30-MINUTE MESSAGE FOR CHILD DEDICATION

(By: Ptr. Joey Batungbacal)

OUTINE OF THE
MESSAGE AND
SAMPLE MESSAGE
PROGRAM FLOW

OPENING PRAYER • PRAY AS THE SPIRIT LEADS.

We start off with what is the significance or importance of child dedication of

______________ (Child).

Let’s read the first verse, so this is Hannah speaking, the mom of Samuel (We can
ask one of the parents to read it aloud).

1 Samuel 1:20, 22, 25-28

20
It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a
son; and she named him Samuel, saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD." 22
But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "I will not go up until the
child is weaned; then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and stay
there forever." 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. 26 She
SIGNIFICANCE OF said, "Oh my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside
CHILD DEDICATION: you, praying to the LORD. 27 "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my
AN ACT OF WORSHIP petition which I asked of Him. 28 So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as
he lives, he is dedicated to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

Now, just for the background of the verses that you've read, Hannah was barren and
so she prayed to the Lord for the Lord to give them with a child. And part of the
prayer, she made a commitment to God that when they are gifted with a Child, Samuel
is going to be dedicated to the Lord. As we see here in the last verse, “Dedicated” was
mentioned twice, so what does dedication means here. It is an ACT OF WORSHIP, out
of a grateful heart, she brought Samuel after he was weaned from breastfeeding and
then he was big enough, so that was an act of worship for the parents. Dedication
simply means that they are willing to give back to the Lord the child, they are of
grateful hearts that’s why out of gratitude they say “Lord, Samuel, this boy is yours”, in
other words we are stewards of our child. We can find that in the next verse, why are
they open handed in giving up Samuel to the Lord?
 Here is the reason why, and this is the conviction of their hearts. We also believe
that ___________ (the father) and __________ (the mother)) also have similar
convictions that is why they are going to dedicate ___________ (Child) to the Lord
today. And all of you who are here today are witnesses to what they will be doing.

SIGNIFICANCE OF CHILD
DEDICATION: May I ask you ____________ (One of the Parents) to read Psalm 24:1.

AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT Psalm 24:1

OF The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it.
GOD'S SOVEREIGN
OWNERSHIP
So, looking at the verse, it is very clear that the Earth that where we live in and
everything in the World, including us, the verse says, the Lord owns. Therefore, with
this Psalm, _________ and __________ (Both Parents), it is clear, that you do not own
_________ (Child) but based on this verse, it is the Lord who owns him. You are just
entrusted to take good care of him and raise him up in the ways of the Lord.

We look at the next verse, these are the responsibilities of the parents, the father
and mother. If you notice, the title is Legacy of Godly living, Role of the Parents. The
word Legacy means like an inheritance and what you want to pass on. What you want
to pass on to __________ (Child) a Godly living, because you commit him back to the
Lord, that he will live out the biblical ways of a person who trusts the Lord and looks to
the Lord as his Lord and Master of his life. And so, there are 3 responsibilities for you
parents.

TEACH THE CHILD

The first one is, you have to TEACH the Child, you have to teach _____________
(Child)

Can you please read (One of the parents), Deuteronomy 6:5-7?

LEGACY OF
GODLY LIVING: Deuteronomy 6:5–7
5
ROLE OF THE Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
PARENTS strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7
Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

On the first line it says “Love the Lord your God with your entire being, because you
love the Lord, this is what you will pass on to __________ (Child). In verse 6, it is also
says, “the commandments which is in the Bible are to be in your hearts”. In other
words, you are to live it out because there is a saying that “You can only pass what you
own”, so if you do not own the convictions of love of the Lord, it stands to reason that
we cannot pass it on also to our children. This is the first prerequisite: Parents, Love
the Lord your God, know His commandments and they are to be on your heart. Look at
Verse 7, you are now to impress them on your children, you are to impress the
commandments of God, the Bible to __________ (Child). Notice, when you sit at
home, when you walk along the Lord and when you also lie down and when you get
 up. I see this as a 24/7 exposure of _________ (Child) to the 2 of you as parents. There
is also saying that what the children sees in the parents, they copy. They copy what
you talk about, they copy how you move and how you conduct yourselves. So, this is
very important teaching principle to pass on to your child.

TRAIN THE CHILD

The next responsibility or role of the parent is to TRAIN the child. The first is you
teach and then the second is you train.

