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!

Scripture

John 6:51-58

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: How are you doing today, Sammy?

Sammy: I am doing great!

Pastor: Me too, Sammy! Hey everyone, I have a question for you: What are some
of the rules that you have to follow at home?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: What are some of the rules that you have to follow at school?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: What about the rules at church? What rules do we have at church?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Great answers, everyone! When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the lives
of people on earth became impacted by sin. But God had a plan.

Sammy: What was the plan that God had?

Pastor: God’s plan was to create a covenant with his people. There was an Old
Covenant…

Sammy: Oooo! What was the Old Covenant?

Pastor: The Old Covenant was a promise that God made with the people. God
promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and that his descendants
would include kings.

Sammy: I wonder if my descendants will be kings one day.

Pastor: ….

Sammy: Yeah I think you’re right. I’ll stick to being a sheep.

Pastor: Jacob had twelve sons, and these twelve sons became the twelve tribes of
Israel. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun,
Joseph, and Benjamin. These men and their children had to follow special rules,
just like we do at home, at school, and in church.

Sammy: What kinds of rules?

Pastor: There were rules about worshipping God and about making sacrifices to
God. Remember that people sin—we do bad things and we need to pay for our
sins.

Sammy: That could get expensive.

Pastor: Exactly. But God had a plan.

Sammy: What was the plan?

Pastor: The plan was Jesus.

Sammy: I KNEW IT!

Pastor: Yes, the covenant that God made with his people was sending his son
Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus paid for our sins with his blood and we
can live free from the burden of our own sins.

Sammy: Hooray for Jesus!

Pastor: Boys and girls, let’s fold our hands and bow our heads in prayer. Dear
Jesus, thank you for the new covenant. Thank you for forgiving our sins. Thank
you for your great love. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Scripture

John 6:35, 41-51

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: Sammy, I would like to talk to the boys and girls today about resurrection.
I was hoping that you could help me with that.

Sammy: I can always try, Pastor.

Pastor: That’s great, Sammy. We are going to focus on something Jesus said today
in the gospel reading from John.

Sammy: I am ready.

Pastor: Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.” Can you all help Sammy repeat that
verse? “I am the bread of life.”

Sammy: “I am the bread of life.” We did it!

Pastor: Very good, everyone!

Sammy: But what kind of bread, Pastor? Wheat? Rye? Whole grain? Honey?

Pumpernickel? Sourdough? Flatbread?

Pastor: [Interrupting] No, Sammy, hang on a second.

Sammy: What? What did I do wrong?

Pastor: Let’s go back to our verse. Can everyone repeat after me? “I am the bread
of life.”

Sammy: “I am the bread of life.” And now you tell us what kind of bread Jesus is.

Pastor: No, Sammy. It’s a metaphor for the resurrection of Jesus. He died and rose
and the same spirit that lives in him lives in us. So guess what?

Sammy: When we die, we get to rise again to live with Jesus.

Pastor: That’s called resurrection. Repeat after me, “I am the bread of life.”

Sammy: “I am the bread of life.”

Pastor: We need bread to nourish our bodies, and we need Jesus as our living
bread from heaven. When we eat the bread he gives us, we won’t die and we get
to live with him.

Sammy: But where is the bread? I want that bread!

Pastor: It’s right here. [Show communion bread to the children.] This bread is a
sign to us of the living power of Jesus. It’s the new covenant between Jesus and
us. He is the living bread. Remember the verse?

Sammy: “I am the bread of life.” And we can remember that verse every time we
come up for communion and receive the bread or a blessing.

Pastor: Yes we can. Let’s say a prayer. Can everyone please fold your hands and
bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for being the bread of life. Thank you for
resurrection and communion. Thank you for your many blessings. We love you.
Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!