Week 39 · New Testament · about 3 minutes · 165 words
🐑 The Shepherd and the One
Jesus says heaven rejoices when one lost person is found.
Some religious people grumbled because Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. Jesus told them a story a child could picture. Suppose a shepherd has a hundred sheep and loses one. Does he shrug? No. He leaves the ninety-nine in the open country and goes after the lost sheep until he finds it.
When he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. He calls friends and neighbors. “Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.” Jesus said there is the same kind of joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.
God is not annoyed that he has to look for you. He carries you home on his shoulders. The party is his idea. Being found is the happiest part of being lost.
If you have wandered — in a lie, a habit, or a lonely feeling — you are the one he is walking out to find. You can turn toward him tonight. Heaven knows how to rejoice.
“When he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’”
Luke 15:6 · Luke 15:1–7
Say it
Practice Luke 15:6
Tap the words in order. The blanks follow the verse from left to right.
Whenhecomeshome,hecallshisfriendsandhisneighbors,sayingtothem,‘Rejoiceme,forIhavefoundmysheepwhichwas
Talk about it
- What does the shepherd do when one sheep is missing?
- How does he carry it home?
- Have you ever felt lost and then found?
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for coming to find me. I turn toward you. Let heaven’s joy be my rest tonight. Amen.
Parent tip
If a child worries about the ninety-nine being left, explain that the story’s point is how precious the one is, and the flock is still in the shepherd’s care.
Week 39 · the whole night
🐑 The Shepherd and the One
Story, coloring page, word search, and the verse to trace.