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Choose from the following children's sermons:
- Follow the Leader, Matthew 4:12-23
by Rev. Randy L Quinn (see
below)
- The Fishing Pond, Matthew 4: 12-23
by Frank Schaefer (see below)
- Fishers of People, Matthew 4: 12-23
by Latino in Wyoming, Frank Schaefer
(scroll down)
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Follow the Leader
Matthew 4:12-23
by Rev. Randy L Quinn
Have you ever played
the game “Follow the Leader”? (Of course they have!)
Tell me, how do you
play it?
So,
if I’m the leader, you have to do whatever I do?
What
if I do something that isn’t safe?
How do you decide who
the leader will be?
How long
do you get to be the leader?
Do you
take turns being the leader?
When does the game
end?
I’m asking all of
these questions, because sometimes I think the church plays “Follow
the Leader,” except it isn’t a game and we don’t take turns. We
just follow Jesus – wherever he leads us. The hard part, sometimes,
is figuring out where he is leading us; but if we practice and pay
attention, we can see him and hear him.
The only problem is
that sometimes we get tired of following Jesus. We decide to wait a
while, and Jesus has to come back and get us. Sometimes it’s
because he asks us to do things that are hard to do – like loving
someone we don’t like being with.
I hope you’ll practice
listening to Jesus and you’ll remind us to keep on following him
because he has lots of exciting things for us to do!
Let’s pray:
God: thank you for
sending Jesus to be our Leader. Help us to pay attention to what he
says to us – in the scriptures and in our hearts and in the words of
people like our Sunday School teachers. Help us be good followers.
Amen.
The Fishing
Pond
a children's sermon based on Matthew 4: 12-23
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Props: rope, paper people with paper
clips, rod and line with magnet hook at the end
Set up a "fishing pond" with the rope and put paper cut-out
people in the area. Add a paper clip to each, then make a fishing
pole with a magnet "hook." Allow children to fish for people.
Ask the children why they think Jesus asked us to fish for
people. You may say that they would otherwise drown in the
water. What does the water look like in which people drown?
Perhaps their problems, their sin... We need to help them out of the
water
Ask them what that really looks like: fishing for people.
Suggestions: telling them about Jesus-- his love, forgiveness of
sins, and how God can help us with our problems, etc.
Prayer: "Dear Jesus, help us to be the fisher of people we can
be. Help us to say the right things to people, help us to
share with our friends about your love and about salvation.
Amen."
Fishers
of People
Children's Sermon Idea based on Matthew 4: 12-23
idea by Latino in Wyoming, developed further by F. Schaefer
Props: a small
net or net-like material (perhaps an afghan).
Use your own words to re-tell the story of Jesus
calling his first disciples. When you get to the Jesus' job
description, "I will make you fishers of men (persons)..."GENTLY
throw the net on top of some of the children and yell: "I got some,
I got some."
Tell them: "I'm just doing what Jesus said his
disciples should do." Ask: "do you think this is what Jesus
meant?" What did he mean by fishing for people?" That's right,
you're absolutely right! Fishing for people doesn't mean to
use fishing rods or nets to catch them--how silly of me.
But what does it look like to fish for people?
to invite them to church
to make connections with people, be their
friend and helper
to share about our faith with others in such a
way that they may start praying and believing too.
Prayer: "Dear God, please help us to be good
fishers of people. We want to be good examples of your
love and your care to our classmates, neighbor kids and friends.
Thank your for sending Jesus like a light into this dark world.
We pray for all those who are suffering hunger and hard times and
ask you to bring peace and love to them. Amen."
