Read: Luke 15:11-32
Today’s parable talks about two brothers. The younger brother was greedy and asked his father for his inheritance early. The father gave him what he was entitled to. The young man moved away from home and wasted all his money on parties, false friends and other silly things. When there was a famine in the country he had no money, no friends and no family to help. He ended up getting a job feeding the pigs which was as low as it could get. He realised the pigs had more food than he had and came up with a plan to go home and work for his father – anything would be better than this. Meanwhile at home the older son had been working hard for his father – doing everything that was asked of him. The father missed his younger son terribly. One day as the father was watching over the land he saw his youngest son in the distance – he was so excited he ran to meet him, asked the servants to bring a ring, new robes, and to kill the fattened calf – they were going to have a party and celebrate the son being home! The young man couldn’t believe it – he told his dad he had been wrong and had sinned but still the father wanted to celebrate – he couldn’t believe how loved he was. The older brother was not so happy – he couldn’t understand why they were celebrating – he had been there constantly working and hadn’t even been given a goat for a party with his friends. The father explained that everything he had was still the older sons, but he needed to celebrate because the younger son had returned – it was a good thing!
We can be like the younger son in the story and do things that are wrong, but we can also be like the older son where we want people to be punished for what they did. Instead, we should be thankful we have a heavenly father, like the father in the story who loves us no matter what we do.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmuphTKcDfs
Why did the younger son want all the money? What did he do with it? Why did he want to come home? Why did the father go and meet him? Why did he throw a party? Why was the older son angry? Was he right to be angry?
Do: Colouring page – https://ministry-to-children.com/parable-of-the-prodigal-son-coloring-pages/
Running Craft –http://sabbathschoolcrafts.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The_Prodigal_Son.pdf
Crossword – https://sermons4kids.com/prodigal_son_crossword.htm
Pray: God help us to remember you will always love us. Amen
Father in heaven watch over our loved ones.
Keep them by your side.
May they be safe and peaceful, in you may they abide.
Give wisdom to the doctors and nurses too we pray,
renew their strength and bless them for the work they do each day.
Send healing and restoration and let them feel your love.
May your Holy Spirit give them rest as gentle as a dove. Amen (Taken from Praying Together)
Share – can you recreate the story using Lego or blocks – tell the story to someone you know.