Parables of the Lost

BIG IDEA: Jesus came to find and save the lost.

This free Bible lesson, Jesus’s Parables of the Lost, will teach preschool and elementary students about three parables that Jesus told. These parables are: “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”, “The Parable of the Lost Coin”, and “The Parable of the Lost Son”, also known as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”.

FOCUS BIBLE PASSAGE: Luke 15

All of the printable activities and digital slides needed for the lesson, as well as a full printable lesson plan for both elementary and preschool are available.

Below is the outline of the free elementary Bible lesson.

PREP & SUPPLIES

• “Hot Seat” words/phrases printed & trimmed
• tape
• printed and cut out pictures of sheep, coin, and son (one copy per class)
• optional: prizes for students who find hidden pictures
• Bibles for 3 groups (one for each student is even better)
• printed and cut out “Parable Jigsaw” assignment strips
• printed “Parables of the Lost” craft wheels (one per student)
• metal brads (one per student)
• scissors and coloring supplies

MEMORY VERSE: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’. John 14:6 (NIrV)

THIS WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:

• PREP: Before students arrive, tape the parts of the memory verses under random chairs. *For more than one service, remember to prepare for the next group. You can have the kids help you return the papers.*
• After the kids are seated, instruct them to look under their chairs to see if they are sitting in one of the “hot seats” (a chair that has a word/phrase under it).
• Whoever finds a word/phrase, should bring the paper to the front of the room. All students must arrange themselves in the correct order.

LESSON HOOK ACTIVITY

(SLIDE 3)

You will need the printed and cut out pictures of the sheep, coin, and son for this activity. Hide the 3 pictures somewhere in the classroom before students arrive.

*OPTIONAL: Provide prizes (candy or small items) to the three students who find a picture.

*If your church holds more than one service, you may choose to have the students in the first service re-hide the pictures for the second service.*

When I say “go” I want you to WALK and search the room and try to find one of the three pictures that you see on the screen. (sheep, coin, son)

If you find one of the pictures, come back to your seat and allow other students to continue looking for the other two.

Ready…set…go!

After allowing students to search and find the three pictures:

What do you think these 3 things have in common? (allow responses)

These three objects all have to do with our Bible story today. We are going to read and learn about 3 parables that Jesus told to the people that lived during His time on earth.

Can anyone tell me what a “parable” is? (allow responses)

A parable is a story that uses something familiar to teach a lesson. It is an earthly story that teaches a heavenly lesson.

Jesus told many, many parables during His ministry on earth.

We get to learn from Jesus’s parables, because they are written down for us in the Gospel books of the Bible.

Can anyone tell me which four books are the “Gospel books”? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

What do we learn about when we read the Gospel books? (Jesus’s life on earth; His ministry; His death, burial, & resurrection)

BIBLE LESSON

(SLIDE 4) You will need the printed reading passage assignments (listed below), and at least one Bible per group (more is better).

Reading assignments:

• Luke 15:1-7 (The Parable of the Lost Sheep)
• Luke 15:1-2 and 15:8-10 (The Parable of the Lost Coin)
• Luke 15:1-2 and 15:11-24 (The Parable of the Lost Son)

Divide students into 3 groups. If you have a very large group, you can make smaller groups and assign multiple groups with the same reading passage.

Jigsaw activity: Assign groups with one of the 3 reading passages and allow them time to read and discuss. (approximately 10 minutes)

After the allotted time, ask students to come back to the group area and present what they learned to the other 2 groups.

They can present in the form of:

• a skit acting out the reading passage
• a simple retelling of the reading passage

Today, you all are going to tell the story instead of me! Each group is going to get a piece of paper that has your reading passage assignment on it.

Your job as a group is to:

• read the passage
• decide how you are going to “teach” the rest of the class your assigned passage
  • you can perform a skit
  • you can retell it in your own words
• practice your presentation
• then share with the class!

You will have about 10 minutes to read your passage and then prepare. If you need a little bit more time than that, you will be able to have it.

Pass out the reading assignments and allow students to work. Encourage volunteer leaders to help the groups with

• finding passages
• reading passages
• interpreting passages
• preparing presentations

Allow groups to share their presentations.

