You Can't Judge A Filling By Its Chocolate
Children's sermon
Ping-Pong Words
And 30 More Children's Sermons
Object:
Scripture References
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
-- 1 Samuel 16:7
He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one."
-- 1 Samuel 16:12
Materials Needed
Box of chocolates with mixed fillings
Card stock printed with 1 Samuel 16 (reference only)
Telling The Story
(Open the box of chocolate. Take one out, bite it, and announce its filling. Take out a second piece of chocolate, bite it, and announce its filling.) These pieces of chocolate are very good! From the outside, they very much alike, but when you bite into them, you find out that they are very different. Without the map that sometimes comes with the box, you have to break or bite the chocolate to know what's inside.
Sometimes we judge people by how they look on the outside, but a story in the Bible lets us know that God looks at us differently. (Hold up the card stock with 1 Samuel 16 printed on it.)
In 1 Samuel, chapter 16, God told Samuel, his prophet, to anoint a new king for Israel. Anointing is an old practice that involved pouring oil onto the head of a person chosen for a special job. God sent Samuel to the town of Bethlehem, where he was to meet a man named Jesse. Jesse didn't know it yet, but one of his eight sons was going to be chosen as the next king. So Samuel came to town, and Jesse called together his sons.
First, Samuel met Eliab. The Bible doesn't tell us what Eliab looked like, but Samuel was impressed. After seeing Eliab, Samuel thought that he must be the next king. But do you know what God said?
In verse 7, God said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Samuel looked at Eliab on the outside and was sure that he would be the next king, but God told Samuel that he was looking at our hearts.
Finally, Samuel met David. David was the youngest. Usually, the Bible doesn't say much about the way a person looks, but in this case, it does give us some clues. The middle part of verse 12 says, "Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome."
Do you know what ruddy means? It means "red." We don't know if verse 12 means that David had red hair or if he had a reddish complexion from being out in the sun while he was watching the sheep, but the Bible says that he was ruddy and handsome.
The Bible doesn't say this, but it's possible that David was short. Remember that in verse 7, God told Samuel not to consider Eliab's height. Saul, the first king of Israel, was tall, so Samuel and the other people might have expected another tall man to be the new king. When Samuel saw David, he probably thought, "He's young, he's short, and he smells like the sheep he watches all day. He couldn't possibly be the next king."
But remember what else God said in verse 7. God looks at our hearts, not our faces or our heights or anything else on the outside. God knew that David loved him very much and that David was the best choice for the new king. So God told Samuel to anoint David.
Sometimes we treat people just like the chocolates in this box. We look at the outside instead of the inside first. But if we ask, God will help us learn to see the way he sees. Just like this box of chocolate has a "map" to let us know which chocolate is which, God already knows what is inside our hearts and he'll guide us to see the good in each other.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for loving us and for seeing inside our hearts. Please help us to remember that what is inside the people we meet is much more important than what is outside. Help us to see others the way you see them and to look for the love of you in their hearts.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Allow each child to take a piece of chocolate from the box.
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
-- 1 Samuel 16:7
He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one."
-- 1 Samuel 16:12
Materials Needed
Box of chocolates with mixed fillings
Card stock printed with 1 Samuel 16 (reference only)
Telling The Story
(Open the box of chocolate. Take one out, bite it, and announce its filling. Take out a second piece of chocolate, bite it, and announce its filling.) These pieces of chocolate are very good! From the outside, they very much alike, but when you bite into them, you find out that they are very different. Without the map that sometimes comes with the box, you have to break or bite the chocolate to know what's inside.
Sometimes we judge people by how they look on the outside, but a story in the Bible lets us know that God looks at us differently. (Hold up the card stock with 1 Samuel 16 printed on it.)
In 1 Samuel, chapter 16, God told Samuel, his prophet, to anoint a new king for Israel. Anointing is an old practice that involved pouring oil onto the head of a person chosen for a special job. God sent Samuel to the town of Bethlehem, where he was to meet a man named Jesse. Jesse didn't know it yet, but one of his eight sons was going to be chosen as the next king. So Samuel came to town, and Jesse called together his sons.
First, Samuel met Eliab. The Bible doesn't tell us what Eliab looked like, but Samuel was impressed. After seeing Eliab, Samuel thought that he must be the next king. But do you know what God said?
In verse 7, God said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Samuel looked at Eliab on the outside and was sure that he would be the next king, but God told Samuel that he was looking at our hearts.
Finally, Samuel met David. David was the youngest. Usually, the Bible doesn't say much about the way a person looks, but in this case, it does give us some clues. The middle part of verse 12 says, "Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome."
Do you know what ruddy means? It means "red." We don't know if verse 12 means that David had red hair or if he had a reddish complexion from being out in the sun while he was watching the sheep, but the Bible says that he was ruddy and handsome.
The Bible doesn't say this, but it's possible that David was short. Remember that in verse 7, God told Samuel not to consider Eliab's height. Saul, the first king of Israel, was tall, so Samuel and the other people might have expected another tall man to be the new king. When Samuel saw David, he probably thought, "He's young, he's short, and he smells like the sheep he watches all day. He couldn't possibly be the next king."
But remember what else God said in verse 7. God looks at our hearts, not our faces or our heights or anything else on the outside. God knew that David loved him very much and that David was the best choice for the new king. So God told Samuel to anoint David.
Sometimes we treat people just like the chocolates in this box. We look at the outside instead of the inside first. But if we ask, God will help us learn to see the way he sees. Just like this box of chocolate has a "map" to let us know which chocolate is which, God already knows what is inside our hearts and he'll guide us to see the good in each other.
Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank you so much for loving us and for seeing inside our hearts. Please help us to remember that what is inside the people we meet is much more important than what is outside. Help us to see others the way you see them and to look for the love of you in their hearts.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
Allow each child to take a piece of chocolate from the box.
