Category Archives: Children's Church Sermons

Thanksgiving Lesson

Posted on November 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

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Here’s some ideas you can use for a lesson on Thanksgiving.

Verse: Psalms 136:1(NLT) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

This verse not only tells us to give thanks to God, it tells us why. He is good and His love endures forever. Talk to the children about reasons we should thank God. There are other reasons listed in Psalm 136.

Beanbag of Thanksgiving:

One way to have the children thank God is to have a beanbag of thanksgiving. Throw the beanbag to different children. Any child who catches it must tell something he thanks God for. Remind children that this is a time for thanksgiving not prayer requests. If a child has a hard time thinking of something, remind him or her of the reasons listed in the memory verse.

Thank God For Children: At the end of the Beanbag of Thanksgiving, thank God out loud for the children under your care. You can say something like this. “Scripture says children are a reward from the Lord, and blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. So I thank God for all of you. You are my reward from God.” This not only shows the children you’re thankfulness, but it gives them the assurance that God considers them a blessing when the world sometimes considers children a curse.

Bible Lesson: (Luke 17:11-19)

Ten lepers came to Jesus to be healed. Jesus healed them all. But only one leper came back to thank him. Jesus told that leper his faith has made him whole. God blesses those who have a thankful heart.

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History of the Pilgrims

Posted on November 14, 2011 | 1 Comment

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Thanksgiving is coming soon, and most children’s pastors have special Thanksgiving services planned. One thing I have always done on Thanksgiving is to teach the children about America’s spiritual heritage ingrained in the Pilgrims and Puritans. These are some of the facts that children are not taught in school.

Most children are taught that pilgrims came to America to flee religious persecution. That’s not exactly true. Pilgrims and Puritans were persecuted for believing that Christians could have a personal relationship with Jesus separate from the Church of England. But they traveled to Holland to flee the persecution, not America.

So why did they travel to America? There were many reasons, but the main reason is they felt compelled by God to come to America and establish a colony of people that honored God. Many called this colony, New Jerusalem, believing that God had established this new land to spread the gospel to the world. William Bradford wrote in his journal that the motivation came from “a great hope for advancing the kingdom of Christ.”

Pilgrims and Puritans were not the same. Pilgrims were separatists who believed they should separate themselves for the Church of England and the world systems. Puritans believed in working within the system. When they came to America, Puritans wished to set up the government so that religious freedom of expression would be established. Pilgrims wanted freedom of religion so they were free to worship without fear of persecution. Both Pilgrims and Puritans wanted freedom of religion to protect the church from the government, not to protect the government from the church.

Many schools teach that Thanksgiving was a secular celebration. But letters written by the Pilgrims tell a different story. God was such a part of their everyday life that they included God in everything. One such letter states that Thanksgiving was a celebration called so that “God be praised” for what He had brought them through.

John Winthrop called New England a City on a Hill in one of his sermon. He, as well as many other Puritans and Pilgrims, believed they had made a covenant with God to be a new nation that was a model of Christianity to the world. William Bradford believed that America was called to spread the gospel to the world. Since the Pilgrims and Puritans came to America, the United States of America has sent missionaries to more nations and more remote places in the world than any other nation on Earth. Could it be they were right?

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Ideas For Children’s Ministry to Remember September 11, 2001

Posted on September 4, 2011 | 2 Comments

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This Sunday is the tenth anniversary for September 11th, 2001 when terrorists attacked our nation.

While it affected every one of us and we all remember where we were and what we were doing on that fateful day, most of the children in your children’s ministry weren’t born yet. Those who had been born, were too young to remember the event. This generation we are ministering to thinks of 9/11 as something that happened a long time ago.

But even though they don’t remember, they need to learn the lessons we learned on 9/11. Here’s some ideas for remembering the day in children’s church.

Give your testimony: Tell how you learned about the terrorist attacks and how you felt. Talk about how God saw you through and how God can see them through any problems they face.

