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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

• God’s Band-Aide, Acts 9:36-43
  by Rev. Randy Quinn (see below)

• My Sheep Hear My Voice, John 10:22-30 & Psalm 23
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer (see below)

• Jesus-Language, John 10:22-30 & Psalm 23
  anonymous (see below)

• Sermon Seeds from DPSers (see below)

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God’s Band-Aide
a children's sermon based on Acts 9:36-43
by Rev. Randy Quinn

 

You all know what this is, don’t you?  (I have a band-aide.)

What does it do?  (This should lead to some interesting answers!)  Does it make a cut better?

Not really.  Actually it just covers the cut so it can heal.

How does the cut heal?  (I have no idea what they’ll say to this one, either.)

I don’t really know how cuts heal.  What I know is that God makes it heal – maybe by kissing our cut.  By covering the cut, the band-aide keeps dirt out – and keeps God’s kiss in? – and helps it heal quicker, but only God makes it better.

Sometimes we have other kinds of hurts, hurts that we can’t put band-aides on.  Like when someone hurts our feelings.  Or the sadness we feel when we lose our favorite toy.

We can’t put a band-aide on those hurts, but God can still heal them.  All we need to do is to pray and God can make them better.

In the Bible story we’ll read today, a woman gets sick and the people pray for her.  The people who pray for her don’t make her better, God does.

Let’s pray:

God, help us remember that whenever we hurt you can make it better.  Sometimes we use band-aides to make it get better quicker, but we know you are the real reason it gets better.  Sometimes we cry because of our hurts.  Help us smile knowing that you are making it better.  Amen.

 

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My Sheep Hear My Voice
A children's sermon based on John 10:22-30 & Psalm 23
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

props: no special props needed.

Good morning boys and girls. Today, I didn't bring anything to show you because you can all help me with this children's sermon. I need you to pretend to be sheep.  Can you all go: baaaaaaa....?

Now that we know what sheep sound like, what else do we know about sheep? What do they do? What do they eat? Are they by themselves or in a group with other sheep? Who makes sure that all the sheep stay together? (the shepherd).

How does a Shepherd take care of his sheep?  Do they lead them to where green grass grows?  Do they lead them to fresh water?  Do they take care of them when they are sick?  Do they protect them from wild animals?  Do they go looking for a sheep that got lost?

In today's Bible reading Jesus says that God's people hear his voice like sheep know their shepherd's voice.

Now, do you suppose it is true that sheep know the shepherd's voice?  That's amazing, isn't it? And maybe not that amazing, because our pets probably know our voice too, don't they?  Who of you have a cat or a dog?  Do they recognize your voice?   Do they come when you call them?  That's the same with sheep.

Do you think we are a little like sheep? Do we need help? Do we need a Shepherd to help us? Who is our Shepherd? That's right it's Jesus/God. And God has promised us to take care of us, to keep us going on the right path and to teach us what we need to know. He is the Good Shepherd.  But we must listen to Jesus, the Good Shepherd.  We have His words in the bible, and sometimes he speaks to our hearts, too.

What do you think, should we ask God to help us listen to Jesus words?  O.K. let's ask God right now.  In invite you to bow your heads with me for prayer: "Dear God, our Good Shepherd, help us listen to your voice.  We need you to lead us and guide us.  We want to be good sheep and follow you with glad hearts.  Amen."

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Jesus-Language
based on John 10:22-30 & Psalm 23
anonymous

Invite the children to pretend to speak "Sheep language" baaa! baaaa! baaaa!

Read from the bible that Jesus-Sheep have a special language. A Jesus language! Its a language of kindness and love.

Make up "Jesus-Sheep language" baaa-aa-aa means "you are special" this is the language we can speak to another sheep who is sad or feeling lonely or not special point to a pretend sheep and say "Look children! a sad sheep! Let's speak Jesus sheep-language" baaa-aa-aa!!!! Look children, a sheep that feels not special. baaa-aa-aa!!!

Well kids, Jesus tells us we can know the Jesus-People by language they speak with their kindness, their patience and their sharing.

Hope you will speak lots of Jesus-language this week!

Let us pray: Jesus, Thank you for calling us to be your very own people. Teach us to speak in kind ways so that everyone will know we belong to you! Amen.

 

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Sermon Seed #2

Not many in our country know a lot about sheep. But many, including children, do know how a pet clearly responds to the voice of its owner. Mothers and fathers know the cry of their own child. Children know the voice of their parents. Make the point with children that to be able to hear the voice of God we need to spend time getting to know God. That means we must spend time praying, reading and hearing scripture, and worshiping God. Through Jesus we are able to learn all we need to know about God. When we know God, we know God's peace and love.
 

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Sermon Seed #3
 
Tim Ladwig has a wonderful picture book out on the 23rd Psalm, entitled simply "Psalm 23". It has the text itself but it tells the story, in pictures, of an African American family living in the inner city. The shepherd it portrayed in a stain-glass window at a near-by church. Avis in Louisville