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 Seventh Sunday of Easter
From “Sitting on the Rainbow”
Scripture Reference:Â 1 John 5:1-2
Psalm 1:1-3 and 1 John 5:12Â “He who has the Son, has life.”
Preparation (optional): You may bring a couple of small, leafy branches for your young volunteers to hold while they pretend to be trees.
Trees are nice, aren’t they? I really like trees, and I think God must like them, too. He made so many of them, and so many different kinds! I’d like to read to you verses from the very first psalm in the Bible—Psalm 1, verses 1 through 3—because it talks about trees.
“Oh the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked . . . but they delight in doing everything the Lord wants; day and night they think about his law. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper†(nlt).
These verses tell us that a follower of God is like a tree. If we had some trees here to talk with, we might be able to understand this a little better. Could I have a couple of volunteers to be trees this morning? (Pick two volunteers to interview.) I’d like our trees to stand up tall with their branches outstretched, and be ready to answer a few questions. (Have two kids get into place. You may hand them small branches to hold.)
(Interview both trees, asking what is most important to them or what it is they need to survive. My example follows.) Hello! You’re a fine looking tree. I’d like to know: what is the most important thing to you? (Let “tree†answer, but guide the answer to include the sun.) The sun is pretty important to a tree, isn’t it? Of course, trees need other things as well, like water and minerals and clean air. But without the sun, there can be no life at all. Did you know that the “Son†also is important to the life of a Christian? This time, though, I’m talking about the Son of God, Jesus. Just as a tree needs the sun to grow and be strong, we need God’s Son to grow as Christians and be strong in the Lord. (Thank the trees and invite them to sit down with you again.)
I’d like you to say a verse with me from 1 John 5:12. It’s a good verse to memorize. “He who has the Son has life†(rsv). (Have kids repeat the verse a couple of times.) Today, when you see a beautiful tree with its new leaves stretching toward the sun, remember this verse. “He who has the Son has life.â€
Prayer: Â We thank you, Lord, for sending your Son, Jesus, who brings us everlasting life.
Sixth Sunday of Easter
From “Sitting on the Rainbow”
Scripture Reference:Â 1 John 5:1-2
Preparation (optional): Arrange for several older members of the congregation to bring small photos of their grandkids and be prepared to show them to the kids during the children’s time.
How many of you have grandparents? Raise your hand. I know quite a few grandparents, and all of them just love their grandkids. They love to have their grandchildren visit them, and they tell their friends how wonderful and sweet their grandchildren are. Most grandparents carry around pictures of their grandkids in their wallets and their purses.
Are there any grandparents here this morning who would be willing to show us pictures of their grandchildren? (Your prearranged grandparents may come up to show the kids their pictures and say just a few words about the grandchildren.)
I’d like to know how each of you got your grandparents to love you so much. Did you pay them lots of money? Do you take them out to fancy restaurants every week? Are you always extra good when they’re around—never complaining about anything, never fighting with your brother or sister? (Listen to responses.)
Your grandparents love you for who you are, don’t they? Your mom or dad is their child. They love your parents, and they love you. In 1 John, chapter 5, the Bible says, “Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child†(v. 1 rsv).
Who are the children of God? (A child may give the correct answer.) All who believe in Jesus are children of God. Our heavenly Father is the parent, and his children are sitting all around you. Some of God’s children are young, like you, and some are older like your parents and grandparents. We are all children of God.
The Bible says that everyone who loves the parent also loves the child. Just like your grandparents love the parent (your mom or dad) and love the child (you), so, too, all of us who love God, the heavenly parent, should love all of God’s children.
If God had pictures of all of his children in his wallet, how big do you suppose that wallet would have to be? Really big! God has many children. We’re part of a big family, aren’t we? We’re a family of believers, and God wants us to love everybody else in our family.
Prayer: Â Dear God, help us love all of your children as much as you do.
From Barefoot in the Snow
Message for Mother’s Day (Third Sunday of Easter)
Scripture References: Proverbs 23:22 – 25 “… What a pleasure it is to have wise children. So give your parents joy! May she who gave you birth be happy.”
Preparation: Bring enough white carnations in a bucket so that every mother will get one.
