Memory verse
“I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”
John 10:11
Roman Urdu Achcha charwaha main hoon; achcha charwaha bheron ke liye apni jaan deta hai.
Teaching the lesson
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Ninety-nine safe, one missing
Count with the children. Ninety-nine is a very good result and most people would be satisfied. The shepherd was not. Ask them how the one sheep would have felt out there alone.
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He goes until he finds it
The text says he goes after it until he finds it. Not for an hour, not until it gets dark. Until. Emphasise that word; it is the whole parable.
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He carries it home
He does not scold the sheep or drive it back. He puts it on his shoulders, and the Bible says he is rejoicing. The sheep did nothing to get home except be found.
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Why Jesus told this story
He told it to people who were complaining that He spent time with the wrong sort of person. That is the point of the parable: heaven throws a party over the ones everybody else has written off.
Activity
Find the lost sheep. Hide one paper sheep in the room before the class arrives. Everybody searches together, and nobody sits down until it is found. When it is found, the whole class cheers — that cheer is the lesson.
Craft
Shoulder sheep. A sheep cut from card with cotton wool, and a shepherd figure with a slit at the shoulders so the sheep can be carried. The children act out carrying it home.
Closing prayer
Thank You, Jesus, for being the Good Shepherd. Thank You that if I ever wander away, You come and look for me until You find me. Help me to stay close to You. Amen.
This lesson is free to use
Print it, photocopy it, retype it or translate it into Punjabi, Sindhi or Pashto for your own class. You do not need permission and you do not need to tell us. The only thing asked in return is that it is never sold to a teacher who cannot afford it.
Lessons to teach next
The Birth of Jesus
God came to us as a baby, and the first people told were the poorest.
Luke 2:11
Saul Meets Jesus on the Road
The church's worst enemy became its greatest missionary, and God did it in three days.
Acts 9:4
Zacchaeus Climbs the Tree
Jesus knew his name and wanted to come to his house.
Luke 19:10