Object: a pair of work gloves.

(As the children gather, put on the work gloves.) Boys and girls, what am I wearing today? Right. These are work gloves. Does it seem strange to see me wearing these this morning? They don't quite go with the rest of my clothes, do they! But I want to wear them to remind myself - and you - that God has a lot of good work for us to be doing. Sometimes when we come to church, wearing our clean clothes, we forget that God wants us to work for him out in the world where we have to get dirty sometimes.

How many of you like to work with your hands? (Let them answer.) Is there anybody here who would rather not get your hands dirty? (See if anybody says so.) Sometimes we think it would be better if somebody else did all the hard work so we won't have to do any. But…