Sanctification: What it Looks Like for Kids

I post these Children’s Sermons to inspire other Children’s Ministers with ideas for their work.

See that long word? Sanctification.

The idea for the story I will tell comes from a sermon that Robert Munger preached many years ago. It was called My Heart God’s Home. If you listen carefully, you may see more clearly how sanctification works.

This is a similar story I wrote for us.

Julie was 9 years old. She grew up as much as you in a family whose parents loved God; She was a follower of Jesus Christ. One day, she told God, “I want to grow in my faith and be more like you.” This is what happened.

Julie was eating her after-school snack when the doorbell rang. She ran to the door, opened it, and saw Jesus standing there.

“Hello, Julie, “said Jesus. ”I came to stay with you a while.”

Julie was astounded but very happy. She welcomed Jesus into her house and took him to the kitchen, where she served him part of her snack. A banana and 2 chocolate chip cookies.

"Is there something special you want to do,” she asked.

“Nothing in particular,” Jesus replied. I just want to hang out here for a few days. What would you normally do this time of day?”

“I have to practice my piano for an hour before Mom comes home from work,” Julie sighed.

“Well then,” Jesus responded I’d love to hear you play.

While Julie pulled out her time sheet form, Jesus pulled up a chair and sat beside the bench.

Julie entered the starting time of her practice. She looked at the clock and the form and was about to note 3:30 p.m. instead of the actual time, 4:00.

“I can’t cheat on my time sheets,” Julia thought. “Jesus would certainly know.” She used her hand to cover up the entries she had made earlier that week. Monday said she had practiced for 45 min starting at 3:20. She had never been home that early. She had marked Tuesday similarly, crediting herself for 15 minutes that she hadn’t played. She felt Jesus’ eyes on her and said,

“Why don’t you get something to drink while I practice some more?” Said Julie. Jesus looked up at her and said gently, “Will you look to me to help you fill this sheet out, honestly?”

Julie thought about saying, “What are you talking about? Instead, she heard herself say, “Yes. I’m so sorry. I don’t want to lie about this.”

The next morning, Jesus accompanied her to school.

In her third class, she had a math test. She was feeling anxious and upset, worrying if she could pass. She looked at Matt’s desk and saw that he had written the answer to a problem stumping her.

“Oh,” she thought! “Of course, that’s the right answer! I was just about there figuring it out,” she told herself as she wrote the answer to the problem. She finished the test and turned it in

After class, she walked with Jesus to the cafeteria for lunch.

“How did the test go?” he asked.

“Oh great!” Julie said.

“So it was easy for you?”

Julie looked up and saw Jesus looking straight at her. Immediately, she remembered Matt’s paper.

“Oh. Oh, I did have some trouble, but then I remembered how to fix this one problem.”

She kept walking but realized Jesus was still standing where he’d been when He had asked that question. She looked into his eyes, and they were no longer glistening with excitement as they had been when she first took him to school. All of a sudden, she knew why Jesus looked that way. He knew about Matt and the right answer. She began to feel awful. So awful she didn’t want to eat lunch.

“I cheated she admitted. I looked at Matt’s paper and saw his answer.”

Jesus nodded. “Yes, I know.”

The rest of the day went about as well as it could considering that Jesus had already discovered her cheating. After school she enjoyed a nice snack with him and immediately played her piano. For some reason, the time seemed to fly, and she noticed that when she practiced the hard parts over and over, she was getting much better.

That evening, Julie took Jesus back to her room while she finished her homework Jesus said, “Something really smells bad in here.” Julie could smell it too.

"Maybe I’ll just open the window she said. Again, Jesus said, “It’s really bad in here, and I think it’s coming from under the bed.”

Julie’s face grew red, and she felt angry. “Why was Jesus so nosy?” she thought.

She didn’t want him involved in every part of her life. If there was one thing she didn’t want Jesus to see, it was the box under the bed, but she knew it wouldn’t be of any use to hide it.

She reached under the bed, grabbed the box, and brought it close to her chest.

“You know, this is mine. You don’t need to see everything I do or say.”

Jesus looked at her. It was as if he saw right through her. “We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to. But you were the one who prayed and asked to become more like me.”

Julie began to cry. “It’s so hard. Maybe I want to be some of each. Maybe I should not have prayed that prayer. This is not going the way I want it to.”

Jesus looked at her for a long while and then said, “I know. You cannot become more like me unless you let me help you. You don’t have the power to change yourself. But you have me with you. I want to help you.”

Julie quit holding the box so hard, and then the lid opened and out fell a necklace and a five-dollar bill. She covered her eyes and admitted,

“I found the necklace on our sidewalk. The next day after I came home from school, a note on our front door asked our family if we had seen it. I threw the note away. I didn’t want Mother to know I had the necklace. And the $5, I stole from mom’s wallet. I was mad b/c she didn’t pay me my full allowance b/c I didn’t do all my chores.”

Julie hung her head in embarrassment. Here was Jesus seeing these things.

“Would you like me to take this hiding box for you?” he asked. Julie nodded her head. “I’m so sorry I took these things.” Jesus said, “I forgive you.”

Why don’t you return the necklace and the money?”

For the first time, this idea sounded wonderful to Julie.” I can do that,” said Julie “if you help me”.

Then she added. “I’ve been thinking about that math test. If you help me I’m going to talk to my teacher about what I did.” “I think that’s a good idea,” said Jesus.

The next morning she woke up and there was a note from Jesus.

“Dear Julie, ”When you wake up I will not be here in person. I have other work to do. But you know my Spirit will be with you wherever you go. I hope you will continue to desire to follow me. Listen to my still, small voice that tells you not to act in revenge or fear or to lie. I am with you, helping you become more and more like me. Let’s pray.

Dear Father, our stories are not so different than Julie’s. We all have things we choose to say and do that we don’t want You to see. Speak to our hearts and help us to hear and respond to the Holy Spirit’s nudges so that we might be sanctified to be more like you. We cannot do this on our own, we need your help.