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Choose from the
following children's sermons:
Practice Makes Perfect
Mt 5:48
by Rev. Randy Quinn
(see below)
A
New Reason to Sing, Jeremiah
31:7-14
Rev. Randy Quinn (see below)
Mourning to Dancing, Jeremia 31:7-14 by
F. Schaefer (see below)
This Little Light of Mine, John 1, by F. Schaefer (see below)
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Practice Makes Perfect
Mt 5:48 (New Year's Day)
by Rev. Randy Quinn
Have you ever heard someone say,
“Practice makes perfect”? (Some have, some may not have heard it – yet.)
What do you think it means?
When I first began to understand
what it meant, I was taking piano lessons. To me, it meant that if I practiced
enough, I’d get better – and eventually I’d be perfect. (I suppose others have
heard the same idea with basketball and free throws or baseball and batting
practice.)
Practice makes perfect is the idea
that with practice, we will become better.
But what if we’re practicing
things wrong? What if we have a bad habit? (Some of the younger children
will not understand the idea, but the adults will – and so will some of the
older children.)
When we say, “Practice makes
perfect,” we mean practice doing the right things in the right way, don’t we?
Some people start the New Year by
making “resolutions.” They mean they are going to stop old – bad – habits or
start new – good – habits. Some people will start the New Year by deciding to
say “thank you” more often, for instance. They will practice it until it
becomes a habit.
I hope you’ll start the New Year
by practicing simple but important habits – habits that help you spend time with
God. I’m talking about habits like praying regularly and reading your Bible and
going to church and participating in Sunday School. You don’t need to do all at
once. But practice one until it becomes a habit and then start another.
When it becomes a habit, you’ll be
able to tell someone else that you learned that practice does make perfect.
Let’s pray:
God, we know we’re not
perfect. And we know that you are. Help us practice being like you by spending
time with you. And as we spend time with you, help us to become perfect like
you (Mt 5:48). Amen.
A
New Reason to Sing, Jeremiah
31:7-14
Rev. Randy Quinn
Do you know what this is?
(I have an unsharpened pencil.) What do you do with a pencil?
(I hope they’ll say you write with it!) In this case, though,
you couldn’t write with it until you sharpen it, could you?
It’s just like several
other ones I have on my desk. None of them have points so you can’t use
any of them to write with. So what do you think I use them for?
The other end of the
pencil has an eraser on it. What does an eraser do?
That’s why I don’t call
this a pencil. I call it an eraser with a long handle.
J If you look, you’ll see
that I have more erasers on my desk than I do pencils. Why do suppose
that is?
I make lots of mistakes.
I used to think I wanted to write in ink so that whatever I wrote would
stay there – but then I learned that sometimes I don’t write what I
mean, so I have to change it. Sometimes the paper gets all messed up
because I’ve made so many mistakes. Does that ever happen to you? (By
the way, that’s why I like to use the computer – you can make all kinds
of mistakes and erase them before anyone even knows about them!)
What about in the way we
talk or play. Do we make mistakes there, too? But I’ve always
wondered: how can we erase those mistakes? (I think the answer is to
ask to be forgiven – although the only one who can forget our mistakes
and our sin is God.)
We have a new year that
started this week. So far, I haven’t made too many mistakes. But I
know I will. And when I do, you know what I’m going to do? I’m going
to ask God to forgive me. It’s like having those mistakes erased.
We have a whole new chance
to start over with a new year. It’s like a clean piece of paper. And I
want to make this the best year ever.
Let’s pray:
God: Thank you for
this New Year. Help us to live each day without making mistakes and
sin. When we do though, teach us to come to you so you can erase our
sin with your forgiving grace. Amen.
God Will Turn Our
Weeping into Dancing
a children's sermon based on Jeremia 31:7-14
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Greetings, my little friends.
Today's lesson is about a promise made by God to take all the sadness of his people
and turn it into joy.That's exactly what it says in the bible in Jer. 31:13 "I
will turn their sadness into joy"
Do you think, that includes you and me also? Are we God's people?
You bet!
Are any of you ever sad? What are some of the things you are sad
about? What about if someone is mean to you? Or if you accidentally make a
mistake? Or if something bad happens to someone you love?
Well, to make a long story short, God promised he will turn our sadness
into joy, and God will turn our weeping into dancing. Who of you likes to dance?
Just move to the music; shake your body; or clap your hands . . .?
People who dance are usually what? Sad? Happy--of course.
Dancing is usually an expression of joy.
Now, have you ever seen anybody dance in church before? What would
you think if suddenly someone would start dancing while we sing a song to God? Would you
think that's strange?
Do we have reason to be joyful? What do you think, should we dance
in church? Is there anybody who would like to lead us in dancing for joy? Who
wants to dance right now?
[you may consider bringing a tape player and having the kids dance to a
Christian song]
I think we need a little more of that spirit of joy and dancing in our
worship services. And you know what? We have every reason to dance, because
our God is an awesome God; he's been good to us; and he even promises to turn sadness into
joy, weeping into dancing. So, even those who are sad right now, can feel better,
because of God's promise.
This Little Light of Mine
based on John 1
by Rev. F. Schaefer
Props: a battery operated electric candle.
Tell about the meaning of Epiphany as God's Light coming into the darkened
world. Turn on the electric candle and ask the children what light is useful for
(vision, beacon, warmth--let them feel the heat of the bulb).
Tell them that "God's Light" is a picture word (metaphor) for a
person who came into the world and whether they know who it is. Ask them why they
think Jesus is called God's Light (he made blind to see, he helped us understand God in a
new light, he saved us from sin...).
God's Light is still in the world today, shining in the form of the church
of Christ. We are the church, you and I are God's little lights and we are called to
shine in the darkness around us--to make this world a better place. Examples?
If your children know the song "This Little Light of Mine"
this is a great time to sing it with them to close the children's time in worship
(you may want to use the hand-motions too).
