John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15

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 what is the best gift you have ever received?

Sammy: That’s easy, Pastor. The best gift I ever received was the day we became friends.

Pastor: That was a great day, Sammy.

Sammy: Oh and another great gift I received was fresh hay from Shepherd John.

Pastor: It’s the little things that delight you, isn’t it, Sammy?

Sammy: Exactly!

Pastor: Boys and girls, what is the best gift you ever received?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Great answers, everyone! Today is a special day called Pentecost. On the day of Pentecost, Jesus gives his disciples the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Sammy: Ooooo! Wait a second!

Pastor: What is it, Sammy:

Sammy: Pastor! If Jesus gave his disciples the Holy Spirit and we are his disciples now, too, that means that we can also receive the Holy Spirit.

Pastor: Yes we can, Sammy.

Sammy: Wow! That’s my new best gift ever!

Pastor: Hang on a second, Sammy. The Holy Spirit is a gift for each one of us who is baptized and believe. And there are spiritual gifts, too.

Sammy: What is my spiritual gift, Pastor?

Pastor: You are very encouraging, Sammy.

Sammy: Your spiritual gift is definitely being a Pastor.

Pastor: Each one of us has a different or many different spiritual gifts that we are given to share with others for the glory of God. The Holy Spirit allows us to use these gifts as we share the love of God with others.

Sammy: That’s great, Pastor!

Pastor: Can everyone pray with me? Can you please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit. Thank you for spiritual gifts. Thank you for helping us serve each other in love. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

John 17:6-19

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 for you: Who do you pray for?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Great answers, everyone! Pastor, who do you pray for?

Pastor: I pray for my family, our church, and anything else on my heart.

Sammy: I pray for my maamaa and all my aunts and uncles and cousins. And Shepherd John. And I pray for you, Pastor. And all the boys and girls here. And—

Pastor: You pray for a lot of others, Sammy.

Sammy: Yes! Prayer is really important.

Pastor: Sammy, did you know that Jesus prays for us?

Sammy: What? He does?

Pastor: Yes he does.

Sammy: How do you know that?

Pastor: In our gospel reading from John today, Jesus is praying a prayer and asking God to be with his disciples.

Sammy: But what is Jesus praying for?

Pastor: He is praying that his disciples know the truth. He is also praying for joy in him, and protection over them.

Sammy: I didn’t know that Jesus prayed for his disciples.

Pastor: Want to know something even cooler?

Sammy: Sure!

Pastor: We are Jesus’s disciples, too, which means—

Sammy: He’s praying for us, too!

Pastor: That’s right, Sammy! Okay boys and girls, we are going to pray a special prayer together. Does anyone have a prayer request?

Sammy: I do! I do!

Pastor: Yes, Sammy?

Sammy: My prayer request is for all of us to love Jesus with all our hearts.

Pastor: Great prayer request! Does anyone else have a prayer request?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Let’s pray. Can we please fold our hands and bow our heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for praying for us. [Add children’s prayer requests/petitions here.] We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye, Pastor!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!

Gospel: John 15:9-17

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, are we friends?

Pastor: Sammy, you are my very special friend.

Sammy: Really, Pastor?

Pastor: Yes, really, Sammy.

Sammy: Really?

Pastor: Yes.

Sammy: You’re sure?

Pastor: Yes, Sammy. If you ask me again, I might change my mind.

Sammy: Pastor, would you die for me?

Pastor: Well, why do you ask?

Sammy: Jesus says in the gospel reading that the greatest love we can have for each other is to be willing to lay down our lives for our friends. So would you die for me?

Pastor: You are my friend, Sammy. If you needed me to lay my life down for you, I would.

Sammy: Pastor, you make me feel really loved and safe.

Pastor: That’s good. Jesus calls us to love each other just like he loves us. That means that we take care of each other, protect each other, and demonstrate a love that is self-sacrificial, which means that we give up something for someone else.

Sammy: Boys and girls, who shows you Jesus’ love in your life?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: Great answers, everyone! Remember that Jesus laid down his life for each one of us because he loves us. He took on our sin, went to the cross, died, and rose again because he loves you. And he’s coming back one day because he loves you.

Sammy: That’s a whole lot of love!

Pastor: Yes it is! Let’s pray. Can we please fold our hands and bow our heads? Dear Jesus, thank you for laying down your life for us. We love you. Help us to love each other and you as you first loved us. Amen.

Sammy: Bye Pastor!

Pastor: Bye Sammy!

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25)

What control do you have over tomorrow?  None, not one, has control over what tomorrow will look like.  So why do you worry?  Life is more than the physical things that are experienced.  Life is in and of the Lord.  He who created you calls you into His life so that you may be made complete.

Complete is the better translation for the word when we say, “Perfect.”  Jesus taught us to become complete even as the Father is complete.  He who knows us will complete us.  We are not yet what we will be, but this we know, we are to be transformed to the image of Christ.  Come then and live into the life for which Christ paid the ransom on the cross.  Come and be made whole in Him, for this is what He has come to do.

Lord Jesus, You know exactly where I struggle and the things that need to happen in order that I might live in the righteousness You give by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Lead me. Lord, so that now and always, I look to You as the whole and complete source of my faith and life.  Guide me by faith to seek the righteousness You give that I may live into the life for which You are preparing me.  Amen.