Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way

Read Luke 15-16

Head

We’ve all been there, right? You know, when you lose something and you can’t find it? Like your favorite toy, your homework, or maybe your birthday money? When we lose something we treasure, we try to do everything we can to find it.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three stories about something being lost to help us understand how much God loves us. Jesus starts with a story about 100 sheep and one of them wanders away and is lost. When this sheep wandered off, the Shepard didn’t just say, “Oh well, I've still got 99 sheep”. Instead, he went looking for that one lost sheep. When he found it, he was so happy and threw a big party!

Then Jesus -talks about a woman who had ten silver coins. One of them was lost. She turned her house upside down searching for it. When she finally found the coin, she was so excited and called her friends to celebrate with her.

Lastly, Jesus tells the story of a father with two sons. One son decided he wanted to leave home and asked for his inheritance early. He wasted all his money in a far-off land. Since he didn’t have any more money, he decided to go back home. The father saw him from a distance, ran to him, and welcomed him back with open arms, saying, "You were lost, but now you're found!" He loved his son even though his son made a mistake.

These stories teach us about God's love for us. He wants to bring us back when we wander away or make mistakes. He wants us to know how much he will always love us no matter what.

Heart

In all three stories, we learn how much God loves us. No matter what we do, God will always look for us when we’re lost, and He’s always ready to welcome us back when we turn to Him.

The shepherd didn’t stop looking for the sheep because he cared about each one. God cares about each of us in the same way! Even when we make mistakes or get lost, God never gives up on us. He wants to bring us back to Him and celebrate with us.

The father in the Prodigal Son story shows us that God is always ready to forgive us. No matter how far we wander, God is ready to welcome us back with love and joy. His love for us is bigger than anything else.

Hands

How can we put into action what we have learned from these stories that Jesus told? Let’s look for ways we can show love to others just as God shows love to us. Here are a few things we can put into practice as we finish out this week:

• Be a Friend: Just like the shepherd went to find the lost sheep, we can look for people who might feel left out or lonely. Maybe there’s someone at school who needs a friend. You can invite them to play or talk with them.
  
• Forgive Others: The father forgave his son even after he made many mistakes. We can forgive others too. If someone has hurt you, ask God to help you forgive them, just like the father forgave his son.
  
• Celebrate: Just like the shepherd, the woman, and the father all celebrated when they found what was lost, we can celebrate God’s love. Take time to thank God for loving you, even when you mess up. You can also celebrate by sharing God’s love with others!
  

Prayers: Dear God, thank You for always loving me even when I make mistakes. Help me forgive people who hurt me, just like you always forgive me when I come back to you. May I love others the way You love me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.