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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

1) Nick at Nite,  John 3:1-17 by Rev. Randy Quinn (see below)

2)  God Blesses us to Bless Others,  Genesis 12:1&4a by Rev. Frank Schaefer
 (scroll down)

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Nick at Nite
a children's sermon based on John 3:1-17
by Rev. Randy Quinn

props: I will use chairs and a blanket to make a ‘tent’ for the children.  We’ll try to fit everyone inside the ‘tent.’

Have you ever made a tent like this at home? (I’ll ask them to tell me about them.)

This isn’t the best tent I’ve ever made, but I remember trying to make a tent so that it would be dark inside. Do you ever do that?

I put extra sheets and blankets on and pretended it was nighttime.

It was a great place to play with a flashlight and toys that had lights on them. It was also a fun place to take things that were supposed to “glow in the dark.”

Inside the tent I could pretend it was dark out. But it wasn’t really. Just like this tent. Even if I could make it a better tent and shut out all of the light, it wouldn’t change things out there, would it?

Some people don’t know about God. And to them, the world seems dark.

But we know better, don’t we? We know that no matter where we go, God is there, just like the lights out here (take the tent cover off so we are all in the light)!

Let’s pray:

God, thank you for being the light of the world. Help us to share that light so that no one will ever be alone in the dark. Amen.

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God Blesses us to Bless Others
a children's sermon based on Genesis 12:1&4a
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Props: a game set for two or more people, such as a badminton set (you can pick up a cheap basic kit in some dollar stores), two walkie-talkies, etc. This kids' talk uses the badminton set.

Scripture reading: Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing...So Abram went, as the LORD had told him...   Genesis 12:1&4a

Illustration Outline: at the beginning of the time with the young church, pick out an attentive child and give him/her a gift (the badminton set).   Then ask him or her what s/he will do with the gift.  Steer the ensuing conversation to bring out that the gift is really only a blessing if it is shared with someone else.  If it is shared two people can have a lot of fun with it; if not, the gift becomes useless.

So it is with the gifts that God gives to us.  They only become fully realized blessings when we share them with others.
Read a portion or all of the Genesis Scripture lesson.

You know, Abraham is actually our forefather as well; Abraham's descendants (children and children's children) became the nation of Israel; and Christianity came out of Israel--in fact, as Christians we are a part of the spiritual people of Israel.

Notice how because God blessed Abraham and Sarah, all of us are blessed through him.

What are some of the ways in which God has blessed us?  (More than enough food, stuff to wear, toys, friends, gifts and talents...)  And how can we turn around and bless others with what God has given us?  (Share our resources, like food, money, and toys, use our spiritual gifts of patience, kindness, peace, joy to bring to others and bless them).

Let us pray:  "Dear God, we thank you for the many gifts we have received from you.  Help us, Lord, to understand this lesson that you bless us so that we can bless others around us. Amen."