Object: None
Now that Christmas is over, do you have anything to look forward to? Is there anything coming up that will make you happy and excited, or do you think that’s all over with now that Christmas has come and gone?
Vacation will be over and school will be starting again in a week or so. Are you looking forward to going back to school? (Let them answer.) Pretty soon, you will be reading s...
Object: Albrecht Durer's "Praying Hands" (either a small statue of "Praying Hands" or a picture)
Our minister will talk this morning about Simeon, one of the people who knew Jesus as a baby. Simeon was also one who prayed a great deal, and it was through prayer that Simeon found out that Jesus was the Son of God and the Savior of the world.
But I want to talk this morning about another man who p...
Object: Discarded wrapping paper, Christmas ornaments to be put away, etc.
Good morning, boys and girls. I hope you had a very merry Christmas. I hope Santa Claus was good to you. It's kind of sad to pack away Christmas for another year, isn't it?
I brought some things with me this morning that I'm packing away. What's this? That's right, some wrapping paper from a gift I received. It was a spec...
Object: New Year’s whistles - hats for each child or one of each for the pastor
Good morning, everybody. Did you have a nice Christmas? How many of you are glad that Christmas came? Did anybody miss it? No one slept through Christmas or forgot about it? Well, I certainly am glad about that. I worried a lot that some of you might miss it. As a matter of fact, I worried so much that I brought somet...
Object: Some cough syrup or cold tablets.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today I am going to show you something that many of you did not think I knew about. It is a story about a boy who did something that I know you would never do. lie did it, and it hurt him.
This boy - we will call him Sam - had a cold and he felt just awful. The night before his mother had taken him to the doctor and, after e...
Object: A curtain or a window blind.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is New Year's Eve and that is a special time of celebration. What are you going to do tonight to celebrate the New Year? (Let them answer.) What are you going to do different next year that you did not do this year? (Let them answer.) Are you going to make any promises to yourself that we call New Year's Resolutions? (Let th...
Object: a potted plant which is vigorous and strong.
Boys and girls, here is a friend of mine. This is one of God's creations. It has life in it and it is growing strong and beautiful. Does anybody know what kind of plant this is? (Let them tell you. Tell them if they don't know.) This plant began as a small seed. It was buried down under the soil and then it began to grow when it was watered. It...
Objects: A bottle, a whistle, a book, and a plant.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you stayed up until midnight last night? (Let them answer.) Isn't a new year an exciting time? (Let them answer.) There are a lot of exciting things that happen in a year's time, but one of the most exciting days of the year is starting. You know when December is over, and when January is starting, New Ye...
Object: None
Once upon a time, there was a young girl who was very, very smart. Even when she was a baby, people knew she was unusually bright, since she was walking and talking much sooner than other babies. Everyone could see that this girl was special.
When she was only three, her mother began teaching her to read, and the little girl learned quickly. She read the easy books, like Doctor Seus...
Object: A flashlight, a rough piece of wood, a soft piece of material, a bottle of perfume, and a piece of dessert.
Today we are going to talk about the ways God created us so that we could experience the world around us. God gave us five senses to help us understand our world. If you are not sure what they are, I will give you a clue and you can tell me what that sense is. First let's start with...
Lesson: This message is most appropriate when children have been invited forward as participants to witness an act of baptism or dedication.
Object: Plastic baby pins in pink and blue (Available as baby shower decorations in shops.
Good morning, boys and girls. We have just been a part of a very happy and special occasion in the life of one of our families here in the church. We have been a part...
Object: a bed pillow
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you went somewhere over the Christmas holidays overnight, or are visiting someone's house right now? (Wait for show of hands.) Where did you go? (Let as many as possible share their holiday visits.) Where did you sleep? (Let as many as possible respond.) Some of you slept on a couch or a cot or maybe even in a sleeping bag on the floo...
Theme: The Promises Of God
Today is the last time until next year that we will gather under the Christmas tree (or around the creche scene) to think about many things.
The time before and after Christmas is a time when we think about promises. Do you know what a promise is?
That’s right. It is something another person tells you that you will receive at a later time. They are so important that p...
Object: a picture of an owl
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a picture of a bird this morning. Does anyone know what kind of bird this is? (Wait for show of hands and choose someone to answer.) That's right, this is an owl. What can you tell me about owls? (Let them respond. They may mention some of the following.) They fly. They sleep during the day. They sit high in trees and old buildin...
Exegetical Aim: To show that once we belong to Christ, there is no distinction among us.
Props: Some sort of strong bag or carrier (duffel bag, athletic bag, and so forth), and a football, a basketball, and a soccer ball.
Lesson: Today I brought my bag to show you. This is my bag, and the things inside are mine. There are some different things inside, but they are all mine because they are in my...
Objects: Two boards or cardboards and some glue. [Fast drying is best.]
If last Sunday was the day before Christmas, then what is this Sunday morning? That's right, this is the day before New Year's Day. It is the first Sunday after Christmas and most of us are still celebrating the birth of Jesus with glad and thankful hearts. I read in the Bible this morning that you and I are sons of God. I al...
Object: a doll with a pull string that makes her talk.
Merry Christmas to all of my Christian friends. The Christ Child is born and we are all filled with joy over his coming. I want you to know that the birth of Jesus was no surprise to God, nor was it any accident that he was born here on earth. Jesus came as the result of a plan that God made and kept. Jesus came because God wanted him to be o...
Object: A bag of candy or stickers. (Something that can be used as a small gift. Make sure you have enough for everyone.) You'll have to think on your feet for this one. The attributes or characteristics you use in this lesson will have to be chosen quickly, depending on the children present.
