Sunday 14th June 2020 - The Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son
Worship:
Join in the actions with Christ Music Kids and sing ‘God’s Love is Big’. Then enjoy - ‘I am a Child of God’ by LifeKids.
Word:
How does the story of the Prodigal Son show us that there is always hope?
Read together the Parable of the Lost/Prodigal Son from Luke 15: 11-32, use a child-friendly version and you may want to watch this video to reinforce it (Crossroads Kid’s Club - God’s story: Two sons and a father):
Some things to talk about:
- What mistakes did the younger son make?
With very young children you might want to relate this story to something they particularly enjoy eating as a treat - say sweets, that you might ration. Imagine eating all of them at once - you’d probably really enjoy that! However, once they’re all gone, there are no more, how would that feel?
- What made the younger son decide to go back home? What did he plan to say to his dad when he got home (Luke 15: 18-19)?
- Why did the father celebrate when he saw his younger son coming back home?
- Why was the older son angry? Have you ever felt that something that happened was unfair?
- Talk about the fact that we all make choices and that sometimes they might be the wrong ones (you might want to give examples from your family). Explain though, that when we are sorry for any mistakes we make, and choose to turn back to God (our heavenly Father), He is always ready to forgive us and always has open arms - it’s like He parties in heaven every time someone says sorry or turns to God!! There is always hope in God, we are never beyond forgiveness when we ‘repent’ (turn away from the wrong things and turn towards God).
- Talk together about how God knows us. He is closer than you may realise and God wants to be in your life. Look up John 1 verse 12 (NLT) and prayerfully chat about what it means to be a child of God and how we see some of that picture reflected in the story of the prodigal son.
Activity Suggestions:
Use Lego/Duplo/Happyland or similar to make ‘home’, a pigsty, maybe a road, use figures for the dad and two brothers etc. Re-enact the story of the prodigal son using your own words or reading from the Bible using your props.
OR
Make pig cupcakes! Make your usual fairy cakes, decorate with pink icing, use a marshmallow for the nose, raisins for eyes and mini-marshmallows or triangles of wafers for ears.
OR
Prodigal son wordsearch - print it from https://sermons4kids.com/prodigal_son_wordsearch.htm
Reflection:
Use Psalm 139 to help reflect further on who God is and how He wants to be in intimate relationship with us.
For younger children, you might want to use the following interactive version of Psalm 139:
Use your right thumb as 'me' and your left hand as 'God'. You could draw a simple smiley face on the pad of your right thumb.
1 Wow, God! You know me through and through!
You care about each thing I do.
(Right thumb up! Point to thumb with left hand forefinger)
2 You see me sleep each night and work each day.
You hear each thing I think and say.
(Put left hand to your eye, then your ear during the lines. Thumb 'lies down', then gets up and wiggles.)
3 You keep me safe wherever I go.
There's nothing about me you don't know.
(Wrap left hand gently round thumb and move round in big circle together)
4 You put me together inside my mum.
You knew me before I came out of her tum.
(Bend thumb over into palm of hand and stroke gently with left forefinger)
5 You made me brill: I don't know how, God.
You made me brill: I just say 'Wow, God'!
(Slowly unwrap thumb and finish with thumb up again!)
(Taken from https://ideas.brf.org.uk/psalm-139-an-easy-to-learn-psalm)
For older children, you might want to watch this Pursue God video clip and then discuss it together prayerfully. https://www.pursuegodkids.org/how-god-pursues-you-psalm-139/