PARTY
WELCOME TO WEEK 4
What is the biggest party you have ever had? How many people were there? What did you do? What made your party big? Having a great party is a lot of fun, it’s important to celebrate. Did you know God celebrates with us? This week we will read a parable that describes the Father celebrating.
BIBLE STORY
How do you celebrate a big win or a party? Do you have noisemakers that you like to use? Find a noisemaker or create your own for this activity. It’s fun to celebrate over big and small accomplishments. Make a noisemaker such as: 2 paper plates stapled together with beans inside, a small can filled with beans covered with aluminum foil, or a kazoo from 2 popsicle sticks rubber banded together at the ends with paper and toothpicks in the middle. Use your noisemakers to help me celebrate the following things.
-I won my basketball game!
-It’s my birthday!
-I ate all my food!
-I got a 100 on my test!
-I made a new friend today!
-I found my lost toy!
-I won a prize at school!
-I found my lost pet!
-I won the spelling bee!
-I won the relay race!
All of those are wonderful things to celebrate. Did you know that God celebrates with us? He celebrates when we celebrate, and He celebrates when a lost child is found. He wants all of His children to know Him and trust Him, and when we do, He celebrates! This week we will hear a parable about the lost son. This son left his dad and went out on his own not wanting to have anything to do with his father anymore. When he ran out of money and was desperate, he remembered his father could help him. When he came back home, his father was not angry but welcomed him home with open arms. He even threw a party to celebrate his return. God celebrates with us too! Even when we mess up and do wrong, God is willing to forgive and celebrate our return! Let’s read about the story in the scripture for today.
Read or listen to the scripture Luke 15:11b-32
How many sons did the man have (2 sons)
What did the younger son ask the father? (For his share of the estate)
After he received the money what did he do? (Set off to a distant country to squander his wealth in wild living)
What happened to the country while he was there? (There was a famine)
Where did the young son go to work? (In a field to feed pigs)
What was he tempted to do since he was so hungry? (Eat the pig’s food)
What did he remember before her ate pig slop? (That his father had hired men with food to spare)
What did he decide he would tell his dad? (He sinned against heaven and him, he wasn’t worthy to be called his son, and if her could be hired as a servant)
What did the father do when he saw his son coming? (He ran towards him and threw his arms around him)
What did the father tell the servants to do? (Get him the best robe, a ring, and sandals. Kill the fattened calf and prepare a feast to celebrate the sons return)
How did the older son feel about the party? (Angry and refused to go in because he had been loyal to his dad and never received a party)
What was his fathers response? (We had to celebrate and be glad because your brother was dead and now is alive, he was lost but now he is found)
BIBLE STORY ACTIVITY
Activity
Show your child several objects and then tell them to close their eyes. Hide all of the objects when your child is not watching. Open your eyes and see if you can find all of the objects I hid around the room. Was it easy to find all of the objects? When we lose something, we search for it, we want to find it again. When we find it, we are excited and want to rejoice with our family and friends. God is excited when we are found after being lost. He celebrates with us because He loves us so much, he doesn’t want us to wander away from Him. God wants his children to be with Him and follow Him!
Materials: several small objects to hide around the room
Alternate
Complete a simple puzzle before showing it to your child. Here is a puzzle I made that is complete and whole. If I break this puzzle apart, we could say it is destroyed or broken. Break the puzzle apart. If I wanted to put this puzzle together, it would be like reconciling the puzzle. The bible talks about reconciliation which is when there is a broken relationship that is repaired. Let’s repair our broken puzzle and see what reconciliation would look like. Putting this puzzle together feels good, just like when we put broken relationships back together. The father and son in our story had a broken relationship that they were able to reconcile. God celebrates when we are able to reconcile broken relationships.
Materials: a simple puzzle (completed already)
Independent activity:
Create a list of things you celebrate. Create a list of things you think God celebrates. God celebrates us because we are His. He celebrates the things we celebrate! He also celebrates those children who were lost and then found. God loves to celebrate with us and we can remember that He takes joy in our celebrations.
Materials: White sheet of paper, pencil
ARTS & CAFTS
CRAFT 1
Coloring page
Materials: Printed coloring sheet, crayons
Craft 2
Coloring page
Materials: printed coloring sheet, crayons
FOLLOW-UP
Read or listen to II Corinthians 5:17-19
This verse says that we are reconciled to God through Christ. What does it mean to be reconciled? To restore or fix a broken relationship or friendship. If we are reconciled to God, we were at one point broken from Him. Our sin separates us from God, but through Christ’s death we are reconciled to God. Our once broken relationship with God because of our sin, is forgiven through the sinless life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. When we think of the parable of the father and his lost son, they were reconciled because thee father welcomed his son with open arms. God welcomes us with open arms, even when we make mistakes. God wants to be whole with us, he doesn’t want a broken relationship with his children.
Have you ever had a friendship that was broken?
What was the reason for the brokenness or fight?
Were you ever able to reconcile?
What was your friendship like after the reconciliation?
How can we extend reconciliation to broken relationships?
How were we reconciled to God?
How was the son in the story reconciled to his father?
Practical Application at Home
We all make mistakes, we all sin and fall short. Sometimes we lose our way and follow a path that God has not set for us to follow. Sometimes we only think of ourselves and don’t behave in a way that shows we follow Christ. Even when we do all of these things, God has made a way to be reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. Think of some of the ways you make mistakes and complete the following sentences, remembering you have been reconciled to God from our sins.
Complete the following statements:
Although I _____ I am reconciled to God through Christ.
Even when I ________ I am reconciled to God through Christ. through Christ.
Sometimes I _________ but I am reconciled to God through Christ.
When I feel _______ I am still reconciled to God through Christ.
Additional Resources
Outings to Reinforce Lesson
Enjoy the cool weather and take a nature walk. Observe the things God created and how they work together in His plan. What part do each of us play in God’s plan for us?