Lesson 3 Called to a Community

Serving the World as a Family
Called to a Community

Read: Luke 10:25-37; Proverbs 19:17

Questions for Discussion:
Why do you think Jesus responded to the question, “Who
is my neighbor?” with this parable?
Why do you think the priest and the Levite did not help?
Read the actions of the Samaritan in verses 33-35 again.
Do you think it was easy for him to do these things?
Who do you resemble when you see hurting and needy
people, the Priest and Levite or the Samaritan? Why?

As a family, get a map of Winona, or your neighborhood (If you do not have a map you may find one in the phone book or online at http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?city=Winona&state=MN ). Find all of your “normal” places on the map and mark them with a sticker or by circling them. Find your home, the church, work and school and other places you frequent. Does a community surface, or can you see a geographical area that you may consider your community? Are there any problems or people in need in that area or neighbors who are struggling in any area? Think, as a family, of something you can do to help the community that God has placed you in. Then, do it. Having trouble coming up with ideas? Check out the following web site for some great ideas on how to do servant evangelism, http://www.servantevangelism.com/ideas/search_ideas.php .

Key Thought: We are called to serve the world that we live in. We are called to speak out against injustice and speak up for and serve the downtrodden in our community. Four essential characteristics can help us do this: Have eyes that see needs even when it is easier not to look, Have hands that get dirty because ministry happens with real people who have dirty lives, Have a heart willing to give sacrificially to those who are hurting, and Humble ourselves and serve our neighbors.

Pray and ask God to open your eyes to the needs of others, to remove any pride or fear that might keep you from helping, to give you a heart that is willing to give sacrificially, and to make you humble.


Activities

Preschool:
Help your child decorate a pair of sunglasses in a way that will allow them to still see out of the lenses. Pretend that their glasses help them see the needs of others. Encourage them to use the glasses to see what other people need, and then to help.

Lower Elementary:
Help your child to put together a family play that re-enacts the story of the Good Samaritan. After they have finished, discuss what the parable means for them today.

Upper Elementary:
Challenge your child to re-write the parable of The Good Samaritan into a modern picture book. Challenge them to be creative in choosing a setting and the characters that will carry out the plot. After the are finished, have them share their book and tell the story to someone else in the family.

Teens:
Think about the story of The Good Samaritan. How might the story sound if Jesus was talking to you and a group of your friends today? Try writing your own parable in a modern setting that has the same main point as the one Jesus told in Luke 10.