Today is a very special day, isn’t it? Can anyone tell me what day it is? (Let children answer.)
Yes! Today is Mother’s Day! Have any of you done something special for your mom already today? (Let children share.) It’s really nice to have a day set aside to honor mothers. And although we should thank them every day, today we take time to let them know how much we appreciate them.
I brought something today that each one of you can give to your mom: a Mother’s Day present. Many moms like flowers, so I brought several buckets full of carnations. Everyone here who wants to give a flower to their mother can take one. But before I hand them out, I have to explain something.
(You may change this text to suit your own tastes. My example follows.) Before I ordered these flowers, I was trying to decide what color to get. I like red a lot, so I thought maybe that would be a good color for Mother’s Day. But I know another mom who likes purple. My own mom likes blue, and I know other moms who like yellow or green or pink or turquoise best. What color should I get? Finally I decided to get white, and I’ll tell you why.
Before a woman becomes a mommy, life is fairly neat and clean and orderly, like this white flower. (Show white carnation.) When a woman becomes a mommy, life is suddenly a lot more colorful. There are rosy red cheeks and muddy brown fingers, bright green grass stains and yellow dandelions, purple bruised knees and tan bandages, raspberry jam kisses and a rainbow of color crayons to admire on paper and to scrub off the walls. Mommies live in a very colorful world.
And because every mommy has her own favorite color, I want you to take your carnation home with your mommy and color it. To color the carnation, have a grown-up cut the stem at a slant, under water, and then put it in a vase with a little water and lots of food coloring in the color you want your carnation to be. The color will be drawn up the stem until it reaches the petals, and you’ll have a colorful carnation. (You may show an example.)
Thank you so much, Lord, for our moms who love us and take care of us. They give us some idea of how much you must love us, too.
Key Words: Love, Children, Patience, Appreciation
Fourth Sunday of Easter
From “Saving the Ants”
Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud
Scripture Reference:Â Psalm 23
Preparation: (Optional) Bring cotton balls to represent sheep or make simple sheep from pom-poms to hand out to the children.
Does anyone know who King David was? He was king of Israel a long time ago. Do you know what he did before he became a king? He was a shepherd. A shepherd doesn’t have a very glamorous job. He has to take care of a big flock of sheep. This is not easy, because sheep aren’t very intelligent creatures. Almost every other farm animal you could name is smarter than a sheep.
So a shepherd has to show the sheep where they should eat grass, where they should drink fresh water, where they should lie down and go to sleep. The shepherd has to protect the sheep from hungry wolves and bears. He has to keep them from running off the edge of cliffs. He has to keep them from getting lost.
King David knew a lot about sheep. He knew how silly they were and how much they needed a shepherd. And after he became king, he wrote a song, a psalm, that begins, “The Lord is my shepherd†(Ps. 23:1 NLT). Now if the Lord is my shepherd, what does that make me? Right! A sheep! Isn’t that insulting? No, just realistic. We do need God. We need taking care of. It would really be silly to think that we didn’t need God as our shepherd. Do you think those sheep would last very long out in the wilderness without a shepherd? No!
I’d like to give each one of you a soft little sheep to remind you how sheep need a shepherd just like we need God. Even though we’re much smarter than sheep, in some ways we can be just as silly when we make bad choices and refuse to follow the Good Shepherd who loves us. (You may pass out cotton balls and, if desired, teach the children a simple song.)
I want to teach you a little song. Whenever you hear the word “sheep†you can say “Baa!†And when we’re done, all of you little lambs can find your way back to your places.
Optional song, to the tune, “The Games People Play†by Joe South
I just want to be a sheep (BAA!),
I just want to be a sheep (BAA!),
Pray the Lord my soul to keep,
I just want to be a sheep! (BAA!)
Prayer: Â Dear Jesus, our good shepherd, thank you for watching over us and keeping us from harm.
Fourth Sunday of Easter
From “Sitting on the Rainbow”
Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud
Scripture Reference:Â 1 John 3:16-24
Preparation:Â Bring a large, brightly colored valentine and a warm jacket to help illustrate your talk.
