Newsletter 35
Newsletter 35 from Maurice Sweetsur
Contents.
Teaching tip 23 - The Good Samaritan.
Play - The Good Samaritan.
Story - Jesus for tea.
Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
Why God loves little children.
Humour - Billy Graham.
Maurice Sweetsur
Email: mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz
Web sites: All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tip 23 - The Good Samaritan.
Play - The Good Samaritan.
After telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, I get some of the children to act out the following play, which I have set in the present day.
Characters.
A schoolboy.
Three or four robbers (I use girls, as boys sometimes get too rough!).
A Sunday school teacher.
A Politician.
A gang member (from a well known gang).
The gang member's motorbike (Boy walking on hands and feet).
A hospital receptionist.
Narrator (I usually do this myself as I prompt the children to act out the story).
Narrator. One day a boy was walking down _________ (name of local street). He was returning to school to do some extra work in the library. Suddenly three or four really tough, mean looking robbers jumped out from behind a bus shelter and attacked him. They beat him up, stole all his pocket money and ran off leaving him lying injured on the road.
Shortly afterwards a Sunday school teacher came walking down the road. Surely she will stop to help the injured boy. She came right up to him, looked at him for sometime and then said - - -
Sunday school teacher. "Poor little chap. I would really like to help him, but if I do I will be late for my Sunday school class, and I am teaching them about loving each other - and that is so important!"
Narrator. So the Sunday school teacher crossed over to the other side of the road and carried on her way to her class, leaving the injured boy still lying on the road. Shortly afterwards a Politician (Member of Parliament / Senator) came down the road. Surely he would do the right thing and help the injured boy. He also came up to the boy, looked at him, but then said - - -
Politician. "This boy is badly injured. Someone will have to take him to a hospital, but I have an important meeting with the Prime Minister (or President). We are to discuss better care for hospital patients. I just can't spare any time for this boy."
Narrator. So the Politician crossed over to the other side of the road and continued his journey. Shortly afterwards a member of the __________ gang came riding down the road on his motorbike. This man would certainly not help the injured boy. If he stopped at all it would be to see if the boy had anything left worth stealing. The injured boy watched in horror as the gang member stopped his motorbike and came over to have a look at him. Then, to the boy's amazement, the gang member lifted him up, produced a bandage and bound up his wounds. He then lifted the boy onto his motorbike, placed his crash helmet on him, and drove him off to ____________ (nearest) hospital. The gang member said to the hospital receptionist - - -
Gang member. "Look after this injured boy. Give him the very best medical care. Here are a thousand dollars to pay for his treatment. If you spend any more than that, just send me the bill.
Narrator. And so the gang member went on his way, leaving the injured boy to be cared for in the hospital.
CONCLUSION.
"Which of those three travellers really 'loved his neighbour as himself'? That's right - the one you would least expect, the gang member. Everybody loves themselves. Do you hit yourself? Do you lie to yourself? Do you steal from yourself? No, of course not. If you are thirsty, do you say "Oh I can't be bothered to get you a drink right now. You will have to wait"? No, you just go and get a drink. In the same way that you are good to yourselves, Jesus wants you to be just as good to others.
Story - Jesus for tea.
The following story has been around for many years in various forms. The following is the version I use.
A lady once had a dream. In that dream, her telephone rang, and the voice at the other end said "this is Jesus. I am coming for tea with you this afternoon at 4 p.m."
The lady was highly excited at the thought of Jesus coming for tea with her. But then she thought "What can I give Jesus to eat? I know, I will bake him my favourite chocolate cake. Everybody likes that." And then she remembered that her house needed a tidy up. So she set to work making the cake and cleaning up the house.
At 3.30 p.m. the doorbell rang. "Oh no" the lady thought, "Jesus has come early and I still haven't finished vacuuming the carpet - and my cake is still in the oven." On opening the door, the lady discovered that it wasn't Jesus calling, but rather a man and his wife. Politely, the wife asked "I wonder if you could help us out? My husband lost his job a few months ago, and as we hadn't got enough money to pay the rent on our home we were evicted this morning. We have nowhere to stay, no money for food, and it is bitterly cold out here. Could you possibly give us a few dollars so that we could go and get a warm cup of coffee from McDonalds? The lady replied "I would like to help you, I really would, but I just can't spare you the time. I have Jesus coming for tea at 4 p.m. and I am not ready for him yet. Why don't you go and ask some of my neighbours? I am sure one of them will be able to help you. The lady closed the door and finished off her cleaning.
