Message Theme & Verses: Running away; Luke 15
Memory Verse: Luke 15:32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.
Jesus was telling some stories to sinners and religious people who thought they were too good to be sinners. Jesus’ stories were about lost things. He told a story about a shepherd who lost one sheep and left his other 99 sheep to find the one. The religious people thought that shepherds were dumb and this was not a smart thing to do, but the shepherd was the hero of Jesus’ story and was brave to take a risk to save one sheep. Jesus told a story about a lady who lost a coin and was so very happy when she found it. These stories were both about how God always finds His children who are lost, chasing their sin, and brings them back home. Next, Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons. The youngest son thought that his dad was keeping him from having fun and asked to have half of his dad’s money. The dad was very kind and gave it to him, and even though the dad knew it was better for the son to stay with him, he let the son leave. The son went to a far place and spent all of the money on parties and drinking. Soon, he was tired and hungry and was living in the mud with pigs. He decided to go home and beg his dad for forgiveness. He knew that he did not deserve to be a son any more and would ask to be a servant. When the dad saw him coming, he was so happy that he ran out to meet him and gave him the biggest hug in the world. He didn’t care about the money, he was glad his son’s heart had changed and he realized that the father’s way is best. The Father gave him fancy clothes and threw the biggest party. The son confessed that he had sinned against his earthly father, and God, his heavenly father. The father forgave him. But the other brother was very angry. “Why does the bad son get a party and I don’t get anything?” He yelled! The Father told the older son he was being just as bad as the younger son. “You had me this whole time and everything that I have,” said the father. The older son thought that by being good, he was earning his father’s love. He didn’t realize his father loved him because his father was loving. In the story, the father is like God. He is merciful, kind, and forgiving. The sons are like us. Both sons thought it was better to be away from the Father. The younger chased his sin and learned that sin looks good, but really, only being with God can truly make us happy and satisfied. The older son was jealous of the younger and thought that sin was attractive too, but he tried to earn his father’s love by being good. He learned we should rejoice when bad people are saved by God because we are all bad people who need a savior. I’m so glad that God is our perfect loving Father.
Barkadang Questions
1. What is the dirtiest you have ever been? Have you ever slept next to a pig?
2. What animal would you like to sleep next to?
3. Do you think you are more like the older brother or the younger brother? Why?
4. Have you ever been afraid to get in trouble because you have done something bad?
5. How could you best tell your Mom or Dad that you have done something wrong, you are sorry, and you want them to still love you?
6. What did the younger brother have to do to go home? (He had to understand that he has sinned. He realized that he was wrong to think that his life would be better if he were in control. He realized that life is better when God is in control. He did not make his own life better, get clean clothes, and start doing good things so his father would like him again. He just went home and his Father cleaned him up. That is just like God. God takes messy and dirty people and makes them brand new. He welcomes sinners into His family because Jesus paid the price for their sins. We need to be like the younger son and tell God we have sinned against Him and we now know that His way is best.)
7. Why do you think the older brother was jealous?
8. Have you ever been jealous?
9. Why does God say Christians should not be jealous? (If you are a Christian and follow Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit in your heart. This means that God is with you at all times. You always have Him. Also, God makes Christians His children. This means that you get an inheritance. This means you get to live with God forever and enjoy His creation. There is nothing better than that, so nothing can make us jealous.)
10. What should we do if we are jealous, or if we keep sinning? (We should call on our perfect older brother, Jesus to help us! Jesus is not jealous like the older brother in the story. He wants all of God’s children to be saved and live forever with Him. Jesus is going to have a big feast like in the story and all of God’s children are invited. You can know you are one of God’s children if you have turned away from your sin and are following Jesus. When you want to love God and others and start to hate your sin, it is a sign that the Holy Spirit lives in you. Ask God to save you from your sin today!)
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