BIG POINT
A heart to love people
GOD’S WORD
The Story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
MEMORY VERSE
Do not try to get even. Do not hold anything against one of your people. Instead, love your neighbor as you love yourself. I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:18 NIRV
KEY POINTS
- A heart for Jesus
- A heart for people
WORSHIP
JAM: Covenant Worship – First Loved Me
JUMP: Kids Prayer (I Love You Jesus)
TEACHING
Good morning everyone! How are you today? It’s February, well known as the love month. Of course, we’re supposed to love each other every month. But sometimes it’s good to be reminded.
Today’s lesson will come from Luke 10:25-37. Watch this first.
I have a surprise for you. Do you know that what you have just watched is a love story? It’s true! It’s not a romantic love story, although the Bible has those too. But yes, it’s a love story. Because, Jesus used this story to teach us how to love.
1 A Heart for Jesus
And since it’s Jesus’ teaching, we should obey. Our first key point reminds us that we should have a heart that desires to obey God and all of His commands. And this is His most important one.
Out of the many many good things that God gave us, the most important one, the one at the very top, the one we must never ever ever forget, is His teaching of Love.
The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 NIRV
God tells us that the most important thing is love. It’s the entire point. He created us, saved us, blessed us — everything that He did and said and showed was all because of love.
Now, in the story, who was the one who showed the most love? It was the Samaritan. Do you know why that’s important to note?
The first guy was a priest. He’s supposed to be holy. He’s supposed to be very good. But he didn’t even stop to help.
The second guy was a Levite. Levites are helpers in the temple. They aren’t priests, but they are respected and well known church members who serve and pray and lead worship.
But he also didn’t stop to help. In fact, he even moved to the other side of the road!
The one who stopped to help was a Samaritan. Not only did he stop for the man on the street, he took him to the nearest inn, and paid for his board and lodging. What’s more, he promised to pay for any extra fees incurred.
The reason why it was mentioned that he was from Samaria is because people there are not Jews. They don’t go to the same churches that the Jews go to. They don’t follow the same teachings. And yet, out of all of them, he was the one who helped.
2 A Heart for People
Our second key point reminds us that when we love, it doesn’t stop with just saying the words. It doesn’t stop with just a post on our social media (I heart Jesus, etc.). It doesn’t stop with just singing the love songs or wearing red.
The Samaritan showed his love when he did the following:
- stopped to help
- took to the hospital
- paid for fees
- paid for future fees
We want to be like this guy. Of course! When we love other people as much as Jesus loves us, then we are showing God that His love is alive in us. Loving others is the best way to show Jesus that we love Him.
So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it.
Galatians 6:10b NIRV
When we love others we are following God’s command. When he told us to love one another, it wasn’t just a suggestion. It was and still is, for now and for always, a strong command that we should follow.
Today the challenge for us is to answer this command to love one another with a love that comes from the Lord. Even when it’s difficult; even when your neighbor doesn’t seem to be lovable. You don’t have to encounter someone hurt in the middle of the road in order to show your love. Love comes from the heart, and shows in your speech and actions. And right now, let’s show it in our worship as we stand.
DISCUSSION GUIDE
Read the entire passage as a group. Try to do a dramatic reading if the kids are into it.
Bible Studies
You can do this as a game, first to answer, etc. Let them look through the bible to find the answers:
- Who were the three people that came by injured man?
- What is big deal about the third person being from Samaria?
- What were the things that the Samaritan did for the injured man?
LG Questions
These are suggestions, feel free to modify according to your own group level or leading.
- What is your favorite way of showing love to your parents? To your friends? To your classmates and teachers?
- Do you know someone who is difficult to love? Tell the story of how you overcame the difficulty and learned to love the person.
- This week, do at least least one thing for three different people who aren’t in your family, to show them that you love them.
TEACHING SLIDES here