Sermons4Kids

[Soldier4Christ]

No problem. Use as many as you wish. Their are more resources available that go with these such as coloring pages and crafts. The link to them is given in one of the earlier posts.

[Soldier4Christ]

Don't Miss Church!


On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"  John 20:19 (NIV)

I like Top Ten lists.  You know, those lists like "The Top Ten Songs of the Week" or "The Top Ten Movies of the Year."  When your parents were choosing a name for you, they may have looked at a list of "The Top Ten Names for Boys and Girls."  I guess there is a Top Ten list for just about everything you can imagine.  I have a Top Ten list this morning that you may not have heard before.  It is the "Top Ten Reasons for Going to Church."

Every Sunday you have to decide whether you are going to get up and go to church or not.  Well, here is a list of the Top Ten Reasons for Going to Church.  Maybe it will help you to decide.

10. It doesn't cost anything to get in.

9.  It's a good place to meet and visit with friends.

8.  There's nothing good on TV anyway.

7.  You look really nice when you're all dressed up.

6.  They serve cookies and punch at Sunday School.

5.  Your parents are going and they won't let me stay at home alone.

4.  The Praise Band plays some really cool music.

3.  If you get sleepy, you can take a nap during the sermon.

2.  You have a test in school tomorrow and you need to pray for God's help.

And the #1 reason for going to church is.....

You just might miss out on something really important.

What could that something be?  Well, our Bible lesson today might help us to find out.

It was the Sunday after Jesus was crucified and his disciples had gathered together in a locked room.  They were together in that locked room because they were afraid.  They were afraid of what Jesus' enemies might do to them. The Bible tells us that, even though the doors were locked, Jesus came in and stood there with his disciples.  When the disciples saw Jesus, they were very happy.

One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not there with the others in that room when Jesus appeared to them.  I don't know why Thomas wasn't there.  Perhaps he had gone fishing or maybe he just decided to stay at home that day.  When the other disciples saw Thomas, they told him that they had seen Jesus, but he didn't believe them.  "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it," Thomas told them.

A week later the disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them.  The very same thing happened again.  Even though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among his disciples.  He turned to Thomas and said, "See my hands; put your fingers here. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas didn't need to touch the wounds where the nails had been or put his hand into his side.  He fell on his knees before Jesus and said, "My Lord and my God!"

Before Jesus returned to heaven to be with his Father, he told his disciples that when two or three are gathered together in his name, he would be there with them.  Each week we come together in the name of Jesus to worship and to praise him.  So... what really important thing do we miss out on if we don't come to church?  We miss out on the same thing that Thomas missed out on... the chance to be with Jesus!

Dear Jesus, we have come into this house and gathered in your name today because we want to be with you.  We have come to worship and praise your name.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Feed the Children


And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  Isaiah 58:10

How many of you enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?  I think children all over the world enjoy peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches have always been one of my favorite things to eat.  Did you know that there are children all over the world that would love to have as much as one peanut butter and jelly sandwich to eat today, but won’t have anything to eat at all.  Every day there are children who have nothing to eat and many of them die.

I did a little shopping yesterday and I found out that a jar of peanut butter sells for about two dollars.  I found out that loaf of bread sells for about $1.50.  A jar of jelly also sells for about $1.50.  If you add all of that up, it is five dollars.  There is enough bread in this loaf to make about ten peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with peanut butter and jelly left over.  So for about five dollars, we could make enough peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to feed ten hungry children.

Look at all of the people here this morning.  There are about four hundred people in this room.  If each person gave just five dollars to the world hunger offering, we could feed four thousand hungry children.  Oh, I know there are a lot of children here this morning that don’t have five dollars, but there are a lot of people here this morning who could give a lot more.  Just think of how many children we could feed!

Dear Father, you have given us so much, help us to love, as you have loved, and share what you have given us with others.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Shaped by God


Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.  Jeremiah 18:6

How many of you have ever seen someone who could take balloons and shape them into different kinds of animals?  I was watching Sassy the clown do that the other day and I thought, "I'll bet I can do that."  I think I'll try it.  (Take out a balloon and blow it up, then go through some gyrations as if you were trying to make it into the shape of an animal.)  Oh look, I've made a snake.  That is pretty good, isn't it!  I think I'll try another one.  (Blow up another balloon and go through the same process again.)  Hey, look, I've made a worm.  Well, maybe this isn't as easy as I thought it was going to be.  Maybe Sassy the clown knew a lot more about it than I do.

