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• God will Find a Way, Genesis 45:1-15 by Rev. Randy Quinn
  (see below)
   
• Making Up With Your Brothers and Sisters, Genesis 45:1-15
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer  (see below)

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God will Find a Way
a children's sermon based on Genesis 45:1-15
by Rev. Randy Quinn

Have you ever heard someone say, "There's more than one way to skin a cat?" (Some will not have heard the expression, especially the younger children. To them, it may sound rather offensive.)

I did some checking. This isn't about kittens. It's about catfish. There's more than one way to skin a catfish. Some people gut it first. Some people start at the nose, some people start at the tail. Some people cook it first. There's more than one way to do it.

The phrase means there's more than one way to do something – and no one way is better than another. It's just different.

Like tying a tie, for instance. There's more than one way to tie a tie.

Some people tie different knots than I use.

Some people tie it and then put it over their heads.

Some people use a mirror and some people don't.

There's more than one way to do it. (Of course some people think their way is the right way, or at least the best way to do something.)

I think there is more than one way for God to talk to us.

Sometimes God speaks to us through the Bible.

Sometimes God speaks to us through dreams.

Sometimes God speaks to us when other people are talking.

Sometimes God speaks to us from nature.

And sometimes God speaks to us out loud (though not many of us have heard God speak that way.)

In our story today, Joseph thinks God was working in a certain way, but I think there was another way God could have done the same thing – only Joseph and his brothers wouldn't let him. So God had to find another way to "skin a cat."

And I'm glad.

Let's pray:

God, thank you for finding more than one way to speak to us and for finding more than one way to show us how much you love us. Help us keep finding ways to share your love with other people, too. Amen.

 

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Making Up With Your Brothers and Sisters
a children's sermon based on Genesis 45:1-15
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

props: pictures of your brother(s) or sister(s) or cousin(s)

Show the pictures of your brother(s) or sister(s) or cousin(s) and consider sharing a little story of how you made up with them.

Ask the children about their own brothers or sisters: how many, if any do they have?  If they don't have siblings do they have cousin(s)?  Do they always get along with them?  Do they sometimes fight? 

Re-tell the story of Joseph in your own words with an emphasis on the fact that Joseph could not hold a grudge forever, but reconciled with his brothers.  He was willing to forgive them for the terrible thing they had done to him, because he still loved them very much.

Ask the children if they ever feel betrayed or hurt by bothers or sisters?   Did they make up with them? How did that feel? Do they find it easy to forgive them for wronging them?

Conclusion: The thing is that brothers and sisters or even cousins are a gift from God.  They are special.  Friends may come and go during your life time, but you will always have a special bond to your brothers and sisters.  It is important to make up with them.  Even though there are fights and disagreements, love must prevail in every family.

Let us give thanks to God every day for our brothers and sisters or our cousins and let us ask God to help us forgive them and to make up with them after a fight.