Purpose: Use this children’s sermon on Hagar to teach kids that God cares for everyone.
Scripture: Genesis 16
Needed: an assortment of fancy or beautiful things with one that’s plain-looking (maybe a bouquet of flowers with one that isn’t as healthy or a collection of printed pencils with one plain one mixed in)
Children’s Sermon
Show your items and ask the students, Which do you like the best? Which seems not as special not as the others?
There was once a woman named Hagar whom others didn’t see as very special. In fact, they treated her very poorly. You see, she was the slave of Abraham and Sarah.
(Tell this next part at your own discretion.) When Sarah couldn’t have children, she gave Hagar to Abraham so that Abraham could have children with Hagar.
Sarah mistreated Hagar so much that Hagar ran away into the desert. Then, an angel appeared to her and said that God saw how sad she was.
Do you think God sees when we’re sad or upset too? (Yes, He does.)
Then, the angel promised that God was going to do good things for Hagar. When the angel left, Hagar made up a new name to call God.
(Read Genesis 16:13 , quoted here in the NIV.) “She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.'”
Hagar knew that even if other people didn’t think she was special, God still saw her and cared about her. And we can believe that too. Even if we don’t feel special, or if other people make us feel bad sometimes, we can believe that God sees us and cares about us and that He will do good things for us, just like He did for Hagar.
Closing Prayer
Lord, we thank You that You are the God who sees us. You see everything that happens to us. And You care about us. Help us to remember that You’re always there for us and that You will do good things for us. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
You can also find this children’s sermon for Kindle or in print in my book, The People Build a Tower, but God Builds a Family