Main Point: A Neighbor Shows Love to Others Near and Far Away!

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1 Reach Texas 2016 Children s Bible Story WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? Memory Verse: He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 HCSB Bible Study: The Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37 Main Point: A Neighbor Shows Love to Others Near and Far Away! Purpose: Through this lesson, elementary-aged children will discover that they can be neighbors to others by loving and serving people both near to home and far away. They ll also learn about the reach Texas offering and discover that they can be a part of the great work being done all across this state. Teacher Prep: Read Luke 10:25-37 and familiarize with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Study Help: The story of the Good Samaritan was not an actual historical event, rather it was a lesson created in the wonderful imagination of Jesus in answer to a series of questions posed by a scribe in the crowd. This expert in the law, who was possibly a Pharisee, first asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. On the surface, a fantastic question, but in actuality it was only an attempt to test Jesus and stir up certain people in the crowd who may not like His answer. Jesus answers his question with a question, What is written in the law? How do you read it? (v.26 HCSB) The law expert of course answers well: love God, love my neighbor. Jesus affirms this answer, but the scribe is still not done laying his trap. He further presses, And who is my neighbor? (v. 29 HCSB) Here, a mere teacher might be in a touch of trouble. At that time the Jews had strong nationalistic pride about being the only true people of God. Many Jewish people looked down upon others and considered themselves superior. They particularly disliked Samaritans they believed to be half-breeds who intermarried with foreigners. This sly scribe wanted to force Jesus into saying people like Samaritans really weren t neighbors of God s people, and so there was no law mandating them to show love and respect to these outsiders. Thankfully Jesus is no mere teacher. He s also not scared to say controversial things that his audience may not appreciate. In answer to the scribe s final question he tells the story of the Good Samaritan, a story in which the only positive character is an outsider to the Jewish faith.

2 In the parable we see the Samaritan do three things the priest and the Levite were unwilling to do for the man in crises: 1. See the need. After robbers beat the man, stole is belongings, and left him for dead by the road the priest and the Levite turned away from his need. More than that actually, they crossed to the other side of the street to avoid him. The Samaritan did the opposite. He looked straight into the bloody mess and acknowledged the desperate man in his state of emergency. 2. Engage the need. We don t know from the story if the Samaritan man was in a hurry. We don t know what he had to do and what time he needed to be somewhere, but we do know he had a purpose. No one walked on that 17-mile stretch from Jerusalem to Jericho for pleasure. All along the way travelers faced danger from hazardous conditions and treacherous criminals. It had to be an incredible inconvenience for the man to stop and engage the man in need, but we read in verse 33 that the Samaritan saw the man and, had compassion. From a place of love he interrupted his schedule and cared for the robbers victim. 3. Serve the need. The lengths the Samaritan went to serve the Jewish man were truly extraordinary. Take a minute to read verses again to see what loving your neighbor really looks like. As you read, think about the level of service Jesus is describing to His listeners and how that differs from the attitude of the scribe. From the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus communicates an important truth: neighbors are people who act like neighbors. The scribe wanted Jesus to answer his question with a who or a where. Instead, Jesus answered with an illustration that demonstrated it doesn t matter where you live, where you were born, what language you speak, or what color your skin is none of those things make you a neighbor. Your actions toward all people near and far determines if you truly love your neighbor or not. Early Arriver Activity: Reach Texas Game Needs: Reach Texas Game Sheets (total of 6), number sequence slips, painter s tape, stopwatch *SEE THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT FOR GAME SHEETS AND NUMBER SEQUENCE SLIPS Prepare: Tape up the game sheets in a random pattern on a wall in your ministry area and divide the kids into teams of two. Determine the order the teams will play the game and ask each set of partners to pick a caller and a reacher. Ask the first team to step up to the game sheets taped on the wall and give the caller a number sequence slip, but ask him/her not to look at it yet. Play: When you say, Go, the caller must look at the number sequence slip and call out the numbers in order. The reacher then must reach out and touch each