This reminds me of the way God works in my life.  If I will let Him, God can take my life and shape it into whatever He wants me to be.  But every time I try to do it myself, I turn out to be a snake or a worm.  What I need to do is just put myself in God's hands and let Him shape me into what He wants me to be.

Dear Lord, every time I try to take control of my life, I wind up as a snake or a worm.  Help me to let you to make me into what you want me to be.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The “Rasslin’ Match”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

This is a picture of my dad.  My dad is in Heaven with Jesus now, but I still think about him a lot and remember some of the good times we used to have together.  One thing I remember is how we used to have “rasslin’ matches” when I was a little boy.  We’d get down on the floor and wrestle.  He’d take my arm and put it behind my back and he’d say, “Do you give up?”  I’d say, “No!”  He would keep holding my arm behind my back until I’d say, “I give up!  I give up!”  He would let me up, and I would jump right back on him and the “rasslin’ match would start all over again.  Of course my dad was much larger and stronger than I was and he could have easily won every “rasslin’ match,” but he didn’t.  He would often let me win.

We often get into a “rasslin’ match with our Heavenly Father.  We want to do things our way, and he wants us to “give up” and let Him be in control of our life.  The things that He wants for us are much better than the things we want for ourselves.  In the Bible God says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God, our heavenly Father is strong and mighty.  He could easily force us to do what He wants us to do, but He doesn’t do that.  He patiently waits for us to “give up” and give Him control.  Isn’t it time we said, “I give up!  I give up!” and let Him have control of our life?

Dear Father, we choose You to be the Lord of our life.  We “give up.”  You are in control.    Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Master Designer


"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Ephesians 2:10 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I would like to show you this quilt. It was made by a friend of mine. Isn't it beautiful? Just look at all of the beautiful colors and interesting designs. It wasn't always that way. At one time these were just a bunch of useless bits and pieces of material. Then my friend, a master quilt maker, took those bits and pieces of material and put together this beautiful quilt. Now they are not only beautiful, but useful as well.

When I saw this beautiful quilt, I decided I would like to make a quilt like this one. I brought a lot of scraps of material. Now, I will need your help in making this quilt. I am going to count to three. As soon as I say, "Three," I want all of you to yell, "Bang!" When you say, "Bang," we will throw all of these scraps of material up in the air and when they come down, they will make a beautiful quilt. Okay are you ready?

"One, two, three, BANG!" (Throw all the pieces of fabric up into the air.)

Hey, it didn't work! How many of you thought it would work? How many of you thought that was one of the dumbest ideas you have ever heard? Well, I agree. It is foolish to think that I could throw these pieces of cloth up in the air and that they would come down and make a quilt.

I don't know about you, but I don't believe you and I are here by accident either. I believe this world and everything in it was created by God and that God had a plan and a purpose for everything. The Bible says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The Bible also tells us that, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works."

Just as my friend had a plan when she created this quilt, God has a plan for your life. He is the Master Designer. All you have to do is just give your life to Him and He will take all the bits and piece of your life and make them into something beautiful and useful.

Dear Lord and Creator, You are the Master Designer. We know that you have a plan and a purpose for us. We ask you to take the bits and pieces of our lives and make them into something beautiful. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Show Your Love

If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15   If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

I am sure that all of you know that it is Mother's Day.  Did you give your mother a card or a present for Mother's Day?  This Mother's Day card says, "Mom, I love you!"  Do you think your mother likes to hear you tell her that you love her?  Of course she does!  But do you know what your mother would like even more?  She would like for you to show her that you love her.  How do you think you might do that?  Well, you might help around the house, you could clean your room, you could empty the trash, you could show her you love her by obeying her when she tells you to do something.  It is easy to tell your mom that you love her, but if you really love her, your actions will show it!

Do you think that Jesus likes to hear us tell Him that we love Him?  I know He does.  But He likes it even better when our actions show Him that we love Him.  How do we do that?  The Bible says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command."  One of the best ways to show our love for Jesus is to love one another.  The Bible says, "Anyone who does not love his brother, cannot love God."  Yes, Jesus likes to hear us say, "I love you," but He would rather see us say, "I love you."