At 3.45 p.m. the doorbell rang again. "Oh no" the lady thought "Jesus is early. I have finished my cleaning, but my cake is still in the oven." This time the caller wasn't Jesus, but a young girl shivering in the cold in her thin, threadbare clothes. She said "It is bitterly cold out here and my clothes are so thin. I wonder if you have any old clothes you could let me have that would be a little warmer than these?" The lady thought for a moment, then said "I do have some warm clothes in my attic that I think would fit you really well. But I don't have time to look for them right now because I have Jesus coming for tea shortly, and the cake I am making him isn't finished yet. If you come back tomorrow though, I will have plenty of time to look out the clothes for you." The lady closed the door and finished making the cake. Now she was ready for Jesus.
At 4 p.m. the doorbell rang for the third time. "Just as I thought" said the lady to herself, "Jesus is right on time." This time, however, a young boy stood on her doorstep. "Please can you help me" he said, "I have had nothing to eat all day, and I am very hungry. I wondered if you would give me a little food?" The lady replied, "I have just taken a chocolate cake out of the oven. I am sure you would enjoy it - - - - but, I'm sorry I can't let you have a slice right now. Jesus is coming to have tea with me very soon. I have made this cake for him, and I couldn't possibly offer it to him with a slice already missing. If you come back tomorrow though, you can have all the cake that is still left." The lady shut the door and began to wait for Jesus' arrival.
At 4.30 Jesus still hadn't arrived. At 5 p.m. the lady was still waiting. At 5.30 she began to think that Jesus wasn't going to come. At 6 p.m. her telephone rang. The voice at the other end said "This is Jesus." "Oh Jesus" replied the lady "Where have you been? You were supposed to come for tea with me this afternoon. Why didn't you come?" Jesus replied "But I did come. In fact I came three times - and each time you sent me away with nothing!"
CONCLUSION.
If Jesus were to come into this classroom while you were all eating your lunch and say "I am hungry", I am sure that you would all jump up and say to him something like "Jesus, please share some of my lunch. I will be delighted to give you some." If, however, a stranger were to come into the classroom and say "I am hungry", would you all still be so willing to share your lunch with him? Probably not. You may say "Why should I share with you?", or "Why don't you go and get your own lunch?"
Jesus taught us that if we give to others, we are actually giving to him. But if we refuse to give to others who are in need, we are refusing him (Matthew 25. 34-36). I have news for you. Jesus is not going to visit you in person. But as you go through life you will meet many people in need that you could help. Remember therefore, if you do give to them, you are actually giving to Jesus, but if you refuse to help them you are really refusing Jesus.
Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
If I talk a lot about God and the Bible and the Church, but I fail to ask about your needs and then help you, I'm simply making a lot of empty religious noise.
If I graduate from theological seminary and know all the answers to questions you'll never even think of asking, and if I have all the degrees to prove it and if I say I believe in God with all my heart, and soul and strength, and claim to have incredible answers to my prayers to show it, but I fail to take the time to find out where you're at and what makes you laugh and why you cry, I'm nothing.
If I sell an extra car and some of my books to raise money for some poor starving kids somewhere, and if I give my life for God's service and burn out after pouring everything I have into the work, but do it all without ever once thinking about the people, the real hurting people-the moms and dads and sons and daughters and orphans and widows and the lonely and hurting-if I pour my life into the Kingdom but forget to make it relevant to those here on earth, my energy is wasted, and so is my life.