Let’s read Proverbs 22:6,

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.

Training means you are intentional, deliberate and you really spend time with him
just like what Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says and look at the blessing and benefit. You are
training him in the way he should go, in a way that God commands you and I based on
the Bible. In other words, he will live biblically and think and speak biblically. That is
training, it is not automatic and accidental. There is a full-time responsibility and role
of the parents towards the child. You must also notice this, when _________ (Child)
LEGACY OF becomes old, that you have taught him and train him, he will not depart from it,
GODLY LIVING: because of your intentionality and desire for him to really become a godly person, he
ROLE OF THE will not turn from it. Through your efforts and with the help of God, he will be molded
PARENTS into the kind of person God wants him to be. Remember, you are doing this because
you are Stewards or caretaker of the life of ______________(Child).

DISCIPLINE THE CHILD

Last but not the least, the 3rd role of the 2 of you is to also (Parents) is to discipline
________________(Child). Let’s read Proverbs 13:24.

Proverbs 13:24
He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline
him.

Notice there are 2 descriptions here. The Bible tells us, if you do not spank your child
(The Rod is to spank) you do not love your child at all because children need to be
disciplined but at the same time, the form of discipline was also mentioned here. It
says, you love him that is why you are careful to discipline your child. The careful here
means that you do not spank or discipline in anger, you discipline in love. Spanking
could be painful, but if it is not done out of anger or to maim (hurt or injure) your
child. It is just for him to remember that what he did is not pleasing to God that is why
he is being disciplined and children will remember that.

In summary, you must teach, train and discipline ________________(Child).

 Let’s move on to the Role of Sponsors.

We know that parenting or raising up a child is not easy. I believe that all the parents
in the group can relate with me, it is not easy to parent or to bring up a child, in fact I
believe it is impossible, that’s why we need the Lord to guide us, empower us and to
allow us to persevere in raising up our children. We believe _________ and _________
(Both Parents), are wise, they are prudent, and they pick Sponsors, they pick Ninongs
and Ninangs, because they knew that they need a community in order to raise up
_____________ (Child) in the ways of the Lord. I also believe that you sponsors are
already 2 to 3 steps ahead of ____________ and _____________(Both Parents) in
terms of parenting. I believe that you have gone through many hurts and many pains
already in raising up your children and you have nuggets of experience and counsel to
______ and ________(Both Parents). Let me see a raise of hands, who are the
Ninongs and Ninangs here?

Let us read Colossians 3:16 (We can ask one Sponsor to read the verse)

Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another
with all wisdom.

Have you noticed the word “Admonish one another”? There could be times wherein
COMMUNITY
the Mommy and Daddy will have challenges or maybe even problems not only in their
COMMITMENT:
parenting but also in their own marriage relationship, that’s where you sponsors will
ROLE OF THE
come in. Not that you are meddling in their life affairs but because they chose you as
SPONSORS
Ninongs and Ninangs, in effect, they are giving you permission to be involved in their
personal life, as a husband and wife as well as mommy and daddy of
___________(Child). That’s why ________ and _________ (Both Parents) will not
mind that you will be helping them out or guiding them. It says here “Admonish one
another with all wisdom”, as I said earlier, you are already about 2 to 3 steps ahead as
a parent and as a spouse so that’s why your role as a sponsor will be much
appreciated. Being a Sponsor means you will walk along side with the parents as they
raise up___________(Child). Being a sponsor is not purely about gift giving, usually our
knowledge about Ninong and Ninang, “Ay pagdating ng Pasko puntahan mo si Ninong
at Ninang, hingi ka ng regalo o pamasko”, That is only partly true.

Next, we have Proverbs 15:31, It says “He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be
home among the wise”. So, this simple means that ________ and ___________ (Both
Parents) will be listening to your lifegiving correction. If you see anything wrong with
them, as a Ninong or Ninang, you are to kind of investigate or find out. Then as a
Ninong or Ninang, according to Proverbs 15:31, you are to look into it and once
verified that they have some challenges then you are to give them life giving
corrections as wise counselors.

Now, those are the 2 roles of Ninongs and Ninangs. I’d like to address now the
Ninongs and Ninangs. After having heard and explained your responsibilities based on
the word of God, my question to you is (Ask the Ninongs and Ninangs to unmute),
 Are you willing to take up those responsibilities? (Wait for their responses).