Dear Lord, we have come to your house today to say, "I love you."  Help us to go out of here today and show you that we love you by our actions.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Father's Wisdom


Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.   Proverbs 4:1

The Bible says, "Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding."  How many of you listen to the wise things that your father says to you?  After all, your father is older, has far more experience, and is much wiser than you are.  To prove my point, I have made a list of the top ten sayings of a wise father.  I am sure that you have heard many of these wise sayings from the lips of your very own father.

10. Why? Because I said so, that's why!
9.   Just wait 'till you have kids of your own.
8.   What did I just get finished telling you?
7.   This is going to hurt me more than it does you.
6.   Do I look like I'm made out of money?
5.   Not now, I'm watching the game.
4.   When you break you leg, don't come running to me!
3.   No!   We are NOT lost.
2.   Be quiet!   Can't you see I'm trying to think?
1.   How should I know?   Ask your mother!

Well, maybe your father doesn't always have all the right answers, but God has blessed most of you with a Godly father, and he has commanded you to show him honor and respect. You should also remember to pray for your father and ask God to give him the wisdom he needs to train you in the way that God wants you to grow.

I think it would also be a good thing to say a word of thanks to your fathers.  Thank him for providing for your physical needs -- the house you live in, the food you eat, the clothes you wear.  Thank him for the wisdom he shares --even though he may not always have all the answers.  Finally, thank him for living a Godly life and setting a good example for you to follow.

Dear Jesus, we thank you for our fathers and we pray that you will bless them with the wisdom needed to be good fathers.   Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Each One Reach One


Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  Luke 24:46-47 (NKJV)

I enjoyed playing with dominoes when I was a child.  I don't mean "playing games with dominoes" -- I mean "playing with dominoes."  It was fun to build a house or a tower and see how tall I could make it before it came tumbling down.  One of the most fun things to do with dominoes is to stand them up on end in a long line like these that I have set up.  I'm sure that you have probably done the same thing.  You very carefully set up the dominoes, and when they are all set up, you topple the first domino and watch the others as they fall.

It isn't just children who enjoy doing that with dominoes, adults enjoy it too.  In fact, each year people from all over the world gather for "Domino Day" and try to set a new record for the number of dominoes to be set up and toppled.  You may find it hard to believe, but the current record is more than 4 million!  Can you imagine?  It took about two hours for all of the dominoes to topple -- and it all started with just one domino.

You may be wondering, "What does this have to do with our Bible story for today?"  Well, I promise it does.  Just wait and see.

In our Bible story today, Jesus appeared to his disciples after he had risen from the dead.  At first, the disciples were afraid.  They thought they were seeing a ghost.  Jesus told them not to be afraid.  He showed them the nail scars in his hands and feet and invited them to touch him. "A ghost doesn't have skin and bones as I do," Jesus said to the disciples.

When the disciples finally realized that it was really Jesus and not a ghost, Jesus began to teach them.  He explained that he had to suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day to fulfill what was written about him in the Scripture.  Then he told the disciples that they should spread his story to every nation of the world.

Wow!  That's a big job, isn't it?  The disciples were few, how could they take the story of Jesus to the whole world?  Well, it is the same as it is with the dominoes.  It starts with one person.  One person tells another and he tells another, and another, and another until the whole world has heard that Jesus is risen from the dead and he is LORD.

Yes, it is a big job -- and it isn't finished yet.  You and I must do our part, but we don't have to do it alone.  There is a song that tells us how it is done.

Each one can reach one;
As we follow after Christ we all can lead one;
We can lead one to the Savior.
Then together we can tell the world
That Jesus is the way --
If we each one reach one.

Dear Father, help us to be remember that we can help to spread the good news of Jesus to the whole world if "each one will reach one."  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Crown of Gray


Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. Proverbs 16:30 Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:32

This morning I have brought a crown. What do you think of when you see a crown? Who wears a crown? Kings and Queens, the rulers of nations wear crowns, don't they? The crown is a symbol of power, honor, and of respect. The one who wears a crown is greatly loved and admired by everyone. Have you ever known anyone who wears a crown?