Here is what love is like--genuine love. God's kind of love. It's patient. It can wait. It helps others, even if they never find out who did it. Love doesn't look for greener pastures or dream of how things could be better if I just got rid of all my current commitments. Love doesn't boast. It doesn't try to build itself up to be something it isn't. Love doesn't act in a loose, immoral way. It doesn't seek to take, but it willingly gives. Love doesn't lose its cool. It doesn't turn on and off. Love doesn't think about how bad the other person is, and certainly doesn't think of how it could get back at someone. Love is grieved deeply (as God is) over the evil in this world, but it rejoices over truth.
Love comes and sits with you when you're feeling down and finds out what is wrong. It empathizes with you and believes in you. Love knows you'll come through just as God planned, and love sticks right beside you all the way. Love doesn't give up, or quit, or diminish or go home. Love keeps on keeping on, even when everything goes wrong and the feelings leave and the other person doesn't seem as special anymore. Love succeeds 100 percent of the time. That, my friend, is what real love is!
--David Sanford
Why God Loves Little Children.
When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.
When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.
When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self- consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.
When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.
When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."
When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to reroute and worms to play with.
I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!!
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
http://www.myshepard.com/mykids.shtml
HUMOR
Billy Graham
Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement and when his plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home. As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver.
"You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem. Have at it."
Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway.
A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed trap.
The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone.
The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and got Out of his patrol car to begin the procedure.
The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was Rolled down he was surprised to see who was driving.
He immediately excused Himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor.
He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law But I also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person."
The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?"
The young Trooper said, "No, he's more important than that."
The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's the president." The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that."
The supervisor finally asked, "Well then, who is it?"
The young trooper said, "I think its Jesus because he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur!"
Contents.
Teaching tip 23 - The Good Samaritan.
Play - The Good Samaritan.
Story - Jesus for tea.
Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
Why God loves little children.
Humour - Billy Graham.
Maurice Sweetsur
Email: mnmsweetsur@xtra.co.nz
Web sites: All Newsletters - http://mauricesweetsur.blogspot.com/
Object lessons - http://objectlessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tips - http://teachinglessons.blogspot.com/
Teaching tip 23 - The Good Samaritan.
Play - The Good Samaritan.
After telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, I get some of the children to act out the following play, which I have set in the present day.
Characters.
A schoolboy.
Three or four robbers (I use girls, as boys sometimes get too rough!).
A Sunday school teacher.
A Politician.
A gang member (from a well known gang).
The gang member's motorbike (Boy walking on hands and feet).
A hospital receptionist.
Narrator (I usually do this myself as I prompt the children to act out the story).
Narrator. One day a boy was walking down _________ (name of local street). He was returning to school to do some extra work in the library. Suddenly three or four really tough, mean looking robbers jumped out from behind a bus shelter and attacked him. They beat him up, stole all his pocket money and ran off leaving him lying injured on the road.
Shortly afterwards a Sunday school teacher came walking down the road. Surely she will stop to help the injured boy. She came right up to him, looked at him for sometime and then said - - -
Sunday school teacher. "Poor little chap. I would really like to help him, but if I do I will be late for my Sunday school class, and I am teaching them about loving each other - and that is so important!"
Narrator. So the Sunday school teacher crossed over to the other side of the road and carried on her way to her class, leaving the injured boy still lying on the road. Shortly afterwards a Politician (Member of Parliament / Senator) came down the road. Surely he would do the right thing and help the injured boy. He also came up to the boy, looked at him, but then said - - -
Politician. "This boy is badly injured. Someone will have to take him to a hospital, but I have an important meeting with the Prime Minister (or President). We are to discuss better care for hospital patients. I just can't spare any time for this boy."
Narrator. So the Politician crossed over to the other side of the road and continued his journey. Shortly afterwards a member of the __________ gang came riding down the road on his motorbike. This man would certainly not help the injured boy. If he stopped at all it would be to see if the boy had anything left worth stealing. The injured boy watched in horror as the gang member stopped his motorbike and came over to have a look at him. Then, to the boy's amazement, the gang member lifted him up, produced a bandage and bound up his wounds. He then lifted the boy onto his motorbike, placed his crash helmet on him, and drove him off to ____________ (nearest) hospital. The gang member said to the hospital receptionist - - -
Gang member. "Look after this injured boy. Give him the very best medical care. Here are a thousand dollars to pay for his treatment. If you spend any more than that, just send me the bill.
