Children's Sermon on Wanting Jesus to Come Back - Mark 2:18-20, Matthew 9:14-15, Luke 5:33-35

Children's Sermon on Wanting Jesus to Come Back  

Ask, how many of you here believe in Jesus? 

How many of you know that Jesus loves you?

Does it make you happy to believe in Jesus and to know that He loves you? 

Let me see your happy face! 

In fact, our Bible story today tells us that we should be so happy to believe in Jesus that we're celebrating and throwing a party about it. 

Everyone, act like you're happy and excited at a party.

But Jesus said there was also something that should make us sad. What do you think Jesus thinks should make us sad?

Jesus said we should be sad because He's not here with us right now. He's with us in spirit, but He's not here for us to see Him and touch Him. We should be sad because we love Him and miss Him and want Him to be here with us.

Everyone, make your sad face that Jesus isn't here with us.

But Jesus also said He would come back someday, and then we'll be so happy, we'll be celebrating and throwing a party!

Everyone, act like you're happy and excited at a party because Jesus came back.
 

Children's Sermon on Jesus and Charlie Kirk - Luke 5:17-26

In our Bible story today, Jesus was teaching and healing people. He was doing and saying what God wanted Him to say. But one group of people, called the Pharisees, didn't like what Jesus was saying. They thought He was wrong. 

Do you think Jesus should have stopped teaching and healing people because the Pharisees didn't like what He was saying? (No)

Why not? Who should Jesus have listened to? (God) 

Even if the Pharisees didn't like what Jesus was saying, Jesus had to keep doing it, because God told Him to teach and to say what He was saying. 

Eventually, the Pharisees got Jesus killed because they didn't like what He was saying. Do you think Jesus should have stopped saying what God told Him to say so that He wouldn't get killed? (No.)

Jesus had to say the things God told Him to say, even if the Pharisees didn't like it so much that they got Him killed for it. 

 

There was a man recently named Charlie Kirk. Have you heard about him in the news? What do you know about Charlie Kirk?

Charlie Kirk was a man, who, like Jesus, went to different places teaching people and saying the things God wanted him to say. But a lot of people didn't like what he was saying. They thought he was wrong. They got angry with him about it. 

Do you think Charlie Kirk should have stopped saying what he was saying, since people didn't like it and were getting mad at him? (No)

Why not? (Because he had to listen to God instead of other people.)

The sad thing is a couple of weeks ago, someone killed Charlie because they didn't like what he said. 

 

What about us? Should we listen to God or to other people? 

Should we stop saying what God tells us to say if other people don't like it?

What if someone gets angry and tries to hurt us, or even kill us, like they did to Jesus and Charlie Kirk?

We know that we have to listen to God and do and say what He tells us to do, even if other people don't like it, even if other people think we're wrong, even if they get angry and try to hurt us. 

 

What happened to Jesus after they killed Him? He rose from the dead and then went to Heaven.

What happened to Charlie Kirk when they killed him? He went to Heaven.

What will happen to us if someone kills us for doing and saying what God tells us to? We'll go to Heaven. We'll be okay, no matter what happens to us, just like Jesus and Charlie Kirk are okay, because they're in Heaven now with God.

 

How to Fish for People - Drama of Jesus reviewing with Peter the story of Luke 5:1-11

This is a pretend conversation between Jesus and Peter, reviewing Luke 5:1-11. Ask for a volunteer to play Peter while you ask him questions as Jesus.

Jesus: Peter, do you remember when I told you I was going to make you into a fisher of men, and you were going to start fishing for people?

Peter:

Jesus: So I want to show you how to do that, things to keep in mind as you fish for people. Okay?

Peter:

Jesus: Do you remember what I was doing that day, right before I started talking to you?

Peter:

Jesus: I was preaching on the shore of the lake. And when I was preaching, I was speaking the word of God. So, as you fish for people, one thing you’ll be doing is preaching and sharing the Gospel with people. And when you preach, I want you speak the word of God. I want the things you say to come from God, not just from you. I want what you say to people to be God’s idea, not just your ideas. Does that make sense?

Peter:

Jesus: So I was walking along the shore of the lake, preaching the word of God, and I noticed your boat. Were you in the boat?

Peter:

Jesus: You were washing your nets, so the boat was empty. And then what did I do?

Peter:

Jesus: I stepped into your empty boat. So here’s the thing: For Me to enter into your “boat”, your life and your ministry, you need to empty yourself and make room for Me to come in. Do you see what I mean?

Peter:

Jesus: So I stepped into your boat and asked you to take Me out on the water a little ways so I could preach from the boat. Did you do what I asked?

Peter:

Jesus: You did what I asked. And that was a great first step. You were obedient to Me, so then I tested you and challenged you a little more. I asked you to go out deeper and throw out your nets again. Had you caught many fish the previous night?

Peter:

Jesus: You hadn’t caught any fish the previous night, but when I asked you to try again, you did it just because I asked you to. Did you catch any fish then?

