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Free Workshop Rotation Model Lessons - Season 2

Children’s Sermon

Matthew 4:1-11


The Temptation Story: Who’s #1?


February 26, 2023

1st Sunday in Lent

Lectionary Year A


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ASK    (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

  • Good morning.
  • At a sports game, or maybe when someone just won at a board game, or maybe when someone got the best grade in school, have you ever heard the chant, "Who's number one?"
  • Or maybe you've seen signs that say "Who's #1?"
  • Have you ever heard that question?
  • So...what do you think...Who IS #1?
  • [ who knows what the kids will say to this question; I recommend letting them answer without putting the mic in front of them, and just repeating what they say so that the congregation can hear, as it allows you to filter the more potentially embarrassing answers ]


TELL    (a.k.a. The Freeway)

  • Those were all very good answers. Thank you for sharing.
  • I asked you that question because it is a question that is asked of Jesus in today's scripture story.
  • We usually call the story we heard today, "The Temptation of Jesus."
  • And in this case, the word "temptation" is a fancy word for "test."
  • And the test we hear Jesus being asked, in three different ways is "Who is #1?"
  • Is food #1?
  • Is Jesus #1?
  • Is someone else #1?
  • And all three times, Jesus says, "No, those things are not #1. God is #1."


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

  • Because Jesus kept answering that God is #1, then Jesus passed the temptation test.
  • By passing the test, Jesus knew that he was ready to go out and show and teach others what life looks like when you let God be #1 in your life.
  • And that’s exactly what Jesus did – he went out and showed others what life looked like with God as #1.
  • He showed others how to share, forgive, and love with God’s abundance, forgiveness, and love.
  • And, he invited others, including each of us, to follow him so that we could learn from him how to do the same thing – how to make God #1 in our lives.
  • As we learn to make God #1 in our lives, we are then better able to know and share God's abundance, forgiveness, and love with others – just like Jesus did.
  • And that's the Good News for today. Let’s pray.


CLOSING Prayer

  • This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God…

Dear God…


Help us to put you first in our lives…

Help us to put you first in our lives…


…just like Jesus did…

…just like Jesus did…


…so that we can share…

…so that we can share…


…your love with others….

…your love with others….


…just like Jesus did.

…just like Jesus did.


Thank you and Amen.  




Originally posted March 3, 2014
Updated on February 16, 2020
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia



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Related message(s): Luke 4:1-11