Sermon of the Week - April 15. 2012

Sermons 4 Kids
Sermon of the Week
Second Sunday of Easter
April 15, 2012

Sermon of the Week

Title: Seeing Is Believing

Theme: We, like Thomas, sometimes have to see to believe. Second Sunday of Easter

Objects: A dollar bill and two paper clips.

Scripture: Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:29

Do you find it easy to believe what someone tells you, even if what they tell you seems impossible? For example, suppose I said to you, "I am going to take these two paper clips and and connect them without touching them with my hands." Would that be easy for you to believe? It doesn't make sense, does it? How can I possibly connect these two paper clips while not touching them with my hands? You might say, "I'd have to see it to believe it." Well, if I show you and you see it with your own eyes, you would have to say, "I believe it," wouldn't you? After all, seeing is believing.

OK, first I am going to take this dollar bill and fold it into thirds. Next, I will take one paper clip and clip the top section of the dollar to the middle section. Now I will take the other paper clip and clip the bottom section to the middle section. Finally, I will slowly pull on the two ends of the dollar bill. Watch what happens.

Wow! That is really cool, isn't it? The two paper clips are connected! Now that you have seen it, do you believe it? Sometimes we must see something before we believe it, don't we?

On the evening of the first Sunday after Jesus had been crucified, his disciples were together in a locked room. They were afraid that those who had crucified Jesus would also want to put them to death. Suddenly, Jesus appeared there in the locked room with the disciples. It was hard to believe, but they saw him and Jesus showed them his wounds in his hands and his side, so they knew it was him.

One of the disciples, whose name was Thomas, was not with the others when Jesus appeared to them. When they told Thomas that they had seen Jesus, he did not believe them. He had seen him crucified and buried, how could he be alive? Thomas said, "Unless I see the wound in his side and put my finger in the holes where the nails were in his hands, I will not believe it!"

A week later, the disciples were in the locked room again and this time Thomas was with them. Again, Jesus came and stood among the disciples. Jesus, said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."

Thomas fell on his knees and answered Jesus, "My Lord and my God!"

Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

You and I have never seen Jesus with our own eyes. The question is, will we be a doubter, or will we be one of those who Jesus said were blessed because they believe, even though they have not seen?

Dear Father, help us to believe in our heart the truths we find in your Holy Word, even though we have not seen them with our eyes. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen

Instructions for performing the linking paper clips magic trick:

http://sermons4kids.com/linking_paper_clips_trick.docx

http://sermons4kids.com/linking_paper_clips_trick.pdf

Coloring Pages and Activities

GROUP ACTIVITIES PAGE

COLORING PAGE

CROSSWORD PUZZLE (PDF) (HTML)

DECODER PUZZLE (PDF) (HTML)

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE (PDF) (HTML)

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

WORSHIP BULLETIN (WORD DOCUMENT) Save this document to your computer and personalize it with your church's name. Print side one then reinsert it into the printer and print side two.

Sermon Links

A PRINT FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS SERMON: "Seeing Is Believing"

AN ALTERNATIVE LESSON BASED ON John 20:19-31: "Believe It or Not"

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