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Love Builds the Church

For the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Image from Half a World Away exhibit

Scripture Reference:Â 1 Cor. 8:1-3

Preparation: You may bring a hammer and nails or some other construction tools.

The Bible reading from 1 Corinthians today talks about building up the church. If you were going to help build up the church, what sort of tools do you think you might need? (Discuss.) I brought some tools with me (show the tools), but the trouble is,

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Follow Me

For the Third Sunday after Epiphany Gospel Reading

Scripture Reference:Â Mark 1:14 – 20

Preparation: (Optional) Bring outreach pamphlets or invitations to your church. Have them ready to pick up by your designated exit door.

Good morning everyone! Nice to see you all this morning. OK, we’ve got to get busy. Everyone, FOLLOW ME! (Get up and immediately start down the aisle or walk towards the nearest exit. When you get to the door, turn around to see how many of the children followed. At

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Hiding from God

For the Third Sunday after Epiphany From “Sitting on the Rainbow” Artwork by Elsa Ingulsrud

Scripture Reference:Â Jonah 1:1-17

Preparation: Bring a large blanket or dark-colored sheet.

Have any of you heard about a man named Jonah? (Let children respond.) Jonah was a prophet of God; he would listen to God and tell the people what God said. One day, God told Jonah to go to a big city and tell the people who lived there that they were being very wicked and that they

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Wonderfully Made

For the Second Sunday after Epiphany From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Scripture Reference:Â Psalm 139:13-16

Preparation: Bring an ink pad and small squares of smooth, white paper for making children’s fingerprints; or you may use your own pre-made thumbprints to hand out. You may also bring magnifying glasses to help the children study their fingerprints.

The Psalm for today is beautiful. Psalm 139, verses 13 and 14 read, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s

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Turn Around

John the Baptist (right) with child Jesus, painting by Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo

For the First Sunday after Epiphany From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Scripture Reference:Â Mark 1:4-11 and Acts 19:1-7

Can anyone tell me what the word repent means? (Child may offer a definition.) If you are doing something bad and you repent, what do you do? You stop doing the wrong thing and begin doing the right thing. The word repent means “to turn around and go the other way.” Could

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At Long Last

For the First Sunday after Christmas From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Scripture Reference: Luke 2:22-35 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation”

Have any of you ever waited a very long time for something? (Let children answer.) How long did you have to wait? A week? A month? Maybe even a year? Have any of you waited your whole life for something? (Children may respond.)

Simeon was a man who lived

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A Sharp Lookout

For the First Sunday of Advent From “Sitting on the Rainbow”

Scripture Reference: Mark 13:32-37

Preparation: Prepare a distraction of some type to use later in the sermon. For example, one year, I arranged for a helper to drop colorful confetti from the balcony to catch the children’s attention.

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. (You may, at this time, take note of the Advent wreath and other Advent decorations.) Advent is a time of waiting and getting ready for the arrival of Jesus

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Overflowing Love

For the 21st Sunday after Pentecost or Proper 27 (Lectionary 32) From “Saving the Ants”

1 Thess. 3:12 Â “May the Lord make your love grow and overflow to each other and to everyone else, just as our love overflows toward you.” (NLT)

Preparation: Bring a small pot with a healthy flowering plant growing in it.

I brought a little plant with me this morning. It’s a very nice-looking plant with green leaves and flowers. It has its own pot with lots of rich soil.

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Tough Questions

Adapted from “Barefoot in the Snow” Scripture Reference: Job 38:1-11

Do any of you have questions that no one has been able to answer? Are there any really tough questions that you would like to have answered? If you have one, go ahead and ask it now. I’m not going to try and answer them, but I’d just like to hear them. (Let children ask their questions.)

We can answer many questions already. We’ve learned a lot about this world we live in. But do

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Telling It Twice

For the 16th Sunday after Pentecost

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ.” (RSV)

Preparation: Bring a Bible with some verses in large type or highlighted. An illustrated Bible might be helpful.

Have you ever noticed that some things we need to hear more than once? Some things we need to hear more than once. It’s true. It’s really true. Some things we need to hear more than once. We may get tired

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