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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

1) In His Time, John 11:1-44, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
(see below)

2)  Dem Bones, Ezekiel 37:1-14, by Rev. Frank Schaefer
(scroll down)

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In His Time
John 11:1-44
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

props: prepare to sing the song: "IN His Time" with the kids; perhaps you could ask your organist or piano player to accompany. click here to listen to the melody.

Greetings, my little friends,  today I would like to share with you the story of Lazarus.  You know, Lazarus was Jesus friend--a very good friend.  And one day, Lazarus was very very sick--they thought he would die.  So Lazarus asked his two sisters, Mary and Martha, to quick call Jesus. They knew that Jesus could make him better.

Now, let me ask you a question:  if you heard about a good friend needing your help, would you go and see him right away?  Would you drop everything to get to him? Even your favorite video game?  I would certainly do that for a friend.

But you know, Jesus was in the middle of an important ministry and he could not come right away to see his friend Lazarus.  But he finished up his ministry as fast as he could, and three days later he finally went to see his friend.

But guess what?  Something terrible had happened in those three days: Lazarus had died.  When the sisters saw Jesus they said to him: Lord, had you only come right away, you could have helped  Lazarus and he would still be alive now.

So often, that's what we, too, say to God:  had you only answered our prayer sooner then I wouldn't be in the mess I am right now.  God if you had only given me that car I asked you for, I would not be stranded now with this old junker.

What we people do not understand is that God answers prayers in His own time--at the right time.  God doesn't always answer our prayers the way we want Him to.  But you know what, God knows what is best for us.  And sometimes, when it seems that God is not hearing or answering our prayers, it might be because God is working on answering our prayers in a way that is much better than what we could have thought of.

In our story, Jesus knew he wasn't too late.  Jesus just simply called Lazarus to rise and walk out of the grave--and he did.  Jesus made him alive again.  And everybody was happy again.

This lesson teaches us that we need to just trust God that he answers our prayers in His time and in his way.  There is a song I'd like to sing with you, that expresses this so well.  It is called "In His Time"

In His time, in His time,
He makes all thing beautiful in His time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.

In Your time, in Your time,
You make all thing beautiful in Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring,
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing, in Your time.

click here to listen to the melody

 

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Dem Bones
a children's sermon based on Ezekiel 37:1-14
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

props: a plastic model or picture of the human skeleton.

Show the model or picture of the human skeleton and ask if any of the kids can identify the different bones.

Retell in your own words the vision of Ezekiel.  Ask the kids how they would have answered the question: ´do you believe these bones can live again?´

Share how God has made a promise in God's word that even though we may die and our bodies may disintegrate, we shall be resurrected and revived, just like the bones in Ezekiel's vision were put together, dressed with flesh and skin, and were fully restored to life.

And the reason fro God's promise for eternal life is because God deeply cares for us and loves us, and wants to have us around.

If you have time for it, make a reference to the gospel story of Lazarus, with an emphasis on how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead because he cared so much for him.

Prayer:  Dear God, we thank you for your promise of life after death; for the fact that you care so much for us that you want us to be with you forever.  Help us to live our lives in light of your promise for eternal life.  Amen.

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The picture shown above is the cover of the children's book: Dem Bones, by Bob Barner, Chronicle Books. Synopsis: Colorful paper collages revive a classic African-American song, as frolicking skeletons sing along to the well-known spiritual, accompanied by interesting, informative "bone facts."