Children's Message

Sermon

Good morning! How is everyone today?

I was thinking about a problem this week and thought maybe y’all could help me. You see, I was wondering what to do if a monkey got stuck in a tree. I know that sounds silly but I’m serious! What if the monkey climbed up to the top and then realized he was afraid of heights? If you saw a monkey stuck in a tree, what would you do? (Take a few answers.) Maybe we could bring him a ladder, or tell him he can have lots of bananas if he comes down, or we could even climb up there ourselves and carry him down.

Now what if it wasn’t a monkey but our friend, and they were stuck in a really hard place? How would you help your friend? (Take a few answers.) Those are good ideas. Just like the monkey, we would want to help.

And that’s kind of like the Scripture for today. A man named Paul was writing a letter to encourage his friends and he said that when they are in tough situations, they should remember to work together. It’s much easier to come down from a tall tree or to deal with problems when you have a friend by your side. Paul tells us that when we work together, or strive together, the scary things aren’t so scary anymore. We can help our friends and then they can help us too. All working together to get through the tough times.

Do you think you can help one friend this week? I know you can!

Prayer

God, we thank you for good friends who make the hard and scary times a little easier. Help us to be good friends this week who strive side by side for good. Amen.

Wonder Questions

I wonder if you’ve ever had a friend help you out of a tough situation?
I wonder how it feels to help and be helped?
I wonder who needs help but is too scared to ask?

Church Activities

Set out a small puzzle (10-20 pieces) and pick one child to be the one to put it together, but there’s a catch - they have to be blindfolded! Have the other children help by sorting the pieces, giving instructions on where to put each puzzle piece, and offering encouragement when the challenge gets frustrating.
Create a hopscotch pattern on the floor with squares big enough for 2-3 kids to fit. Pair kids up with a partner then play hopscotch while linked with your partner. Partner ideas: hold hands, link arms, hold a shared object like a piece of rope, tie legs together like a 3-legged race.

Family Activities

Identify one problem around your house, neighborhood, community, etc. How could we work together to solve this problem? Consider timing, supplies, and if there are other people you may want to work with as well.
Challenge everyone to offer help at least once this week. At the end of the week, discuss how it felt to help and be helped.