A Recipe for Happiness: The Beatitudes

Children's Sermon: A Recipe for Happiness: The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12)

Today, we are going to fix a tasty snack. Oh boy, that sounds like fun. The first thing we need is a recipe. You know what a recipe is, don’t you? A recipe is a set of instructions, including a list of all the ingredients. I have a recipe to make a delicious and healthy trail mix. 

And here are the trail mix ingredients we need and a bowl to mix it in. (Show the items.)

Can you help me make this trail mix? Let’s read the recipe to know how to make it. First, we will add some Chex Mix and M&Ms. (Hand the bags to children to pour into the bowl.)

Let's see, next we add some pretzel sticks and then some yogurt-covered raisins. (Hand the bags to children to pour into the bowl.)

We’re not done! We still have two more ingredients for our trail mix. Let’s add the Cheez Its and the Honeycomb cereal. (Hand the bags to children to pour into the bowl.)

Well, the trail mix is all finished and I need someone to stir it. (Choose a child to gently stir the trail mix.)

So now we have a tasty snack we can enjoy later. (Set the trail mix aside.)

Did you know that Jesus gave us a recipe for living a happy life? In the book of Matthew, the Bible says, "Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them." He taught them a lesson we call "The Beatitudes." Each one of the beatitudes starts with the words, "Blessed are they..." Some translations of the Bible use the word happy instead of blessed. So this is Jesus’ recipe for us to be happy.

I like that the word “beatitudes” has two parts to it: be and attitude. The Beatitudes are ways that we can be and attitudes we can have. Let’s look at a few of these be-attitudes. Jesus said to…

• Be merciful to people. To be kind when they are hurting.

Jesus said to...

• Be peacemakers when people are fighting.

Jesus said to…

• Have an attitude of pure thoughts.

Jesus said to...

• Have an attitude of wanting to do right.

Jesus also said that when we are sad, God comforts us and then we are happy.

I like that Jesus gave us a recipe for how to be and what kind of attitudes to have. And Jesus says that we will be happy if we follow His recipe.

Dear God, thank You for the beatitudes. Please help us follow Your recipe for a happy and blessed life. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.