Exegetical Aim: How God repairs our lives when we repent. Props: 8"x11" paper and tape. You will need one of each for every two or three children. If you want to make it interesting use several different kinds of tape. Optional: On each piece of paper draw the letters A, B, C, D, etc. You will be able to name the teams when they are done. Lesson: Good morning! (response) Does anyone know what Chr...
Exegetical Aim: To teach that baptism is a foundational event in the life of a Christian.
Props: Bicycle training wheels.
Lesson: Good morning. (response) What do I have in my hands? (response) How many of you have bicycles? (response) How old were you when you learned to ride it? (response) Who taught you how to ride? (response) Before you learned to ride you had to use some special wheels call...
Object: a road worker's hard hat and a road work ahead sign
(Put on the hard hat and set up the sign.)
Good morning, boys and girls. I wore a special hat this morning. Have you seen any signs like this one before? (Wait for show of hands.) Can anyone read this sign? (Choose someone to read it.) That's right, it says "road work ahead". This is the kind of hat a road worker would wear. Making road...
Object: A pen and a pencil.
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought along with me this morning a couple of items that I am sure you are familiar with and even use a lot. (Show them the pencil and pen.) Do you know what these are? That's right. Which one is the pencil and which one is the pen? Very good. You got it right. Now, the next question is, what do we use them for? (Let them answer.) That'...
Object: posterboard or heavy construction paper
Teachers: The children's message today discusses signs like ROAD WORK AHEAD while examining the verses from Isaiah about making the road straight. You will need some posterboard or heavy construction paper folded in half so it will stand up to imitate road signs. The size you use isn't important. You may want to letter the signs yourself. Make thick...
Object: parchment paper and calligraphy pens (or ordinary paper and markers)
Teachers: This project will work best if you use parchment paper and calligraphy pens, but can also be done with ordinary paper and markers. Remind your class that even though they have an earthly family that loves them very much, they are really all members of God's family first. Remind them that we are all God's childr...
Object: pictures of children's baptisms or certificates
Teachers: Ask parents to bring or send pictures of their child's baptism or certificates if available. Talk about the different kinds of baptisms. Point out the kind your church uses. Mention common practices in your church surrounding baptism. Spend time really listening to the children's impressions of baptisms they've seen at your church ...
Object: A chain or a rope with a stake tied to one end
Good morning, boys and girls. A little boy once noticed an enormous elephant tied to a tiny stake in the ground. He asked the elephant's trainer if the elephant could pull the stake up and get away. The trainer replied, "Yes he could." But then the trainer added, "But he never will.
"You see, when he was just a baby elephant, we had to tie h...
Objects: A doll baby and a real baby.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to take a look at a man who was very important to Jesus and to the whole Church. His name was John the Baptizer and he was a cousin of Jesus. His mother and Mary, the mother of Jesus were related. John was a little older than Jesus and grew up in a different town or village. One day when he received a call from...
Object: A bell of some kind
Good morning, boys and girls. Our Scripture lesson for the morning is about John the Baptist, a man who went around telling the people to get ready for the coming of Jesus. John the Baptist didn't carry a bell with him that we know of, but it wouldn't have been a bad idea. He could have rung the bell and said, "Get ready, Get ready. Jesus is coming."
I don't know wher...
Object: string, paraffin, candle coloring, empty coffee cans, and a stove or burner
Teachers: For this project you will need string, paraffin, candle coloring (all available with detailed instructions at any craft shop), some empty coffee cans, and a stove or burner. Start out by asking your students to think of some of the sins that might be inside us, like the bad things we think or feel. Then ...
Object: a burning flame.
Good morning, boys and girls. You all look fresh and clean and glad to be here. I see you put on your best Sunday clothes, and I'll bet you combed your hair and washed your hands and faces before you came to church too. How many of you took a shower or a bath last night, getting ready for Sunday morning? (Let them answer.) Why do we do that? That's right. We want to be fr...
Exegetical Aim: To teach that baptism is a foundational event in the life of a Christian.
Props: Bicycle training wheels.
Lesson: Good morning. (response) What do I have in my hands? (response) How many of you have bicycles? (response) How old were you when you learned to ride it? (response) Who taught you how to ride? (response) Before you learned to ride you had to use some special wheels call...
Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate the necessity of continually believing the gospel.
Props: A rope.
Lesson: How many of you are swimmers? (response) Good. Some of you can swim, and some of you will learn how one day. It's good to be in the water and to have fun when it is hot outside, isn't it? But sometimes we can get into trouble when we are swimming, can't we? If we get a gulp of water or a cram...
Object: A clothesline, two children to act like poles and all of the children's shoes that can be tied or hung on the clothes line.
Lesson: Not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Good morning, boys and girls. I need some volunteers today who look like poles. Is there anyone here who thinks that they would make a good pole? (...
Exegetical Aim: To demonstrate that time is not a factor to God or His plan.
Props: A watch with a second hand and minute marks.
Lesson: Today I want us to learn how to count time. I have a watch here, and it has some numbers. Each number is an hour. One hour is worth sixty minutes, this is represented by the little lines in between the numbers. Each minute is worth sixty seconds, which is how l...
Object: A large clock, preferably one with an audible tick-tock and one from when the back can be removed so that the workings can be seen.
Good morning, boys and girls. Say, that’s the same thing I said last Sunday and the Sunday before that. But I like to say "Good Morning", even if it is the same. I keep thinking that I probably sound like this clock, always saying the same thing. Can you hear...
Object: Pictures from magazines of several recognizable faces-- Seth Curry, President Trump, etc. Also a picture of Santa and one of Jesus.
Boys and girls, I'm going to show you some famous pictures and ask you to identify them. (Show them pictures except for Santa and Jesus and let them identify them.) You did really well. I once read about a study that was done to find out whose picture more bo...
Object: a scale, some sheets of paper, and a brick or stone.
Good morning, boys and girls. Have you ever wondered if God listens to your prayers or cares if you do something good for someone else? You would be very unusual if you did not wonder about it. We all know that God answers us and cares about us, but we wonder sometimes if it doesn't take too long. The Bible teaches us that we should nev...
Object: photo illustration of a clock.
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know how to tell time? (Let them answer.) Telling time is something we need to learn to do. Sometimes our parents teach us how to do it at home. Some of us learn how to tell time in the classroom when we go to school.Here is a clock. (Show them the picture.) Can you tell me what time the clock says? (Let some who...
Object: A flashlight, rope, screwdriver, bag.
Text: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
Good morning, boys and girls. I want to show you what I have in this bag. (Take out each item and hold it up.) What kind of a person would need a bag like this? (Let them guess.) Well, a thief would probably need a bag full of tools like this. Why would a thief need a flashlight? (Let them guess.)...
Object: A large paintbrush suitable for house painting, a small artist's paintbrush, a completed painting, paints, and a blank canvas.
Lesson: I thought we would do some painting today. I brought along a lot of supplies that we will be needing. Now here is a painting that has already been completed. Isn't it beautiful? The artist did such a great job on the detail and the blending of colors. It p...
Object: A box of salt.
Good morning, boys and girls. Do you remember that we talked last week about the idea that this was a new year in church? (Let them answer.) Everything starts over with the first day, the first week and even the first month. It all seems fresh to us as we wait for Jesus to come into our hearts all over again. Have you ever wondered how many times Christians have done this? ...
Object: a pine cone
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought a little tiny tree for you to see. (Hold up the pine cone.) This really isn't a tree, is it? (Let them answer.) It's a pine cone. This is a good time of year to talk about pine cones. What kind of tree does a pine cone come from? (Let them respond.) That's right, a pine tree. Pine trees are the kind of trees we use for Christmas trees. H...
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: A fishing pole.
Good morning, boys and girls! Today I want to find out what you like to do during the summer. How many of you like to go swimming? (Let them answer.) How many of you enjoy riding your bikes? (Let them answer.) What are some of the other favorite things you do in the summer? (Let them answer.) All of those things sound like fun. Does anyone like to go fishing? (Let them ans...
Object: The pose of someone on a ship keeping watch, with binoculars.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is the first day of Advent and that means it is the first day of a new year. Did you know that in the church we don't wait for January 1st to begin a new year? We start with the first Sunday in Advent. (Let them answer.) That's right, we start all over again and begin by looking forward to th...
Object: a bag with green colored ribbons.
Good morning, boys and girls. During the morning announcements today, I told you what the special color is for this morning. Do you remember what it is? That’s right, green. Green is the color for the day. And what day is today? That’s right, today is the first Sunday in Advent, the beginning of a new church year. Today also we begin to think about Christ...
Object: A picture of a caterpillar, butterfly or cocoon
Good morning, boys and girls. I hope you are enjoying the summertime. But even more than that I hope you are looking forward to going back to school in the Fall.
We are really lucky to have schools, aren't we? Schools help our minds to grow just like sunshine, food and water help our bodies grow.
I read somewhere that a butterfly never gro...
Object: A lot of mall and a wastebasket.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is just eight days away from Christmas and that makes all of us feel good. How many of you are looking forward to Christmas? (Let them answer.) I am, too. But before we get to Christmas, there are a lot of things to do and this is a really good part of the season, too. I love to decorate the house and church, smell the f...
Object: A steering wheel. This can either be imaginary or it could be borrowed from a wrecking yard.
Good morning, boys and girls. Today is a wonderful day for a drive in the country or to a park. How many of you like to take a ride with your parents to some wonderful place away from home? [Let them answer.] Who drives you car when you go to a place like a park? [Let them answer.] The person that...
Exegetical Aim: As we grow in life and as we grow with God, we will always have to deal with changes. Sometimes it means letting go of the old and accepting the new. Heaven will bring about the biggest of these changes. Props: A diaper, wipes, a baby bottle (or a jar of baby food and a baby spoon), and a pacifier. Lesson: I have something this morning I think you need. Hold up the diaper. Okay, wh...
Object: Some orange juice, toast, and cereal.
Good morning, boys and girls. I brought along a few friends that I used this morning that I thought I would share with you and help us all to learn something about one of the teachings of Jesus. First of all, you must be ready to tell me what these things remind you of when you see them together. (Bring out the orange juice, toast, and cereal.) Here a...
Exegetical Aim: Forgiveness is the first responsibility (in John) that Jesus gives his Disciples and it is important to God that we forgive one another. Props: Board, marker, and Eraser. This could be a small chalk board or the dry eraser kind (extra props: A box of school erasers would be a nice touch). Lesson: What is the first thing you did before you ate your diner last night? (washed hands, g...
Object: None
Text: "... for [God] has regarded the low estate of His handmaiden." (Luke 1:48)
You’ve all heard us speak of Mary in church this Christmas season: do you know what is really so amazing about Mary? (Let them answer) It’s not just that she was the mother of Jesus, which is pretty amazing in itself. No, I think the most amazing thing about Mary is that she was such an ordinary person....
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Children's Sermon · Lk 15:6 · Jn 10:11 · Isa 40:11; 53:6 · Heb 13:20 · Ps 100:3
Lk 15:6 · Jn 10:11 · Isa 40:11; 53:6 · Heb 13:20 · Ps 100:3
Children's Sermon
Robert B. Lantz
Object: Lamb or sheep stickers
Good morning, boys and girls. Who can tell me where New Zealand (Montana, Australia, Israel -- any sheep-producing area) is? (Response. Help them with the location if it is remote or strange to them.) I visited (place) for a period of time and saw lots and lots of sheep. Did you know that in New Zealand there are about 70 million sheep? That's about 20 or 25 sheep p...
Object: Play money
Boys and girls, People look all kinds of places for things that will make them happy. What do I have here? That's right. Play money. If it were real, I would be rich, wouldn't I? Would I be happy? I might be, but it wouldn't be because of the money. Some think if they can have lots of money they will be happy. Some people think if they can always be Number 1 they will be happy....
Object: None
Good morning, boys and girls. People look all kinds of place for things that will make them happy. Some think if they can have lots of money they will be happy. Some people think if they can always be Number 1 they will be happy. I've seen boys and girls who think, "Oh, if I can just fit in with certain people, then I will be happy." And in order to fit in with those certain people t...
Object: Read (or re-read) all or part of Psalm 85
Can anyone tell me what a “blessing” is? . . . A blessing is something good given to us, usually from God. What blessings do you have in your life? . . . parents, homes, church, food, shelter, friends, etc.
In Psalm 85, we read about some other blessings. “Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.” That sounds ...
