Children's talk for Sunday School - Jesus the Cornerstone: The stone the builders rejected

Lectionary: Matt 21:33-46       - For Jr. Youth, Sunday School or Children's church

 
Children’s Bible message – idea: Make a small tower out of building blocks or books. Explain the importance of the foundational “cornerstones” at the base of your structure. Discuss what might happen if blocks are removed. Ask them what would happen if one of your most important “cornerstones” were removed. Pull out one of these blocks making the structure fall. Explain how the bible says Jesus is like a “cornerstone.” Some people felt he was not needed but we know that he is the most important of all.
 
(Comment: Scholars are unsure whether this stone is a capstone at the top of an arch, a traditional cornerstone or the locking capstone at the top of intersecting walls. Whatever is the right interpretation the basic message is the same.)
 
Object lesson items: Building blocks, boxes or Hymns books. Place 3 or 4 key “stones” at the bottom of the structure so that your building will fall if one is removed.
 
Complete Children’s Sermon: Good morning children! Look what I have in this box this morning. Do you know what these are? Right! They are building blocks. When I was young, I used to love building things with blocks like these. Let’s make a building this morning. (Start by making the appropriate foundation and then ask the children to help you build the structure.) Please give me a hand. Thank you for helping. It’s looking like a nice building. Let’s make it nice and tall. Now, what would happen if I took one of these blocks of the very top? That’s right. I don’t think it would matter that much. Do you see these “stones” at the bottom? These are “cornerstones.” They are very important. What do you think will happen if I removed one of these cornerstones? Hmmm. Let’s find out. I’m going to take out this one and throw it away. (Let the building crash to the ground.) Wow! That was not a very good idea. It really came crashing to the ground. The cornerstone(s) is the most important stone of the whole building. Our bible reading today says that Jesus is like a cornerstone that the builders decided to throw away. However, that wasn’t very smart because Jesus was the most important “stone” of all. If we try, build our lives or a church without Jesus it will probably end up like this building here. So always remember to make Jesus the most important part of your life.
 
Children’s Prayer: Dear God. Thank you for sending Jesus to be like a strong cornerstone on which we can build our lives. In Jesus’ name – Amen!
 
Copyright 2011 SundayChildrensFocus.com Andrew Hewlett - Feel free to use this lesson at your Sunday service but please give credit to Sundaychildrensfocus.com and consider linking your web page to this site. Thank you. A.H.

Short Fun Children's sermon - The Authority of Jesus questioned

 
Children’s Sermon idea:
After welcoming the children / youth arrange to be interrupted by “Jesus.” (Someone who might look like Jesus and wear a long robe. In order to make it clear they could wear a sign, “JESUS.”) After Jesus asks to speak to the children explain that this is YOUR time for teaching and that he will have to find something else to do. Have fun with the interaction. Then debrief with the children and explain how crazy it would be to tell Jesus that he is not allowed to teach. It’s His Church and he is God the Son! Give a short explanation of the Matt 21:23-28 and remind that children that he is the most important person in the church and in our lives.
 
Object lesson items / props: This involves some dramatic preparation. Pick someone to be Jesus. They could wear a bathrobe with a sign that says “Jesus.”
 
Full (Free!) Kids Sermon:
Good morning children! This morning I would like to talk to you about our bible reading from Matthew chapter 21…(Make this the cue for JESUS to come up front and interrupt you by asking to speak to the children. ) “Excuse me, I’m Jesus and I would like to speak to the children this morning.” (Look startled and perplexed.) Wow. It’s great to have you hear Jesus but it is actually my job to speak to the children on Sunday mornings. “But I have something important to say to the children…” Well, you need to understand that I was hired to be the pastor (or youth group teacher) of this church so I don’t think you should be doing my job. “But I just want to tell my children about my love…” Hey! I think you should go now before you put me out of a job…(User Jesus off to the side.)
 
(Let’s give Mr____ a big hand for helping me out with this little drama.)
 
Children, that was just a fun little drama to remind us of how foolish it would be to tell Jesus that he couldn’t speak in our church. Of course we would want Jesus to speak to us. This is His church, He is our Saviour and we would always want to let him speak to us. Since He is the “Boss” it would be terrible if I didn’t let him speak in His church. However, that is what seemed to happen in our bible lesson today for Matthew chapter 21. The religious leaders got angry that Jesus was teaching the people. They said it was their job and not his. But we know that Jesus had been put in charge by God the Father. However, even though Jesus the most important person of all the leaders didn’t like him teaching the people.
 
