Use this children’s sermon about God’s warning to Eli the priest to show kids the responsibility God has given to parents.
Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:12-3:21
Needed: a paddle
Children’s Sermon
Show children your paddle and ask, Do any of you know what this is? It’s a paddle! Some parents use it to spank their children’s bottoms when they misbehave.
(If your parents paddled you, tell a light-hearted story about it.)
Why do you think parents would paddle their children? Don’t parents love their children?
Parents love their children, and that’s why they paddle them or punish them in some way. When your parents punish you, it’s because they’re trying to show you how God wants you to live. It’s their responsibility. And if they don’t punish you when you do something wrong, they’ll get in trouble by God.
In the Bible, the priest Eli had two sons who were very wicked and Eli didn’t try very hard to punish them. So, do you know what God did? He punished the two wicked sons, but He also punished their father Eli for not making his sons do what was right.
God said…
(Read 1 Samuel 3:13.)
“I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them.”
So, when your parents punish you, remember that they’re doing what God told them to do. They’re helping you learn how to do what’s right so that God will be happy with you and with them.
Closing Prayer
Father God, we thank You for giving us our parents. We thank You that they teach us and guide us and punish us to show us what is right. Help us to listen to them and respect them. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
You can also find this children’s sermon for Kindle or in print in my book, Children’s Sermons about Samuel and David.