Purpose: Use this children’s sermon about the golden calf to teach kids how to be loyal to God.
Scripture: Exodus 32
Needed: 13 coins
Children’s Sermon
Flip a coin in the air and explain how some people use a flip of a coin to help them make decisions. Then, pretend to let it make decisions for you. Examples could include asking the coin, Should I eat _ or _ today for lunch? If the coin lands on heads, I’m going to eat _. If it lands on tails, I’m going to eat _. Or asking, Should I take a nap today or do some chores? Should I believe in God should I believe in something else?
On the last one, say, Wait! That’s too big of a question to let the flip of a coin decide, isn’t it?
This reminds me of a story in the Bible about when some people had to make a decision.
(Summarize Exodus 32 with the following story.)
When Moses was up on the mountain talking to God, the Israelites got the idea to make an idol. What’s an idol?
An idol is something you make and worship. One of God’s Ten Commandments is not to make idols.
But that’s what the people did. They made a calf, a baby cow, out of gold and they worshipped it.
God was very angry about this and He told Moses that He was going to kill all of the people as a punishment. But Moses asked God to forgive the people, so God agreed not to kill all of them.
Then, Moses went down the mountain and destroyed the golden calf. To get control of the people, he said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side, come to me!”
How do you think the people should decide if they’re on God’s side or not? Should they flip a coin and let the coin decide?
No, following God is a decision we all have to make in our hearts. It’s a serious decision.
Only one group from the people of Israel came to Moses and said they were on God’s side. The rest of the people decided not to be on God’s side. That would be like one person deciding they were going to follow God when 11 others didn’t. (Demonstrate the numbers with the remaining coins.)
Do you think it would be hard for that one person to follow God when the 11 others weren’t?
It would be hard, but when we decide to follow God, we decide to follow Him no matter what. Even if our friends or our family or everyone else decides that they don’t want to follow God, we decided that we do. God is the most important thing to us.
Closing Prayer
Father God, You are the most important thing in all of our lives. Help us to make the serious decision to follow You no matter what.
You can also find this children’s sermon for Kindle or in print in my book, Children’s Sermons about the Exodus