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Choose from the following children's sermons:

• The Ugly Duckling   Mark 1:29-39
  by Rev. Randy L Quinn    (see below)
   
• Jesus Makes us Clean, Gospel lesson
  by Dave in Iowa   (see below)
   
• Searching for Jesus, Epistle Lesson
  by Dave in Iowa  (please scroll down)
   
• On Eagle's Wings, Isaiah 40:21-31
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer (please scroll down)

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The Ugly Duckling
children's message on Mark 1:29-39
by Rev. Randy L Quinn

How many of you know the story of “the ugly duckling”? (Some will know it.)

Who can tell me the story?

(I’ll let them tell the story of the ugly duckling, abandoned, teased, and deserted because he was different1. Despite trying to make friends, the ugly duckling is laughed at and rejected by just about everyone he meets. Then one day the ugly duckling comes across a number of beautiful white swans swimming on a lake. It is here that he discovers his real identity, seeing his own reflection in the water. He had grown into a beautiful swan too, and had never been an ugly duckling after all.)

Sometimes things aren’t what they seem, are they? That’s why I think it’s so important for us to learn to look at things the way God does. God sees each of us as very, very important. God loves each and every one of us. That makes us special.

God cares about us, but God also cares about people we know and people we’ve never even met. When we see them the way God does, every person is special and we can learn to love every one.

Let’s pray:

God, sometimes we feel like the ugly duckling. When we do, remind us that you love us no matter what. God, sometimes we know people who seem to be ugly ducklings. No matter who it is, show us how to love them so they will know what we know: that you love everyone. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Jesus Makes us Clean
based on the Gospel lesson
by Dave in Iowa

Objects: a dirty piece of wood or a dirty dish, a dry sponge, and a bowl of water.

In our gospel story today, we find Jesus healing many, many people. It started with an old lady who was sick. Jesus took her by the hand, and she soon got all better! Her fever left, and she began to cook for everybody in the house!

That same day, many other people brought their sick friends to Jesus, and he healed many of them.

Jesus came to this world to help us; to meet our needs. Sometimes our biggest need is our sin: our selfishness, our pride, our wanting to do what We want to do instead of what our parents want, or what God wants. That's when we need Jesus to help us. And Jesus helps us by taking away our badness.

It's kinda like this piece of wood. See how dirty it is? Ugly! It's been out in the dirt and the dust. You wouldn't want to hang this on your wall as a decoration, would you? It's too ugly!

Well, maybe if we just take this sponge and clean it up, it'll be nice and pretty. Oops, something's wrong! It's not getting clean yet. In fact, it's just making the sponge dirty. Oh, here's some water. Let's try that. Oh, now look! It's getting clean!

You know, trying to clean the wood with the dry sponge is like trying to make ourselves better. But cleaning the wood with a wet sponge is like letting Jesus wash us. He washes away our sins and our badness. He makes us clean and beautiful. Let's pray and ask Jesus to make us clean and beautiful.

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Searching for Jesus
Epistle Lesson
by Dave in Iowa

I am going to talk to the kids about "searching for Jesus". And then we are going to hunt around the sanctuary. I will offer suggestions in their search. Some may say the font, some may say the Bible. There is bread and wine ready for communion and even some of the little ones may say there.

Then I am going to tell them to look at the people who are in the pews. Jesus said "Wherever 2 or 3 are gathered." Jesus is in all these places, and what we have to do is look for him.

And ask to see. Then we will close with a brief prayer asking Jesus to help us see him.

I like it when the point mad by the children's sermon is the same as the point made in the "big people's message" too.

Thanks to all who helped with ideas for making the foul waters clean. I really appreciate your help, and the partnership we share here at DPS.

 

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On Eagle's Wings
a children's sermon based on Isaiah 40:21-31
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Props:  a feather, preferably a large one, perhaps from a duck or a pheasant...

Good morning my little friends, today I brought something you all recognize, I'm sure.  Hold up the feather.  That's right: it's a feather.  Now, tell me where you think this feather came from?  A bird?   Definitely.  What kind of bird?  Have them guess the kind of bird it came from.

In our Bible lesson from Isaiah we read this morning that those who wait patiently on God will renew their strength; they will mount up like they were carried on eagle's wings.

Have you ever seen an eagle fly?  Looks majestic, doesn't it?   They just soar and glide through the air so effortlessly.  It almost looks like their surfing the wind.

When I was a boy about your age, I remember that I wanted to be able to fly like a bird, especially like an eagle. Wouldn't that be neat?

Well, what God is trying to tell us in this bible verse is that when we just hang in there when the going gets rough,  when we just keep on believing in God, things will get better again.  God will see to it that we will be alright and that after a time of hardship we will soon be cruising again--flying as easily as an eagle.

Another example out of your life may be the bicycle.  Have you ever tried to ride it up a steep hill?  It can be so hard, right?  But it is so good to know that on the other side of that hill it will go down, and then you don't have to do anything, just fly down that hill.  Just thinking about that will give you new strength for trampling up the hill.

So it is in our life with God.  If you hang in there when times are bad, you know God will reward you with new strength and easy cruising after that.  He promised to renew our strength and have us mount up on wings like eagles.  Thanks be to God who is so good to us.  Can I hear an Amen on that?  Amen!