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Choose from the following Children's Sermons:

• Helping Others,  Luke 10:25-37
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer
   

• The Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37
  by Rev. Frank Schaefer

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Helping Others
a children's sermon based on Luke 10:25-37
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Good morning, my little friends, today we heard about the story of the Good Samaritan. The Good Samaritan was the only person who helped the poor man who was mugged and beaten on the way to Jericho. Mind you, there were 3 other people who came by--and neither of them stopped to help.

Have you ever helped someone who needed help?

What we can learn from today's lesson is that we should be helpful to people when they need help -- even when they're strangers.

Now, you all know that you should never talk to or follow a stranger in the street.  It is very important to remember that.

What I mean by being helpful to strangers is for instance, when there is a new boy or girl in the neighborhood, or in school, and you notice that they need help because they don't know anybody or anything, you could be their Good Samaritan and help them.

As Christians, we should try to be helpful to all people--even to mom or dad or brother and sister.  You know, mom, dad, or your brother or sister need you help all the time.  What do you think, can we do that?  Can we be helpful, can we be helpful today?

Prayer: "Dear God, we thank you for the bible in which you gave us many examples of how to live a good life.  Lord help us to be  hospitable, friendly, and helpful to others; and help us not to fear the new people we meet, but to receive them with a smile.  Amen."

 

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The Good Samaritan
a spontaneous dramatization based on Luke 10:25-37
by Rev. Frank Schaefer

Props: get a volunteer (a youth?) to act out the part of the donkey. Ask the children to volunteer for the following parts:
1) traveler,
2) two robbers,
3) levite,
4) priest,
5) Samaritan,
3) inn keeper

Have the children act out their parts (and gently direct them if they don't catch on) while you read the story from a contemporary or children's bible.  I have done this in several churches with great success.  It brings the story alive and doe so with considerable humor (the humor is almost a given when children do their parts).    Here is the contemporary version of this powerful story by Eugene Peterson:

The Message: Luke 10:25-37:

"There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him, up and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.

"A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him on to his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill-I’ll pay you on my way back.