Skip to main content

Children's Sermon: I Know and Understand: Saved by Grace

by Erick Schuringa

Focus: What do we need to KNOW as we form our faith?

Materials

  • Whiteboard with a person shape drawn on it or whiteboard figure (see picture)
  • Dry-erase markers

Background

  • Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short . . . ”
  • Ephesians 2:1-10: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. . . .” 
  • Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 2: What we need to know: sin, salvation, service

I know a lot of things. I know that 2 + 2 = 4, and I know that my shirt is red, and this is Immanuel Christian Reformed Church. I know that today is Sunday. I know lots of things, but there is something else I know that is much more important.

I know that I am a sinner. That means sometimes I do things that are wrong. Maybe I say something that is mean, or maybe I think things that are not nice. Maybe I don’t share things the way I ought to, or I don’t help people the way I should.

(Write these things on the whiteboard or on the whiteboard figure.)

What other things might people do that are wrong or sinful? (children can help provide answers: not obeying our parents, hitting, being selfish, etc.)

When someone does something wrong, they should get punished for it, right? If a person robs a bank, they should go to jail, right? Well, another thing that I know for sure is that Jesus died for me, and he is my Savior and was punished in my place.

(Erase all sins from the whiteboard)

I do not need to be punished by God. I am saved!

There is one other important thing that I know. I know that Jesus did this as a free gift. He did this for us because he loves us and not because of anything we do. All we have to do is love him back.