Lesson: God made everyone and we hurt God when we judge others unfairly because of things they can't help...
Object: a padlock and key
Lesson: So then, you are no longer a slave but a son (Galatians 4:7a, TEV). The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make (Colossians 3:15a, TEV).
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a padlock and key with me this morning. In the Bible it says that Jesus makes us free people and that we aren't slaves anymore. Do you know what a slave is? (Let...
Object: A ring, a watch, a book or a tool - something that you have that belonged to your father.
Lesson: Now we are no longer slaves, but God’s own sons. And since we are his sons, everything he has belongs to us for that is the way God planned.
Good morning, boys and girls. I have something with me this morning that I want to show and share with you. It is something that is very important to m...
Object: Some choir robes.
Lesson: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you remember getting dressed this morning? (Let them answer.) Every day you get out of bed and put on your clothes so that you can go to school, or go outside to play, or just hang around the house. Putting on our clothes is something that all of us do, ...
Object: An egg timer.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today we have a special day that many of us have never talked about in church before. This Sunday has a special name like every other Sunday has, but for many churches, this is the first time that they have used it. Today we are going to talk about Mary, the mother of Jesus. All of us know that Mary was the mother of Jesus, but, except for Chris...
Object: A big bath towel.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you took a bath last night? [Let them raise their hands.] Was it hot and steamy? I just love to take a bath and feel the hot water roll over me. I don’t know if I always liked to take a bath, but I sure do like it now. How many of you can remember a time when your mother put a big bath towel like this one around you after your ba...
Object: A round hole and a square peg.
Lesson: "Cast out the slave and her son; for the son of the slave shall not inherit with the son of the free woman." Galatians 4:30
Good morning. Someone told me that you are the Lord’s children. Is that right? Do you belong to the Lord? (Let them answer). What does it mean to be children of the Lord? (See if you can get several answers). Well, that’s fine ...
Object: an article of clothing or jewelry with hearts on it.
Lesson: God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying "Abba! Father!" (v. 6, RSV) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. (v. 15, RSV)
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you see the heart(s) here on my (clothing, pin, jewelry)? How do you like it? Does it remind you a little bit of Valentine's Day? Maybe you think I shou...
Object: Something that belongs to the entire family but was bought by the Father. (A picture of one of the youngsters’ home, a sack of potatoes or some food. A picture of the family car. Someone with a Polaroid camera could take all of these in a few minutes.)
Good morning, boys and girls, and how are you today? Did you have an exciting Christmas? Did you help Jesus celebrate his birthday? I’m gl...
Objects: matching opposite pieces from a chess game, half black and half white.
Boys and girls, what have I here in front of me today? (Let them tell you.) That's right. These are pieces from a chess game. Let's see if we can name some of them. (As the children identify the king, the queen, the knight, pick up each piece, making sure to pick up black sometimes, white other times.)
Can we play a ...
Objects: a box of felt markers, a sheet of construction paper
Happy Fourth of July, girls and boys! Did you know our country is the only land with a birthday? The United States was born on July 4, 1776, in the city of Philadelphia. Our nation's leaders wrote a paper called the Declaration of Independence. Independence is a big word which means that all of us - red, yellow, brown, white - are free...
Object: Big, cardboard box Good morning, boys and girls. Do any of you have boxes at home that you play in? Aren't they fun? You can make them into a house or a fort or a castle or a cave. But after a while you get tired of them, don't you? Then you just throw them away. But what if you couldn't throw them away? What if you had to stay in the box all the time? It would be hard to play in the box. ...
Object: Two similar-looking shoes Good morning, boys and girls. Can anybody tell me the difference between these two shoes? That's right, they're slightly different colors. Different shapes, too. But really, there's not much difference between these shoes, is there? We use them for the same things--walking. They're both comfortable and nice-looking. No big difference. You know, that's how God look...
Object: A sweatshirt or T-shirt that has the name of a club on it
Lesson: Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
Good morning, boys and girls. Today I have with me a special shirt which you can wear if you are a member of this club. (Show them the shirt.) Did you ever belong to a special club? (Let them answer.) How do you get to be ...
Object: a slide and a slide projector.
Good morning, boys and girls. I want to talk to you this morning about something which we don't often like to talk about. The subject is death. Now, most people are afraid of death. They don't know what it is about, so they are afraid of it. It only comes to you once, and after it happens, there is nothing else that we know like it. I suppose if you only got...
Object: A mirror Boys and girls, I was reading in the newspapers recently about Dr. Bill Sanders of the Aardvark, etc., Veterinary Hospital in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Sanders provides an unusual medical service for pets. He performs cosmetic surgery on them. That is, he is a plastic surgeon for pets. If you don't like the way your pet looks, you can take it to Dr. Sanders and he will try to improve you...
Object: None
What does "delight" mean? The dictionary says that delight means to give great pleasure or joy. Do you think anyone delights in you? Who? How do you know? Do you delight in anyone? Who? What about our church? Do you think anyone would or could delight in the church?
In our lesson from the Bible today, the prophet Isaiah says that God has given His people a new name. Here's the name:...
Object: Two cards: One with a "?" and one with a "!"
Boys and girls: Sometimes life is very hard for people. You know that. Sometimes we lose pets or even parents. Friends are not always nice to us. School can be very difficult for some boys and girls.
In our Scripture lesson for the day the people of Israel were going through a difficult time. They wondered why God had forgotten them.
It remin...
