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Choose from the following children's sermons:
1)
"Water"
(see below)
2) Remember Your
Baptism
(scroll down)
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Water
a children's sermon for the Lord's Baptism Sunday
by Rev. F. Schaefer
Theme: Water / Baptism
Scripture: "And when
Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water,
suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him."
Matthew 3:16
Objects:
pitcher with water, a couple of paper cups
Good morning boys and girls. Today, I brought a
pitcher, because our lesson is about water. This pitcher is filled with crystal-clear,
chilled fresh water. Doesn't it look delicious? You know, they say that
nothing can quench your thirst like water when you're really thirsty. Is there
anybody among us who is thirsty and who would like to try some of the water? (use the
paper cups and let some of the kids try it, then ask them how it was.)
What else is water good for? (let hem name some
examples of the following properties):
- rain makes plants / veggies grow
- cleansing power
- refreshing quality - (here you may want to surprise them with the super soaker)
- healing properties - water flushes toxic agents out of our bodies, etc.
In today's lesson, we have another quality of water. Read
the scripture verse. God has given us water for baptism. As Jesus was baptized with
water, the Holy Spirit of God entered him. Most of you have been baptized too.
(Baptist tradition: most of you will one day make a decision to follow Jesus and be
baptized). And as you were (will be) baptized with water, something of God, called
the Holy Spirit, has entered (will enter) you too. It is one of the great mysteries
of the church that nobody can really fully understand--not even preachers. Somehow,
the water of baptism is connected with the Holy Spirit.
What do you think, do we have good reasons to thank God for
giving us water? Pray with me, will you?:
Thank you loving and almighty God for giving us water;
water refreshes us, it satisfies our thirst, it gives us plants and
life.
Thank you God for giving us your Holy Spirit;
just like water, your Spirit give us new life.
Thank you for water, thank you for your Spirit, thank you
for life. Amen.
Remember Your Baptism
a children's sermon for the Lord's Baptism Sunday
by Rev. F. Schaefer
Props: a picture of you at your own baptism (or a copy of
your baptism certificate). Also, prepare the font (or baptismal pool) and see to it
that you have some water in it.
Greetings, my little friends. Today, I would like for
us to gather around the baptismal font (pool). Who of you has been baptized?
Does any of you remember your baptism? I think, none of us (who have been baptized
as babies) can really remember this event too well.
But, I bet if we were to ask our parents, they could tell
us what it was like. Most likely they can even show us a picture of our
baptism. Show your picture (or baptism certificate). Look, this is what I
remember my baptism by. Isn't that neat. It's probably hard to believe for
you that I used to be a tiny baby too.
It is good to remember our baptism, because it has an
important message for us: namely the good news that God loved us even before we knew
about him. God chose us, before we could choose him. And before we could even
make a decision, God already made us his children.
Of course, some people get baptized when they are older and
they can remember their baptism a little better. In our gospel story today, the Lord
Jesus was baptized too. And he was a young adult when John the Baptist led him to the
water.
You know, of course, that we use water in baptism.
So, I thought that this morning we could remember our baptism by feeling some of the water
from the font on us again. (Wet your hands in the font and spritz some water into the
group of children while saying: "remember your baptism. You may also want to
let some of the adults experience the water--those who sit in the first few pews,
perhaps.)
