“Boys & girls, let’s play a game and have fun!“

1. Split into two teams and stand facing each other, forming two lines about 10 meters apart.
2. Place an item (the “rock”) in the center between the two teams. This could be a ball, a cone, or any small object.
3. Assign a number to each player on one team and have their counterpart on the other team stand directly across from them.
4. The game leader will call out a number. The players with that number from each team run to the center, grab the ‘bacon,’ and try to return to their side without being tagged by the opponent.
5. If a player gets tagged before reaching their side, the opposing team earns a point.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all numbers have been called.
7. Round 2. Boys and girls in round two there is a “guard” by the Rock. If the guard tags you, you are out.
8. Round 3. This time there is a helper that can “freeze the guard” you can go and grab the rock without fear. 

“Boys & girls, listen carefully. Can you uncover today’s powerful Bible Discovery? Ready?”

THE CIRCUMSTANCE (Luke:15:11-12)
It is wonderful to see you here today. Raise your hands if you have a brother or sister. Today we are going to learn about two brothers the choices they made, and how it affected the entire family. This story is called the “Prodigal Son”. Do you wonder what the word Prodigal means? Would anyone like to guess? Allow a few children to guess. Those were good choices. Prodigal means to spend a lot of money wasteful on things you don’t need. In today’s bible story, we are
going to learn that is exactly what the youngest son did.

THE CHOICE:  (Luke 15:13-21)
A lot of people came to Jesus wanting to hear God’s message. This is one of the parables Jesus taught them; a certain man had two sons, and the younger said, “Father give me my share of the inheritance”. The father usually leaves the inheritance money to his children after he dies. But, the younger son wanted it NOW! The father did as his younger son asked, and gave him his portion of the inheritance money. The younger son took his share of the money, and left home to a distant country to have some fun! He wanted to be grown up and spend all of his money how he wanted to, with no one to tell him what to do. Children, did he make a good choice or a bad choice? Let’s all shout, “Bad choice, bad choice”! The younger son left his father who loved him, and his good home. Do you think this made his father sad? Yes. Boys and girls put your hand into a fist by your eyes and make it go down like tears. I am sure the father cried many tears. The young man had a good time spending all his money on expensive items and wild parties for his friends. “he thought they were his friends.” He didn’t care that he was breaking his father’s heart and was displeasing God the Father. Let’s all shout, “Bad choice, bad choice”! Soon, his money was gone and all of his pretend friends left him alone. In the country he was living in, there was a famine and he was starving, because there wasn’t enough food for everyone to eat. He suffered from hunger and a place to sleep. The only job he could find was feeding pigs. He was so hungry he tried to eat the food the pigs were eating. Finally, he realized his mistake. Let’s all shout, “Good choice, good choice”! He remembered his father’s hired hands, were better off than he was because they had a warm place to sleep and food to eat. He would go to his father’s home, and say to his father “I have sinned against God and against you”.
In our story, the younger son made many bad choices. What should he have done? 1. Stop, 2. Turn Around, 3. Go Back, 4. Start Over and do it the Right Way. Was the younger son’s last choice a good one? YES!

THE CONSEQUENCE: (Luke 15:22-32)
It took the son many days to get home. He was dirty, hungry, and sad over the pain his bad choices caused his family. As he was walking up the road to his home, he could see someone far away looking towards him. The person started to run towards him. As the person got closer he realized it was his father, and he was shouting,” My son! My son! You have come home. His father threw his arms of love around him. The son quickly said, “Father I have sinned against God and you. I don’t deserve to be called your son.” The son wanted to continue his apology, but the father said to his servants “Bring slippers, a ring, and a coat for my son to wear. Kill the fatted calf and let’s have a party, my son who was lost is found.” Such is the love of a father! Remember I said this story was about two sons. What happened to the older son? He stayed and worked hard, and did everything his father asked of him, but hidden inside of his heart was a hardness against his younger brother. He was jealous of his younger brother because he thought his younger brother was having all the fun, while he stayed and worked. A little while later the older son came in from working in the fields and heard music and laughter. He called to one of the servants and asked what was going on. “Your brother who was lost has come home and your father is having a party for his return.” Remember the older brother had bad feelings towards his younger brother for leaving. Now the older brother had to make a choice to keep his bad feelings or forgive his brother. He decided to stay outside. Let’s all shout, “Bad choice, bad choice”! The father heard his older son was upset and refused to join the party. He loved his son as much as the younger one so he went to talk with him. His older son said, “I have been working for you all these years, and I’ve never disobeyed you, and you never gave a party for me. My younger brother has come home after wasting your money, and you give him a party. Children, does that sound like jealousy? Let’s shout repent, repent. “1. Stop, 2. Turn Around, 3. Go Back, 4. Start over and do it the Right Way. His father told him “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. Come let us celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was lost, and now he is found.” God is our Heavenly Father and He loves all His children. He never gives up on us, just like the father in our bible story. He loves us even when we make wrong choices, wasting our lives on things that bring us temporary pleasure like the “Prodigal Son”. In this parable Jesus taught us when we make a bad choice and repent, he will always forgive us. He will accept us with open arms!  Praise God!

“Boys & girls, what did we discover about God in this Bible History? (Coaches: answers will vary.) Let’s become great discoverers by asking some fun & challenging questions. Ready?”