Scripture

John 8:31-36

Script

[Props: Print out a copy of Martin Luther’s 95 theses, tape]

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Today is a special day, Sammy!

Sammy: I knew it! Happy birthday, Pastor!

Pastor: No, no, no. Today is not my birthday.

Sammy: Happy anniversary, Pastor!

Pastor: Wrong again, Sammy.

Sammy: I give up! What is the special day?

Pastor: Boys and girls, do you know what special day it is today?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: It’s Reformation Sunday!

Sammy: It’s Reformation Sunday! Hooray! What’s that?

Pastor: Today is a day where we remember when Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, or proposed reformations, to the door of the church at Wittenburg.

Sammy: Why did Martin Luther do that? He put a lot of holes in a nice door.

Pastor: Martin Luther wanted to reform the Catholic Church. He didn’t like some of the things the leaders in the church were doing. He wanted everyone to know that we are saved by grace through faith. Jesus is the author and perfector of our faith, and we look to him for our salvation.

Sammy: Martin Luther seems like a great guy.

Pastor: He is, Sammy. Today we are going to hang the 95 theses on the door of our church. I have the list Martin Luther created here. We are going to hang up this list together.

[Walk with children to church door and hang up the 95 theses. You may hang them on an interior church door.]

Pastor: Thank you for your help, everyone. Let’s pray. Can everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for your church. Thank you for sending people like Martin Luther to help grow your church. Thank you for being with us here. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture

Mark 10:35-45

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Boys and girls, I was wondering, do you have a favorite spot to sit in your house? Where is that spot?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: I love sitting at the top of the meadow and looking down at the rolling great hills and the wildflowers blowing in the wind. And I love listening to the birds sing. The top of the meadow is my favorite spot.

Pastor: That sounds like a lovely spot, Sammy.

Sammy: It is.

Pastor: In our gospel reading from Mark today, James and John want to sit at Jesus’s left and right hands.

Sammy: Sitting next to Jesus sounds like a great place to be. What’s wrong with that?

Pastor: Well, Jesus tells James and John that they don’t know what they are asking. Jesus asks them questions in return: “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” And they say that they are able.

Sammy: Well that’s great!

Pastor: Jesus then agrees with them, and says James and John will drink from the cup that he drinks and be baptized with the baptism that he is baptized with. But James and John cannot sit at his left and right hand—it is for those for whom it has been prepared.

Sammy: I am lost. What does Jesus mean?

Pastor: James and John drink from the cup of wine Jesus offers. This cup is the blood Jesus shed to give us the new covenant. We drink from this cup when we have communion.

Sammy: That makes sense. What about the baptism?

Pastor: Jesus is baptized with water, the Word, and he receives the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized, we are baptized with water and the Word, and we also receive the Holy Spirit.

Sammy: I understand that part now, too. But what about the seats at Jesus’s left and right hands? Why can’t James and John sit there?

Pastor: That place is reserved for the two men who stole from other people and were crucified on Jesus’s left and right sides.

Sammy: Oh no.

Pastor: That’s why James and John can’t be seated at Jesus’s left and right hands—two other people were already chosen to take those places.

Sammy: Pastor, I find comfort knowing that God knows better than me. He has a perfect plan for my life, and he delivers me from harm and danger even when I am not aware of the danger around me.

Pastor: Jesus loves each one of his disciples, and he loves each one of us. He was looking out for James and John.

Sammy: I’ll look out for you, too, Pastor. Let’s pray. Can everyone please fold their hands and bow their heads? Dear Jesus, thank you for communion. Thank you for baptism. Thank you for keeping us safe and helping us to serve each other in love. We love you. Amen.

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Scripture

Mark 10:17-31

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone! Pastor, I have a question.

Pastor: I am ready for your question, Sammy.

Sammy: Are you good at sharing?

Pastor: I’d like to think that I am pretty good at sharing, yes.

Sammy: YES! That’s great! Woo-hoo! I found this $50 bill in your office and I am so glad you want to share it with me.

Pastor: Hang on a second there, Sammy.

Sammy: I was thinking we could go get ice cream together, and then we could go to a local farm and say hello to all the animals. And then we could get a few pumpkins. After that, I was thinking we could—

Pastor: Sammy, you can’t just go into my office and pick up money you find and ask to share it.

Sammy: Why not? This money was on the floor. It was like you put it there for me to find. You’re great at creating surprises, Pastor.

Pastor: Sammy, I am going to take the money back now. I didn’t leave it for you as a surprise. We are not going to share the cash, either.