3 Texas shape designated with those numbers in order as fast as possible. Time the team for speed and stop the clock as soon as the tenth number is touched. Record the time and the allow the next team to play. After each team plays once, ask the partners to switch roles and play again. Play as long as time allows. Award teams with the fasted times, as well as each team that improved their times from the first round. Introduce the Reach Texas Offering: Today we are discussing what it means to be a good neighbor to others. Jesus was once asked that question Himself, and He answered by telling a famous story I bet many of you know. His story was all about seeing someone in need and choosing to help. We can choose to help our neighbors living right here in Texas through the Reach Texas Offering. The money we give to this offering is used by the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention to share Jesus with people all over our home state, start brand new churches, and care for people in need. Closing Question: What do you think our goal should be as a class for the Reach Texas Offering? Starter Activity: Wrap up Race Large Group Time Needs: 6 ace bandage per group, 1 band aid per child, 1 chair per group, a starting line Prepare: Split the children into six groups and place a chair for each group at the starting line. Ask each group to select one player to be the Good Samaritan, and give him/her an ace bandage. Place the box of band aids a good distance from the starting line. Ask the remaining players to form a line in their groups behind the chair and listen closely to the game instructions. Play: On go, the first player in each line will sit in the chair and the team s Good Samaritan must quickly wrap the player s legs with the bandage. Once the entire bandage is wrapped, the player can then stand and jump to the box of band aids, get one out, and jump back to the starting line. Once that player returns, he or she must quickly unwrap the bandage and hand it back to the Good Samaritan. Then the next player sits down, gets wrapped by the Good Samaritan, and continues the race. The first team to have every player (except the Good Samaritan) retrieve a band aid and make it back to the starting line wins.

4 Introduce Large Group: Say, Our Good Samaritans did a great job wrapping up the legs of their teammates! The name Good Samaritan in our game comes from a story Jesus once told to a man who asked Him an interesting question. The question was, Who is my neighbor? Jesus answered by telling a story about a good Samaritan found in Luke 10: Creative Bible Story: The Dangerous Road (Luke 10:25-37) For today s story we are turning the parable of the Good Samaritan into an interactive game. Before you begin, have all the children open to Luke 10: Instructions for the Game: You will retell a portion of the text, pausing 5 times throughout the story to ask the children to guess what happens next. Before you begin, lay six pieces of paper (or anything else a child can step on) on the floor in a line and choose one child to help you play the game. Ask the child to stand on the first piece of paper, then begin telling the story. Every time the group gets an answer correct, the child may advance to the next piece of paper. The object of the game is to reach the final piece of paper by answering the questions correctly. The story: Once, when Jesus was speaking to His disciples, an important man stood up in front of Him and asked a question. This man was a really important religious leader and an expert on the laws in the Holy Scriptures. He asked Jesus, Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus answered by saying basically, You re an expert what do you think? The man s answer is recorded in Luke 10:27. (Have someone read verse 27) Jesus told the man he answered correctly, but the law expert wasn t finished asking questions. He asked, And who is my neighbor? WHAT DID JESUS DO NEXT? A) Jesus told the man to quit bothering Him. B) Jesus told His disciples to remove the man the crowd. C) Jesus healed a blind man. D) Jesus told a story to help answer the man s question, Who is my neighbor? If the children answer correctly, ask the child volunteer to advance one step in the game. Jesus answered the man by telling a very famous story that we call The Good Samaritan. In the story, a Jewish man walks down a very dangerous road from Jerusalem to Jericho. Along the way, he s attacked by a group of robbers who beat him up, strip off his clothes, steal his belongings, and leave him almost dead by the side of the road. Pretty soon a priest came walking by. The priest s job was to care for people, teach God s Word, and help people know and experience God.

