Children's Church Lesson: The Good Samaritan

Story

Say:

How do you think Jesus wants us to treat the other people? (Let the children respond)  Today we are going to read a story Jesus told his followers to teach them how they should treat people.  Are you ready?

Read “The Good Samaritan” in any children's story bible

Lesson

Say: What happened to the man who was traveling? (he was robbed and beat up) What did the first two men, the priest and levite do when they saw the traveler? (Walked right by) What did the Samaritan do (stopped and helped the traveler) 

Before Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan a man asked him what the most important thing someone was supposed to do if they were a follower of God.  Jesus said there were two things that were very important for God’s followers to do.  Do you know what they are? (love God and love people)  After Jesus said that we need to love people (our neighbors) the man asked what kind of people we are supposed to love.  That is when Jesus told this story.  Why was it so interesting that the man who helped the traveler was a Samaritan?  What did the people talking to Jesus think about Samaritans?  (They didn’t like them)  What are some types of people today that others don’t really like? (Let them give answers: criminals, homeless people, smell bad, mean and etc.) Those are all good answers.  What are we supposed to do with people that are heard to like? (Still love them)  What are some ways that we can show love to those people? (treat them the way we want to be treated even if they  are not nice to us)  Treating others the way we want to be treated is not the same as treating them the way they treat us.   

Memory Verse

Do to others what you want them to do to you. – Matthew 22:39

Big Idea

God wants us to love Him and love other people, even if they are hard to love.  We love others by treating them the way we want to be treated. 

Prayer (Take praises and requests)

Say a prayer thanking God for loving us so much and asking Him to help us love Him and love the people around us, even if they are hard to love. 

Craft

Have children make and decorate their own stethoscopes using toilet paper roles cut in half and yarn.