Beautifully Designed | Children's Church

I am going to begin the lesson with talking about how nervous I was the first day that I did a children's church lesson. You may have a similar experience that you'd rather use or start with.

Tools needed: Handkerchief with a bold design and an object, like a rock, to place inside it.

Intro: [Share the experience.] The first day that I did Children's Church I was so afraid of getting up and speaking, with a microphone, in front of everyone. What if I forgot the words or said them wrong? In fact before service started that day; while we were singing, Ethan leaned over and asked me what was shaking so hard... it was my knees.

In fact, I think I'd feel much more like myself, if I were sitting over there on the stairs with you. May I?

Lesson: How many of you have done something new and instead of hearing all of the rules or steps you needed to follow, you just couldn't stop focusing on what you were doing? How you were doing it? What others might think about what you were doing?  Maybe you were playing in a big game or a recital for the first time; going to a new school or making a new friend?

For adults, it might be starting a new job, giving a lesson at church or even going to church and having to talk to all of those people. :)

In fact sometimes we can get so nervous, that our knees knock, our hands can get sweaty and some people feel like they're going to get sick. We're kind of like this, balled up or like a ball of nerves, huh? [Show them the handkerchief balled up.]

This is actually a beautiful handkerchief that I bought at a flea market. [Tell them where you got yours and show it to them still balled up.] Don't you think that it's pretty? Don't you love the design?

You really can't tell, can you? It's kind of the same with us too. When we're too afraid to be ourselves, others can't see all of our "pretty parts" either. But you know what else?

[Ask the kids to try putting the object/rock into the center of the handkerchief while it's still balled up.]

It's hard to get to the center like that, huh? We've been talking about the Holy Spirit lately and sometimes when we're too afraid to let go or change, he can't get to do the work that he needs to do in us.

Do you know another name for the Holy Spirit? [The Encourager or Counselor]

When we let him work in our lives, we become encouraged to reach out and try new things. [Slowly begin relax the handkerchief.] Those new things are also how we build faith. -By reaching out a little more, [Begin pulling the corners of the handkerchief out.] ....and a little more [Pull another corner.]....and a little more. [All corners out.] We become who or what God intended us to be.

[Hold the whole thing up, open.]

Matthew 16:25 says "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

If I stay balled up, or try to remain in control; or if I let the things that I am afraid of keep me from doing new things or being who I am. Then I've lost the life that Jesus wants to give me.  If I am willing to say "who cares" to what people will think, say or do; and if I am willing to do something because God wants me to, then he is able to give me the life that HE intended.

We sure look a lot prettier like this though, huh?  [Open the Handkerchief.]


Let us pray: Dear Father, thank you for having a beautiful design for each of us. Wake our spirits Lord and give us the courage to reach out where you lead. Help us be bold and to do what is right, even when we're not sure if we hear you.