use everyday. It is called the truth. If you are honest and obey the truth, you'll collect all kinds of rocks and junk before they get into your head and heart. You'll also discover something else. If you are honest and truthful, you'll find it easier to love people. Filter out the rocks hold up the rocks and you won't upset your stomach.
Let's Pray: Lord, help us follow your truth and our lives will be pure and clean. Amen.
?
Props: Prescription eyeglasses and an eye chart (the chart can be hand drawn). The ideal situation is to use glasses that one of the children may be wearing. If you have an optometrist in your congregation, ask him/her to participate and bring an actual eye chart. Hannah will be the child with glasses and Tom will be without. Other children will participate.
Lesson: Good morning! (response) I want to ask Hannah to come and sit beside me and I am going to need one other volunteer. Choose the child without glasses. I have asked Hannah to come sit beside me because she wears glasses and I have asked Tom to sit on my other side because he does not wear glasses. I also have another volunteer who is going to help. Introduce the optometrist or person who will hold the eye chart. He/she should already be in place. He has brought an eye chart. Does anyone know what an optometrist is? (response) And what is an eye chart? (response) In just a minute he is going to hold up the eye chart and I am going to have Hannah and Tom read the chart, but before they do I am going to ask Hannah to give me her glasses. May I have your glasses for just a minute? (child should hand the glasses to you) Now I am going to ask Tom to put the glasses on. If either of your eyes hurt, you can close them until I am ready for you. Make sure that the children's head sizes match so the glasses are not stretched. Put them on the child yourself to be sure.
Eye chart holder should point to the appropriate lines. Now I only want Hannah and Tom to read the lines on the chart. No one else call out the letters. Hannah can you read the first line? (response) How about you, Tom, can you read the first line? (response) Hannah can you read the second line? (response) How about you, Tom? Can you read the second line? (response) Okay, Tom you can take the glasses off and let's give them back to Hannah. Is there anybody here like Hannah and Tom who cannot read the second line? (response) Is there anybody here that can't read the third line? (response) Proceed to the line that indicates 20/20 vision. Be attentive at this point to actual eyesight problems. This may be the first time a child is able to compare himself to others. However, do not call attention to it at this time.
Application: What would happen if we couldn't see clearly? (response) That's right. We wouldn't be able to read very well and we would have problems at school seeing the board. It would be very difficult to learn and grow. Being able to see and see well is extremely important and when we can't see we need our eyes fixed. Jesus fixed the eyes of a couple of guys. Now, I am not talking about these eyes. Point to your eyes then your heart. I am talking about the eyes of the heart. He didn't give them glasses; he gave them a new understanding.
Let's Pray: Jesus fix our eyes; open them so we may learn and grow. Amen.
?
Easter 3
1 Peter 1:17--23
Filtered Lives
Exegetical Aim: Christians are to live holy lives and to love one another.
Props: A cup of water with several small, clean pebbles, a coffee filter, and an empty cup.
Lesson: How many of you get thirsty? (response) What do you like to drink when you get thirsty? (response) When I get thirsty, I like to drink a cup of water, but I've got a problem. My water is dirty. Show the water with the pebbles in it. I guess I can't drink it, can I? (response) Do you want to drink it? (response) No? Maybe there is something I can do to make the water clean. What can I do? (response) Hold up the filter. Does anyone know what this is? (response) It's a coffee filter. When you make coffee, you put the coffee grounds in this and run the water through it. When the water runs through it, the grounds stay in the filter. I can use this filter for my water. Put the filter over the cup of water and clasp it tightly against the cup with your hand. If I pour the water through the filter, begin pouring the water through the filter into the other cup, what do you see in the filter? (response) Put the filter aside and show the water. What happened to the water? (response) Is the water safe to drink? (response) Let's see. Drink the water. The filter worked! That was good clean water.
Application: Now show the filter with the rocks in it. How many rocks are in there? (response) What would that have done to my stomach? (response) As they look at the rocks: There is another filter that we need to use everyday. It is called the truth. If you are honest and obey the truth, you'll collect all kinds of rocks and junk before they get into your head and heart. You'll also discover something else. If you are honest and truthful, you'll find it easier to love people. Filter out the rocks hold up the rocks and you won't upset your stomach.
Let's Pray: Lord, help us follow your truth and our lives will be pure and clean. Amen.
?
