Purpose: Use this children’s sermon on the ninth of the Ten Commandments to show kids how much damage lying can do.
Scripture: Exodus 20:16
Needed: a damaged item or something knocked down in your sanctuary, a volunteer to go along with your “story”
Children’s Sermon
The best idea would be to knock something over in your sanctuary before kids arrive. Don’t mess with anything holy, of course, but maybe a decoration or an unused chair on the platform, etc. If you can’t think of anything that turn over without causing damage, bring a damaged item from somewhere in the church. Tell the pastor or another member of the church that you’re going to blame them for it and ask them to play along.
Start your children’s sermon by pointing out the overturned object or the damaged item. Say that you saw the pastor or another well-known member of the congregation knock it over or damage it.
Ask, Wasn’t it horrible for _ to do that? Let’s all boo _ for what they did. (Encourage the congregation to join in the fun by booing the person.)
Now, I have to tell you something. _ didn’t really do it. I did it. And then, I told a lie about _ doing it.
How do you think it made _ feel when everyone booed them even though they didn’t do it?
It probably made them feel bad. And if I hadn’t told the truth, everyone would think that they did something wrong and maybe wouldn’t like them as much.
That’s why God gave us the ninth of His Top Ten rules. Number nine in the Ten Commandments says…
(Read Exodus 20:16 , quoted here in the NIV.)
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.”
That means that we shouldn’t tell lies about other people. Lying about someone makes them feel bad and makes other people think the wrong thing.
If I had (knocked over or damaged the item), what should I have done instead of lying and blaming it on _?
I should have told the truth and fixed the problem. Then, everything would have been okay.
So, God’s Commandment is not to lie about other people.
Closing Prayer
Father, we thank You that You care about everyone and that You don’t want anyone to feel bad or have people think the wrong thing about them. Help us not to lie about other people, but to always tell the truth. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
You can also find this children’s sermon for Kindle or in print in my book, Children’s Sermon about the Ten Commandments.