Our little drama and the reading from the Bible should remind us that Jesus is the most important person the whole world. He is our boss or leader and the most important teacher of all. We should always read our Bible and learn more about Jesus the wonderful teacher. The good news is that he is still alive and guides us, leads us, and teaches us through the Holy Spirit.
 

Children’s Prayer: Thank you God for sending Jesus. Help us to learn from Him and follow him each day of our life. In Jesus’ name – Amen.

Copyright sundaychildrensfocus.com  2011 Andrew Hewlett   Feel free to use this on Sunday morning but please give credit to Sundaychildrensfocus  

Kids drama sermon - Matthew 20: 1-15 Parable of the workers in the vineyard

 
Idea for Children’s sermon:   
 
(1) Consider acting out the parable. Pick out the key actors and ask them to act the story out as you give a paraphrased account of the story.
 
--Another option:
 
(2) Have a long time member of the congregation (or older believer) come up front. Hand them a big box and explain to the children that this represents (or shows us) that this faithful order Christian has received a “big box” of the wonderful life and love of Jesus Christ. Then bring up another younger person who has only been a Christian for a short period of time. Ask the children what size box of Jesus’ love and life they should have. Hand them the same size box and explain how even new believers get the same huge amount of God’s love and life in Jesus Christ.
 
Object lesson items needed: Two large boxes the same size. In big letters write on each box, “The Love and Life of Jesus Christ.”
 
Full Children’s Sermon:
 
Good Morning Children! This morning I’m going to ask Mr. Jones to come up in front of the church with us. (Ask Mr. Jones to come forward.) He is a very special person because he is 80 years old. He has always been a believer in Jesus Christ and he has been a member of our church longer than anyone else has. I wonder how much of the life and love of Jesus Christ has been given to him. I’m going to pretend the life and love of Jesus Christ is like this big box. (Hand the box to Mr. Jones.) He has been a believer for a very long time and I think he should have large amount of God’s live and love in Jesus Christ. Now, I’m going to ask another person to come forward. Debbie, will you please come forward? Debbie is only 16 years old and she has only been a believer in Jesus for one year! Some of you might remember when she was baptized. Since Debbie is a brand new Christian, how much of the life and love of Jesus Christ does she get? Should she perhaps get a little amount like this small box here? (Hold it up besides Mr. Jones’ box.) That would make sense wouldn’t it? She hasn’t been following Jesus nearly as much as Mr. Jones here. However, do you know what is amazing? The bible says that a new Christian believer like Debbie gets just as much of the life and love of Jesus as a long time believer like Mr. Jones. (Put the small box down and hand them a large box the same size as Mr. Jones’ to Debbie.) Isn’t that wonderful. God blesses us with a huge amount of the life and love of Jesus Christ even if we are a new Christian! Notice too the big smile on Mr. Jones’ face. He does not feel this is unfair. He’s happy that Debbie has this same wonderful gift of love and joy.
 
Children’s Prayer: Dear God, thank you for your life and love that is in Jesus Christ your Son. There is more than enough to go around. Thank you that like these big boxes here, you have a big amount of your love and life for each of us even if we are a new Christian. In Jesus’ name – Amen!

Copyright 2011 Sundaychildrensfocus.com   Andrew Hewlett  Feel free to use this on Sunday but please give credit to Sundaychildrensfocus and consider linking to this web site.  Thanks  - A.H.

Children’s Sermon – Passing on God’s forgiveness / blessings.

(Gospel text: Parable of the Unmerciful servant Matthew 18: 21-35

((Consider doing a simple dramatic representation of the Parable.  Read out a paraphrased version of the text as it is acted out. Though this may take some prior preparation it could be a lot of fun)) - However, here is an alternative:

 
Children’s message idea: The idea is that in order for us to stand in flow of God’s forgiveness and blessing we need to be extending that forgiveness and blessing to others. (This will be my angle on the parable of the unmerciful servant. )
- Ask the children get in a line. Find some objects that can represent God’s forgiveness / blessings. (Boxes, balls, etc)  Have the children pass them down the line (like a bucket brigade). Explain how we need to receive God’s blessings and we also need to pass them on to others. Demonstrate how withholding God’s blessings / forgiveness not only deprives others but also stops the flow of God’s blessings / forgiveness to us.
 
Objects Lesson props: Something you designate as representing God’s forgiveness and/or God’s blessings: A number of large boxes, some soccer balls, etc. (With a large item it will be obvious they the children cannot receive a new a blessing / forgiveness without passing on the blessing / forgiveness they already have.
 
Full Children’s message: (coming later this evening!

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