(SLIDE 5) Ask students each of these review questions and allow time for responses and discussion.

Someone please remind us what a “parable” is. (allow responses)

A parable is an earthly story, or a story that uses something familiar to the listeners, to teach something spiritual, or heavenly. A parable will often use “symbols” to teach a lesson.

What do you notice about each of these parables? (each parable involves something that is lost; sheep, coin, son)

It is important to think about who the audience is that Jesus is speaking to. Can someone volunteer to read Luke 15:1-2? (allow reader) [The tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were whispering among themselves. They said, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” NIrV]

So, who is in the audience listening to these 3 parables? (tax collectors, sinners, the Pharisees, scribes/teachers of the law/Religious leaders)

Why do you think the Pharisees and teachers of the law were upset that Jesus was teaching tax collectors and sinners? (The Pharisees thought that they were better than everyone else and that God loved them more than everyone else because of their “works”, or the things they did and the rules they followed. Even though everyone sins, the religious leaders didn’t consider themselves to be sinners. The Jewish people didn’t like tax collectors. Jewish tax collectors were considered traitors because they worked for the Roman government and many of them stole money from other Jews.)

Jesus was talking directly to the people who were considered “sinners”. We are all sinners, right?

Of course! Sin entered the world through Adam and Eve way back in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Even though we are all sinners, what do we know about God? (allow responses)

Even though we are sinners, we know that God loves us and He wants to have a relationship with us! Let’s think about the 3 parables that Jesus told the crowd gathered that day.

SLIDE 6) The first parable is called “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”.

READ from the screen, or allow a student to read from the screen or a Bible:

[Then Jesus told them a story. He said, “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Won’t he leave the 99 in the open country? Won’t he go and look for the one lost sheep until he finds it? When he finds it, he will joyfully put it on his shoulders and go home. Then he will call his friends and neighbors together. He will say, ‘Be joyful with me. I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, it will be the same in heaven. There will be great joy when one sinner turns away from sin. Yes, there will be more joy than for 99 godly people who do not need to turn away from their sins. Luke 15:3-7 NIrV]

Who do you think the sheep is a symbol of? What is Jesus comparing the sheep to in real life? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)

The sheep is a symbol for “sinners”. What does it mean when a sinner is “lost”? (they don’t know God, they haven’t yet trusted Jesus to save them from their sins)

What does it mean when a sinner is “found”? (they trust Jesus to save them from their sins; they ask Jesus to live in their heart and save them)

(SLIDE 7) The 99 sheep are symbols of sinners who have been saved by Jesus. They have already turned from their sins and asked Jesus to forgive them and save them. The 1 lost sheep is a symbol of a sinner who has not been saved by Jesus.

What do you think Jesus is trying to teach the people by telling them this story? (allow responses)

Jesus is teaching the people that God cares for ONE sinner (the one sheep) that is LOST (doesn’t have Jesus in their heart) and when that ONE sinner is FOUND (the sinner turns from their sins and trusts Jesus to save them) God is happy and He rejoices in Heaven!

(SLIDE 8) The second parable that Jesus tells is called “The Parable of the Lost Coin”.

READ from the screen, or allow a student to read from the screen or a Bible:

[“Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the house? Won’t she search carefully until she finds the coin? And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors together. She will say, ‘Be joyful with me. I have found my lost coin.’ I tell you, it is the same in heaven. There is joy in heaven over one sinner who turns away from sin.” Luke 15:8-10 NIrV]

Who do you think the coin is a symbol of? What is Jesus comparing the coin to in real life? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)

The coin is a symbol of a sinner. When a sinner is “lost” it means…? (they don’t know God, they haven’t yet trusted Jesus to save them from their sins)

What does it mean when a sinner is “found”? (they trust Jesus to save them from their sins; they ask Jesus to live in their heart and save them)

(SLIDE 9) The 9 coins are symbols of sinners who have been saved by Jesus. They have already turned from their sins and asked Jesus to forgive them and save them. The 1 lost coin is a symbol of a sinner who has not been saved by Jesus.

What do you think Jesus is trying to teach the people by telling them this story? (allow responses)

He is teaching the same lesson as the parable of the lost sheep!