Peter:

Jesus: You caught so many fish you couldn’t haul your net back into the boat! But we’ll come back to that in a minute. What I want you to remember is that sometimes, you’re going to try things and they won’t work. But when I tell you to try again, I want you to have faith that it will work this time. Because I’ll be with you in the boat. Do you understand?

Peter:

Jesus: And a lot of times, if you show that first sign of obedience to Me, I’m going to take you further. I’m going to tell you to go out into the deeper waters of life, because that’s where the biggest catches are. You’re not going to catch many fish if you just stay by the shore. Do you get it?

Peter:

Jesus: So I was giving you so many fish that you couldn’t lift your net back into the boat. Do you remember what you did then?

Peter:

Jesus: You called James and John for help! Because that day, when I was walking on the shore of the lake, I noticed two empty boats – yours and James and John’s. And I was planning on you having to call for their help. When you’re out fishing for people and doing ministry, I don’t want you to try to do it all by yourself. You need to remember to let others partner with you. I want you to fish for people together with the other people I put in your life. Finally, after I helped you catch all those fish, do you remember how you reacted?

Peter:

Jesus: You realized I had done a miracle in your life, and you felt like you weren’t worthy of Me blessing you, because you knew you weren’t perfect, that you had sin in you. Do you remember what I told you?

Peter:

Jesus: I told you not to be afraid. Your reaction to Me was good. You knew your sin. You acknowledged it. You were humble. And when you fish for people, I want you to stay humble and remember that you’re not perfect. But I also want you to have courage. Humility and courage. Those are the lessons I want you to remember from that day as you go fish for people, okay?

Peter:

 

Children's Sermon on How to Be a Fisher of Men - Matthew 4:18-22 or Luke 5:1-11

Children's Sermon on How to Be a Fisher of Men

 

Bring a fishing pole or net if you have one and ask the children, Have any of you ever gone fishing?

 

Do you like fishing? 

 

What do you have to do if you want to go catch some fish?

 

Can you catch fish if you just stay in your house? No, you have to go to where the fish are! You can't just stay in your house and expect to catch fish. You have to go to the pond or the lake or the river or the ocean. 

 

Can you catch fish if you just throw in your fish hook with nothing on the end of it? No, you also need to take bait, something that the fish want. 

 

What if you throw your line in and don't catch a fish right away? Should you just pull it back immediately and give up and go home? No, you have to be patient and wait for the fish to bite the bait. 

 

Jesus told us He wants us to fish for people, so that we can bring people to Him, which means we need to go to where the people are, offer them something they want, and be patient for them to accept what we want to give them. 

 

 

Children's Sermon on John 3:16 - All the People God Loves

Ask students, How many people do you know? Try to name and count them, and give me a number.

How many people do you love? Let's name all the people you love.

Did you know that God knows all those people too? And He love all those people, and He loves another person and another person and another and another and another and another and another and another and another and another... 

God knows everyone who is alive right now, and everyone who ever lived, and everyone who will ever live in the future, and He loves them all very, very much.

Children's Sermon on Jesus Clearing / Cleansing the Temple - John 2

 

Needed: Nothing

Scripture: John 2:13-22

 

Children's Sermon: Say, I've thought of a new idea to make church easier for people and for us to make some money. How about if instead of people singing when they come to church, we sing for them? We'll stand when it's time to stand and sing really well, and the other people can pay us to do the singing instead of them doing the singing. Does that sound like a good idea?

And instead of people saying their praises and prayer requests, we'll get really good at praying and just say all the praises and prayer requests for people, and they can pay us since we're making that part easier for them? 

And instead of the people paying attention and taking notes during the sermon, we'll listen to the sermon and take really good notes for them and they can pay us to do that job? 

I think if we sing and say all the prayers and take the sermon notes, it makes it easier for people to come to church. People can come to church and they don't have to do anything. They can just play on their phones or something while we do all the things, and they can pay us to do that!

Does that sound like what church should be? What's wrong with that idea?

 

(Read John 2:13-22) 

 

What were the people doing at the Temple? And why was Jesus was angry about it?

The leaders were selling animals for people to sacrifice. People were supposed to bring their own animal to sacrifice to pay for their sins. The animal was being put to death instead of them for all the wrong things they had done. But to make it easier, so that the people didn't have to bring their own animal, the leaders were selling animals and making money. Does that sound like what God wanted to happen, for people to make money so that other people could make their sacrifices?

When we come to church, Jesus doesn't want it to be about making money. Jesus wants it to be about having a place for people to interact with God themselves, not pay someone else to do it for them. 

 

 

 

Children's Sermon on the Armor of God - Ephesians 6

Needed: Nothing

 

Children's Sermon: Say, Look! There's an enemy army over there. They're coming to attack you. What are you going to do? You have to go fight. 

Oh no! Come back. You were defeated. What happened? Why did you lose? You went into battle but you didn't have any armor. Here, put this armor on. Okay, go fight!

Oh no! Come back. You were defeated again. What happened? Why did you lose this time? You went into battle and you had your armor on, but you didn't have any weapons. Here, take these swords. Okay, go fight!

Oh, no! Come back. You were defeated again? What happened? Why did you lose this time? You had your armor on, you had your sword, but you were outnumbered. You were fighting all by yourselves. This time, let's give armor and a sword to everyone, and we'll all go fight. Ready? Let's go!

We won the battle! Today, we're going to talk about how we can put on God's armor and use the Word of God as our sword, and all fight together against Satan and his demons.

(Read and discuss Ephesians 6:10-18.) 

 

Servants Punished or Rewarded – Children’s Sermon on Luke 12:35-48

Needed: Nothing

Scripture: Luke 12:35-48

 

Children’s Sermon: Ask, How many of you have ever been a king?

Imagine you’re a king in your palace. You’re getting ready to go on a trip. You tell your servants who live in your palace to keep the palace clean and keeping cooking meals for each other while you’re gone. And then you go away on your trip, riding your horse out of the palace gate. All your servants wave goodbye and say they’ll miss you while you’re gone.

You have a great trip, and are ready to come home. But when you get home, you see that your palace is a mess. The grass hasn’t been mowed outside. Everything is dirty inside. Instead of working, some of your servants are sleeping. Some are getting drunk. Some are fighting with each other.

If you were that king coming home to his palace and saw all that, what would you do? (You would probably punish or fire those servants.)

Now imagine that instead of everything being a mess when you came home to the palace, everything was spotless. The yard looked good. Everything was tidy and clean inside. The servants were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing.

What would you do then? (You should reward your servants for doing a good job.)

In our Bible story today, Jesus is the King, and we’re His servants. When Jesus comes back to Earth, if we’ve been doing what He told us to do, He will reward us. But if we have been disobeying Him and not doing what He told us to do, He will punish us and send us to Hell.

 

Closing Prayer: Jesus, we know that You are a good King, and we know that You are coming back someday. Help us to be Your good servants, doing what You want us to do and waiting for You to return. Amen.

 

 

Wedding at Cana Children's Sermon Drama

Jesus Performs a Miracle at the Wedding in Cana!

Characters: Jesus, Mary, Head Servant, Master of the Banquet

Setting: Master of the Banquet stands to the right of the stage, with Mary standing nearby. The Head Servant is standing to the left of the stage. Jesus is in the middle with the children and congregation in front of him.

Jesus (pointing to the characters as he names them): One day, my mother Mary and my disciples and I were invited to a wedding. The reception after the wedding was going well, but then the head servant noticed there was a problem…

Head Servant (walks to the Master of the Banquet): We’re running out of wine to serve to the guests!

Mary (hears what the Head Servant said and takes the Head Servant to Jesus): They’re running out of wine!

Jesus: Do you expect me to do something about that? It’s not time for me to show what I can do.

Mary (to the Head Servant): Do whatever he tells you.

Jesus: Do you see all these large jars? Fill them with water.

Head Servant (leads children in pretending to fill up large jars with water): Okay, all the jars are filled with water!

Jesus: Now take some of it to the Master of the Banquet.

Head Servant (pretending to scoop out some of the water): It’s changed into wine! How did that happen? (takes the wine to the Master of the Banquet)

Master of the Banquet (pretends to drink some of the wine): That’s the best wine I ever tasted! This last batch is better than the first!

 

Review questions:

What was the problem at the wedding? (They ran out of wine.)

Who told Jesus about the problem? (Mary, Jesus' mother.)

Why do you think Mary told Jesus about the problem? (She knew Jesus could do something to help.)

What do you think we should do when we have a problem? (Tell Jesus and ask Him to help.)

 

 

Children's Sermon on the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21)

Children's Sermon on the Parable of the Rich Fool

Needed: Nothing

Scripture: Luke 12:16-21

 

Children's Sermon: Agree or Disagree? – Have students move to one side of the room or the other as you read the following statements to show that they agree or disagree with each statement.

1. The most important thing in life is having a good job and making a lot of money.

2. The most important thing in life is having a nice, big house to live in.

3. The most important thing in life is living a long time.

4. The most important thing in life is getting really good at your job and being famous for it.

5. The most important thing in life is having a good relationship with God.

 

What Would You Do?

Imagine you’re a farmer. You grow crops. You have a big field. You work hard growing your crops in your big field.

Now imagine you worked really hard one year and your crops grew so well that you couldn’t fit all your crops into your barn.

What would you do?

 

(Read Luke 12:16-21.) 

 

The farmer in our story wanted to build bigger barns so he could fit all his crops into his barn. What do you think God might have wanted him to do instead?

Maybe God would have liked him to think about giving away his extra crops to people who were hungry.