If you wanted someone to know you loved him or her, what would you say? (Let children respond.) You could simply say, “I love you.†Then they would know. Or you could write “I love you†on a piece of paper. Even though Valentine’s Day is past, I brought a valentine with me, because sending a valentine is another way to tell someone, “I love you.â€
What if you couldn’t speak and you couldn’t write? Would you still be able to let people know that you loved them? (Let children respond.) There are lots of other ways to tell people you love them. You could give them a hug or a kiss. You could smile at them or maybe even hold their hand.
It’s easy for most of us to show love to members of our family or to friends; but God wants us to love all his children, even those who aren’t family or close friends. This doesn’t mean that you need to hug everyone you meet—although I’m sure that would make the world a happier place. But it does mean that God wants us to be ready to help others that might be in real need.
1 John 3, verses 17 and 18 read, “But if anyone who has money enough to live well, and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions†(nlt). When John says, “Dear children,†he’s talking to grownups, too, because we are, all of us, children of God.
So if you saw a man shivering in the cold outside, and you wanted to show that person you loved him, which of these two things would you give him? (Hold up both the valentine and the jacket.) Would you give that cold man a valentine with “I love you†written on it, or would you give him a warm jacket? (Let the children answer.) The gift of a warm jacket would be a better way to show your love to that man, wouldn’t it?
Of course, you don’t have to wait until you see someone shivering in the street to show your love. You can give offering money to help feed people who don’t have enough to eat or to help buy Bibles for those who wouldn’t get one otherwise. You can show your love for your parents by helping them and doing chores without complaining. When you get home, you and your parents can talk about ways to show love to others by helping them.
Little children, let us show our love by our actions.
Prayer: Â Dear God of love, help us tell others that we love them by using both our words and our actions. Thank you for showing your love for us by sending your Son, Jesus.
Third Sunday of Easter
From “Sitting on the Rainbow”
Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud
Scripture Reference:Â Acts 3:13-16
Preparation: Bring several books by your favorite authors to show the children. Authors who have written children’s books will be easier for children to relate to.
Does everyone know what an author is? (Let children answer.) An author is someone who has written a book. Do you have any favorite authors? (Let children share some of their favorites.) There are many good authors who have written books that we enjoy. A man named A. A. Milne wrote the Winnie the Pooh books. A woman named Astrid Lindgren wrote the Pippi Longstocking books. Margaret Wise Brown wrote Goodnight Moon and many other books for children.
(Here you may share with the children some of your favorite authors and the books they wrote. My example follows.) One of my favorite authors is a man named C. S. Lewis. He wrote many books for both grownups and children. When I was in third grade, I started reading his stories about a land called Narnia, and I loved them. The stories were enchanting; they carried you into a magical land where you got to meet many wonderful and wise characters. When I was finished with the books about Narnia, I felt that I had gone on a great adventure.
The New Testament book of Acts, chapter 3, tells of when Jesus’ friend Peter talked about a very important author. He talked about the “Author of life.†Who do you suppose is the “Author of life� Peter told his listeners, “You killed the Author of life; but God raised him to life.†(v. 15 nlt). Who is Peter talking about? (Let children answer.) The Author of life is Jesus! The world and everything in it was created through Jesus. Isn’t it strange that the Author—the creator—of life itself, had that life taken from him?
We are people whom God created. We are like the books that an author writes—books that God writes. Author’s books are not only a pleasure and a gift to those who read them, they also show the readers a lot about the author who wrote them. God created us in his own image. We are a little bit like God.
Each one of you will live a life that tells a story. And every day you add more pages to your story. Because you are a child of God, you want your life book to be filled with stories of how you followed God’s plan. The story of your life might be filled with adventure; there may be some sad parts, there may be some scary parts. But because you are a child of God, most of your life book should be about love. And at the end of your story, you know that you’ll be in heaven with Jesus. That is the best ending to any life story.
Prayer: Â Lord Jesus, you are the Author of life. Thank you for giving us life. Help us all to live our lives to your glory.
Second Sunday of Easter
From “Sitting on the Rainbow”
Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud
Scripture Reference:Â Acts 4:32-35
Preparation: You may bring a brown lunch bag containing a treat or stickers to share with the children at the end of your message.
