Theme:Humility

Sunday 11th January 2026

Download the PDF Version

Aim: To think about what it means to be humble as we walk with Jesus.

Bible passage: Luke 18:9–14

This week, we join back with the rest of the church on the new series ‘O God would you move’. As a whole church, we’re exploring the idea of coming humbly before God, preparing ourselves for him to move in our lives, our community and our nation.

To help us discover more about this, we’re exploring the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus tells this story because he was speaking to some people who thought they were better than others. It’s a simple story, but it can speak powerfully to us, and it helps us to understand more about what it means to follow Jesus.

Kids Work Video

Storytelling Video

Things You May Need

  • printouts of the Pharisee and the tax collector;

  • lolly sticks or straws;

  • glue sticks and/or sticky tape;

  • felt-tip pens

Questions & Thoughts

Take a picture of a Pharisee and a tax collector and colour in the pictures. As you do, think about what both these people were like. You can chat about it and then write some words around the pictures that describe each person.

Glue or tape a lolly stick/straw to the back of one of the pictures, then stick the other picture on top of that (sandwiching the straw/lolly stick between the two pictures. You should be able to hold the pictures by the stick/straw and turn them round so that you can see the Pharisee and then the tax collector.

Come back together and talk about how you would each describe Pharisee and the tax collector and how the two men prayed to God.

Chat & create

Share out some refreshments and enjoy eating and drinking together. Start to talk about the Bible story using these questions:

  • Which is your favourite part of the story? Why?

  • What is important about this story? Why?

  • Which person do you think God was happy with – the tax collector or the Pharisee? Why?

  • What do you think tax collector did next?

  • What do you think ‘being humble’ means?

  • What might it look like to be humble as you follow Jesus?

Worship

These are the worship songs being played in our kids groups this morning, if you wish to listen to the same:

Under 5s

  • The rainbows in the sky

  • The butterfly song

  • This little light

Detonate:

  • Every Move I make

  • Great Things

Inferno:

  • One Way

  • Good Good Father

Encounter

ook at your picture of the Pharisee. How would you describe him. See if you can remember the way he prayed to God. Ask if this is the way that God wants us to act.

Then look at the picture of the tax collector. Ask the same things – how would you describe him? How did he pray to God? Is this the way God wants us to act?

Talk together about why God wants us to act more like the tax collector than the Pharisee?

Finally, have some quiet time with God, chat with Him about what you have heard today. You can look at the pictures you created to help you.

Pray a final prayer, asking God to help you all come near to God and be humble and open in the way we pray.

Growing faith at home

Humility

This week, we joined with the rest of the church in the series ‘O God would you move’. We explore what it means to be humble through the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9–14)..

For all children

• Read or listen to the story together. You can use the video retelling the children watched in the session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWK2edNPPXE. Or read it in the Bible (Luke 18:9–14) or a Bible storybook.

• Explore the story by using these craft ideas: https://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/search/label/Pharisee%20and%20Tax%20collector. You can also explore the idea of prayer here: https://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/search/label/prayer. Don’t forget to talk around the story as well as do the craft!

• When you are out and about, chat about what your child(ren) think the word ‘humble’ means. You might search an online dictionary for a definition. Your child(ren) might have their own ideas.

• Find a way this week that you can put others first. You might offer to help someone do their shopping, you could offer to do a job or chore for your neighbour or a relative. Be creative in your ideas and put your chosen idea into practice!

Other resources