Look at this picture. (show the picture of an elderly person with gray hair.) What do you think of when you see someone with gray hair? Do you think of someone who is old and who has outlived their usefulness? Do you ever make fun of them because their hearing is almost gone and you have to yell to make them hear you? Do you make jokes because their memory isn't as good as it once was? I'm afraid that many of us do these things.

What does the Bible say about our gray-haired friends and how we should treat them? Proverbs 16:30 says that gray hair is a crown that has been gained by living a righteous life. I think that means that when we see someone with gray hair, we should look at them as if they were wearing a crown. The one wearing this gray crown is worthy of our respect and admiration and we should listen to them and learn from them because they have great wisdom which has come from many years of learning from God's Word.

What would you do if a king or queen entered this room? It is expected that if a king or queen enters the room, everyone is to stand out of respect. In Leviticus 19:32 the Bible tells us to rise in the presence of the aged, and to show respect for the elderly.

Today is Grandparent's Day. Let us be sure that today we honor our grandparents and give thanks to God for them. But more important, let us make sure that we treat them with honor and respect every day.

Dear Father, thank you for our grandparents and for all that they have taught us -- especially what they have taught us about you. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

A Backpack Full of Worries

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19

School started this week and I am sure most of you are back into your daily routine. I know that most of you use a backpack to carry all of your school supplies and books back and forth to school. I see some children with backpacks that are almost as big as they are! Sometimes their backpacks are so loaded with all those heavy books that it is just about more than they can carry!
 
Life is a lot like that too. Sometimes we have some pretty heavy burdens that we try to carry around with us. Some of you may be worried that you won't have any friends in your class, or that the other kids won't like you, or that you just won't fit in.  Maybe some of you are worried that you won't have the right clothes. Maybe you are still wearing a "Star Wars" t-shirt and all the other kids are wearing "Pokemon" t-shirts. Maybe some of you are worried that you might not be able to do the work in your new grade and are afraid you might fail. Those can be pretty heavy problems to carry around with us.

Well, I have some good news for you! You don't have to carry all those worries around with you! The Bible tells us that God will carry those burdens for us. So, if you started school this week with a load of worries and problems, this morning you can give them to Jesus. He will carry them for you.

Lord, we are thankful that we do not have to carry the heavy burdens of life around on our backs. This morning we give them to you.  Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 The Master Designer



"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Ephesians 2:10 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I would like to show you this quilt. It was made by a friend of mine. Isn't it beautiful? Just look at all of the beautiful colors and interesting designs. It wasn't always that way. At one time these were just a bunch of useless bits and pieces of material. Then my friend, a master quilt maker, took those bits and pieces of material and put together this beautiful quilt. Now they are not only beautiful, but useful as well.

When I saw this beautiful quilt, I decided I would like to make a quilt like this one. I brought a lot of scraps of material. Now, I will need your help in making this quilt. I am going to count to three. As soon as I say, "Three," I want all of you to yell, "Bang!" When you say, "Bang," we will throw all of these scraps of material up in the air and when they come down, they will make a beautiful quilt. Okay are you ready?

"One, two, three, BANG!" (Throw all the pieces of fabric up into the air.)

Hey, it didn't work! How many of you thought it would work? How many of you thought that was one of the dumbest ideas you have ever heard? Well, I agree. It is foolish to think that I could throw these pieces of cloth up in the air and that they would come down and make a quilt.

I don't know about you, but I don't believe you and I are here by accident either. I believe this world and everything in it was created by God and that God had a plan and a purpose for everything. The Bible says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." The Bible also tells us that, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works."

Just as my friend had a plan when she created this quilt, God has a plan for your life. He is the Master Designer. All you have to do is just give your life to Him and He will take all the bits and piece of your life and make them into something beautiful and useful.

Dear Lord and Creator, You are the Master Designer. We know that you have a plan and a purpose for us. We ask you to take the bits and pieces of our lives and make them into something beautiful. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

 A Rock Concert

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." Luke 19:40

You are probably wondering why I have this bucket of rocks with me this morning. Well, I had heard that we might have a "rock concert" this morning. I see some of you smiling, don't you believe that these rocks could sing? Well, let me tell you a story about Jesus and tell you what he said about it.

