Lesson 5: The lost sheep.
Passage: Matthew 18:12-14 - Jesus tells the Parable of the Lost Sheep, in which a shepherd has 100 sheep and loses one of them. The shepherd then leaves behind the 99 sheep to look for the one, and when he finds it, he rejoices about it more than the 99 that did not go missing. God is like this shepherd who cares about each one of us and does not want anyone to be lost.
Big Idea: Jesus is our good shepherd.
For Teachers:
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the students sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Introduce yourself and ask about their week.
Warm Up Activity — Activity Leader
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we're going to be learning about another one of Jesus' stories and what it can teach us about God.
This story is about a shepherd who was taking care of 100 sheep, but one of the sheep went missing!
Let's watch our video to find out more about the story...
Play Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
In the story, there was a sheep who got lost. How do you think the sheep felt when it was lost?
Have you ever gotten lost before? What was that like?
When you are scared or lonely, like the lost sheep, who would be the person that could make you feel safe?
Have you ever tried talking to God when you are scared or lonely?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you that you watch over us and care for us. When we are scared or lonely, we can talk to you and ask you to help us feel safe and loved. Even if we can’t see you or feel you, we know that you are always close to us. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Activity: Find the hidden sheep — Activity Leader
The kids will need to move around the room to locate all of the sheep that are hidden.
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each student leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the students sit near the TV. Introduce yourself and ask about their week.
Warm Up Activity: Musical Chairs — Activity Leader
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we'll be learning about another one of Jesus' stories that he told his followers to teach them something about God.
This one is about a shepherd who had 100 sheep, but one of them went missing.
Let's watch our video to find out more about the story...
Play Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
How Is there someone in your life who takes care of you and makes you feel safe?
How do you think that person would feel if you got lost? What would they do?
Do you think that God is also watching over you? Have you ever tried praying and talking to God when you feel scared or lonely?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you that you care about us like a shepherd cares for sheep or like a parent cares for their child. You are always watching over us and you are close to us when we feel scared or alone. Even when we can’t see or feel you, we know that you are there with us all the time, and we can talk to you whenever we want. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Activity: Modeling Clay Sheep — Activity Leader
Kids will use modeling clay to build their own sheep.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each student leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the students sit in the pillow area. Introduce yourself and ask about how their week was.
Warm Up Activity — Activity Leader
Using a roll of yarn, demonstrate how far or deep or wide is God’s love for us. Have the students stretch the yarn as large as possible to show how far God loves us.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we'll be learning about one more of Jesus' parables, which were stories that he told his followers to teach them something important about God.
This one is about a shepherd who had 100 sheep that he was taking care of, but one of them went missing.
Let's watch our video to find out more about the story...
Play Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Has there ever been a time when you didn’t feel as close to God as you used to be? Why do you think that was?
If you experienced that, did you feel like God was upset with you or that God still loved you and was still there for you?
Can someone tell me what the word "unconditional" means? Do you have someone in your life who you know loves you unconditionally?
What does it mean to you to know that God loves you unconditionally - no matter what you do or don't do, no matter who you are or what mistakes you've made in the past or will make in the future?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you that your love is unconditional and that you watch over us like a shepherd watches over sheep. Thank you that even when we feel far from you or lose faith in you, you are still there and you never give up on us. When we’re lost you look for us, and you rejoice when we come back to you. We can always turn to you for help no matter what, and you will be there to pick us up when we’ve fallen down. Thank you for your love, and may we continue to grow in our faith and relationship with you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Activity: Modeling Clay Sheep — Activity Leader
Provide clay for each student, which they will use to build their own sheep.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each student leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Who was taking care of the sheep? What did they do when one sheep went missing?
Who are the people who take care of you? Do you think God takes care of you too?
What's something you can do when you feel scared or lonely?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
How many sheep were there? What happened when one of htem went missing?
What do you think this story teaches us about what God is like and how God cares for us?
Who are the people you know will always love you no matter what? Do you think God is like that? Why?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
Why do you think the shepherd in the story was so concerned about the one sheep that went missing even though he had 99 others?
What does that teach you about what God is like?
When you feel like God is far away, what’s something that could help remind you that God is always with you no matter what?
