Use this creative children’s sermon for kids going back to school. It’s based on Proverbs 27:17 and uses pencils as an object lesson.
Supplies: Whether or not it is back to school or class testing time, pencils are always valuable tools for demonstrating principles of Christian living.
Children’s Message for “Back to School”
To emphasize the pencil parables, start by giving each child an unsharpened pencil and piece of paper. Ask them to do something simple, like write their names.
Why doesn’t the pencil work? It has not been sharpened! Well, how can that be fixed? Talk about how we can sharpen a pencil quite easily, whether we use a handheld, hand-cranked, or electric sharpener. Then we can use the pencil in various ways—writing, drawing, filling in bubbles on a test sheet…
Explain that our lives can be sort of like these pencils. God wants to use us in all sorts of wonderful ways to serve Him and His people. But we first must be “sharpened” for His purposes. How does this happen? Well, most importantly, we can sharpen ourselves through the sword of the Bible and the power of prayer…
Scripture focus for this Children’s Sermon
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. -Hebrews 4:12
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. -Philippians 4:6
And sometimes, God uses other people to help sharpen our “points”:
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. -Proverbs 27:17
Once we develop our faith and trust in God, He can use us to do remarkable things. It would be silly to sharpen a pencil and set it aside, but when we use it, the purpose of the lead is fulfilled. But invite kids to think again about the pencil… Once it is sharpened, will it stay that way forever? Of course not. Eventually, the point will dull, or the tip might even break. We need to continue sharpening a pencil in order to keep using it. In the same way, we must continually return to the Bible and to prayer, so that we can remain “sharp” and usable as Christians. We keep close to God by loving Him and communicating through Him, reading His words and talking to Him in prayer. And we also love His children, as Jesus instructed:
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. -John 15:9-11
Christ here promises that God will keep us close if we remain near to Him. When we do this, we can rest assured that we will stay sharp. Because without God, life is like an unsharpened pencil…it just has no point!
Nice!I will definitely be using this.thank you
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I think this is a great lesson for children and adults listening.
Good use of back-to-school commonly used to prove a “point”.
I will definitely use it for my Children in Action focal lesson.
very nice.. feeling motivated, useful message for all to strengthen in God eternally..
Very good! Love the way it is simple to the point and good scripture references! Thanks for sharing the insight God has given you!
Thank you!
Thank you for all you do for the Kingdom of God! Our ministry is very small, but thanks to your initiatives in teaching and learning about Christ fun, we are making an impact on who we have been given….so far. To God Be the Glory!
Awesome. We all have to be sharpened for God. Great object lesson for learning. Will also demonstrate different ways to sharpen the pencil.
Awesome lesson. I will use this for my Youth Group. I will also add that the eraser is like God, when me mess up, He erases all our mistakes!
We used this lesson and the kids enjoyed. Thanks for all you do in Christ. Dan
Just thought I’d let you know that the main verse is listed wrong. You have Proverbs 27:27 which is a verse about having enough goat’s milk. It should be verse 17. My Children’s Church teaching partner and I are going to use this and when I shared this with her she noticed this.
That would be confusing! I’m updating it now.