The Father who rejoices

• GOOD MORNING AGAIN TO OUR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE! • I HAVE BEEN SO IMPRESSED WITH ALL THE HARD WORK YOU HAVE PUT IN TO PREPARE FOR TODAY’S SERVICE. • NOW I ASKED YOU TO DRAW A PICTURE FOR ME TO SHOW ME WHAT YOU IMAGINE GOD TO BE LIKE, OR WHAT YOU IMAGINE GOD TO BE DOING RIGHT NOW. • SO, WHAT DID YOU DRAW? • THESE ARE ALL WONDERFUL PICTURES OF GOD, BUT TODAY I WANT TO SHARE WITH US ALL SOMETHING ABOUT GOD, SOMETHING THAT I DON’T SEE VERY MUCH OF IN YOUR PICTURES. • ONE TIME, JESUS TOLD A STORY ABOUT A WOMAN… • THIS WOMAN HAD 10 COINS, 10 VERY SPECIAL COINS, AND THESE COINS MEANT A LOT TO HER, THEY WERE PRECIOUS TO HER. BUT THIS WOMAN LOST ONE OF HER COINS. HOW DO YOU THINK SHE FELT? (SAD, WORRIED) • WHAT DO YOU THINK THE WOMAN DID WHEN SHE REALISED SHE HAD LOST ONE OF HER COINS? (SHE SEARCHED FOR IT) • AROUND THE CHURCH I’VE LOST 10 COINS THAT LOOK LIKE THIS… • I WONDER IF YOU CAN HELP ME SEARCH FOR THE 10 LOST COINS AND BRING THEM BACK HERE WHEN YOU’VE FOUND THEM? NOW, DON’T START YET – WE’LL START WHEN THE BAND STARTS PLAYING THEIR MUSIC. I’VE GOT A FEW RULES FOR YOU: YOU HAVE TO WALK. YOU MUST BRING A COIN BACK AS SOON AS YOU FIND IT. YOU MUST BRING IT BACK WITH A YOUNGER CHILD. (SEARCH BEGINS) • SO, THE LADY SEARCHED FOR HER ONE LOST COIN…. • SHE PROBABLY LIT A CANDLE TO HELP HER HUNT HIGH AND LOW FOR THE LOST COIN. • EVENTUALLY SHE DID FIND IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHE FELT? (HAPPY, EXCITED, RELIEVED) • NOW JESUS WAS TELLING THIS STORY ABOUT THE WOMAN WITH THE LOST COIN BECAUSE HE WAS TEACHING ALL THE PEOPLE ABOUT FATHER GOD… • IN HIS TEACHING ABOUT FATHER GOD, JESUS TOLD ANOTHER STORY, THE STORY WE HEARD READ TO US THIS MORNING. IT IS A STORY ABOUT A SON WHO LEFT HOME AND A FATHER WHO WAS SAD BECAUSE HIS SON LEFT HOME. • IN THE STORY, THE SON RETURNS HOME EVENTUALLY, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THE FATHER FELT AND DID WHEN THE SON RETURNED HOME? (HAPPY, FORGIVES, THREW A PARTY) • BECAUSE HE FELT THAT WAY HE THREW A BIG PARTY… • NOW, JESUS TOLD THE STORIES ABOUT THE LOST COIN AND THE LOST SON BECAUSE JESUS WAS TRYING TO TEACH US ABOUT FATHER GOD. • AND ONE OF THE THINGS JESUS WANTED US TO KNOW ABOUT FATHER GOD, IS THAT FATHER GOD IS A GOD WHO SMILES AND LAUGHS. IN FACT, GOD LOVES A PARTY, AND FATHER GOD KNOWS HOW TO REJOICE AND CELEBRATE. • NOW, LET’S LOOK AT YOUR PICTURES AGAIN… • I DON’T SEE MANY PICTURES OF HOLD THROWING A PARTY OR EVEN OF GOD BEING HAPPY. • MOST OF US, INCLUDING THE ADULTS, HAVE A PICTURE OF GOD IN OUR HEADS. WE CAN IMAGINE WHAT GOD IS LIKE, OR IF WE WERE ASKED, WE COULD USE WORDS TO DESCRIBE GOD. • NOW, WHAT I FIND INTERESTING, IS WHAT YOUR PICTURES OF GOD, REVEAL ABOUT THE ADULTS’ PICTURE OF GOD. I THINK THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY VERY FEW PICTURES OF GOD BEING HAPPY OR CELEBRATING IN WHAT YOU DREW, BECAUSE FEW OF THE ADULTS THINK ABOUT GOD THAT WAY EITHER. IF WE DID, THEN WE WOULD TEACH YOU THAT AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE DRAWN THAT. • BUT EVEN THOUGH THE ADULTS MIGHT BE UNCERTAIN OF THIS, THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT FATHER GOD DOES REJOICE… • GOD ALWAYS LOVES US – HE LOVED US SO MUCH THAT JESUS DIED TO HELP US. HE DIED THAT WE MIGHT KNOW GOD AND HAVE PEACE WITH GOD. HE DIED TO SHOW US HOW MUCH GOD LOVES US. • BUT WHEN WE CHOOSE TO BE GOD’S FRIEND, WHEN WE CHOOSE TO FOLLOW GOD’S WAYS, WHEN WE CHOOSE JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOUR, THEN FATHER GOD NOT ONLY LOVES US – HE ALSO REJOICES OVER US WITH SINGING! THAT’S HOW MUCH HE LOVES US – YOU AND I MAKE GOD SO HAPPY THAT HE SINGS OVER US! NORMALLY WE THINK THAT WE DO THE SINGING ABOUT GOD, BUT GOD SINGS IN HEAVEN WITH SONGS ABOUT US AS WELL. • SO, TODAY WE HAVE CELEBRATED EACH OF YOU… • WE HAVE CELEBRATED THAT EACH OF YOU IS PART OF THIS CHURCH, YOU ARE PART OF GOD’S FAMILY. WE ARE SO ENCOURAGED BECAUSE YOU COME ALONG TO SUNDAY SCHOOL AND LEARN MORE ABOUT JESUS EACH WEEK. AND WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE ADULTS WHO GIVE THEIR TIME TO HELP YOU. • BUT YOU HAVE ALSO HELPED US TO CELEBRATE GOD… • TO CELEBRATE A GOD WHO LOVES US, LIKE A PERFECT FATHER, AND CARES FOR US LIKE A GOOD SHEPHERD. SO, WE SHOULD COME ALONG EVERY WEEK AND CELEBRATE IN OUR GOD… • BUT TODAY, LET US ALL ALSO REMEMBER THE TEACHING OF JESUS AND THE SCRIPTURES – THAT GOD CELEBRATES, GOD REJOICES AND HE REJOICES OVER US. • BECAUSE WE ARE PART OF HIS FAMILY, BECAUSE WE HAVE CHOSEN TO FOLLOW HIM, GOD NOT ONLY LOVES US, HE DANCES AND SINGS AND THROWS A PARTY IN HEAVEN FOR YOU AND ME AND FOR ALL OF US. • SO, WHEN WE ARE TELLING OUR FRIENDS ABOUT CHURCH AND THEY ASK US WHY WE GO TO CHURCH, MAYBE, WE CAN TELL THEM, THAT PART OF THE ANSWER IS THAT WE HAVE A GOD WHO LOVES US BUT A GOD WHO ALSO REJOICES OVER US AND THROWS A PARTY IN HEAVEN FOR EACH OF US.