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!

 

Scripture: John 15:1-8

 

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! Guess what Pastor!

Pastor: Yes, Sammy?

Sammy: Today is music Sunday! I would like to teach everyone a song. Ready?

Pastor: Okay! Is everyone ready?

Sammy: Repeat after me:

I just want to be a sheep

Baa-Baa-Baa-Baa

I just want to be a sheep

Baa-Baa-Baa-Baa

And I pray the Lord my soul to keep

I just want to be a sheep

Baa-Baa-Baa-Baa

Let’s put it all together! [repeat song]

Pastor: Great singing everyone! There are verses to that song, too Sammy.

Sammy: Yes we have verses to teach at another time.

Pastor: We are going to talk about vines today. Can anyone tell me what type of fruit grows on a vine?

[Allow time for responses]

Pastor: That’s great! Grapes grow on vines.

Sammy: I love grapes!

Pastor: I didn’t know that sheep eat grapes, Sammy.

Sammy: This one does!

Pastor: Sammy, do you help with chores on the farm?

Sammy: Of course! I help my maamaa with watching my younger cousins. And when Shepherd John askes us to help with weeding the pasture, we take care of that for him.

Pastor: So you go out into the pasture and eat weeds and vines and grass?

Sammy: Yes! And after my family is done eating, we have to go on to a new pasture—that’s how much we eat!

Pastor: Wow Sammy! You eat a lot!

Sammy: I don’t know where I put it all.

Pastor: Well, Sammy, you reminded me of our gospel reading for today.

Sammy: I did?

Pastor: Jesus is telling us that in order for new branches of the vine to grow, we have to get rid of the branches that are not producing fruit.

Sammy: That makes sense. If the grapevine doesn’t have grapes on a branch, and we cut that branch off, then a new branch can grow and we can eat grapes.

Pastor: Exactly!

Sammy: But why is Jesus talking about grapes?

Pastor: Sammy, he’s actually not talking about grapes.

Sammy: He’s not?! I’m so confused.

Pastor: Jesus is actually talking about sin. And about how sin needs to be clipped away from our lives to make room for good things.

Sammy: Like what?

Pastor: Boys and girls, what good things can we have in our lives when we have Jesus in our hearts?

[Allow time for responses]

Sammy: Great answers, everyone! Can we say a prayer for the vines and branches in our lives, Pastor?

Pastor: Of course, Sammy. Would everyone please fold your hands and bow your heads? Dear Jesus, Thank you for taking away the sins of the world. Have mercy on us. We love you. Amen.

Sammy: Bye everyone!

Pastor: Bye, Sammy!