Lost and found
Children's sermon
Object:
a church's lost and found items
"Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found." (vv. 31-32)
Good morning, boys and girls! Have you ever lost something? (allow answers) What did you lose? (allow answers) How did you feel when you lost it? (allow answers) Well, today I brought with me some things that people have lost at church. Look at all of these things. How do you think the owners of these things feel about the items being lost? (allow answers) Probably a lot like you have felt when you have lost something! How do you think they would feel if they found their items again? (allow answers) Probably pretty good!
In church, we talk about things that are lost and found. In the song "Amazing Grace," some of the words say, "I once was lost, but now am found." When people live in sin, we sometimes say that they are "lost" and try to help them "find" God and Jesus. When people "find" God, they usually want to live in a more God-like way. God is like our father; when people find God and see him like a parent, they want to do things to make him happy!
Our Bible story today also talks about lost and found. Jesus tells his disciples a story about a young man who left his home and got lost, in a way, in the great, big world. The young man asked for some money from his father, then went to live in the city. But in the city, he lost all his money and ended up working for a pig farmer. He had been living in sin in the city, and now he was living with pigs near the city. He realized that he would have a better job if he was working as a servant for his father than if he stayed with the pigs! He knew that it had been a mean thing to do, to take his father's money and just leave, so he didn't expect that his father would be too happy to see him. But he went home anyway.
When he got home, he was surprised to learn that his father was overjoyed to see him! Instead of giving him a servant's job, the young man's father hugged him and had a feast in his honor. He said, "My son was lost and now is found!"
If you feel happy when you find a toy or a pair of gloves that you have lost, can you imagine what it would feel like to find a person you thought you had lost? This Bible story tells us that even if we do bad things and may disappoint our family and friends, returning to the people who love us will always be a happy reunion. We may be lost, but we can always be found. Amen.
Good morning, boys and girls! Have you ever lost something? (allow answers) What did you lose? (allow answers) How did you feel when you lost it? (allow answers) Well, today I brought with me some things that people have lost at church. Look at all of these things. How do you think the owners of these things feel about the items being lost? (allow answers) Probably a lot like you have felt when you have lost something! How do you think they would feel if they found their items again? (allow answers) Probably pretty good!
In church, we talk about things that are lost and found. In the song "Amazing Grace," some of the words say, "I once was lost, but now am found." When people live in sin, we sometimes say that they are "lost" and try to help them "find" God and Jesus. When people "find" God, they usually want to live in a more God-like way. God is like our father; when people find God and see him like a parent, they want to do things to make him happy!
Our Bible story today also talks about lost and found. Jesus tells his disciples a story about a young man who left his home and got lost, in a way, in the great, big world. The young man asked for some money from his father, then went to live in the city. But in the city, he lost all his money and ended up working for a pig farmer. He had been living in sin in the city, and now he was living with pigs near the city. He realized that he would have a better job if he was working as a servant for his father than if he stayed with the pigs! He knew that it had been a mean thing to do, to take his father's money and just leave, so he didn't expect that his father would be too happy to see him. But he went home anyway.
When he got home, he was surprised to learn that his father was overjoyed to see him! Instead of giving him a servant's job, the young man's father hugged him and had a feast in his honor. He said, "My son was lost and now is found!"
If you feel happy when you find a toy or a pair of gloves that you have lost, can you imagine what it would feel like to find a person you thought you had lost? This Bible story tells us that even if we do bad things and may disappoint our family and friends, returning to the people who love us will always be a happy reunion. We may be lost, but we can always be found. Amen.