5 WHAT DID THE PRIEST DO WHEN HE SAW THE HURT MAN BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD? A) He stopped and helped the man. B) He stopped and prayed for the man. C) He moved to the other side of the street and ignored the man. D) He called other priests to come and help the man. If the children answer correctly, ask the child volunteer to advance one step in the game. Jesus said that the priest moved to the other side of the street and passed right by the man with the need. Next, a Levite happened to walk down the dangerous road. A Levite is a person who provides assistance to priests in the Temple and helps people worship God. WHAT DID THE LEVITE DO WHEN HE SAW THE HURT MAN BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD? A) He moved to the other side of the street and passed the needy man just like the priest. B) He left to find a doctor for the man. C) He chased down the robbers to capture them and put them in jail. D) He gave the man in need some money to buy medical supplies. If the children answer correctly, ask the child volunteer to advance one step in the game. Just like the priest, the Levite crossed to the other side of the road and completely ignored the man in need. Finally, a Samaritan man traveled down the road. Back then, Jewish people and Samaritan people didn t like each other. In fact, Jewish people looked down on Samaritans and treated them very poorly. These two groups of people were rarely nice to each other. The Samaritan saw the Jewish man hurt and filthy on the ground. WHAT DID THE SAMARITAN DO WHEN HE SAW THE HURT MAN BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD? A) He moved to the other side of the street and passed the man by. B) He stopped and cared for the man, bandaged his wounds, took him to an inn, and payed for him to stay there as long as he needed to recover. C) He stole all of the man s remaining possessions and hurried away. D) He found another Jewish person to take care of the man. If the children answer correctly, ask the child volunteer to advance one step in the game. In Jesus story, the man who was supposed to be the enemy of the Jewish people was the only one to actually help. The Samaritan washed the man s cuts and bruises, bandaged them up tight, lifted him up on his horse, and took him to an inn where he could heal and get better. Not only that, the Samaritan payed enough money to the innkeeper for the man to stay a long time and promised more if it was needed. This was an act of incredible kindness! After Jesus told the story, he finished by asking the expert in the law a question. (Have someone read the question Jesus asked in Luke 10: 36) WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?

6 A) The law expert answered, The one who showed mercy to him. Jesus answered, Wrong! A Samaritan could never be a true neighbor. B) The law expert answered, How should I know? Jesus walked away, shaking His head. C) The law expert answered, The one who showed mercy to him. Jesus answered, Go and do the same. D) The law expert answered, No one in the story acted like a neighbor. Jesus answered, You don t know anything. If the children answer correctly, ask the child volunteer to advance to the final step. By telling the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught us something important about loving our neighbors. He revealed that figuring out WHO our neighbor is matters much less than BEING a neighbor to others by the way we serve them and care for them. Whether people live close by, somewhere in Texas, or around the world, we can serve them just like the Good Samaritan. When we do, we are obeying God s command to love our neighbors. Introduce the Main Point: A Good Neighbor Shows Love to Others Near and Far Away! Have the kids repeat this statement with you several times, using hand motions to help the children remember the words. Introduce the Memory Verse: He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27 HCSB Have the children repeat this verse several times along with you and then challenge one volunteer to stand and say as much of the verse as he/she possibly can. Wherever that volunteer gets tripped up, allow another volunteer to pick up the verse and keep going. Continue until the entire verse is repeated from memory. Review Questions Ask the following questions to review the Bible study and Main Point.: 1. What question did the expert in the law ask that led Jesus to tell the story of the Good Samaritan? (Who is my neighbor?) 2. In Jesus story, what happened to the man who walked the dangerous road from Jericho to Jerusalem? (He was attacked by a band of robbers who beat him and stole from him) 3. Who first saw the man who d been beaten and left for dead? What did he do when he saw him? (The priest- he crossed to the other side of the road and ignored him) 4. Who was the second person to see the man in need? What did he do? (The Levite- He also crossed to the other side of the street and ignored the need) 5. How did Jesus people and Samaritan people feel about each other back then? (they hated each other, Jewish people looked down on Samaritan people)

