This episode is available to stream on Spotfiy. Other platforms available soon.
Discussion Guide
- In the transcript below you find directions to build a paper chain with God Sightings and praises written on the links. This is a simple but meaningful activity for kids to work on as they identify when they see God at work. Tie in this lesson by naming God's love and forgiveness as two of your praises.
- Most of us, including kids, know the lyrics of "Amazing Grace" by heart. Talk about the words in the song in relation to this parable. What does it mean to be lost and found?
- In Luke 15 Jesus tells two other (shorter) parables about lost things being found. Pick one or both to read with your kids. Ask them about a time when something they really cared about was lost and they looked for it really hard.
- On Monday April 6, a podcast for parents/guardians/other adults begins through BKT. It's called "Dig Deep". This podcast will be once or twice a month, and connects to the children's lesson. This first episode uses the parable of the lost sheep as well as Isaiah 41:10. It's called 'The Gospel of Sheep'. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to BKT so you don't miss this podcast or any other episodes.
- We've also launched a series for the 6 and under crowd called "Sprout's Bible Seeds". These episodes are around 5 minutes- just enough time for a Bible story and the takeaway of what it means. If you have little ones, buy yourself 5 or 6 minutes of relative quiet with this podcast! Look for episodes labelled "Sprouts".
Episode Transcript
Once there was a father who had two sons. The older son worked very hard for the father and did everything he was asked to do. The younger son wanted to leave home and experience the world. He asked his dad to give him his inheritance. An inheritance is money that you get when someone who loves you passes away and has money left. So even though his father was still very much alive, the younger son asked for his inheritance and he left home.
He spent his money wildly. He bought lots and lots of stuff, and had big parties for his friends. Before long, he had no money left. He had spent all of it but none of it was worth very much. He had to find a job to make more money. The only place where he could work was for a pig farmer, feeding pigs. This was the worst of all bad jobs. It was a job no one wanted. People looked down on him, made fun of him, wouldn't speak to him, or hang out with him. It was a job that made him feel very alone.
And dirty. The farmer didn't feed him or give him clothes. All he could do was eat with the pigs. Have you ever smelled pigs? Can you imagine what it would be like to eat with them?
So finally one day, the son was thinking. He was remembering his father. And he remembered how kind and generous his dad was to the people who worked for him. After awhile, he decided to walk back home, apologize, and ask his father to let him work for him. He realized how disrespectful, how selfish, how rude, and how wasteful he had been. He felt terrible deep, deep down inside. Guilty, ashamed, and embarrassed, the son turned back home.
Eventually after walking a long time, he could see his father's house way out in the distance. He began to walk a little faster, rehearsing the speech he prepared. He knew his father would probably be angry with him. He wanted to be ready with his apology and his request to work for his dad.
But then, suddenly, he noticed someone coming towards him. Squinting his eyes, he looked closer. The person was running towards him. Before he knew it, the son realized that his father was running out to meet him. The son's heart jumped into his throat. He felt nervous, worried, and so deeply guilty about what he had done.
His father threw his arms around him, hugging him tight. He kissed his son's face, tears running down his face. Before the son could waste another moment, he blurted out the apology he had practiced.
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
But remember the older son? The one who stayed at home and worked hard. He was out in the fields, working as he always did, and he heard the party for his brother. The brother who had taken their dad's money and gone off and wasted it. The brother who didn't stay at home and do his fair share at work. And he felt angry and jealous. He refused to go in and celebrate his brother's return. He didn't see any reason to be happy.
Their father went out to beg his oldest son to come in and celebrate with them. The older son replied angrily, "I've worked for you all these years, never disobeying you, and you've never given me any parties! Your other son wasted everything like a spoiled brat, and yet you give him the biggest party I've ever seen. It's just not fair."
“‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
This story I just told you is one of the most famous stories Jesus ever told. It's called the Parable of the Prodigal Son. There are some big ol' church words in that name, so let me explain. A parable is what we call a story that teaches you something spiritual. It's what all of the stories Jesus told were called--because ever story he told taught us something very important about God! So this is a story with a lesson about the Prodigal Son. The word Prodigal means wasteful. The son went out and wasted all that money on parties and junk. So, all together, this is the a story with a lesson about a wasteful son. And what do you think that lesson is?