Thank you Ninongs and Ninangs for your willingness to take those responsibilities.
Now we go to the public declaration of Daddy and Mommy, _______ and ________.
This will be their prayer. Let’s hear them as they pray the prayer of dedication.

As parents of __________ (Child’s name), we promise to God to live as an

example of godliness and love for God and for others as we raise __________ (Child’s
name) into the Christian family. We dedicate _________ (Child’s name) to the Lord
knowing fully well that _____________ (Child’s name) belongs to God and that
he/she is God's blessing to us.
PRAYER OF
DEDICATION BY We vow to raise ___________ (Child’s name) with Biblical values and
THE PARENTS principles: a life of faith, worship, and fear of the Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Thank you very much, Mommy and daddy. You have now dedicated
___________(Child), you are declaring publicly that you don’t own him, he/she is
owned by God, and you are also declaring to raise him/her up. You will prepare
him/her so that when he/she reaches adulthood he/she is going to be used by God. As
you prepare him/her, you are going to teach, you are going to train and discipline
___________(Child) with biblical values and principles so that he can serve the Lord
Jesus in due time. We thank you and we believe that God is so happy by you
dedicating him/her and you will leave out the vows that you have made today,
________________ (Date of dedication).

As we close, we would like to share with you the Greatest act of dedication and we
can find it in John 3:16. Let us read John 3:16,

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

“God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son”, in other words,
God has dedicated Jesus, for you and for me, why? It is because of the succeeding line
that says, “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”.
____________ and ___________ (Both Parents) you must understand that this
GREATEST ACT OF message must be passed on to ______________(Child). Just because
DEDICATION _____________(Child) was born to a Christian home, it doesn’t mean that he is
EVANGELISM already a child of God or a Christian already that is why you must teach him, train him
and you are to discipline him. Why? Because all of us, and even __________(Child), we
are created with God’s spirit in us, and we are made in the image and likeness of God.
But there is a problem as we grow up and we will show it to you using colors to using
John 3:16.

The first color is GOLD, it represents royalty and the Kingdom of God. Why is this
important? See the underlined words, “For God so loved the world”. The world means
us, His creation, human beings. God loves all of us and He wants all of us to be with
Him in heaven after our lifetime here on Earth. That was a wonderful desire of God, in
fact that shows how much He loves you and me. But you and I have a problem.
 BLACK represents our spirit that is separated from God because all of us have sinned
against God, our spirit in front of God is spiritually dead. But God loves you and me,
notice the words “Not Perish”, why is this very important? Because when you and I
have sinned against God, our spirit is dead and disconnected from God. You and I are
physically alive but inside us, we are spiritually dead. Why? You and I must remember
that God is a holy God and therefore, He cannot have a relationship with His creation
that has sinned against Him. That’s why _________ and __________ (Parents), this is
very important also that at the age of realization, you must share this message of
God’s love to _____________(Child). Having said this, as the bible shows us our
spiritual problem, you and I cannot solve this spiritual problem of ours using our own
ways or by doing anything or to remove this problem. And unfortunately, during our
lifetime, if we do not deal with this in God’s way, having this kind of spiritual condition
before we die, our spirit will continue to live on but being spiritually dead, our
spiritually dead spirit cannot enter heaven because heaven is a perfect place. And
therefore, the only place wherein our spirit can go to is hell and burn in hell for all
eternity. Ladies and Gentlemen, that is the truth and that is a very bad news.
GREATEST ACT OF
DEDICATION But there is a very good news! Represented by RED, it states here, “For God so loved
EVANGELISM the world that He gave His one and only Son”, this is Jesus. God provided the solution
and that is the only solution that is acceptable to Him. You see, Jesus Christ, who is
God, took the form of man and he lived on earth and eventually, 2000 years ago, Jesus
died on the cross because He is the savior of all mankind. He took all our sins on His
body, and he was nailed to the cross. He took and bore all of us sins. When He was
nailed to the cross, He did not die immediately, He shed is blood on the cross before
He died. And the Bible tells us, without the shedding of blood there can be no
forgiveness of sins (Hebrews 9:22). The blood of Jesus Christ is pure, it is clean, and it
is never stained with sin. That’s why the blood of Jesus is the only sacrifice acceptable
to God for the forgiveness of your sins and my sins and He proved that by rising from
the dead, that’s why only in Jesus can you and I have spiritual life, gone is the spiritual
death. Jesus is God the Father’s gift to you and for me.
And so, the question to ask is, what will you do with God the Father’s gift, Jesus
Christ? Notice what is underlined phrase, “Whoever believes in Him” whoever
believes in Jesus. The Word “Whoever” means that whether you are young or old,
whatever your status in life maybe, race, color of your skin, your social standing or
whatever you are in society, God is not discriminatory. He just says, “Whoever”, but
there is only one condition, “Believe in Him”, Believe in Jesus. Believing here is not just
believing in the head because if you asked somebody, they would say that they believe
in Jesus but the belief here is believing from the heart. Do you believe that only in
Jesus you and I can have forgiveness of sins, that is what is meant by believing in Him;
Jesus is our Savoir and our Lord.

