I was warned NOT to post my sermons/children's messages until after Sunday. Just so no one will steal and appropriate it for themselves. I don't care. If you can use it, use it. Just don't put your name on it.
I'll post my Sunday sermon tomorrow.
I was given this sermon format by Roland McGregor. Here's his site.
A Story About Jack
“Jack,” his mom said, “guess who coming today?”
“Who?” asked Jack.
“Grandma is coming, we’re going to pick her up at the bus station this evening, would you like to come along?” asked Jack’s mom.
Jack’s face brightened. “Yay! Grandma’s coming! I’m going to bring something special for her when we see her.”
Jack locked himself in his room and pulled out his crayons and pad of multi-coloured paper. He drew a circle, but the shape looked too much like an egg. So he ripped the page out from the pad and threw it in the recycling bin.
He drew another circle, but still it was the wrong shape. He tore out the page a tossed it away.
Jack’s older sister Suzy knocked on his door.
“Jack, mom’s ready to go soon. You need put your jacket on.”
Jack was quiet. He sat at his table colouring.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Just a minute,” Jack shouted impatiently.
Suzy jiggled the handle to Jack’s room. The door was locked.
“Jack, let’s go!” Suzy shouted, “Or mom’s going to leave without you.”
“In a minute. I’m almost done.” Jack shouted back.
Suzy tried the handle one more time.
“That’s it, we’re leaving. Dad’s in his workshop.”
Suzy and her mom closed the front door behind them. Jack ripped the page from the pad and hurled it in the recycle bin and turned to a fresh page.
Jack didn’t notice the sun set. His dad brought him a hot dog.
“Why don’t you take a break, son” handing him the plate.
“I want to get this just right,” replied Jack not looking up at his dad or his food.
“Your mom called and grandma’s bus is late, why don’t you get into your pajamas so she can tuck you in when she arrives,” said his dad.
“Soon,” Jack replied, still not looking up.
It was dark outside and Jack felt a hand on his shoulder. He jumped. Jack didn’t realize he’d been sleeping at his table.
“Jack, dear. Why don’t you let me tuck you in,” said Grandma.
“Grandma!” said Jack sleepily, then looked down at the picture he had drawn for her.
“I wanted to draw you something special for when you arrived,” Jack sobbed.
“This is a beautiful picture, Jack” Grandma said. “It looks just like me and buster” (Buster was grandma’s cat). “But why is there an ‘X’ through the picture?”
“Because I drew your face the wrong shape.” Jack replied. “I was going to throw it away and start all over.”
Grandma looked at the recycle bin. There were at least 10 drawings of her and Buster, crumpled up and thrown away.
“These are all wonderful drawings, Jack. Why did you throw them away?”
“It doesn’t look just like you. I didn’t get your face just right. Buster’s colour is the wrong red. I wanted to give you something that was just right.”
“Anything that comes from you will be ‘just right.’ It doesn’t have to be perfect. Did you go to church this morning?”
“Yes.”
“Then you probably heard the story of Jesus healing the blind man. Some of the religious leaders thought that the man was blind because either he or his parents made God angry and that God punished them by making the man blind.”
“Does God really do that?” asked Jack, his eyes opened wide.
“Some people believed God punished people for their parents’ sins. But Jesus didn’t believe that. Jesus knew that God was more interested in the love that’s in our hearts than how perfect we can be.
“So, if it’s okay with you, I’m going to take all these pictures from the recycle bin and put them in my bedroom and on my fridge and anywhere else I can find a place. That way I can always remember the love that’s in your heart.”
Jack said, “I’d like that.”
Then they said a prayer like this as we do now: Dear God, thank you that we don’t have to be perfect for you to love us. Amen.”
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