Pray for Our Country: On 9/11/2001, most people prayed for the United States. We should still pray for our country’s safety and leaders today. Spend time talking about how to pray for our country.

Heroes Help Others: There are a lot of stories about heroes that helped others on 9/11. Share some stories about those people and talk about how we can help others in need.

God Is With Us: Talk about the fear people felt on 9/11/2001 and how God is with us even when we’re fearful.

Missions To Arab Countries: Spend some time talking about how God loves everyone, even the terrorists. Spend some time teaching about missionaries in Arab countries and how they risk their lives to share the Gospel. Have the children pray for the missionaries and maybe write encouraging cards and letters.

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Independence Day Lesson For Children’s Church

Posted on July 1, 2011 | 2 Comments


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The fourth of July is on Monday. This Sunday would be a great time to teach children that the United States was founded on Christian principles.

Some Facts about our Founding Fathers:

Fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence. Twenty-four of them held seminary or Bible school degrees.

In 1777. Continental Congress voted to spend $300,000 to purchase bibles which were to be distributed throughout the 13 colonies! And in 1782, the United
States Congress declared, “The Congress of the United States recommends and
approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.”

On March 6, 1789, President John Adams called for a national day of fasting and
prayer for the country could “call to mind our numerous offenses against the
most high God, confess them before Him with the sincerest penitence, implore his pardoning mercy, through the Great Mediator and Redeemer, for our past
transgression, and that through the grace of His Holy Spirit, we may be disposed
and enabled to yield a more suitable obedience. . .”

Patrick Henry read the Bible for hours every day. During his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, he quoted Matthew and Jeremiah.

In his first general order to his own troops, General George Washington said he called on: ‘Every officer and man…to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.’

Verses about a Nation’s Responsibility Toward God:

Psalm 33:12 ICB  Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord. Happy are the people He chose for His very own.

Proverbs 11:14  ICB  Without leadership a nation will be defeated. But when many people give advice, it will be safe.

Proverbs 14:34  ICB  Doing what is right makes a nation great. But sin will bring disgrace to any people.

Pledge To the United States Flag:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Pledge to the Christian Flag:

I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose Kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen, and coming again with life and liberty to all who
believe.

Pledge to the Bible:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.

A Christian’s Responsibilities to our Nation:

Obey God first.  Acts 5:29 NRSV  But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.”

Obey Our Leaders and the Law.  Romans 13:1 ICB   All of you must obey the government rulers. No one rules unless God has given him the power to rule. And no one rules now without that power from God.

Pray For Our Leaders. 1 Timothy 2:1 ICB  You should pray for kings and for all who have authority. Pray for the leaders so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives—lives full of worship and respect for God.

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Valentines Week Sermon: The Heart Test

Posted on February 8, 2011 | Leave a comment


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This message comes from 1 Samuel 16:7:  …God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Tell the story of 1 Samuel 16 in your own words. Then talk about how David became king because he had a heart for God. God cares more about us having a heart for Him than he does about how you look, or how talented or popular you are. God chose David because of his heart. In 1 Samuel 13:14, God calls David a man after His own heart.

This Valentine’s Day, challenge your children to have a heart for God. By giving them “The Heart Test”.  

 

You Know By What You Say

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.   A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”    (Matthew 12:34-35 NKJV)

What Do You Spend Your Time & Money On?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:21) 

Are You Lukewarm?

So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.   (Revelation 3:16 NKJV)

 Do You Live In Sin and Unbelief?

So brothers, be careful that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart. This will stop you from following the living God.    (Hebrews 3:12 ICB) 

Check the Word

God’s word is alive and working. It is sharper than a sword sharpened on both sides. It cuts all the way into us, where the soul and the spirit are joined. It cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. And God’s word judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts.    (Hebrews 4:12 ICB)

The most important commandment is found in Mark 12:30.

 

Love the Lord your God. Love him with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.

 

Challenge your children to make a commitment to love God with all their heart.

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