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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:
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Without
People, There Can Be No King
a children's sermon based on John 18:33-37
by Rev. Randy Quinn
There was a little boy
once who had a birthday party. Have any of you ever had a birthday
party? When his mother asked him what kind of a party he wanted, this
little boy said he wanted everyone to be a King or a Queen. So they
made crowns for everyone. And they made robes for everyone. And they
marched up and down the street in a royal parade. Every boy was a King
and every girl was a Queen.
At Burger King Restaurants
they give all the children crowns so they can dress up like a King or
Queen whenever they eat there.
What I want to know is:
does a crown make someone a King or a Queen? (I’ll let them
answer. Most of them will know it doesn’t.) It may make them look
like a King or a Queen, but it doesn’t really change who they are, does
it?
What makes a King a King?
(The traditional “legal” answer is he must be the son of a King or a
Queen. There are other ways to become a King. One way is to lead an
army and conquer a land and then as the conqueror claim the title of
King. And that really is how most Kings become Kings – an ancestor
conquered and claimed the title so all of the descendents become “heirs”
to the throne.)
But what makes a King a
King? What makes a Queen a Queen?
One of the most important
things is people to rule. When a King leads an army, there are people.
And when there is no army, but rather people simply “acclaim” someone as
King; it’s the people that are important. No matter how large or how
small the Kingdom may be, without the people, there can be no King.
Dressing up like a King,
or being the daughter of a Queen isn’t enough.
The Bible tells us Jesus
is King of Kings (1 Tim 6:15). For him to be a King there must be
people – and those people are us.
Let’s pray:
Thank you for being our
King. As we gather here today, help us remember what it means to be
your people. Amen.
What If The King Were to Visit You
A kids' talk based on Christ the King Sunday
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
Ask the children what preparations they would make if the king/queen (president/prime
minister/chancellor/a very important person) were to come to their house. Would they
clean their rooms? Put the dirty clothes into the hamper? Vacuum the
carpet? Scrub the bathroom . . .?
Ask them why they would get everything shiny and clean? Because we want to make a good
impression on the king? Because we want to make the king feel comfortable?
Because we want to show respect to the king? Because we feel honored to be chosen?
Because we want to give our best to the king?
Tell the children that Jesus was made the highest King by God, and that's what we
celebrate today--Christ's reign as King over all the earth. And the most
amazing thing is that Christ the King can also live in our hearts if we ask him to.
Don't you agree that that's exciting? The King of the whole world wants to come into
our lives. So, just as you said you would clean up for the visit by an earthly king,
we better clean up our hearts for Christ the King; we need to clean up our acts: get rid
of sin, stop lying, cheating, calling others names, etc...
Prayer (if your congregation is of an evangelical persuasion, you may want to take this
opportunity to help the kids ask king Jesus into their hearts).
Of Kings And Crowns
A kids' talk based on Christ the King
by Rev. Frank Schaefer
props: have different crowns made from paper, cardboard, plastic (eg.
burger king crown, a wise men crown from the Christmas play, a tiara, and perhaps a crown
of thorns).
Good morning, my little friends; today, I would like to show you my
collection of crowns. Aren't they pretty? Show your crowns, let some of
the children try them.
Now, who's wearing a crown? What kind of person? That's right: a
king or a queen. Perhaps a prince or princess...and Mr. Burger King.
Today, we are celebrating a special Sunday--today we celebrate Jesus, the
king. What does a king do? (Let the children share)
Yes, a king does all these things. A king has a lot of influence and
power. And that is true for Jesus, too. But Jesus is a good king and he uses
his power in a good way: to help people, to heal them and to save them.
He is also a humble king; a king who came to live in poor conditions,
being born in a barn. And his only crown he wore when he was among us was a crown of
thorns (if you have one, hold it up). And because Jesus was so good and
humble, God made him the most high King. Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of
lords.
Prayer: "Dear King Jesus, we thank you that you are a good King--the
best King in the whole wide world. We thank you that you love us and that you care
for us, that we can trust in your mighty kingdom forever. Amen."
