Children’s Sermon: Covering Others’ Sin

Purpose: Use this children’s sermon on Noah and his sons to teach kids how to be gracious toward others when they make a mistake.

Scripture: Genesis 9:20-23, 1 Peter 4:8 Love Covers a Multitude of Sins

Object Lesson Supplies Needed: a blanket

Children’s Sermon: Love Covers Sin and Forgives Others

Ask students, do you know anyone who ever did something wrong?

What should we do when we see someone who did something wrong but then they feel bad about it?

I want to read you a funny Bible story about how one man made a mistake and what his three sons did when they saw it.

The story is about Noah. Does anyone remember who Noah was?

Noah was God’s friend who built the ark. He was the only one out of all the people on earth that was doing the things God wanted. He and his family were the only ones God saved from the great Flood.

This story happens after the Flood, after Noah and his family got off the boat.

(Read Genesis 9:20-23 , quoted here in the NIV.) “Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked and told his two brothers outside. But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it across their shoulders; then they walked in backward and covered their father’s naked body. Their faces were turned the other way so that they would not see their father naked.

Did you hear what happened? Noah drank too much wine and was lying naked inside his tent. His son, Ham, saw him lying naked and thought it was funny. So, he went back outside and told his brothers about it.

But what did his brothers do? (They walked in backward so they wouldn’t see Noah naked and laid a blanket over him.)

(Show your blanket and demonstrate how our actions might be like Noah’s sons covering Noah.)

One of Noah’s sons made fun of him when he made a mistake, but the others helped Noah by covering him up. I wonder if there’s a way we can help people when they make a mistake.

When someone feels bad about a mistake they made, we can say that we forgive them (pretend to lay the blanket over something).

When someone feels bad about a mistake they made, we can help them make things better (pretend to lay the blanket over something).

When someone feels bad about a mistake they made, we can help them not to do it again (pretend to lay blanket over something).

When someone feels bad about a mistake they made, we can pray for them (pretend to lay the blanket over something).

The Bible tells us that when we show love to people, we help cover their sins (pretend to lay the blanket over something).

(Read 1 Peter 4:8, quoted here in the NIV.) “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”

Closing Prayer for Kids

Loving God, help us to be like Noah’s sons. Help us to love other people by helping them when they make a mistake. 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 the Fall and the Flood