Notice the color WHITE? When you and I believe in Jesus, we accept God’s gift, we
received him in our hearts, in minds and in our life, the black spirit a while ago will
now be washed clean by the blood of Jesus and God the Father is going to see you and
me spiritually clean, as if we have never sinned before and that is the effect of God the
Father’s gift to you and to me, and that is Jesus Christ.
 How do we now accept God the Father’s gift, Jesus Christ, into our hearts? Here is
the prayer of faith, this is between you and Jesus. if you want to receive Jesus into
your heart and into your life, may I invite you to follow after me. Remember, this is
between you and God. What I have been sharing with you is not a religion but based
on the Bible, how can we have a personal relationship with God the Father through
Jesus Christ. So, I would like to pray this prayer now and then if this your heart’s
desire, you may repeat this prayer with me. (Lead the audience to pray by praying in
parts. Pause whenever you see (/) and allow them to respond before continuing the
prayer)
Lord Jesus, I need You./ I confess that I am a sinner./ I believe that You died
on the cross/ to pay for all my sins./ With Your help,/ I will turn away from my sins./
Please come into my life/ and be my Savior and my Master./ I accept Your free gift of
eternal life./ Make me the kind of new person/ that you want me to be./ Thank you
GREATEST ACT OF for coming into my life/ and for giving me eternal life. Amen.
DEDICATION If that was the prayer of your heart today or you have prayed this prayer sometime
EVANGELISM ago, Jesus lives in you and me. He has gifted you and I with complete forgiveness of
sins, past present and future sins. And represented by the color GOLD, He has now
gifted us with sonship, we are now a child of God because we have invited Jesus to live
in us and be our Savior and Lord and again the promise is, you and I will have eternal
life. Eternal life is because you and I have forgiveness of sins and it is only found in
Jesus Christ.
And so, as we have that personal relationship with God through Jesus, the next
color, GREEN represents spiritual growth. Since we now have a personal relationship
with God through Jesus, you and I need to grow spiritually. How do you and I grow?
We recommend that you read the Bible, it is God’s love letter to you and to me.
Attend Bible Studies and attend a Church where the Bible is preached and thought,
and that Jesus is honored and worship as Kings of kings and He is worshipped as God.
So those are some of the things and activities that you can do so that this color GREEN
may be true in your life, that you grow spiritually.

As we close, we would like to pray for ____________ and ____________(Parents),

especially they will need our prayers as they raise up ____________(Child) in the ways
of the Lord. Please me join as we pray for them.

Our Father in heaven, we thank you for today. We know that you are well pleased as
___________ and ____________ (Parents) offered back to you ____________(Child)
in the form of Dedication. Our prayer for them Lord Jesus is that you really empower
them, allow them to persevere, to love you with all their hearts, soul, and mind and
that they will really raise up __________(Child) in Your ways as stated in Deuteronomy
6:5-7.
CLOSING Will you also preserve their marriage relationship with one another, that even as the
PRAYER/PRAYER OF years go by, their love for one another will even grow deeper and their love for you
BENEDICTION will go deeper as well. We pray that they will be good models, they will be godly
parents to _______________(Child). That as ___________(Child) sees them, they will
be his walking bible. We pray for the future of _____________(Child), we know that
through his parents, he will be thought, he will be trained and be discipled in Your
ways so that Lord Jesus, he can also serve You when he grows up. We surrender his
future to you knowing that You have already carved out His timeline here on Earth.
Will you just bless _________ and ___________(Parents) spiritually, emotionally,
physically, and financially. We pray also for blessings upon each and everyone, bless
them spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially as well. This we pray in Jesus’
name, Amen.