Page1 B14. The Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-32 Learning Objectives 1. The children will explore the story of the prodigal son. 2. The children will recognize that God is a loving and forgiving father. Memory Verse: Getting Started The Lord your God is tender and loving. --Deuteronomy 4:31 (NIRV) Choose One All Ages The Repentance Game See: http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ NT Teacher Guide Page 5 The Prodigal Son Page 2 Tape two cards on opposite walls of your classroom. On one write SIN, and on the other write REPENTANCE. Tell your class that you are going to read several phrases. Instruct them to face the sign that best describes the attitude of the phrase. Please see the above website for detailed instructions and details. Explain to your class that repentance is turning away from our sin. Today we will hear a story about a boy who sinned and repented and how his father responded to the boy s repentance. Continue with the lesson. Grades K-2 Drawing Activity As the children arrive, give them a pencil and sheet of paper and have them draw a picture of themselves and either their father, stepfather, grandfather or uncle doing something fun together. If time permits, have them explain their pictures. Continue with the lesson. Grades 3-5 How Many Fathers Can You Name? As the children arrive, have them take turns writing all the names of father/son combinations mentioned in the Bible on the whiteboard. Each child gets to write one name on the board and then must pass the dry erase marker to the next child. Each name written on the whiteboard must be unique. If a child can't think of a name to write within one minute, the dry erase marker must be past to the next child. Encourage the children to use their Bibles during this activity.
Page2 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions Message: God is a loving and forgiving father. The Story of the Lost Son 11 Jesus continued, There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger son spoke to his father. He said, Father, give me my share of the family property. So the father divided his property between his two sons. 13 Not long after that, the younger son packed up all he had. Then he left for a country far away. There he wasted his money on wild living. 14 He spent everything he had. Then the whole country ran low on food. So the son didn t have what he needed. 15 He went to work for someone who lived in that country, who sent him to the fields to feed the pigs. 16 The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. 17 Then he began to think clearly again. He said, How many of my father s hired workers have more than enough food! But here I am dying from hunger! 18 I will get up and go back to my father. I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven. And I have sinned against you. 19 I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers. 20 So he got up and went to his father. While the son was still a long way off, his father saw him. He was filled with tender love for his son. He ran to him. He threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son. 22 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. 23 Bring the fattest calf and kill it. Let s have a big dinner and celebrate. 24 This son of mine was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found. So they began to celebrate. 25 The older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants. He asked him what was going on. 27 Your brother has come home, the servant replied. Your father has killed the fattest calf. He has done this because your brother is back safe and sound. 28 The older brother became angry. He refused to go in. So his father went out and begged him. 29 But he answered his father, Look! All these years I ve worked like a slave for you. I have always obeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But this son of yours wasted your money with some prostitutes. Now he comes home. And for him you kill the fattest calf! 31 My son, the father said, you are always with me. Everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad. This brother of yours was dead. And now he is alive again. He was lost. And now he is found. Discussion Questions: 1. What did the father do when his younger son asked for his share of the estate? (The father fairly and generously divided his property between his sons.) 2. Did the father restrain his younger son when he wanted to leave? (No, the father wisely let his son strike out on his own.) 3. Did the father ever give up hope that his younger son may return one day? (No, the father patiently watched for the return of his son.) 4. What did the father do when he saw his younger son approaching from afar? (The father compassionately ran out to meet the son and welcomed him back with a hug and a kiss.) 5. How did the father treat his young son upon his return? (The father treated him very graciously, although the son deserved nothing.)
Page3 Bible Lesson with Discussion Questions - continued Discussion Questions - continued: 6. Did the father ever quit loving his sons? (No, he showed his children true love, loving them through their best times and worst.) 7. How did the father treat the older son, who felt that that the younger son was getting special treatment? (The father was a peacemaker and lovingly explained the reason for the celebration to his older son.) 8. What characteristics do we see in the father? (Fairness, Generosity, Wisdom, Patience, Compassion, Grace, True Love and Peacemaker.) 9. What characteristics do you think would best describe God, our Heavenly Father? (Discuss together. Make a list on the white board or easel.) 10. Why do you think the attitude of the older brother is not acceptable to the father? (Discuss together.) If we had the same attitude towards our brother, do you think that would be acceptable to God? (Discuss together. No, because God does not want us to judge anyone.) Application to Real Life Enjoy a healthy snack together. Look at the list of fathers and sons that you created in the hook/intro activity. (If you did not choose this activity earlier, briefly do it now.) Talk as you eat and discuss with the children the fact that relationships with earthly fathers or father figures, as good as they can be, pale in comparison with the relationship we can have with our Heavenly Father. Many of God's characteristics are seen in the father of the prodigal son. Look up and read Psalm 68:5 together. God says He is a father to the fatherless. God's love for us is so amazing! Review the memory verse and message statement together. Memory Work Fun 1. Recite the memory verse. 2. Practice finding the memory verse and/or Bible text in their Bible! 3. Name the three sacraments. Which one involves forgiveness? 4. Which part of the holy trinity is mentioned in the memory verse and message statement? (God the Father.) Activity Ideas Choose One All Ages Mean or Loving? See: http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ NT Teacher s Guide Page 5 The Prodigal Son Page 11 Tape two square areas in your classroom. Label one square mean and the other square loving. Have the children stand in the appropriate square in response to several phrases you read to them. Please see the above website for the phrases and detailed instructions. At the end, explain that a loving parent doesn t always give us what we want, but always looks out for our best interest, because they love us so much. But God is the ultimate loving father and He forgives us and loves us no matter what when repent for our sins and come to Him with our whole heart. Review the memory verse and message statement.