7 6. The Samaritan man did several things to help the man in need. How many things can you name? (washed his wounds, bandaged his wounds, put him on his horse, took him to an inn, payed for him to stay there, and promised more money if needed) 7. Which is more important: to figure out who your neighbor is, or to act like a neighbor and serve other people? (act) 8. What s our main point today? (A Good Neighbor Shows Love to Others Near and Far Away!) Introduce the Reach Texas Offering, Pray, and Release to Small Group Tell the kids, One way we can be good neighbors to people in our state is to participate in the Reach Texas Offering. Through our gifts, we can help the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention do all kinds of awesome things all over our home state. This offering goes to starting brand new churches, projects that share the love of Jesus, and helping people who have been impacted by destructive forces like tornadoes and floods. God calls us to show love to others near and far away. The Texas Reach Offering is a great way to do that! Let s pray that God would use us to be good neighbors to our fellow Texans. Small Group Activities: Pick and choose the activities below to best meet your time and teaching needs during small group. Activity #1: Ace Roll Out Needs: 1 ace bandage per group (different than the ones used in large group), markers Prepare: Gather your group together and roll out the ace bandage on the floor or table in front of them. Give each child a marker. Do: Ask the children to write or draw pictures on the bandage to represent what it means to show love to others both near and far away. These could include opportunities in their neighborhood or schools, mission projects in their community, or even global efforts around the world. Make sure at some point to remind the kids about the Reach Texas Offering. Once they ve decorated the bandage, cut it into lengths and tie a piece around the arm of each child (not too tight). Let them wear it home as a reminder of the importance of being a good neighbor to others like the Good Samaritan. Activity: #2: Group Reach Out and Give For this game, please locate the Group Reach Out and Give maps and the Group Reach Out and Give games pieces at the end of this document. In this document. There you will find the documents needed to facilitate the game and apply it to the lesson.

8 Needs: two Group Reach Out and Give maps, two sets of Group Reach Out and Give game pieces, painter s tape Prepare: Split the group into two teams, line them up, and give the last player in line a map. Cut out both sets of the game pieces beforehand. Give each group a set and some tape. Play: On go, each team must pass a game piece down their line, making sure each member of the team gets to play. Once a game piece makes it to the last player, he or she must tape it onto the shape of Texas before the next piece is passed. The first team to have all their game pieces taped onto the map wins. Apply: Through the Reach Texas Offering, we can reach out and help people all over our state. The pictures on our map are just a sample of all the ways God will use our money to bless our neighbors! Activity #3: The Perfect Serve Needs: recycled paper paper (several sheets), hula hoop, painter s tape (or other tape that can be easily removed) Prepare: Before you begin, put down a line of tape on one side of the floor. Give children several sheets of paper and instruct them to wad them up tightly into paper balls. Hold up a hula hoop several feet away from the tape line. Play: Challenge the children one-by-one to stand behind the line and serve their paper balls through the hula hoop by tossing up the balls and then slapping them with their open palms. If a child makes it through, back up the hula hoop to increase the challenge. If a child needs help bring the hula hoop closer. Praise the kids for each shot made. Play as long as time allows and then gather up the paper balls and put them in trash can or recycling bin. Apply: Say, Today we learned in large group that it s really important to be a neighbor to others; and we do that by seeing needs, connecting with people, and serving with love. Now, the type of serving we are talking about today is the opposite of serving in volleyball or tennis. When you serve in those sports, you are trying to defeat someone, win the game, and overcome the players on the other side. The kind of serving we are talking about today means helping people, meeting their needs, and lifting others up so that everyone wins together. Questions: 1. Who in your life would you say is a good neighbor? Who is someone who serves you? 2. Is it hard or easy to serve others? Why? 3. What can you do this week to serve the people around you? Activity #4: Basketball/ Tennis Ball Bounce

9 (This illustration requires some space. The tennis ball can bounce fairly high. Test beforehand to see if your space can accommodate this activity.) Needs: 1 basketball, 1 tennis ball Prepare: No prep needed. Play: First, drop the tennis ball and show the children how high it can bounce on its own without any help. Next, place the tennis ball on top of the basketball and drop them both together. If dropped correctly, the basketball should launch the tennis ball much higher. Application: On our own, we can only do so much. When we serve each other we can rise together and help each other soar to new heights! End With Prayer Ask your kids one way they can be good neighbors this week. Have each child answer, then pray for God to help each one carry out the challenge to be good neighbors at home. Also pray that God would bless the Reach Texas Offering to help many people in your home state.

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18 REACH OUT AND Group Reach Out and Give Map GIVE!

19 REACH OUT AND Group Reach Out and Give Map GIVE!

20 Group Reach Out and Give Game Pieces Help victims of tornadoes Help victims of floods Start new churches Share the Good News of Jesus Community Service Projects REACH TEXAS

21 Group Reach Out and Give Game Pieces Help victims of tornadoes Help victims of floods Start new churches Share the Good News of Jesus Community Service Projects REACH TEXAS