WELCOME TO WEEK 3

Have you ever lost a toy? Have you ever been lost? This week we will see what God says about his children who may be lost. He will never stop loving you!

BIBLE STORY

When your child is not looking, hide several stuffed animals around the room. We have lost our animals! They are very dear to us! We must look for them. Let’s see how many animals you can find. Let’s go search for them. Once all the animals are found, count them and say “Rejoice with me! I have found my animals!”

Today our story is actually three stories that Jesus told. There is something that is the same in all three stories, see if you can figure it out.

Materials: Stuffed animals

Read or listen to the scripture Luke 15:4-32

How many sheep did the shepherd have? (100)

How many sheep were lost?  (1 sheep)

What did he do when he found his lost sheep? (he called his friends and neighbors to rejoice with him)

How many silver coins did the woman have? (10 silver coins)

How many did she lose? (1 silver coin)

Where did she search to find it? (all over the house)

What did she do when she found it? (calls her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her)

How many sons did the man have? (2 sons)

What did the younger son do? (took his share of the money and lived far from his father)

What did the father do when his son returned? (had a celebration and a feast)

BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY

Jesus used these three parables to describe how his love is not like our love and he will always love us. He will always search for us and wants us to be found. When we are found he will rejoice and be glad. We are that important to God! He cares about each one of us no matter what we have done, how small we are or how far away we go. God will never stop loving you!

Do one or more of the following activities.

Activity:

Pretend to be a shepherd. Blow up several balloons and use a ‘shepherds rod’ made from a stick, small pole, or broom stick. Place balloons around the room and have child herd them into a designated area. Count the balloons collected and tell them they are missing one. Have one balloon hidden away and have them look for it. 

Materials: several inflated balloons, a “shepherd’s rod” (Stick or dowel)

Alternative:

Create a large poster that says “God NEVER gives up on the lost”. Tape several large sheets of paper together or use a long banner sized paper. Decorate the banner by drawing pictures representing each parable that talks about the lost. To make a 3D banner use cotton balls to make the sheep. Decorate the cotton ball with a black marker for eyes and ears. Place coins of different sizes under the paper and shade over top to make a coin rubbing. Draw pigs and the pigpen or use cut-out pieces of construction paper to recreate the story of the parable. Be creative and use different mediums to create a unique banner.

Materials: large banner paper (or large papers taped together), craft items (cotton balls, yarn, construction paper, etc), crayons, scissors, glue

Create:

Build a pigpen using large bricks, blocks or legos. Using small toy people, stuffed animals, and toy plastic animals you own, recreate the scene of the prodigal son working with the animals and then returning home. Have your child retell the story as they play.

Materials: large bricks/blocks/legos, small toy/stuffed animal, small toy people

ARTS & CAFTS

CRAFT 1

Make a fingerprint Sheep. On a sheet of construction paper lightly outline a circle in pencil. Have child dip their finger in paint and  stamp several times within the circle. While paint is drying, cut out two rectangle pieces, an oval, and long oval ears on black construction paper. Glue pieces of black paper onto the finger-paints to make a sheep. See here for an example.

Materials: white washable paint, construction paper, black construction paper, art supplies: glue, pencil, scissors

CRAFT 2

Coloring Page

Materials: Coloring sheet printout, Crayons or Markers

FOLLOW-UP

Are you lost right now? No, we are together! Can someone be lost from God? Sometimes when we are not kind to others, or say unkind words, or don’t obey our parents, we are living outside of the way God wants us to live. We are lost from the direction God wants us to go. When we behave in a way other than how God asks us to behave, God does not stop loving us. He continues to love us and search for us. When we return to God he rejoices and celebrates! He will never stop loving us no matter what we do or how far we go! That is Amazing news!

What are some ways we can search for God?

How can we follow God’s directions?

How can we treat others to show we love God?

Practical Application at Home

It’s easy to see God’s love in the big things that happen in our life. This week look for ways God shows you He loves you every day. Fill in this chart each day by drawing a picture or writing how you saw God’s love for you that day. For example, when we do something wrong and we are forgiven by our parents, we feel God’s love through our parents’ forgiveness. When we ask God’s forgiveness and we feel peace or calmness, we are feeling God’s love through his forgiveness. When a sibling or friend shows kindness or offers help when we are feeling sad, that’s God’s love! Look for other ways this week of God’s love toward you!

Additional Resources

Outings to Reinforce Lesson

Participation in a food pantry or serving food