Page4 Activity Ideas - continued Choose One All Ages - continued Pig Slop Activity See: http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ NT Teacher s Guide Page 5 The Prodigal Son Page 5-6 You will need to save some leftovers from home that are not too disgusting in a container and bring them to class. You will also need in a matching container a small prize like a pencil, eraser or stickers, etc. Please see the above website for detailed instructions. You will reaffirm the point that had the prodigal son stayed with his father and made the right choice He would not have to now be eating food that is fit for the animals. No one even noticed or cared about this prodigal son. No one offered to feed him or help him. He was all alone. He had once been rich and now he was poor. He could have stayed in his father's presence and enjoyed him and all that he had, but he had chosen to go his own way and live for himself. That will always leave us wanting. We can learn from this story. The path of obedience and fellowship with the Lord is always the path of blessing. Also, just as the father in the story lovingly forgave his son when he returned, God is also a loving and forgiving father to us. He wants us to repent for our sins and say we are sorry, so that He can forgive us and love us. Review the message statement and memory verse. Grades K-2 The Prodigal Son Maze See: www.daniellesplace.com login to the resource room Click on New Testament Lessons Click on Luke Scroll down to Luke 15:11-31 and click on The Big Mistake Scroll to Activity #2. You will need to print out the activity sheet and make enough copies for the children before class. Grades 3-5 Review the Story Before class you will need to collect some play money, sandals, a play ring, some food scraps in a plastic bag or bowl, a toy pig, a toy cow or picture of a cow, a party invitation or balloon, a Bible (you may need more than one), and some binoculars. You will show the children the items, one at a time, and have them find the passage in Luke that relates to the object: 1. Money Verse 12 2. Sandals Verse 22 3. Ring Verse 22 4. Food Scraps Verse 16 5. Pig Verse 15 6. Cow Verse 23 7. Party Invitation or Balloon Verse 23 8. Binoculars Verse 20
Page5 Journal Optional Grades K-2 Draw a picture of the father and the son when they were together again. What do their faces look like? What do you think Jesus face will look like when you meet Him one day? Do you want to meet Him? Why? Write about it. Grades 3-5 (Choose One) Knowing that God, our Heavenly Father, is so loving and forgiving, how does that make you feel? Do you feel that you deserve his unconditional love and kindness? Why or why not? Write about it. How do you think you would have reacted if you were the father in today s story? Would it be the same or different? Why? Write about it. Homework Ideas - Read at home with a grown up: The Parable of the Sower Part 1 (Luke 8:4-15). - Learn the memory verse: You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere --Mark 16:15 - Work on memorizing commandment #. - Color The Parable of the Sower Part 1 coloring sheet as your parents read you the Sunday School Lesson. Return your coloring page for a sticker. - What is your favorite fruit? Bring in a seed from that fruit to show the class next week. Also, try to bring in some of that fruit to share with your friends for snack. Other Resources http://children.cccm.com/curriculum/ NT Support Curriculum Page 5 The Prodigal Son
Page6 Coloring Page Name: The Parable of the Sower Part 1 You are to go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere --Mark 16:15
Page7 Take Home Page: B14. The Prodigal Son Today I learned Today your child learned that God is a loving and forgiving Father. The children explored the story of the prodigal son. They also talked about the fact that God loves us and wants to forgive us when we make mistakes. Help me learn my memory verse The Lord your God is tender and loving. --Deuteronomy 4:31 (NIRV) Ask me 1. What happened in the story of the prodigal son? 2. Why do you think the father welcomed his son back, even after he lost everything? 3. What words would you use to describe God, our Heavenly Father? Live Your Faith Think of ways that your family could use your talents collectively to bless another family or person and share God s love with them. Are there any families where the father is not around whether he is away at work a lot or gone due to other circumstances? Talk about and choose a family to bless this week and develop a plan together. After your family experience, talk about how it made you each feel to do share God s love with others.