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Are you a good steward?

Children's sermon
Luke 16:1-13
Proper 20 | Ordinary Time 25 - C
Object: 
a houseplant
I brought this plant from home this morning. Isn't it beautiful? I love this plant. I've taken care of it for a long time. This plant needs me to survive. What do you think I do to take care of it? (get responses) I give it water, sunlight and plant food. I pull weeds out of the soil and trim it so that it grows strong. If you want to own a plant, you have to do things to take care of it so it will grow and not die.

A steward is someone who takes care of things. I want to be a good steward of the things I have. I want to take good care of my plants, my pets, my home, my family, my money -- anything that God has given me. Everything I have is a gift to me from God. He gives me things and trusts me to take care of them. He wants me to be a good steward.

Some of the things I care for, like my family, are really important. Some things, like this plant, are not as important. My family means more to me than this plant, but I take care of them both. God has given them to me. They are special, no matter how important they may seem to anyone else.

In our verse today we are reminded to be faithful in caring for things big and small. If we are dishonest or are a bad steward in small things, we are likely to be the same way with big things. How you care for little things says a lot about how you will take care of the bigger ones.

That's why this plant means so much to me. I want to take good care of it, because it helps me to remember to take care of the other special things in my life. All things are gifts from God, no matter how large or small, no matter how important or seemingly unimportant. Take care of the things God has given you.

Prayer: God, you have given us all many wonderful things. Thank you for all you do for us. Show us how to care for all your gifts, no matter how big or small they are. Amen.

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Note: You can use this role-play with a large or very small group. You will want one child to play Thomas, one child to play Jesus, and the rest of the children to play the disciples. When I have had only had one or two children, I have “volunteered” an adult or two to help out.

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