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Children’s Sermon

Luke 18:9-14


Parable of the Two Pray-ers


October 23, 2022

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

Lectionary Year C


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ASK    (a.k.a The On-Ramp)

  • Good morning!
  • I’d like to tell you a brief story and then ask you a few questions about it.
  • There once were two girls and neither of them could play soccer. They were both awful at it.
  • But Girl #1 THOUGHT she could play soccer and that she could play it well.
  • She’d walk around talking about how she was the best soccer player in the world and how she was better than everyone else and no one knew soccer better than she did.  She would say that she was so good that she didn’t even need to practice.  She was so good she didn’t even need teammates.
  • Girl #2 on the other hand, knew she didn’t know how to play soccer.
  • But she wanted to learn.
  • So she asked other people how to play. She went to practice. She listened to the coach and ran drills.
  • That’s it - that’s the story I wanted to tell you.
  • So, my question to you: Who do you think became the better soccer player? Girl #1 who thinks she already knows how to play soccer or Girl #2 who wants to learn how to play soccer? (Girl #2!)
  • And why do you think Girl #2 is going to become the better soccer player? (because she wants to learn instead of thinking she already knows it all)


TELL    (a.k.a. The Freeway)

  • So in today’s scripture story, Jesus tells a story just like the one I told you.
  • But instead of the story being about girls who don’t know how to play soccer, Jesus tells a story about two men who don’t know how to live God’s better way of life.
  • In the story, one man tells God how great of a person he is.
  • And because that man thinks he knows how to live God’s way, he keeps telling God while he is praying that he’s super-great at life and is so much better at life than everyone else
  • That sounds a lot like the first girl who thought she knew all there was to know about soccer, doesn’t it?
  • The other man in the story, though, tells God, “I need help. I don’t know what I’m doing with my life – help me to live it your better way” – which sounds a lot like the second girl  who was always trying to learn more about soccer.
  • So…of the two men, who do you think will be able to learn from God how to live God’s better way? (the 2nd man)
  • Why do you think that? (because he wants to learn instead of thinking he already knows it all)


SHARE the Good News   (a.k.a. The Destination)

  • That’s right! And, just as importantly, you just said one of the main things that Jesus wants us to understand about ourselves from this story.
  • When we stop thinking that we know it all and instead ask God and others for help, then we will be able to learn and improve.
  • And, the things we then learn and receive will also be the things that we can also share with the people around us.
  • That is the good news for today – let’s pray.


CLOSING Prayer

  • This is a repeat-after-me prayer.

Dear God,

Dear God,


Please help us to remember…

Please help us to remember…


...that we don’t know it all...

...that we don’t know it all...


…and to ask for and listen...

…and to ask for and listen...


…for help from you and others.

…for help from you and others.


Thank you and Amen



Originally posted October 5, 2013
Updated on September 22, 2022
Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia



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