Sammy: I guess you weren’t listening to what Jesus said today, Pastor.

Pastor: What do you mean, Sammy?

Sammy: Jesus said in Mark Chapter 10:25 “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” I am just trying to look out for you, Pastor.

Pastor: Boys and girls, what do you think Jesus meant when he said, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God”?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: These are great answers!

Pastor: Do you understand now, Sammy? Jesus is encouraging us to give up what we love more than him so that we can be closer to him. He wants us to share our gifts: what we have in our homes and what we have in our hearts. Jesus doesn’t want us to keep everything to ourselves. He wants us to love him and each other.

Sammy: So…

Pastor: But that doesn’t mean we have to give up everything to everyone. So I am going to take that large bill back.

Sammy: Okay. I understand. I am sure I can find some coins in the parking lot!

Pastor: That’s the spirit! Boys and girls, let’s pray together. Would everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for encouraging us to hold tightly to you. Thank you for helping us give to others. Thank you for your grace and mercy. Amen.

Pastor: Bye, everyone! Bye, Sammy!

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Scripture

Mark 10:2-16

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: [sad tone] Good morning, everyone.

Pastor: What’s wrong, Sammy?

Sammy: I wanted to tell you all that sometimes I feel like I am too little to do anything.

Pastor: What do you mean, Sammy?

Sammy: Well, sometimes I try to play with older lambs, and they don’t want me to play with them. And I have trouble reaching the special treats in the barn. I am a little lamb, and sometimes the older lambs make me feel like I don’t matter.

Pastor: I am sorry to hear that, Sammy. I want you to know that you always matter to me and to Jesus.

Sammy: [Still sad] Thanks, Pastor.

Pastor: Boys and girls, can you think of a time when you were too little to do something? What happened?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Thank you for your answers, everyone. I remember being too little to _____.

Sammy: I guess it’s a good thing that we have Jesus, right? Even though I am small and other lambs make me feel unimportant, I am always important to Jesus.

Pastor: That’s right. Jesus’s disciples saw that moms and dads were bringing their tiny babies and toddlers to Jesus, and they told Jesus to send the little children away.

Sammy: That sounds familiar. The older lambs tell me to go away, too.

Pastor: Sammy, Jesus is different. He tells the disciples that the Kingdom of God belongs to little children, and he says to let the little children come to him.

Sammy: He does?

Pastor: Yes—Jesus loves even the smallest of babies. Each of us are created in the image of God, and God loves us.

Sammy: That’s great news!

Pastor: That’s what the gospel is all about. The good news of Jesus Christ is for all of us, even the littlest among us. Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, Thank you for welcoming babies and toddlers. Thank you for modeling how to love our Christian family. Thank you for your good news. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture

Daniel 10:10-14; 12:1-3

Script
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our

friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning,
Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Today is a special day.

Sammy: Yes! It’s Sunday! We are here to worship God!

Pastor: That’s true, Sammy. But today is also a feast day.

Sammy: That’s perfect! I love food! What’s for lunch?

Pastor: No, Sammy, not that kind of a feast day.

Sammy: What do you mean?

Pastor: Today is the feast day of St. Michael and All Angels.

Sammy: Ooo! What’s that?

Pastor: It’s a special day during our church year where we honor St. Michael the
Archangel and all of the angels of the Bible.

Sammy: Angels have names?

Pastor: Yes, and they have special jobs.

Sammy: What’s Michael’s job?

Pastor: Michael is a warrior. He goes to battle at the command of God, and he
fights armies we cannot see.

Sammy: Woah. You mean there was a battle going on in the Bible that people
couldn’t see?

Pastor: Yes—there are even battles today that we cannot see. Spiritual warfare
happens and we may not even realize that Michael is fighting with the angels to
protect us from harm. God loves us so much, and he commands his angels to
protect believers.

Sammy: I love that even when I am sleeping, there is a whole army to protect me.

Pastor: Yes there is. Let’s pray. Can everyone please fold your hands and bow
your heads and repeat after me? Dear Jesus, thank you for your great love. Thank
you for angels like Michael. Thank you for protection from harm. We love you.
Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Scripture

Mark 9:30-37

Props: Egg Carton, labeled plastic eggs with disciple names

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone! I have a question: which one of the disciples is the most important? Jesus never answered the question? Can you all pick out the most important disciple from the boat?

[Give the eggs and egg carton to the children]

Pastor: This task is difficult. What do you think, Sammy?