Narrator. And so the gang member went on his way, leaving the injured boy to be cared for in the hospital.
CONCLUSION.
"Which of those three travellers really 'loved his neighbour as himself'? That's right - the one you would least expect, the gang member. Everybody loves themselves. Do you hit yourself? Do you lie to yourself? Do you steal from yourself? No, of course not. If you are thirsty, do you say "Oh I can't be bothered to get you a drink right now. You will have to wait"? No, you just go and get a drink. In the same way that you are good to yourselves, Jesus wants you to be just as good to others.
Story - Jesus for tea.
The following story has been around for many years in various forms. The following is the version I use.
A lady once had a dream. In that dream, her telephone rang, and the voice at the other end said "this is Jesus. I am coming for tea with you this afternoon at 4 p.m."
The lady was highly excited at the thought of Jesus coming for tea with her. But then she thought "What can I give Jesus to eat? I know, I will bake him my favourite chocolate cake. Everybody likes that." And then she remembered that her house needed a tidy up. So she set to work making the cake and cleaning up the house.
At 3.30 p.m. the doorbell rang. "Oh no" the lady thought, "Jesus has come early and I still haven't finished vacuuming the carpet - and my cake is still in the oven." On opening the door, the lady discovered that it wasn't Jesus calling, but rather a man and his wife. Politely, the wife asked "I wonder if you could help us out? My husband lost his job a few months ago, and as we hadn't got enough money to pay the rent on our home we were evicted this morning. We have nowhere to stay, no money for food, and it is bitterly cold out here. Could you possibly give us a few dollars so that we could go and get a warm cup of coffee from McDonalds? The lady replied "I would like to help you, I really would, but I just can't spare you the time. I have Jesus coming for tea at 4 p.m. and I am not ready for him yet. Why don't you go and ask some of my neighbours? I am sure one of them will be able to help you. The lady closed the door and finished off her cleaning.
At 3.45 p.m. the doorbell rang again. "Oh no" the lady thought "Jesus is early. I have finished my cleaning, but my cake is still in the oven." This time the caller wasn't Jesus, but a young girl shivering in the cold in her thin, threadbare clothes. She said "It is bitterly cold out here and my clothes are so thin. I wonder if you have any old clothes you could let me have that would be a little warmer than these?" The lady thought for a moment, then said "I do have some warm clothes in my attic that I think would fit you really well. But I don't have time to look for them right now because I have Jesus coming for tea shortly, and the cake I am making him isn't finished yet. If you come back tomorrow though, I will have plenty of time to look out the clothes for you." The lady closed the door and finished making the cake. Now she was ready for Jesus.
At 4 p.m. the doorbell rang for the third time. "Just as I thought" said the lady to herself, "Jesus is right on time." This time, however, a young boy stood on her doorstep. "Please can you help me" he said, "I have had nothing to eat all day, and I am very hungry. I wondered if you would give me a little food?" The lady replied, "I have just taken a chocolate cake out of the oven. I am sure you would enjoy it - - - - but, I'm sorry I can't let you have a slice right now. Jesus is coming to have tea with me very soon. I have made this cake for him, and I couldn't possibly offer it to him with a slice already missing. If you come back tomorrow though, you can have all the cake that is still left." The lady shut the door and began to wait for Jesus' arrival.
At 4.30 Jesus still hadn't arrived. At 5 p.m. the lady was still waiting. At 5.30 she began to think that Jesus wasn't going to come. At 6 p.m. her telephone rang. The voice at the other end said "This is Jesus." "Oh Jesus" replied the lady "Where have you been? You were supposed to come for tea with me this afternoon. Why didn't you come?" Jesus replied "But I did come. In fact I came three times - and each time you sent me away with nothing!"
CONCLUSION.
If Jesus were to come into this classroom while you were all eating your lunch and say "I am hungry", I am sure that you would all jump up and say to him something like "Jesus, please share some of my lunch. I will be delighted to give you some." If, however, a stranger were to come into the classroom and say "I am hungry", would you all still be so willing to share your lunch with him? Probably not. You may say "Why should I share with you?", or "Why don't you go and get your own lunch?"