One day, Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a small donkey. His followers were lining the streets and they were praising Jesus and shouting, "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" They were creating quite a stir and some of the religious leaders didn't like it. They asked Jesus to keep his followers quiet. Jesus answered them and said, "If they remain silent, the stones would immediately begin to cry out!"

If these rocks would cry out this morning, I wonder what they would say? One might tell how a little shepherd boy named David used a small stone to slay a giant to show that we can do anything when God is with us!

Another might tell how the prophet Elijah used stones to build an altar to God. The altar was used to offer a sacrifice to God to prove that He is the one, true God.

This rock might tell how Solomon had used stones to build a beautiful temple for people to worship God.

Still another rock might remind us that Jesus once told a story about a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the storms came, the house on the rock stood firm.

Yes, these stones might have a lot of stories to tell, but we won't let them. Just as the followers of Jesus lined the streets to praise their King, you and I are here today to praise our King. As long as we praise him, there will be no need for these stones to cry out.

Dear Lord, we know that you would rather hear us praise you than to hear a "rock concert." So Lord, we lift your name on high! Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

True Worship


"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Mark 7:6b-7 (NIV)

Do you know what this is? (hold up the "Worship Plan") It is our "worship guide." We print one of these every Sunday. We do that so that everyone will know what we are going to do next in our worship service. Sometimes I wonder if we really need to print one of these every Sunday. After all, we do the same thing every Sunday. I think I could do in my sleep. In fact, I see some people every Sunday who do it in their sleep! Not really...I was only kidding. Or was I?

Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing wrong with having a worship plan unless the plan becomes more important to us than worship. I heard about a church that got into a huge argument because the pastor changed the time when they took the offering during the worship service. "We've never done it that way before," the people cried. You see, some people are more concerned with WHEN and HOW we take the offering than they are with WHY we take the offering. Their traditions are more important to them than worshipping God.

This isn't a new problem. Even Jesus faced this problem. One day a group of people gathered around Jesus to listen to him as he taught. Some of the religious leaders noticed that Jesus' disciples had forgotten to wash their hands before they ate. They were really upset and asked Jesus why his disciples were not keeping the tradition of washing their hands before eating.

Jesus answered those religious leaders by telling them that a clean heart was more important than clean hands. I don't think that Jesus was saying it isn't important to wash your hands before you eat. He was saying that keeping the commandments of God is more important than keeping our own traditions.

I hope that we never become more concerned about WHEN and HOW we do things in our worship services than we are about WHY we do them. I hope we will always remember that true worship comes from our heart, not from our "worship plan".

Dear Father, help us to remember that we are in this place to worship you and that true worship comes from the heart. Amen.

[Soldier4Christ]

Soli Deo Gloria


Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)

I think that one of the greatest gifts that God has given us is the gift of music. Have you ever heard of a composer by the name of Johann Sebastian Bach? Bach lived about 250 years ago and he is considered by many people to be one of the greatest composers who ever lived. You might be surprised to learn that some of Bach's music is still in our hymnals today.

Whenever Bach wrote a piece of music, he always wrote the letters S.D.G. at the bottom of the music. Those letters stand for the words Soli Deo Gloria which means "To God alone be the glory." You see, Bach realized that his music was a gift from God and that he had a responsibility to use his gift to the glory of God.

Music is a very important part of our worship. The Bible says, "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord."

Some people come to worship, but they never sing. They have a lot of excuses for not singing. Here are some of the excuses I have heard over the years.

"I can't carry a tune in a bucket." Sorry, but that excuse won't hold water. The Bible doesn't say, "Sing to the Lord with a beautiful voice." It says, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord."

Another excuse I hear is, "I don't like the songs we sing." That excuse won't work either. Why? Because the songs aren't for us, they are for God. Since God created the gift of music, I think He probably likes all kinds of music!

Here's an excuse I've heard many times. "I don't know that song." The Bible says, "Sing unto the Lord a new song." How can we sing a new song to the Lord, if we won't even try to learn it?

Do you know what I think? I think it is time for us to stop making excuses and use whatever musical gift God has given us to glorify Him. Soli Deo Gloria! To God alone be the glory!

Thank you, Father, for the gift of music. May we always use that gift to sing and make music in our hearts to the Lord. Amen.