Children’s Sermon

Matthew 14:22-33

Don’t Hide from Fear

By Lois Parker Edstrom

OBJECTS SUGGESTED:

Pole marked off at nine feet to demonstrate height of an ostrich.

A picture of an ostrich

An ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It is taller than any man (some male ostriches are nine feet tall) and weighs over 300 pounds. These strange looking birds are not able to fly.

There is a myth that an ostrich tries to hide by putting its head in the ground when it is frightened, but this is not true. The ostrich stretches its neck out on the ground so it will be less likely to be seen by an attacker, but the ostrich is not as timid as some might think. Ostriches have powerful legs and defend themselves by kicking. They can also run at speeds of forty miles an hour.

Let’s talk about this idea of being frightened. We all have felt fearful. Even the disciples of Jesus experienced fear. There is a story in the Bible in which the disciples were in a boat when a storm came up and they were far from shore. Jesus, who had been praying on a mountain, came to their rescue and when they saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “And they cried out in fear.”

Let’s talk about this idea of being frightened. We all have felt fearful. Even the disciples of Jesus experienced fear. There is a story in the Bible in which the disciples were in a boat when a storm came up and they were far from shore. Jesus, who had been praying on a mountain, came to their rescue and when they saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “And they cried out in fear” (14:26).

“But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying ‘Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid'” (14:27).
When we are frightened we need to let someone know, just like the disciples did. To keep fear inside and not talk about it causes us to worry.

Talk to your parents and talk to God about your fears. Remember the comforting words that Jesus spoke when he came to rescue his disciples: “Cheer up! It is I! Don’t be afraid”

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2007, Richard Niell Donovan