Not to waste money? Hmm, maybe. Not to ask your parents for money? Not really. Not to eat pig slop?? Okay, you definitely don't want to do that but that's not actually the point of the story.
The point Jesus was making came in at the very, very end of it. Let me read that part to you again. It's taken straight out of the Bible. Luke 15:32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found.
The big fat juicy wonderful part of this story is that the father was overjoyed his son returned. The father never ever stopped loving his son, even if he was selfish and hurtful. The father never ever stopped wanting his son to come home and be with him again. The father never gave up on his son. No matter what.
Guys! This is huge! Because when Jesus told this story he was talking about how much God loves us. How much he loves you and how much he loves me and all of us.
The son was not perfect. He made a lot of bad choices, didn't he? He probably really hurt his dad's feelings when he asked for the money in the first place. Then, he went out and wasted it on a bunch of junk and parties. That wasn't wise at all. No, the son was rude and selfish and foolish. But the father still loved him. He forgave him and celebrated his return.
This is precisely what God does with you and me. The biggest celebration of all is every time someone asks Jesus to be their savior. The Bible tells us that even the angels celebrate that. There's a big party in heaven every time! But even after you ask Jesus to be your savior and become a Christian, you still sin. You still make bad choices. You can still be mean, or selfish, or rude, or foolish. We all do. Even the best, most goodest, most Christian person you know still sins and messes up. Does God give up on us then? Does he pack up all the balloons and streamers, tells the angels to go home, and say, "guess that one didn't really mean it?" NO! He doesn't.
God still loves you. God will always love you. He will always want to forgive you of your bad choices and mistakes, and welcome you home again. And I think there's always some confetti and steamers whenever a Christian admits that they've sinned and comes to God for forgiveness and love. There's a church word for that, it's "repent". And it literally means "to turn away from". Remember how the son turned away from his smelly, foolish life? He literally turned back toward home? That's what we do every time we admit that we've sinner and ask God for his forgiveness.
Now, there's just one more thing I want to mention. The older brother. He was kinda mean, wasn't he? He wasn't happy about his brother's return! He didn't want to forgive him. He was pretty stinkin' mad. Well, guys, here's the hard thing about life....sometimes we do things that are bad and hurt people's feelings, and they don't want to forgive us. Sometimes they just want to stay mad. But does that change the fact that God forgives us? No. Nothing changes God's love and willingness to forgive us. And what we need to do when someone stays mad at us is pray for them. Let God work on their heart, just like the father went out to talk to his angry son.
I hope this story gives you some encouragement. I know it makes me feel better to know that even when I do stupid things, when I hurt the feelings of the people in my family, or when I make someone mad, that God will forgive me. And that God will help all of us forgive and love each other like He loves us.
Questions and Answers
I'm going to change our Question and Answers time to God Sightings! Do you remember learning about God Sightings in VBS? A God Sighting is whenever you see God at work around you. So, I want you to start looking for God in your life. What good things are happening? What blessings have you or your family received? What can we praise God for right now today? Send me your voice clips with your God Sightings.
And here's a challenge for you. Find some paper--construction paper is best, but literally anything will work as long as it's blank on one side and you can write on it. Now, cut it into strips. Have a grown-up help you if you're on the younger side and need some help to be safe. All this week, I want you and your family to start writing down your God Sightings and praises on these slips of paper. Then turn it into a paper chain by stapling each slip into a loop, one after another. If you can, hang your chain somewhere were you will see if often. Remind everyone in your family to participate!
And don't forget to send me voice clips with your God Sightings!
The Last Word
Now it's time for the last word and to wrap up. Our verse for this week is Luke 15:32, For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Luke 15:24
abAs inkout this verse throughout your week, make sure to thank God for his love and forgiveness. Remember that no matter what, God loves you. Let's pray.
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