Sunday School: 2/23/14

Jesus, Our Shepherd

TOPIC:

In this lesson, children will discover that Jesus is the Good Shepherd and they are His sheep. They will also learn that they can depend on Jesus to watch over them, guide them, care for them, and keep them safe.

OPENING MUSIC:
Angela Zoltek will lead the opening music

The Doxology

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, you heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

STORY:

John 10:11-15
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.

Discussion Questions

1. What does a shepherd take care of? (Sheep.)
2. Does a good shepherd lay down (or give) his life for the sheep? (Yes.)
3. What do you think this means? (The good shepherd would risk his or her own life to protect the sheep.)
4. What does a hired hand do when he or she sees the wolf coming? (Runs the other way leaving the sheep behind.)
5. What happens to a flock of sheep if there is no shepherd? (They may be attacked by a wolf and get scattered.)
6. In our Bible story, does the good shepherd know his sheep? (Yes.)
7. Do the sheep know the good shepherd? (Yes.)
8. How are we like sheep? (Allow for answers.)
9. Do we have a good shepherd? (Yes.) Who is our Good Shepherd? (Jesus.)

SHEEP, SHEEP, WOLF game

Start by choosing one child from the class to be the first "wolf." Have everyone else form a large circle about one arm's length apart and then sit down. All of the children sitting in the circle are "sheep," except one who will become the "shepherd" as determined by the wolf.

The wolf begins by walking around the outside of the circle. While doing this, he or she will tap the head or shoulder of each child in the circle, saying, "Sheep." The wolf can say "sheep" to as many kids as he or she wants. However, at some point, the wolf will say, "Shepherd" while taping the head or shoulder of one child.

Upon hearing this, the shepherd must get up and chase the wolf around the circle. The wolf tries to get back to the empty spot left by the shepherd before being tagged. If the wolf gets to the empty space in time, the shepherd becomes the next wolf. If the shepherd is able to tag the wolf, the shepherd gets to return to the circle, and the wolf tries again.

THE LOST SHEEP game

Choose one child to be the shepherd. All the other children will stand together in the center of the room, and pretend to be sheep by continuously saying, “Baa, baa, baa.” Then place a blindfold on the shepherd. Next, choose one of the sheep have them move to another area of the room.  This child is the lost sheep and can say, "Baa, baa, baa,".

The shepherd, while blind-folded, must try to find the lost sheep.

A variation on this game:

Choose one child to be the shepherd.  Then, choose one child to be the lost sheep.  Have the lost sheep say "Baa, baa, baa" so that the shepherd can hear what it sounds like from the lost sheep.  Blindfold the shepherd.  Scatter the sheep throughout the room, and have all of them say, "Baa, baa, baa".  The shepherd now will try to find the lost sheep by the sound of his/her "Baa, baa, baa."  

Coloring Page

LORD'S PRAYER:
The children learn the Lord's prayer

CLOSING SONG: I Get Down, He Lifts Me Up