The parable of the lost sheep
Kids at home 7th March
Sometimes Jesus told stories when He wanted people to really understand important lessons. If the lessons were hard then Jesus sometimes told simple stories to help people understand the things that were hard to understand. These stories were called parables.
Over the next few weeks we are going to be learning some of the parables that Jesus told and looking at what Jesus is teaching us in each one!
Today we are learning about the parable of the lost sheep!
Let’s start with some worship! Feel free to sing and dance or just watch and listen, Jesus doesn’t mind HOW we worship, he just loves it when we spend time with him and sing his praises!
Great Big God – Vineyard Kids
Alive – Hillsong Young & Free
You are Good – Bethel Kids
This is Amazing Grace – Bethel Kids
Story time
The parable of the lost sheep
Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Luke 15:3-6
The Lost Sheep – Saddleback Kids
Some important points to remember from the story…
- Jesus reminds us in this parable that every one of us is so precious to Him! He loves us so much and He will never give up on us, no matter what!
- He leaves the ninety-nine sheep that are safe to go to find that one lost little sheep because that sheep is so important to Him, just like each of us!
- Sometimes we can be a bit like that lost sheep and feel far away from God but remember, He is our good shepherd and He will keep searching for us and calling us back into His arms until He finds us! He will celebrate every time we come back to Him! Just like how He rejoices when He finds that little lost sheep! That’s how much He loves each of us! Isn’t that wonderful news?
Some things to talk to your family about…
- Have you ever been lost? How did you feel when you were lost? How did you feel when you were found again?
- Why do you think that the shepherd went after just one sheep?
- What do you think love is? What does it look like/ feel like/ sound like? How do you know if someone loves you?
- How do you know that God loves you?
- How do you think you can show love to someone else? What does Jesus teach us about loving others?
Memory Verse
Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. John 13:34
God loves us so much and He always will, no matter what! Sometimes we will make mistakes or get things wrong but God will never stop loving us, He just wants us to always come back to Him. He tells us to love one another as He has loved us and by following Him and listening to Him, He can help us do that!
Memory verse catch!
If you have a ball (or something that you can play throw and catch with) why don’t you throw the ball back and forth between your family members and as you throw it, each say one word of the memory verse so that you are repeating the memory verse over and over. Keep doing this until you’ve remembered all of it and then see if you can say it all in one go!
Prayer time
Why don’t you have a think and then write down the names of the people (or draw the people) that you would like to show more love to this week? Perhaps if you are going back to school on Monday, there might be people there that you could show love to? Perhaps your teacher or one of your friends? Or maybe there are people in your family? Why don’t you ask God to show you how you can show them that they are loved?
Let’s pray and thank God for loving us so much and teaching us how to love others so well!
Dear God,
Thank you that you love us so much and always will, no matter what we do or where we go. Thank you that you will always chase after us like that lost sheep. Thank you that you show us how to love others and we ask that you will help us to grow in showing and sharing that love.
We pray that this week in all that we do, that we would know your love deeply and that we would know that you’re by our side helping us and loving us!
Amen