Jesus taught us that if we give to others, we are actually giving to him. But if we refuse to give to others who are in need, we are refusing him (Matthew 25. 34-36). I have news for you. Jesus is not going to visit you in person. But as you go through life you will meet many people in need that you could help. Remember therefore, if you do give to them, you are actually giving to Jesus, but if you refuse to help them you are really refusing Jesus.
Love: A paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13.
If I talk a lot about God and the Bible and the Church, but I fail to ask about your needs and then help you, I'm simply making a lot of empty religious noise.
If I graduate from theological seminary and know all the answers to questions you'll never even think of asking, and if I have all the degrees to prove it and if I say I believe in God with all my heart, and soul and strength, and claim to have incredible answers to my prayers to show it, but I fail to take the time to find out where you're at and what makes you laugh and why you cry, I'm nothing.
If I sell an extra car and some of my books to raise money for some poor starving kids somewhere, and if I give my life for God's service and burn out after pouring everything I have into the work, but do it all without ever once thinking about the people, the real hurting people-the moms and dads and sons and daughters and orphans and widows and the lonely and hurting-if I pour my life into the Kingdom but forget to make it relevant to those here on earth, my energy is wasted, and so is my life.
Here is what love is like--genuine love. God's kind of love. It's patient. It can wait. It helps others, even if they never find out who did it. Love doesn't look for greener pastures or dream of how things could be better if I just got rid of all my current commitments. Love doesn't boast. It doesn't try to build itself up to be something it isn't. Love doesn't act in a loose, immoral way. It doesn't seek to take, but it willingly gives. Love doesn't lose its cool. It doesn't turn on and off. Love doesn't think about how bad the other person is, and certainly doesn't think of how it could get back at someone. Love is grieved deeply (as God is) over the evil in this world, but it rejoices over truth.
Love comes and sits with you when you're feeling down and finds out what is wrong. It empathizes with you and believes in you. Love knows you'll come through just as God planned, and love sticks right beside you all the way. Love doesn't give up, or quit, or diminish or go home. Love keeps on keeping on, even when everything goes wrong and the feelings leave and the other person doesn't seem as special anymore. Love succeeds 100 percent of the time. That, my friend, is what real love is!
--David Sanford
Why God Loves Little Children.
When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.
When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money and I look away.
My kids see someone smiling at them and they smile back.
When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have much rhythm so I sit self- consciously and listen.
My kids feel the beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them, they make up their own.
When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk.
My kids close their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the ground laughing.
When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that.
My kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I would miss my Mommy and Daddy."
When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty carpets.
My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to reroute and worms to play with.
I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God loves the little children!!
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
http://www.myshepard.com/mykids.shtml
HUMOR
Billy Graham
Billy Graham was returning to Charlotte after a speaking engagement and when his plane arrived there was a limousine there to transport him to his home. As he prepared to get into the limo, he stopped and spoke to the driver.
"You know" he said, "I am 87 years old and I have never driven a limousine. Would you mind if I drove it for a while?" The driver said, "No problem. Have at it."
Billy gets into the driver's seat and they head off down the highway.
A short distance away sat a rookie State Trooper operating his first speed trap.
The long black limo went by him doing 70 in a 55 mph zone.
The trooper pulled out and easily caught the limo and got Out of his patrol car to begin the procedure.
The young trooper walked up to the driver's door and when the glass was Rolled down he was surprised to see who was driving.
He immediately excused Himself and went back to his car and called his supervisor.
He told the supervisor, "I know we are supposed to enforce the law But I also know that important people are given certain courtesies. I need to know what I should do because I have stopped a very important person."
The supervisor asked, "Is it the governor?"
The young Trooper said, "No, he's more important than that."
The supervisor said, "Oh, so it's the president." The young trooper said, "No, he's even more important than that."
The supervisor finally asked, "Well then, who is it?"
The young trooper said, "I think its Jesus because he's got Billy Graham for a chauffeur!"
posted by Maurice Sweetsur @ 12:26 AM
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