A Children’s Story for Proper 17, Year B
James 1:17-27 (EasyEnglish Bible)
17 Remember that every good gift comes to us from God. He only does what will help us. He is our Father in heaven. He made everything in the sky that gives us light. Those things do not give us the same light all the time. They change, but God does not change. 18 He chose to make us his children. He used his true message to do that. Because of that, we are like the first special gift that belongs to him from among everything that he has made.
19 Understand this, my Christian friends: We must all be careful to listen. We should not be too quick to speak. We should not get angry quickly. 20 God wants us to do what is right. But when someone is angry, they do not do those right things. 21 So stop doing disgusting things. Stay away from the wicked things that are all around you. God has put his message deep inside you, and it can save you. So be careful to accept that message.
22 But be careful to do what God says in his message. Do not only listen to it. Do not make that mistake! 23 You must obey God’s message. Do not be like a man who quickly looks at his face in a mirror. 24 That man looks at himself, but then he goes away. He immediately forgets what he is really like. 25 So do not just listen to God’s message and then forget it. It is a completely good message that makes people free. Look at it carefully and keep it in your mind. Do what it tells you to do. God will bless anyone who lives in that way.
26 Maybe some of you think that you are serving God well. But if you also say bad things about people, you do not serve God well at all. You are doing something bad even when you think you are doing good things. 27 If you want to serve God in a completely good way, do things like this: Help children who have no parents and women who are widows. Help them in their troubles. If you serve God our Father like that, he will be pleased with you. Do not let the bad people in this world make you bad too.
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Love Binds Us Together
TEXT: James 1:17-27
OBJECTS: tape, glue, paper clip, bolt.
THEME: Love keeps us close.
Look what I’ve got! A roll of tape, some glue, a paper clip, and a bolt. These all do the same kind of job.
Who knows what that job is?
They are all used to hold things together.
Almost everything we can think of has to be held together by something. Can you name a few of them?
- A letter of many pages (paper clip).
- Crafts or artwork that you do in school (glue, tape).
- Big machines—like your family car (bolts).
Something else that has to be held together is … US!
We need to be close to other people—especially our friends. If we are not close to others, we become sad and lonely.
What sorts of things make us become not close to others? What makes you want to run away from somebody?
- If they yell at you.
- If they get mad and shove you.
- If they don’t pay any attention to what you are saying.
In the letter that he wrote, Jesus’ brother James says this:
“We must all be careful to listen. We should not be too quick to speak. We should not get angry quickly. God wants us to do what is right. But when someone is angry, they do not do those right things.” (James 1:19b-20)
We need to be close to our friends, and also our family. Most importantly, we need to be close to our church family—because Jesus told us his disciples (that’s all of us) should stick together.
So what makes people stick together? What makes you want to be friends with someone?
- If they share things with you.
- If they listen to you and comfort you when you are sad.
- If they care about other people and help them.
I know one thing that does it better than anything else: LOVE!
When it comes to sticking people together, love is better than tape, glue, paper clips, or bolts. How can we show love for other people?
- Sharing
- Listening
- Caring
There are other things that we sometimes think will keep us close to others, but they don’t work as well as love does.
You may think that you are friends with a person because you live on the same street—but if that is all that makes you friends, it will be over the first time you have a serious disagreement.
Or you may think you are friends with a person because you like the same sport (or the same games)—but this usually doesn’t last, either.
Even living in the same house with your family will not automatically make you close to them.
In every case, what we really need is love for that person.
If you want to be close to someone, love is the thing that will help you stick together.
Remember: “[God] chose to make us his children. He used his true message to do that. Because of that, we are like the first special gift that belongs to him from among everything that he has made.” (James 1:18)
Hear that? We are all God’s children. We are a special gift—to God, and to one another. God wants us to love each other.
PRAYER:
Thank you, God, for loving us and making us your children. Help us to share with each other your special gift of love. In Jesus’ name we ask it. Amen.