Sermon of the Week - October 21, 2012

Sermons 4 Kids
Sermon of the Week
21st Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 24 (29)
October 21, 2012

Sermon of the Week

Title: To Be Like Jesus

Theme: To be like Jesus means a life of service to others. Proper 24 (29) Yr. B, Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Object: None is needed, but you could use a "wishbone" from a chicken or a turkey "if you wish."

Scripture: "Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:43b-45 (NLT)

When I was a little boy, the best thing about having chicken for dinner was the "wishbone." After we finished eating, my sister and I would each hold one side of the wishbone, close our eyes and make a wish. Then we pulled on the wishbone until it broke apart. The one who got the biggest piece was supposed to have their wish come true.

Have you ever wished for something? Sure you have. We all have. Sometimes we make a wish without thinking about what would happen if our wish really came true.

Have you ever planned to have a picnic and it rained? Perhaps you sat and watched the rain and grumbled to yourself, "I wish it would stop raining." What if that wish came true and it really stopped raining FOREVER? There would be no grass, no trees, no flowers. Rivers, lakes, and streams would dry up and all life would begin to disappear. This world would be a miserable place if it stopped raining, wouldn't it?

James and John were two brothers who were disciples of Jesus. One day, the two of them came to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus replied.

"In your glorious Kingdom, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one at your right and the other at your left." You see, they thought that Jesus was going to set up an earthly kingdom, and they wanted to sit beside him on the throne. They wanted to share in his greatness.

Jesus answered them and said, "You don't know what you are asking." Then he explained that whoever wants to be great must be a servant of all. He said, "For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many." (NLT) Jesus was right! I don't think that being a servant was exactly what James and John were wishing for!

Sometimes you and I may say, "I wish I could be more like Jesus." Is that really our wish? If we really want that wish to come true, we must give our lives in service to others.

Dear Jesus, help us to mean it when we say, "I wish I could be more like Jesus." Amen.

Coloring Pages and Activities

GROUP ACTIVITIES PAGE

COLORING PAGE

CROSSWORD PUZZLE (PDF) (HTML)

DECODER PUZZLE (PDF) (HTML)

WORD SEARCH PUZZLE (PDF) (HTML)

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.

AN ANONYMOUSE.ORG LINKS PAGE

For several weeks, some of our subscribers in South Africa have been denied access to the Sermons4Kids web site. A special links page has been set up so that those who are being blocked from our site will be able to access our activities. If you are one of those affected, the link below allows access the special links page. This link uses a proxy service which my research has indicated is safe when used to access our site.

CLICK HERE FOR THE SPECIAL LINKS PAGE

Sermon Links

A PRINT FRIENDLY VERSION OF THIS SERMON: "To Be Like Jesus"

AN ALTERNATE SERMON BASED ON MARK 10:35-45: "Winning the Prize"

AN ALTERNATE SERMON BASED ON ISAIAH 53:4-12: "All We Like Sheep"

Support for Sermons 4 Kids

Sermons4Kids is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization supported entirely by the voluntary donations of those who use our services and feel that our ministry is worthy of their support. If you find Sermons4Kids helpful, consider making a donation to support this ministry.

To make an online donation using PayPal, click here.

If you wish to send a donation by mail, send your check or money
order to:

Sermons4Kids, Inc.
3273 Falcon Drive
Abilene, TX 79606-3312

Tools to Help Your Children's Ministry

CURRICULUM: A complete curriculum for a year. There is a lesson for each Sunday of the year which includes group activities, song suggestions, a coloring page, and several puzzles. All is on one CD in PDF format! We created this especially for those who may not have Internet access and because many of you asked for it for advanced planning. We hope you will not regard this as a replacement for your Sermon of the Week emails. Sermons4Kids is a work in progress and you will always see our latest efforts in the weekly emails!

· YEAR A CURRICULUM CD

· YEAR B CURRICULUM CD

· YEAR C CURRICULUM CD

· SERMONS IN PRINT: Three years of sermons are available on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. These are sermons only -- there are no coloring pages or other activities. Since these sermons are available on the CD below, there is no need to order both items. You may print the sermons as needed from the CD.

· KID CONNECTION CD ROM: This CD contains three years of sermons, a large collection of coloring pages, more than 300 Bible puzzles, and thirteen PowerPoint presentations featuring the art of Henry Martin plus the eight new presentations by Stacy Hagler. A great resource for enriching your lessons.

There is never a charge for any products or services, but donations are gratefully accepted. Sermons4Kids is supported entirely by your voluntary donations.

Click here to complete an order form. If you have the latest version of Adobe Reader, you can type directly on the form and then print it out for mailing.