Jesus is teaching the people that God cares for ONE sinner (the one coin) that is LOST (doesn’t have Jesus in their heart) and when that ONE sinner is FOUND (the sinner turns from their sins and trusts Jesus to save them) God is happy and He rejoices in Heaven!

(SLIDE 10) The third parable that Jesus tells is called “The Parable of the Lost Son”. You may sometimes hear this parable called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son.” The word “prodigal” means “wasteful”.

READ from the screen, or allow a student to read from the screen or a Bible:

[Jesus continued, “There was a man who had two sons. 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. 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. He spent everything he had. Then the whole country ran low on food.” Luke 15:11-14 NIrV]

(SLIDE 11)

[“So the son didn’t have what he needed. He went to work for someone who lived in that country. That person sent the son to the fields to feed the pigs. The son wanted to fill his stomach with the food the pigs were eating. But no one gave him anything. Then he began to think clearly again. He said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough food! But here I am dying from hunger!’ Luke 15:14-17 NIrV]

(SLIDE 12)

[“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. I am no longer fit to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’ 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.” Luke 15:18-20 NIrV]

(SLIDE 13)

[“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer fit 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 fattest calf and let’s have a feast and celebrate. 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.” Luke 15:21-24 NIrV]

Who do you think the son is a symbol of? What is Jesus comparing the son to in real life? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)

The son is a symbol of a sinner. What does it mean when a sinner is “lost”? (they don’t know God, they haven’t yet trusted Jesus to save them from their sins)

What does it mean when a sinner is “found”? (they trust Jesus to save them from their sins; they ask Jesus to live in their heart and save them)

What do you think Jesus is trying to teach the people by telling them this story? (allow responses)

He is teaching the same lesson as the parable of the lost sheep and the lost coin! Except this parable is a bit different than the other two.

(SLIDE 14) The lost son is a symbol of a sinner who has not been saved by Jesus. The sinner is “wandering” around without Jesus. He thought he could get through life on his own, but he found out quickly that he couldn’t do it on his own. He didn’t have what he needed (Luke 15:14).

The father gladly welcomed him home and celebrated. This is the part of the parable that is really special.

In the culture at that time, the people would have understood that if a young son were to leave home and abandon his father and home, he would not be accepted back into the family. In fact, he would most likely be killed as a punishment for his actions.

Jesus is teaching the people that God cares for ONE sinner (the lost son in the story) that is LOST (doesn’t have Jesus in their heart). God (symbolized by the father in the story) loves us so much that He happily accepts sinners into His family, just like the father in the story accepts his son back into his family. God does not give us the punishment of death that we deserve, just like the son did not receive the punishment of death that would have been normal at that time.

The story says that the father brought together all of his servants to have a feast and CELEBRATE the return of his lost son.

When that ONE sinner is FOUND (the sinner turns from their sins and trusts Jesus to save them) God is happy, and happily takes the sinner because of His great love for us, and He rejoices in Heaven!

(LEADER NOTE: Luke 15:25-32 has been intentionally left out of this lesson because it pertains to the older son, who is a symbol for the Pharisees, or anyone who has the same attitude as the Pharisees. The message of today’s lesson is focused on the “one lost” in need of a Savior.)

(SLIDE 15)

That is the reason Jesus came to the earth! Jesus came to find and save the lost. (BIG IDEA)

Today’s Big Idea comes from Luke 19:10: “The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.” NIrV

Remember, Jesus told these parables to teach an important lesson to the people, and since they are written in the Bible, they are for us too!

Jesus came to earth to live a sinless life, die on the cross, and raise back to life so that He could take the punishment for the sins of all people. Anyone who has not asked Jesus to save them is LOST. He wants EVERYONE to be FOUND!

All you have to do to be found is believe in Jesus and ask Him to save you from your sins!

Dear God,

Thank you for your Word, the Bible. We can learn so much from the parables that are written in the Gospel books and we thank you for these amazing lessons. Please help us to be strong and ask questions if we don’t understand something and please help us make good choices in our lives. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for our sins on the cross.

