Parable of the Prodigal Son Lesson 13 Bible Point God wants us to be happy when others are happy. Bible Verse Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n talk about jealousy and its effects, n discover how encouragement brings happiness, and n experience encouraging happiness in others. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Parable of the prodigal son Luke 15:1-32 Though this story is often called the parable of the prodigal son or the lost son, it is really the story of two lost sons. The older, hardworking son is a symbol of a person who tries to obtain righteousness without inner faith. The younger son is a symbol of a person who turns away from God to sin but returns in repentance. In Jewish law, the oldest son received two-thirds of the inheritance and the rest was divided among the other children. Jewish law didn t allow a person to sell his father s land inheritance because it had been given by God. So in asking his father to give him the land early, the younger son was maneuvering against the law. The Jews listening to this story would have been appalled. The younger son foolishly spent his inheritance and was left with nothing. At that point, he realized how wrong he had been and decided to return to his father, hoping only that the father would accept him back as a hired hand. Because a family would not normally forgive a son for such a sin, Jesus listeners would have been surprised and angry to hear that the man ran out to meet his returning son. The son s actions had been so bad that the neighbors would have considered it their duty to kill him if he returned. What Jesus described was a father intent on getting to his son before the neighbors did. And the father s kisses symbolized the forgiveness he offered his son even before the son uttered his confession. Prayer Read Luke 15:1-32. When have you acted like the older brother? Pray: Lord, help me to share others joy. Help me not to be jealous of 145
Lesson 13 Before the Lesson n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed on the chart. n Make photocopies of the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for your students and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Attention Grabber What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Great Giveaway Win a prize in a drawing, and discuss Romans 12:15. Bible, paper, pen, dollar bill, individually wrapped candies, small prizes Bible Exploration & Application Runaway Returns Act out the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, and discover why we can be happy when others are happy. Bibles, CD player, scissors, Runaway Returns handout (p. 154) Filled With Joy Participate in a fun object lesson, and discuss what true happiness is. Applause! Applause! Cheer when classmates enter the room, and then discuss what happens when we encourage others. CD player Closing Share the Light Realize that a bad attitude can rob them of joy; then read Psalm 68:3, Luke 6:31, Proverbs 15:13, James 5:13, and 2 Corinthians 7:4 to find what God says about joy. Happiness Shared Here! Encourage each other by sharing happiness with their friends as they pass a foam star around the circle. Bibles, candle and candleholder, matches, paper, pencils 146
Welcome Parable of the Prodigal Son As kids arrive, ask them how they put last week s lesson into practice. Ask questions such as, Were you able to forgive someone last week and start a new relationship? What did you say or do? and How did forgiveness change your heart last week? How did it change your relationships? Remind kids that whenever you ring the bell, they are to stop talking, raise their hands, and focus on you. Explain that it s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible. n Module Review Use the casual interaction time at the beginning of class to ask the kids the following module-review questions. Were you able to help someone believe in God? What did you do? What is one way you tried to love an enemy recently? How did you show forgiveness last week? How is your life different as a result of what we ve been learning in class? Encourage active participation as students report back by following up kids answers with questions such as What did you mean by that? and Can you tell me more? Attention Grabber n Great Giveaway SUPPLIES: Bible, dollar bill, pen, paper slips, individually wrapped candies, small prizes As kids arrive, have them write their names on slips of paper and put the papers into the graduation cap. Set the individually wrapped candies and small prizes (such as pencils, stickers, or plastic bugs) on a table. You ll need as many items as kids in the class. Also add a dollar bill. Say: Today we re going to be learning that God wants us to be happy when others are happy. To get started, let s play a game. In this game, everybody s a winner! I m going to draw names from the graduation cap. When I call your name, you can take any item off the table, and that item will be yours to keep. Are you ready? Our first lucky winner is [name you draw]. Continue until you ve drawn all the names and each student has chosen something from the prize table. Then ask: How do you like what you got? (Answers will vary.) What was it like to see someone else get something you wanted? (It made me jealous; I got mad; I was annoyed.) Why is it sometimes hard to be happy when good things happen to other people and not to us? (Because we want the good things, too; we get jealous; it s just hard to be nice sometimes.) 147
Lesson 13 Say: In this activity, everyone got some kind of prize. Some prizes were a little bit nicer than others, so some people were happier with their presents than others. Open your Bible to Romans 12:15, and show kids the verse. Say: The Bible tells us how we should react when good and bad things happen to other people. Here s what it says in Romans 12:15: Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Ask: Why do you think God wants us to be happy when others are happy? (Because it s nice; God wants us to care about other people; because we d like people to be happy for us.) How does it feel when others share your sorrow or sadness? (It makes me feel better; I feel that someone cares.) Say: When our friends or family members are sad, God wants us to be sad with them. When we see good things happening to other people, God wants us to be happy with them. Jesus told his followers a story to help them learn that God wants us to be happy when others are happy. Let s take a look at that story right now. Have kids set their items by one wall of the classroom so they won t be distractions during class. It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point again and again throughout the lesson will help kids remember it and apply it to their lives. Bible Exploration & Application n Runaway Returns SUPPLIES: Bibles, Runaway Returns handout (p. 154), scissors, CD player Before class, photocopy the Runaway Returns tracks 19-21 handout, and cut apart the three sections. Gather the gold coins, paper straw, foam stars, and gold hoop. You ll also need to cue the CD player to Runaway Returns (tracks 19-21). Form three groups. Open your Bible to Luke 1 5 : 1-3 2, and show kids the passage. Have each group choose a Reader and a Director. Say: The story, or parable, that Jesus told was about a young man who did some very foolish things. I ll give each group a part of the story to act out. To help you really bring the story to life, I ll also give you items to use in your performance. As your group is acting out the story, I ll play sound effects on the CD when your Director cues me. Give each group a section of the Runaway Returns handout and the appropriate item. Have the Readers read their passages aloud. Have the Directors coordinate plans to act out the passage using their groups items. As kids are working on their presentations, circulate among the kids to offer help and suggestions. When you see that kids are finishing, ring the bell. Have groups perform in order. Remind the Directors that you ll play the sound effects on their cues. Play track 19 for the first group, track 20 for the second group, and track 21 for the third group. After the last performance, applaud everyone s theatrical efforts. 148
Parable of the Prodigal Son Then have kids discuss the following questions in their groups. After each question, invite groups to share their insights with the rest of the class. Ask: How do you think the father felt when his son left home? (Sad; hurt; maybe mad.) How do you think he felt when his son came home? Why do you think he felt that way? (Happy, because he loved him; glad, because he had been worried.) Why wasn t the father angry when his son returned? (Because he loved him; because he was glad to see him; because he forgave him.) Do you think the son deserved a party? Explain. (No, because he had been bad; yes, because the father loved him.) Say: There s someone in this story who we haven t read about yet. Remember, the man had two sons. Let s read the end of this story and see how the other son felt when his brother came home. Have volunteers in each group read Luke 15:25-32 aloud while the rest of the group follows along. Then ask: How did the older brother feel about his brother s return? (Mad; jealous.) Why did he feel that way? (He didn t think his brother deserved a party; because he had been a better son.) If you were the older brother, how would you have felt? Explain. (Probably the same way; mad; I would have been glad to see my brother again.) Who can share a time you were angry or upset when someone else was happy? (Answers will vary.) What do you think Jesus wants us to learn from this story? (To be happy for other people; not to stay mad; to forgive.) Say: God wants us to be happy when others are happy. The older brother was jealous and found it hard to share his father s joy. Jesus wanted the people to realize that even though others may not seem to deserve the good things they get, it s important for us to be happy with them. Let s talk a little more about what happiness really is. Return the gold coins, paper straw, foam stars, and gold hoop to the Learning Lab. Bible Insight The parable of the prodigal son is one of three parables of restoration that Jesus told to illustrate the error of the Pharisees thinking regarding sinners. The Pharisees felt that sinners and tax collectors were beyond redemption. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son all demonstrate the compassion and forgiveness of Jesus message. n Filled With Joy SUPPLIES: none Unfold the inflatable smiley man, and show it to the students. Say: In our Bible story, the father was filled with joy when his son returned home. Let s see what happens when we have joy in our lives. Think about some things that make you happy, and yell them out to me. For each answer kids yell, blow some air into the inflatable smiley man, but don t pinch the hole; let the air escape easily. Say: Sometimes we think things will make us happy. But things like money or more toys and clothes don t last and won t give us lasting happiness. Sure, they might make us happy for a while, just like the money made the younger son in the story happy for a while. But his happiness didn t last. 149
Lesson 13 He ended up empty, just like our deflated smiley man here. Real happiness comes from sharing our love with others, just as the father in this story did. Now I want you to yell out some ways that you can share your love and make other people happy. For each answer kids yell out, blow some air into the inflatable smiley man. This time, pinch the hole so that the air is not released. Keep asking for answers and inflating the smiley man until it is inflated and you can close the nozzle. Say: God wants us to be happy when others are happy. And we can use our talents to help make other people happy! Let s see how we can do that by encouraging others. HANDS-ON BIBLE Set out sheets of white paper. Say: I know that sometimes it s hard to be happy when others are happy, even if those people are our friends. Ask: Which is easier: to be happy for our friends or our enemies? Why? (Our friends, because we like them; our friends, because they would be happy for us.) Do you think Jesus wants us to be happy for people we don t even like? Explain. (Yes, because we re supposed to love everyone; I guess so, but it s hard.) Say: God wants us to be happy when others are happy. And that doesn t mean to be happy just for our friends. We re supposed to love our enemies, and that means being happy for them, too! That might seem impossible, right? Let s do an experiment to learn more! Have kids open their Hands-On Bibles and find the Anything Is Possible activity near Luke 6:31. Let them read through the instructions and perform the optical illusion for themselves. Say: See? Loving our enemies may seem impossible, but it s not. And that means that we can be happy for them when they re happy. Encourage kids to show the optical illusion to their families and explain the verse to them at home. n Applause! Applause! SUPPLIES: CD player track 22 Before this activity, cue the CD player to Applause! (track 22). Set out the mini noise drums, inflatable microphone, and remaining $100 bills. Help the children form two groups, and have them line up on opposite sides of the room. Say: Most of us have never walked into a room and had an admiring crowd applaud us, take our picture, and beg for autographs. Until now! 150
Parable of the Prodigal Son Ask the first team to step into the hall outside your room. Quickly instruct the second team to act as an adoring fan club. Encourage kids to use the items you ve set out as props. One student can use the inflatable microphone to beg for an interview while others shake the mini noise drums. Ask some children to wave wildly and pretend to take photos, and let others pretend to beg for autographs as they push imaginary pencils and paper forward. Other students can offer $100 bills in exchange for autographs. Position your fan club by the door so the team coming into the room will be surrounded. When the second team is ready and in position, start the Applause! segment (track 22) on the CD player (play it loudly!) and usher in the first team. When the segment ends, reverse the teams. Play track 22 again. After both teams have been applauded, have kids sit in a circle. Ask: What was it like to be encouraged with applause? (It felt good; I liked it.) What was it like to be the one cheering? (It was kind of fun; it made me feel good, too.) Why should we encourage others? (It makes them happy; it makes them feel good; it s good for us, too.) Say: Words and deeds of encouragement can really make someone feel great. Ask: What might happen if we didn t encourage each other? (We wouldn t feel good about ourselves; we d be lonely; we might be sad.) When have you encouraged someone even though you wished you were in that person s shoes? (Answers will vary.) What was the result of that encouragement? (I didn t feel so jealous anymore; it made that person happy.) Say: Encouraging others can be hard when we feel jealous of someone else s accomplishments or blessings. But God wants us to be happy when others are happy. That means encouraging others even if they receive something we wanted. Let s discover more about what happens when we share in each other s happiness. Bible Verse Connection Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Jealousy can be a silent usurper of a child s joy. This Bible verse can help kids see that just as they enjoy wellwishers when they re happy, God wants them to rejoice when others are happy, too. n Share the Light SUPPLIES: Bibles, candle, candleholder, matches, pencils, paper Form two new groups. Have one group stand in a circle facing in, while the other group forms a circle around them, facing out. Place a candle in a holder in the center of the circle, and then join the inner circle. Say: I m going to pass this foam star around the inner circle. When it comes to you, tell about a time you were really happy or proud. Light the candle, and turn off the lights. Begin by sharing a time you were happy, and then pass the foam star to the person on your right. When the foam star comes back to you, say: It sounds as though we ve all had some great, happy moments. Give the people next to you high fives. 151
Lesson 13 If children know a Bible story well, invite them to help you tell it. Encourage them to share their knowledge with the class, and be ready to fill in if they ve forgotten parts of the story. Then have groups switch roles so that the inner circle becomes the outer circle and vice versa. Repeat the activity, and then form one circle around the candle. Ask: What was it like to be in the outer circle? (I felt left out; I wished I were in the inner circle.) How was being in the outer circle like not sharing in other people s happiness? (It was lonely; I felt far away from everyone.) How was being in the inner circle like sharing in someone s happiness? (It was fun; I felt connected to the other people; it was nice to hear their stories.) Say: It was fun to hear about the things that make you happy. The Bible tells us many, many times how important it is to be happy and joyful. As we take a look at some of those verses, think about why God wants us to celebrate with one another. Blow out the candle, turn on the lights, and collect the foam star. Have the two groups form circles at opposite ends of the room. Distribute Bibles, pencils, and paper. Assign one group Psalm 68:3, Luke 6:31, and Proverbs 15:13. Assign the other group James 5:13 and 2 Corinthians 7:4. Have each group choose a Reader to read the Bible passages, a Recorder to write the group s responses, and a Spokesperson to share the responses with the other group. Have each group discuss these questions, record the responses, and then share them with the other group. Ask: What is one thing you can learn from the verses you ve just read? (To be happy more; to be nice to other people; to encourage others.) How are we like shining stars when we do what these verses tell us to do? (We stand out in a crowd; people will see how happy we are.) After each group has shared, say: When we share our love and happiness with others, they ll want to know why we re so happy. And that s a perfect time to share our faith! Ask: How did Jesus share his love with us? (He came down from heaven; he died on the cross for us; he helps us every day.) How can your happy attitude show Christ to others this week? (People will know I love Jesus; people will want to know why I m so happy.) Why is it important to help others know and love Jesus? (So they can believe, too; so they can go to heaven; so they can be forgiven.) Say: Jesus is the perfect example of sharing love. He came down from heaven to live on earth with us. He died on the cross for our sins, taking the punishment for all the bad things we do. When we believe in Jesus, our sins are forgiven and we can live forever with him in heaven! Now that s love! We can show our faith by passing on that love to others. One way to do that is by being happy for others. God wants us to be happy when others are happy. Let s share some happiness right now! 152
Closing n Happiness Shared Here! SUPPLIES: none Have kids stand in a circle. Hold up the foam star in one hand. Say: Happiness is more fun when we share it with someone. And one thing we can do is be happy when others are happy! Ask the child to your left to take the other end of the foam star and hold it. Release your end of the foam star and say: I m passing this foam star to you, and as I do it, I ll tell you something that makes me happy. After I share, please say, I m happy for you! Then give one end of the foam star to the person next to you and quickly share one thing that makes you happy. We ll go around the circle. Share something that makes you happy to start the circle process. When the foam star comes back to you, ask: How could what we learned today change your life this week? (I ll try to be happy when other people are; I ll think more about how I treat people.) How do you think others will react to your happy attitude? (I think it ll make them happier; they might be surprised.) Say: God wants us to be happy when others are happy. We might surprise people with our joyful attitude, but it will be a nice surprise! This week, if someone shares good news with you, rejoice with him or her! Close with a group prayer, thanking God for giving us his joy. Then remind kids to collect the items they chose in the Great Giveaway activity. Parable of the Prodigal Son Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week s topic. 153
Runaway Returns 1. Luke 15:11-13 Use the gold coins as money. Your sound effects are 15 seconds of party noises. Be ready to cue the teacher when you want the sound effects played. 2. Luke 15:14-19 Use the paper straw as pig food, and have two kids wear foam stars as pig snouts. Your sound effects are 15 seconds of pigs grunting and squealing. Be ready to cue the teacher when you want the sound effects played. 3. Luke 15:20-24 Use the gold hoop as a ring for the son s finger. Your sound effects are 15 seconds of happy celebration noises. Be ready to cue the teacher when you want the sound effects played. 154 Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com
LESSON 13 God wants us to be happy when others are happy. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15). Mind Boggler Try saying in your mind, It s not fair! while speaking with your mouth, I m happy for you. Why can t you do it? Why is it impossible to be jealous of someone and be truly happy for them at the same time? Read Proverbs 17:22. Why is a happy heart like medicine? Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16. How is it possible to always be joyful? With the help of an adult, serve up some Happy Floats for your family. Put two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a large glass. Pour root beer over the top until the ice cream floats to the top of the glass. As you enjoy your floats, talk about how happiness makes our hearts feel light like the ice cream and bubbly like the soda bubbles. Think of ways that you can help others feel that same light, happy feeling. Read Philippians 2:2. How does selfishness keep you from rejoicing with others? Tape a piece of newsprint to the wall in your dining room. Every evening at dinner, have each family member share something that made him or her happy during the day. Make a list of all the joy your family experienced; then take time to pray for one another. Thank God for giving happy times that you can share. Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 155