This lesson teaches children that God goes looking for every person who is lost, and rejoices when they come home. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the discussion and one activity.
Big Idea
God loves each person so much that he searches for us when we wander away, and he is always glad when we come back to him.
Memory Verse
Luke 15:6
When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’
(WEB)
Have the children hold up one finger and wiggle it like a lost sheep. Then have them cup both hands together and bring them close to their chest as they say the verse, showing how the shepherd brings the sheep home safely.
The Story: Luke 15 for Kids
One day, many tax collectors and sinners came close to listen to Jesus. Some of the religious leaders grumbled and said, “This man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!” So Jesus told them some stories to help them understand how God feels about people who are lost.
In the first story, a shepherd had one hundred sheep. One sheep wandered off and got lost. The shepherd left the other ninety-nine sheep in the wilderness and went searching until he found the one that was lost. When he found it, he lifted it onto his shoulders, full of joy. He came home and called his friends and neighbors, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!”
Jesus then told about a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins. She lit a lamp, swept the whole house, and searched carefully until she found it. When she found it, she called her friends and neighbors to celebrate with her. Jesus said that in the same way, there is joy in heaven over one person who turns back to God.
Then Jesus told a longer story about a father who had two sons. The younger son asked for his share of the money, went to a faraway country, and spent everything he had. When a terrible famine came, he was hungry and took care of pigs, but no one gave him food. He came to his senses and said, “I will go back to my father and say, I have sinned.”
While the son was still far away, his father saw him, ran to him, hugged him, and kissed him. The father told his servants, “Bring out the best robe and a ring, and let us celebrate! This son of mine was dead, and now he is alive again. He was lost, and now he is found.” They began to have a great party.
The older son was out in the field, and he became angry when he heard about the party. His father went out and asked him to come in, but the older son did not want to join in. The father said, “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. It was right to celebrate, because your brother was lost and now is found.”
Read It Together
Luke 15:4-5
4 “Which of you men, if you had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them, wouldn’t leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one that was lost, until he found it? 5 When he has found it, he carries it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
(WEB)
Point out that the shepherd did not give up on the one lost sheep. Ask the children to notice how carefully he searched and how gently he carried it home.
Luke 15:8-9
8 Or what woman, if she had ten drachma coins, if she lost one drachma coin, wouldn’t light a lamp, sweep the house, and seek diligently until she found it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost.’
(WEB)
Show the children that the woman searched hard for her coin because it was valuable to her. Explain that each person is valuable to God in the same way.
Luke 15:20
“He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
(WEB)
Point out that the father saw his son from far away and ran to meet him. Tell the children that this shows how eager God is to welcome us back when we return to him.
Talk About It
- What do you think the shepherd felt when he finally found his lost sheep?
- Why did the woman care so much about one small coin?
- How do you think the younger son felt when his father hugged him?
- Why do you think the older son was angry, and how could he have felt differently?
- When have you felt found after being lost, or felt glad when someone came back to you?
Activity Ideas
Paper Sheep Craft
You will need cotton balls, glue, construction paper, and markers. Have each child draw a sheep’s face on a paper circle and glue cotton balls around it for wool. Write “God finds me” on the back and let the children take their sheep home as a reminder that God always brings us back to him.
Hide and Seek Shepherd
Choose one child to be the shepherd and have them close their eyes while the other children hide a small stuffed animal or toy around the room. The shepherd searches until they find it, then carries it back to the group with a happy shout. Afterward, talk about how the shepherd kept looking until the lost one was found.
Coin Reminder Jar
Give each child a few coins and a small clear jar with a lid. Ask them to decorate the jar with stickers or paint and write “Lost and Found” on it. Each time they add a coin, they can say a short thank-you to God for searching for them, and the jar becomes a reminder at home.
Teacher Notes
For adults, these parables show that God takes the initiative to seek out people who have wandered from him. The Pharisees were upset that Jesus welcomed sinners, and the stories answer them by showing heaven’s joy over every person who returns. The older brother reminds us that the whole family, including those who have always stayed close, is invited to share in that joy.
Be careful not to make the children think they must earn God’s love by being good enough to be found. The stories focus on the searching and welcoming love of the shepherd, woman, and father, not on the lost ones proving themselves first.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank you for looking for us when we wander away from you. Help us remember that you are always glad when we come back home. Teach us to be happy for others who are found too. Amen.
