LEADERS HUB
Year 1, Term 3, Week 5: Ideas for Middle Group
Week 5: God Wants to Know His People - Us!
Lesson Objective:
Like the Israelites, we were separated from God by sin... But God loves us so much and wants every one of us to know him.
Bible Passage:
Luke 15:1-7 (Parable of the lost sheep)
Memory Verse:
Luke 15:7 - Jesus said, 'In the same way there is more happiness in heaven because of one sinner who turns to God than over ninety-nine good people who don't need to.'
Story Idea: Tell It with pictures!
Before the lesson:
- Download and print the Lost Sheep Printables on card (or paper and laminate)
- Cut them out and attach them to paddle pop sticks so they can be held up
Recap:
- Ask the kids what we've been learning about this term and prompt them to remember that God has been rescuing His people from Egypt - Moses led them out and God showed His power by parting the Red Sea!
Introduce:
- Ask the kids if they've ever lost something that was really special to them?
- What was it?
- How did they feel when they lost it?
- How did they feel when they found it again?
Tell it, holding up the visuals at the proper times:
- Jesus wants everyone to be part of His family!
- One day, a crowd had gathered to listen to Jesus teach
- There were some people in the crowd that didn't understand Jesus
- They thought that Jesus should only love people who had been good (thumbs up) ALLLLL the time!
- They didn't think Jesus should love people who had done the wrong thing (turn thumb downwards)
- They didn't understand Jesus - Because Jesus loves everyone and wants them to be part of God's family!
- Jesus told a story about a sheep farmer (shepherd) to help them understand that Jesus loves everyone!
- One day, there was a sheep farmer
- He had ONE HUNDRED SHEEP (sheep) which he loved very much
- One day, he was out in the fields, counting his sheep...
- (Counting bubble) 1... 2.... 3.... all the way up to 99...
- (Oh no Bubble) 'Oh no!!!' Cried the man...
- One of his sheep was missing!
- One of his sheep had done the wrong thing and wandered away from the big sheep family (sheep)!
- The man was worried and very sad (sad face)
- What do you think he should do?
- OF COURSE - he went out to search for his lost sheep
- He went to the left and searched
- He went to the right and searched
- And eventually - he found his precious sheep (lost sheep)!
- How do you think the man felt now?
- He was SO EXCITED (happy face)
- He picked up his sheep and took it back to be with the rest of the sheep family (sheep)!
- Jesus feels the same way about us
- Jesus wants everyone to be part of his family!
- Sometimes we do the wrong thing, like the sheep
- Sometimes we decide to do things our way and not God's way
- But Jesus loves everyone and wants them to be part of His family
- Next time you see a picture of a sheep - remember that God loves everyone, and God wants us to be part of His family
Quiz Questions:
1. How do you feel when you find something special that you had lost? Excited
2. What was lost in the story? A sheep
3. What did the shepherd do? Go and find the lost sheep
4. What does the shepherd do when he finds the sheep? Celebrates and brings it back to the rest of the sheep
5. Does God love us, even if we've done the wrong thing? Yes
6. Does God want us to be part of His family? Yes
Game Idea: Sheep Hunt!
- Before the lesson, download and print the sheep pictures, cut to separate, and hide them around the room
- Have the kids hunt for all of the lost sheep!
Remind the kids that God loves EVERYONE and Jesus wants everyone to be part of God's family.
Craft Idea: Paper Plate Sheep
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Before the lesson:
- Cut sheep face shapes and legs out of black paper or card
- Download and print the speech bubbles on green paper, then cut out
- Gather cotton wool balls, googley eyes, paper plates, staplers and glue
- Staple the legs to the bottom of the plate
Have the kids:
- Glue cotton balls all over their plate (pulling them slightly fluffs them up to make them more sheep like)
- Glue on face, eyes and speech bubble
Activity Idea: Sing 'Jesus Loves Me'
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Play the following youtube video and have the kids sing and dance along with you:
