I had the opportunity to share with 5th and 6th grade students during their winter retreat and thought this lesson may help others as well. Let me know. Thanks
Lesson Title: Get off your Donkey......and serve!
((The good Samaritan))
Luke 10:25-37
God always demonstrates HIS Love....love is not just a word we attach to things or people, like I love pizza, or I love my dog, or I love my parents. LOVE is an action word and Jesus gave us this great story to demonstrate how we are to LOVE.
In Luke 10:25-29 Jesus engages with an expert of the law to gives us the greatest commandment and one similar...Love God and love people!
He then tells the Story of the good samaritan to explain who are we to love.
Read Luke 10:30-37
Is funny how the 2 people that God had chosen to represent him and help others chose to just overlook the half-necked and half-dead man on the road.
It is also interesting how Jesus chose a Samaritan to be the hero of this story since Samaritans and Israelites did not see each other kindly.
In order for us to love people we must be willing to serve them, to help them in their time of need. This is the kind of Love God wants from us.
1. To serve, we must SEE the need.
"and when he saw the man" v33b
so far so good...even the religious leaders saw the man on the road. We must keep our eyes open to what God may want to show us. God is working all the time and even the blind can hear/see internally His hand at work.
2. To serve, we must FEEL compassion.
"he felt compassion for him" v33c
"a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." this simply means feeling bad enough to want to do something about it. If we don't feel bad for people and the situation they are in we certainly are not going to go to the next step.
3. To serve, we must RESPOND to the need.
"Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with Olive oil and wine and bandaged them" v34a
The difference between the 2 RL and the GS was that the GS did something about the need of the man. how many times have we been late for church when we see someone in need and just go on by justifying our actions by not wanting to be late to serve at God's house. This is were the good samaritan made the difference, but first he had to get off his donkey.
4. Finally we must BE WILLING to go the extra mile.
"Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him" v34b.
Jesus did not go the extra mile,,,,HE went all the way for you. That is our model.
"What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God". Danish Proverb (Purpose Driven Life, pg. 249, Warren)
If you think about it…how God, the creator of the universe the all-powerful one, chooses us to help Him with the people He loves. This is a great privilege but also a great responsibility.
Be challenged to do as Jesus said in V37b "Go and do Likewise."
So get off your Donkey and Serve!!
Lesson Title: Get off your Donkey......and serve!
((The good Samaritan))
Luke 10:25-37
God always demonstrates HIS Love....love is not just a word we attach to things or people, like I love pizza, or I love my dog, or I love my parents. LOVE is an action word and Jesus gave us this great story to demonstrate how we are to LOVE.
In Luke 10:25-29 Jesus engages with an expert of the law to gives us the greatest commandment and one similar...Love God and love people!
He then tells the Story of the good samaritan to explain who are we to love.
Read Luke 10:30-37
Is funny how the 2 people that God had chosen to represent him and help others chose to just overlook the half-necked and half-dead man on the road.
It is also interesting how Jesus chose a Samaritan to be the hero of this story since Samaritans and Israelites did not see each other kindly.
In order for us to love people we must be willing to serve them, to help them in their time of need. This is the kind of Love God wants from us.
1. To serve, we must SEE the need.
"and when he saw the man" v33b
so far so good...even the religious leaders saw the man on the road. We must keep our eyes open to what God may want to show us. God is working all the time and even the blind can hear/see internally His hand at work.
2. To serve, we must FEEL compassion.
"he felt compassion for him" v33c
"a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering." this simply means feeling bad enough to want to do something about it. If we don't feel bad for people and the situation they are in we certainly are not going to go to the next step.
3. To serve, we must RESPOND to the need.
"Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with Olive oil and wine and bandaged them" v34a
The difference between the 2 RL and the GS was that the GS did something about the need of the man. how many times have we been late for church when we see someone in need and just go on by justifying our actions by not wanting to be late to serve at God's house. This is were the good samaritan made the difference, but first he had to get off his donkey.
4. Finally we must BE WILLING to go the extra mile.
"Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him" v34b.
Jesus did not go the extra mile,,,,HE went all the way for you. That is our model.
"What you are is God's gift to you; what you do with yourself is your gift to God". Danish Proverb (Purpose Driven Life, pg. 249, Warren)
If you think about it…how God, the creator of the universe the all-powerful one, chooses us to help Him with the people He loves. This is a great privilege but also a great responsibility.
Be challenged to do as Jesus said in V37b "Go and do Likewise."
So get off your Donkey and Serve!!
