Chocolate Chips in Our Cookies

As you can see, I’m working on a recipe for cookies----chocolate chip cookies. Raise your hand if you like chocolate chip cookies. Wow- everyone loves chocolate chip cookies! In my bowl, I have mixed together flour, sugar, butter, baking soda, vanilla and eggs, but something seems to be missing….can you help me think of what I have forgotten? Oh, yes….the most important thing! Chocolate chips!

So let’s think for a minute. If I have in my mixing bowl, flour and baking soda, but have no chocolate chips, will I have chocolate chip cookies? If I have in my bowl creamy butter and brown sugar, but have no chocolate chips, will I have chocolate chip cookies? If I have in my bowl, vanilla and two large eggs, but have no chocolate chips, will I have chocolate chip cookies? NO! I might have cookies, but not chocolate chip cookies!

Now I’m going to put away my mixing bowl because I want to talk to you about something much more serious. I want to tell you about what Paul says in his letter to the early Christians in Corinth and to us- Christians at (name your church) . Do you know what Paul says is the most important ingredient or gift of the Christian life? (answer) Yes, love. Paul wants us to know that no matter how many Bible memory verses we know, no matter how many Sunday school classes we take or sermons we preach, no matter how much we volunteer…….if we do not have love, we are no different than the rest of the world.

Having a Christ-like love IS the most important thing that makes us stand out as Christians. Love is like the chocolate chips in our cookies. But, loving others isn’t always easy. We have to be patient and kind and humble and forgiving. Loving also takes lots of practice- that’s why we have this big church family---so that we can learn and practice love on one another--- then go out and share our love with the rest of the world.

Before we leave, let’s add some chocolate chips to our chocolate chip cookie dough. _________, will you help me? And let’s also pray for loving hearts like Jesus.

Dear God. Your love never fails. Help us to love others the way you love us. In Jesus’ name, Amen

(Pass out a bagged chocolate chip cookie to each child).