If you were sitting down to lunch at school and you saw that the person sitting next to you didn’t have anything to eat, what might you do? (Let children respond.) You could share your food, couldn’t you? It’s good to share.
I’m sure that everyone here has at one time or another shared with someone else. And we’ve each received something that someone else has shared with us. (You may offer your own story of sharing or receiving here. My example follows.)
A man who was almost bald visited the family of a good friend. He had just a little fringe of hair around the back of his head. The youngest daughter in the family had lots of thick hair that hung down past her waist. “What beautiful hair!†commented the nearly bald man. He then added, with a smile, “You have so much hair, and I have so little . . . couldn’t you give me just a little bit of that hair?†The man, of course, was joking and thought the girl knew that he was joking. But the little girl took his request to heart. “It really isn’t fair,†she thought, “that I have so much hair, and he has so little.†So the girl found some scissors and cut off a nice chunk of her hair. Then, beaming with pleasure, she brought her gift down to the guest.
The man did not mean for the girl to cut her hair and share it with him. But she did this; she shared her hair with someone who needed hair. Some people are very good at sharing. I’ve watched kids share their toys, clothes, food, and many other things. So many of you are good at sharing smiles and kind words and even hugs.
One of the Bible readings for today talks about sharing. The believers in the early church shared everything they had. Acts 4 says, “All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had. . . . There was no poverty among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need†(vv. 32, 34-35 NLT).
The early believers were so good at sharing what they had that there wasn’t a needy person among them. Because everybody shared, everyone had what was needed. If we ask, God will help us also become experts at sharing. And, like many things we do, the more we practice sharing, the better we become at it. So remember to practice sharing this week and see how good you become at it. Don’t forget to ask God to help you!
Prayer: Â Teach us to be generous with all the gifts that you have given us, Lord. Help make us experts at sharing with others.
Easter Sunday
From “Sitting on the Rainbow”
Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud
Scripture Reference:Â Mark 16:1-8
Preparation: Bring a picture of a caterpillar, a chrysalis, and a butterfly—or, if possible, bring a real chrysalis and butterfly model.
Happy Easter! The Lord is risen. Hallelujah! Today we celebrate one of the most important days in the church. We celebrate because Jesus rose up from the dead, because he came back to life and is living even today. Many times we have heard the story of how Jesus died on the cross and then beat death by coming back to life on the third day. Easter is not a surprise for us, but it is a wonderful celebration.
The followers of Jesus were surprised on that first Easter. They were shocked. They didn’t know what to think. Even though Jesus had told them he would die and then be raised again to life, they just couldn’t believe it.
Early on that first Easter morning, three women followers of Jesus went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. The tomb was a cave dug into the side of a hill where the body of Jesus had been wrapped up with linen cloths and placed on a bench of stone.
The women had many surprises waiting for them that Easter morning. First of all, they were surprised to see that the huge stone had been rolled away from the doorway—the tomb was open. Then they bent down and went into the burial cave and were startled to see an angel sitting in the tomb. They were surprised again to hear the angel tell them that Jesus was not there; he was alive and already on his way to another town. Then the women turned around and were amazed to see the cloths that had wrapped Jesus were folded and on the stone bench where his body had been.
They ran from the tomb, too scared to say anything. Of course, Jesus had told them that he would die and then be raised to life again, but when it actually happened, it was too surprising for the women to accept at first.
Imagine you had a pet caterpillar, and you watched the caterpillar spin a chrysalis, and then nothing happened for days. (Here you may show your illustration.) If you didn’t know that butterflies come out of chrysalises, you might think your pet had died. You’d be sad that you had lost your fuzzy caterpillar. But one day, you would see that the chrysalis was empty and a beautiful butterfly was fluttering around.
Butterflies are often used as a symbol of Easter. Butterflies decorate churches at Eastertime to remind us of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Like a butterfly coming out of a dead-looking chrysalis, Jesus came out alive from the tomb with a resurrected body that would never die. Happy Easter!
Prayer: Alleluia! We praise you, mighty Lord, for rising up from the dead to new life. Thank you, Jesus, that we, too, will not die, but will live with you forever in heaven. We praise you for Easter.
