Resources for Christian Education

rfour.org logo
Free Workshop Rotation Model Lessons - Season 2

Children’s Sermon

Matthew 24:36-44


Advent and Jesus Keep Us Awake


November 27, 2022

First Sunday in Advent

Lectionary Year A


PRINT page without images

VIEW the scripture


SAVE .pdf of message

Supplies: No supplies are needed

Related message(s): N/A

ASK    (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

  • Good morning!
  • In a little less than a month, Christmas will be here.
  • Even if that sounds like that is a long time from now, I have a question for you about Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
  • Here it is: On Christmas Eve, when you’re in bed – have you ever been so excited that you couldn’t fall asleep – to the point that you started to worry that you might not fall asleep until it is so late that you would then sleep ALL THE WAY  through Christmas Day? [Wait for answers – lots of “Noooo” answers, probably]
  • Now, it seems really unlikely that you would ever sleep through all of Christmas Day, but let’s pretend that you did. What would you miss out on? [Wait for answers]
  • That’s right! You wouldn’t be able to open your presents. You wouldn’t get to see other people open their presents. You wouldn’t get to eat fancy holiday food. And if friends or family were only visiting on Christmas day, you wouldn’t get to see them.
  • In other words, if you slept through Christmas, you would miss out on a whole lot of good stuff, wouldn’t you?
  • So here’s my advice to you, just in case you need it don’t sleep all the way through Christmas!


TELL    (a.k.a. The Freeway)

  • I bring this up because in today’s scripture story, Jesus is warning his disciples about something that sounds a lot like sleeping through Christmas Day.
  • But instead of saying, “Don’t sleep through Christmas,” Jesus is telling them to stay awake so they don’t miss the gift that Jesus brings.
  • And the gift that Jesus brings that Jesus wants the disciples to stay awake for is: the good news of how we can live God’s better way.


SHARE the Good News   (a.k.a. The Destination)

  • As a church, the time of the year where we practice “staying awake” to the gift that Jesus brings is called, “Advent.”
  • Advent means to await and prepare for the arrival of something.
  • For the next few weeks, then, we will do things that will help us prepare and get ready to receive the gift of the good news that Jesus brings.
  • Because, just like we don’t want to sleep through Christmas, we also don’t want to sleep through the Good News that Jesus brings and shares with us.
  • And that is the Good News for today.


CLOSING Prayer

  • Let’s pray.  This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Dear God,


Thank you for Jesus

Thank you for Jesus


…who teaches us…

…who teaches us…


…to stay awake…

…to stay awake…


…to your better way.

…to your better way.


Thank you and Amen.




Originally posted November 24, 2013
Updated on October 27, 2022
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia



View more children’s sermons here


This material is the copyrighted property of rfour.org and Nathanael Vissia. It is also free. Please use, improve and share this material. But do not sell it or require any personal information for it.