Sammy: Pastor, Jesus was talking about children in the Gospel of Mark today! I heard him! May the answer is to think about the children!

Pastor: Yes, Sammy. Jesus took a little child in his arms and he said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

Sammy: Oooo! What does that mean?

Pastor: Well, I want to see what the boys and girls think. Why do you think Jesus says this about children? Why is it important to love and welcome children? 

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Jesus was teaching his disciples that they need to serve one another in love. Children need so much from their families when they are babies and toddlers. They need a lot of help to eat and play. Parents have to constantly serve their children when they are little. Jesus wants us to serve each other, too.

Sammy: I like that. We need to serve one another in love.

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy!

Sammy: I love that Jesus refocuses us and his disciples on welcoming and loving children. And since we are all God’s children, that means we need to treat each other with love.

Pastor: That’s hard to do sometimes, isn’t it?
Sammy: Yes, I think so. But with Jesus’s help, we can do all things.

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy. Let’s pray: Can everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, thank you for calling us to serve each other in love. Help us to love others as you first loved us. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture

Mark 8:27-38

Script

Props: Please print or create little hearts that say “Jesus loves you” Isaiah 50:4-9. You can create these however you see fit for your congregation.

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Sammy, did you know that every word of the Old Testament is a prophecy of Jesus?

Sammy: What do you mean? What about the word “I,” Pastor?

Pastor: I am.

Sammy: Okay, what about the word “and?”

Pastor: Father, Son, AND Holy Spirit.

Sammy: Wow. He’s good.

Pastor: Let me explain a bit. I want us to think about the passage we heard from Isaiah today. In chapter 50, Isaiah is talking about a man who is going to come to earth and suffer. And this man will be strong because God is with him. Who do you think that man is?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: I think Isaiah is talking about Jesus.

Pastor: That’s correct. Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus here in our text today. He talks about how Jesus obeyed God’s word. He talks about how the soldiers mistreated Jesus and hurt him.

Sammy: It seems like Isaiah knew exactly where Jesus would have boo boos.

Pastor: Isaiah knew what Jesus would go through. He saw the future.

Sammy: How was Jesus able to suffer like that? That’s not right and it’s sad.

Pastor: Jesus had his eyes on Heaven, and he was a willing sacrifice. He stood in our place because he loves us so much.

Sammy: That’s a great love.

Pastor: It is. Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for your great love and sacrifice. Thank you for the prophecy from Isaiah. Thank you for loving us. Amen.

Today I want you to help me show God’s love to everyone here. We are going to give each person a heart. Will you all help me hand these out to everyone?

[Have children distribute hearts to the congregation]

Sammy: Bye, everyone. Remember Jesus loves you!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Mark 7:24-37

Script
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our
friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning,
Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone! Boys and girls, I have a question for you: How
many of you have a dog?

[Allow children to raise hands and share about their dog]

Pastor: I have a dog at home, and my dog really like to eat food. Does anyone
here have a dog that really likes food?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: On the farm, Farmer Mark has lots of dogs. He has dogs for hunting,
fishing, and herding us sheep!

Pastor: Do Farmer Mark’s dogs like food as much as you do, Sammy?

Sammy: Oh they really love food! They each get breakfast, first dinner, and
second dinner, and they get lots of treats, too!

Pastor: That’s a lot of food!

Sammy: It is a lot of food! But that’s not even all. When the dogs come out to the pasture, they tell me about how during the family meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they get to lay under the table.

Pastor: They’re allowed to lay under the table during meals?

Sammy: Of course! You can’t stop them. Farmer Mark and his family don’t mind.
They get all the little crumbs and scraps that the children drop when they are
eating.

Pastor: So are these dogs really big dogs?

Sammy: No. Why do you ask?

Pastor: They are eating a lot of scraps.

Sammy: Scraps are small. They are just getting the pieces that are left behind.

Pastor: That connects to our Gospel for today. A mama in our gospel also wanted
just the scraps. She asked Jesus to heal her daughter, and Jesus agrees to heal the
child.

Sammy: Why did he agree?

Pastor: This woman was not Jewish. She was from a different group of people.
She demonstrated great faith by talking with Jesus and sharing the truth that he
came for all people, even the ones that were not originally chosen by God.

Sammy: Am I chosen by God?

Pastor: Yes—each person who is baptized and believes in Jesus is chosen by God.

Sammy: Jesus performs some amazing miracles.

Pastor: Isaiah predicted what Jesus would do many years before Jesus was born.
He says in chapter 35, “God will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind
shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man
leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.”

Sammy: Wow! And that really happened! Jesus is God!

Pastor: Yes indeed! Let’s pray. Can everyone please fold your hands and bow your
heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for calling us your children. Thank you for miracles.
Thank you for choosing us. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

Script

Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning, Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: Boys and girls, what are some of the things you have to do before you eat your food?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: In my house, we wash our fruits and vegetables before we eat them. We also wash our hands before we eat. Does anyone else here wash your hands before you eat?

Sammy: Boys and girls, why do you wash your hands before you eat?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Oh I get it! We have to wash away the dirt and germs so we don’t get sick. It’s a good thing that the Pharisees were concerned about the health of the disciples.

Pastor: Actually, Sammy, they weren’t concerned with their health.

Sammy: Are you sure? When you read the gospel today, I thought I heard that the Pharisees didn’t like germs. And they really like clean hands.

Pastor: Sammy, the Pharisees wanted to look clean, but they were not clean in their hearts.

Sammy: What do you mean, Pastor? How do you have a clean heart? How can I use soap on my heart?

Pastor: Jesus gives us clean hearts. Out of our mouths come the words of our hearts, and people have evil things in their hearts.

Sammy: That’s why we need Jesus.

Pastor: Yes, we need Jesus to create in us a clean heart and to renew a right spirit within us. He can help us do just that.

Sammy: How did Isaiah know that the people living at the same time as Jesus would have unclean hearts?

Pastor: Isaiah is a prophet, and prophets receive words from God about present, near future, and far future events. They see mountaintops of events to come, just the peaks, as God gives them sight.

Sammy: And Isaiah saw many glimpses of Jesus’s life before Jesus was born to Mary.

Pastor: Yes, Sammy. Remember, before Abraham was born, I am.

Sammy: Does everyone remember the verse we practiced: “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35. Will you repeat after me? “I am the bread of life.” John 6:35.

Pastor: Let’s pray: Dear Jesus, thank you for creating clean hearts in us. Thank you for calling us to love you and serve you, not just with clean hands, but with clean hearts, too. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture
John 6:56-69

Script
Pastor: Good morning boys and girls! Welcome! Let’s say good morning to our
friend Sammy and see if she is there. Ready? One, two, three: Good morning,
Sammy!

Sammy: Good morning, everyone!

Pastor: I have a big question for everyone here today: What is faith?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Faith is all about putting your trust in Jesus, no matter what happens in
our lives.

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy! Let’s talk a little bit about the Gospel reading from
John today.

Sammy: Ooo! I was hoping you would say that!

Pastor: You really enjoy hearing and talking about scripture, Sammy.

Sammy: I do! I love to learn more about Jesus.

Pastor: That’s great! Today Jesus shares a hard teaching with his disciples and
others who were following him. He tells them, “Those who eat my flesh and drink
my blood abide in me, and I in them.  57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live
because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me.  58 This is the
bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and
they died. But the one who eats this bread will live forever.” What do you think he
means?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: I like talking about scripture, Pastor, but these words of Jesus are
confusing to me. I don’t understand.

Pastor: Jesus is talking about how we need to accept that he is the bread of life. He
is saying here that he is the fulfillment of the Law of Moses, and he is the Messiah
to the people.

Sammy: But what does all that mean, Pastor?

Pastor: Jesus is saying that he is God.

Sammy: Oh, I get it! But why is that a hard teaching for everyone to understand?

Pastor: Accepting this teaching takes faith. We have to trust in Jesus, no matter
what. Some people had a hard time putting their faith in Jesus and believing that
he came down from heaven to save us from our sins because of his great love for
us. Some people today have a hard time with faith, too.

Sammy: How do we increase our faith, Pastor?

Pastor: Our faith comes from God. We need to pray for more faith, and when we
spend time reading our Bibles and praying, God hears our prayers and will give us
more faith in him.

Sammy: That’s so cool! I have another question.

Pastor: Here we go again…

Sammy: What does Peter mean when he says, “Lord, to whom can we go? You
have the words of eternal life.  69 We have come to believe and know that you are the
Holy One of God,”?

Pastor: Peter is sharing that Jesus has words of life—Jesus has the power of eternal
life. Peter is putting faith and trust in Jesus here with these words.

Sammy: I want a faith like Peter.

Pastor: Me too, Sammy. Boys and girls, will you pray with me? Can everyone please
fold their hands and bow their heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for faith. Thank you
for helping us to trust you. Thank you for increasing our faith. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!