Children’s Sermon

Mark 7:24-37

Talking with One Another

OBJECTS SUGGESTED:

Suggestion: Present a few simple words such as friendship, love, peace, sun, moon, rain, hungry, happy etc. using sign language. If a person in your congregation uses sign language ask that person to assist in the lesson. (Note: American Sign Language is different from British Sign Language.)

Examples of how to sign certain words and phrases are available at:
http://www.handspeak.com/ and many other signing web sites online.

It’s hard to imagine what it would be like if you couldn’t hear. What would you miss? The sound of your mother’s voice, the laughter of your friends, birdsong, music, rain on the roof, the wind, a foghorn, your cat’s meow or dog’s bark.

Many people who are deaf learn sign language and they get along very well. Signing is a way to talk to others using mainly your hands. It is a way to let others know what you need, what you are feeling, what you would like them to know.

Here are some examples. Let’s try it together. (See web site listed above.)

Today’s Bible story is about a man who couldn’t hear or talk. Jesus touched the man with his hands and the man was healed. The Bible tells us that those who saw and heard what Jesus had done “were astonished beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!'” (7:37).

The people who saw Jesus heal the man were “astonished.” They couldn’t believe what they saw. They were amazed and surprised.

The miracles of Jesus are surprising and we can only imagine how it would feel to suddenly be healed of deafness and be able to hear and talk.

As you can see there are different ways of communicating with others and whether we use words or our hands we can share the joy and peace of God’s love.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible