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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

• God looks at the Inside, 1Sam 15:34-16:13
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer (see below)
   

• We're All In God's Green House, Mark 4:26-34
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer  (scroll down)
   

• "Huggy" Father's Day
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer     (scroll down)
   

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God looks at the Inside
a children's sermon based on 1Sam 15:34-16:13
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Props: a hollow egg (you can make your own Faberge egg if you don't have one) and a Easter plastic eggs which you can fill with candy (Bring enough candy eggs for all--but keep them hidden).

Good Morning, my little friends, today I brought a leftover from Easter.  I know that Easter Day has come and gone, but these two different Easter eggs (hold up both kinds).

This one is called "Faberge egg"  It is very light, because it is hollow; they blew the inside yolk out of it, then they painted it;  It is very pretty isn't it; pretty to look at, but you can't really do anything with it--other than use it for decoration.

This Easter egg on the other hand, doesn't really look like much on the outside--it's just a plastic egg.  But you guys recognize this kind of egg, don't you?  Where have you seen this kind of egg before? That's right, at the Eater Egg Hunt.

This egg may not be much for decoration, but it has something very attractive on the inside, doesn't it?  What's inside?  You're saying candy is inside this egg?  Do you want me to open it and find out?  (Open the egg and have the children name the candy)

Now...if I were to ask you which of these eggs you find more useful would you choose the egg for decoration or would you choose the one with the candy inside?

What do you think, is it important to look on the inside of things?  Yes, indeed. Do you think that it is important to know the inside of a  PERSON before we can trust them?  You bet!,  Because someone might look like a nice enough person, but turn out to be a shady character.

You know, God always looks on the inside of things, not just the outside.  When God chose David as king of Israel, he did not choose the strongest, biggest, most handsome man; he chose the one with a good heart.

Let's pray: "Dear God, thank you for choosing us not because we're so handsome, tall, or strong, but because you look at our heart and see a good person, a person with faith, and a person who wants to do what is right.  help us Lord, never to forget that it's really the inside that counts, not so much how things appear.  Amen!"

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We're All In God's Green House
based on Mark 4:26-34
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

props: Bring in some small seeds (they don't have to be mustard seeds, if you cannot get them), a foam cup, a little bit of soil some water in another cup, and some clear foil.

Explain to the children what it takes to plant a seed, step by step.  Ask them what the seed needs to grow: nutrients form the earth, water from the sky, sunshine, and fresh air. . . . but most of all it needs God. A big tree/plant can grow from this tiny little seed--it's almost like a miracle, isn't it?

Application: God wants us to grow too, in body and in spirit. We all know what growing in body looks like, but how do we grow in spirit?--we become better Christians by praying to God, by reading the bible, by caring for/helping others, by going to church, by praising God--those things are like water, sunshine, and soil to a seed.

We're going to leave this little seed that we planted in the soil right here on the window sill, and you can check next Sunday and the Sunday after whether you can see a tiny little plant growing out of it. And every time you look at it remember that God is growing you too, in body and in spirit.

Prayer: "Lord, we thank you for the illustration of the tiny mustard seed that grows to be a big tree, helped by the soil, the water, the sunshine and the air. We need you to grow in our bodies and spirit as well.   Help us remember to pray, to read your bible and to obey you so that we may grow up to be strong Christians.   Amen."

 

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"Huggy" Father's Day
a children's sermon for Father's Day
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Greetings, my little friends. Today, of course, we celebrate what? That's right: Father's Day.  Who of you got a card for dad?  Who of you have a little gift to give dad?  What did you get him?    Have several kids share.

All wonderful things you got your dads.  But you know, sometimes I think that all the gifts in the world are not as good as one hug.  A hug tells you that a person really loves you and really appreciates you.  And for those of us who have a dad, which is most of us here this morning, we should thank our dads for being there for us.

You know, that's what we appreciate about our Heavenly Father--God.  That He is around always--when we need him most and when we think that we don't need him.

So, today, I thought I'd suggest to you that, sometime during the day--you give your dad a great big bear hug and tell him that you love him and that you appreciate him. You know, we only have one dad, right?  Does everybody know what a bear hug is?  A bear hug is a real tight hug--not just a quick one.  You grab hold of your daddy and squeeze him real tight.  That's a bear hug.

Let's pray: "Lord, we thank you for our daddies.  We thank you that you are our Father too and that you have made our dads strong and caring so that they can take good care of us.  Bless our dads, Lord, and protect them as they protect us. Amen."