We love you and we pray all of these things in Jesus’ sweet name, Amen.

SMALL GROUP ACTIVITY

Today while you are with your small groups, you are going to get to create a reminder of the 3 parables that we learned about today.

When you get your paper, you will cut on the dotted lines so that you have:

• one full circle
• one ⅔ circle

Then, you can color the pictures.

When all of your pictures are colored, your leader will give you a metal brad and help you poke a hole through the center of each of your circles to fasten them together.

*If you would like, you can make some of your own notes in the sections or on the back of your wheel so that you can teach the lesson to someone at home or at school.

The Bible verse on the front of the wheel says ”The Son of Man came to look for the lost and save them.” Luke 19:10 (NIrV). Who is the SON OF MAN? (Jesus)

Jesus called Himself the “Son of Man” to show that He is fully human, but that He is above all other humans.

BREAK INTO SMALL GROUPS TO COMPLETE THE ACTIVITY.

Discussion Prompts for Leaders:

• What is a parable? (an earthly story with a heavenly message; a story that the people could relate to with a deeper message; a familiar story with a spiritual message)
• Who told parables to teach His followers? (Jesus)
• Who was the audience that Jesus was speaking to when He told the 3 parables we learned about today? (tax collectors/sinners; the Pharisees and other religious leaders were also listening)
• Can anyone retell the “Parable of the Lost Sheep”? (A shepherd is caring for 100 sheep. If one of them strays away, he will leave the 99 to go find the 1 lost sheep. The 99 sheep are safe all together, but the 1 is in danger. This story symbolizes one lost/unsaved person who is in need of being found/saved by Jesus. The other 99 are believers, which means they have already been saved by Jesus.)
• What is the “lost sheep” a symbol for? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)
• Who is a sinner? (everyone; humans are born into sin because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden.)
• How can a “lost sinner” be “found”? (believe in Jesus and ask Him to save them)
• Can anyone retell the “Parable of the Lost Coin”? (A woman has 10 coins but she loses 1 coin, so she searches everywhere in her house until she finds the lost coin. This story also symbolizes one lost/unsaved person who is in need of being found/saved by Jesus.)
• What is the “lost coin” a symbol for? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)
• Can anyone retell the “Parable of the Lost Son”? (A young son leaves his father and his home thinking he can live on his own, but he soon realizes that he doesn’t have everything he needs. When he goes back to his father’s house expecting to be a servant, his father welcomes him and celebrates his return. This story also symbolizes one lost/unsaved person who is in need of being found/saved by Jesus, but this story also teaches about God’s forgiveness and His willingness to accept sinners into His family.)
• What is the “lost son” a symbol for? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)
• Who is the father in this parable a symbol for? Why? (God; He is always forgiving and will welcome sinners into His family no matter how long they have wandered from Him.)
• All three parables talk about a celebration when the “lost” is “found”. What is the celebration a symbol for? (the celebration in Heaven; God and His angels rejoice when a sinner turns from sin and is saved)
• What is this week’s memory verse? (John 14:6)
• What is this week’s Big Idea? (Jesus came to find and save the lost.)
• What does that mean? (Jesus wants everyone to come to Him/be “FOUND” so He came to earth to teach His ways and save humanity from our sins.)

CLOSING REFLECTION

We learned about 3 parables, or stories that have a special meaning, that Jesus taught to a crowd of sinners: “The Parable of the Lost Sheep”, “The Parable of the Lost Coin”, and “The Parable of the Lost Son”. The lost sheep, coin, and son are all symbols of sinners who have not been saved by Jesus. In all three stories, there is a celebration when the “lost” is “found”. Jesus came to earth to find and save lost sinners. Anyone who has not asked Jesus to save them is LOST. He wants everyone to be FOUND! All you have to do to be found is believe in Jesus and ask Him to save you from your sins!

Reflection Questions:

• Ask a student to retell each parable. (guide on page 11)
• In each parable, what does the “lost” (sheep, coin, son) represent? (sinners who have not been saved by Jesus)
• How can a “lost” sinner/person be “found”? (believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive them and save them from their sins)
• Does anyone have any questions about today’s lesson?

Find other free Bible lessons for kids: