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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

• God's Coupons, Galatians 3:23-29
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer    (see below)
   

• We are one and yet unique, Galatians 3:23-29
  Germanpastor in CA    (see below)

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God's Coupons
A children's sermon based on Galatians 3:23-29
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

props: 1) one or several coupons clipped out of a newspaper,etc. (buy one get one free, buy two, get the third pair for 50% less...)
2) print and cut out your own coupons that read something like: "Go to Heaven... signed: Jesus".

Good morning my little friends.  Today's lesson is about coupons.   I'm sure you have seen coupons or maybe even used them in the grocery store or in the toy store.  I brought some along for you (show them).  Do any of you ever use those?  What about your mom or dad?  Where do you think I got them? (newspaper, from a display at the store...)

Coupons are kind of exciting because they are usually about getting something for free.  Let's see what these coupons say (share some of your coupons, read what they say).

Now, here is the thing.  Coupons do promise that we can get something for free, but there are strings attached.  This here, for instance, tells you that you must first buy one cereal box and then, and only then, do you get one for free.   So, coupons are really not about getting stuff free--they are about getting stuff for less.

And sometimes there is a problem with coupons.  They make you want to buy stuff that you don't really need.  And then it's actually a waste.

I brought some other coupons.  And these coupons are actually about something that is really free.  And it is about the greatest thing anybody could ever give to someone else.  Who would like to read it? (show your self-made coupon).   Isn't that fantastic.  This coupon is about getting to heaven.   And who is giving out this coupon?  That's right: Jesus, our Lord.

And you know what?  Unlike other coupons, Jesus's coupon for eternal life--life in heaven--is free.  Jesus gives them to everyone who accepts them.   I brought one for every one of you (hand all of them out).

You don't have to pay money, you don't have to change first, you don't have to earn it.  Eternal life is a free gift from God.  And after we accept God's free gift of eternal life in heaven, then God even turns us into fruitful Christians--people who do good deeds.  There is only one condition: we need to accept Jesus' gift.

What do you think?  Should we give thanks to Jesus for his wonderful gift to us?  Let us pray: "Dear Jesus, we want to thank you for offering eternal life to all of us--for free. Lord, I hope and pray that all of my dear little friends here will accept your offer for eternal life and become good and fruitful Christians.   Amen."

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We are one and yet unique
Galatians 3:23-29
Germanpastor in CA

Connected to this Sunday's passage from Galatians:

Let the kids check each other out. Do they look the same? Do they have the same likes and dislikes?

Step 2: let siblings stand up; they come from the same family: are they alike? Answer: no.

Now question: Do you think God treats you in different ways?

Goal: to tell kids: you are not alike, but each precious and gifted. But what unites you is: baptism, love of God, a father (parent) who has many different children, but one great love for all.

This is, what counts, not the differences we might have (it seems a lot of grown-ups would profit from that message, too).