A Mustard Seed Faith

Children's Sermon: A Mustard Seed Faith (Luke 17:5-10)

Have you ever seen a mustard seed? (Pause.) The mustard seed is one of the smallest of all seeds. (Let kids pass around some mustard seeds so they can all see and feel the size.)

Some people think of faith when they think of mustard seeds. Faith is when we believe in God and His power. 

What do you know about why people use mustard seeds as a symbol of faith?

The reason some people use mustard seeds as a symbol of faith is because of something Jesus said in the Bible.

(Open your Bible.) When Jesus’ friends asked Him how they could have stronger faith, Jesus said, “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘May you be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you!” (Luke 17:5-10)

Wow! (Hold up one mustard seed and look closely at it.) Jesus said that God is so powerful that if our faith is even as small as this little seed, then we can do incredible things with His power. 

Maybe we should try that. (Place the plant in front of the children.) If Jesus said we could pray and ask God to move a tree from our front yard to the sea, then we need even smaller faith to just move this plant a little bit. (Invite kids to discuss whether they can do it. If some would like to try it, then decide on where they’d like to move the plant, and lead them in all saying prayers to move the plant.)

Jesus didn’t say someone with the faith of the mustard seed can move trees to the sea so that a bunch of people would start uprooting trees. That wasn’t His point. He was teaching us that it doesn't take a great faith for great things to happen. Why? Because what happens doesn’t depend on us, but instead on God. God has the power to do anything, and God is for us so we can trust whatever He does.

God, we ask for a mustard seed sized faith. Help us to believe and never doubt Your mighty power. In Jesus’ name, amen.