 Good Friday
Scripture Reference:Â Luke 24:19 – 21
Preparation: (Optional) You may bring a version of the Chinese folktale called “The Lost Horse” or another variation.
Good Friday is sort of a strange name for such a sad day, isn’t it? On Good Friday, we remember that day that our Savior, Jesus, was nailed to a cross and hung up to die with two criminals on either side of him. It was a terrible, sad day. His disciples were heart-broken and his mother and other friends stood at the foot of the cross weeping. They could not believe that their wonderful teacher was dying in front of their very eyes.
How could such a sad day be called good? I remember thinking, when I was very young, that it should be called “Bad Friday” instead of “Good Friday.” But sometimes, when we think something is bad, it is only because we don’t see the whole picture… we don’t know everything about the situation.
It reminds me of an old Chinese folktale where an old man’s only horse, a mare, runs away. “That’s bad,” say his neighbors. “No, that was good,” says the old man when the horse returns with a stallion by her side, and now he has two horses. “Ah, that’s good,” say the neighbors. “No, that was bad,” says the old man after the horse throws his only son to the ground and the son breaks his hip. “That is really bad,” say the neighbors. But then an army marches through the town, forcing all of the young men and sons who are healthy to go to war with them. The old man’s son is not taken because of his broken hip and so he is left behind. The son heals and is able to stay and care for his old father. So the final result for this family is good.
Good Friday is good because of the whole picture. Jesus knew what was going to happen. He knew that he would die on the cross; but he also knew that death was not the end of the story. Jesus knew that God is more powerful than death. Jesus knew that after three days, he would rise from the dead  and break the power of sin and death forever. Good Friday begins a story that ends in victory and that is why Good Friday is, indeed, good.
Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for loving us so much that you died on the cross to take away sin and death. Thank you for going through the bad to bring us to the good. Help us to always remember the good of Good Friday.
Palm Sunday/ April Fool’s Day
1 Cor. 4:10 – 13
Preparation: Bring or wear part of a clown costume; even a red clown nose would suffice to help illustrate the sermon.
What does a clown look like? Serious or silly? Do they wear normal clothes? How do they act? (Let children share their responses, and as you discuss how they look and act, you can add elements of the clown costume to yourself.) Do I look more like a clown now?
If I walked around like this every day, do you think that people might make fun of me? (Let children respond.) And if I was a clown, would I really mind if people made fun of me? I wouldn’t really care, would I? Being funny and silly and out-of-the-ordinary would be part of my job.
Another word for “clown” is “fool.” Did you know that the Bible talks about “fools for Christ?” In 1 Corinthians, chapter 4, the apostle Paul writes, Â “We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, but we are dishonored.” Paul sort of turns things upside down. Most people want to be strong and have other look up to them and honor them, but Paul shows us how wonderful it is to be a “fool for Christ.” (NIV)
Today is Palm Sunday, but it is also April Fool’s Day. People sort of expect funny things to happen on April Fools Day. It’s a perfect day to throw caution to the wind and be a fool for Christ. That might not mean just putting on a clown nose to bring a smile to someone’s face, it might mean being brave enough to tell someone that God loves them so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus, to save them. And telling someone the truth about God might bring some teasing or laughter; it might make you feel foolish. But being a fool for Christ can save someone’s life; it can change them forever.
This Palm Sunday, we remember how Jesus rode into Jerusalem, riding on a little donkey. Some might have made fun of him. He wasn’t riding on a big, important-looking horse. He wasn’t wearing kingly robes and he didn’t have a conquering army with him or a band to announce his entry. It was just Jesus on a donkey. Pretty funny parade. But the wise people in the crowd, they knew who this was. They knew that Jesus was God himself come to earth to bring salvation to the people and so they welcomed him with shouts of “Hosanna!”
I think that April Fool’s Day landing on Palm Sunday is very appropriate. It helps to remind us that we can all be fools for Christ and shout the good news that God loves us so much that he sent Jesus.
Prayer: Hosanna, Lord Jesus! Thank you for the wonderfully foolish amount of love that you have for all of us. Help us to be fools for Christ and spread the Good News.Â
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