I am valuable!
key words
biblical reference
Luke 15: 1-2; 8-10
lesson objective
To help the children learn that God loves every person and that he rejoices in those who seek him and his forgiveness
memory verse
“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Luke chapter 15 tells us three parables that Jesus taught with a common theme: “the search for the lost, and the love of God.” Jesus told these parables in response to the Pharisees and teachers of the law saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them” (verse 2). Jesus spent a lot of time with sinners, people with whom the Pharisees and scribes did not wish to be with. For them, it was offensive that Jesus, being recognized by the crowds as a holy man and teacher, would talk with people that were outcasts.
For this reason, Jesus used three similar parables to explain the great love that God has for all people, regardless of their state of sin. Emphasize that the Lord finds joy when someone repents and comes back to him.
The story of the “lost coin” is the second of three parables. The people who were listening to Jesus at that time could understand how difficult it could be to find a coin inside the house. The floor was a tapestry of cane stalks and reeds placed on the hard earth. The only light in the room came from a small window. The woman would have to light a lamp and sweep the floor carefully to find the precious piece of silver.
The currency in question was a drachma of silver, that is, a little more than the salary for a day’s work. It was customary for a woman engaged to marry to gather ten coins in a necklace to use it on the day of the wedding. When she was married, the coins became a symbol of the couple’s commitment. Nobody could take them away and they were kept in a safe place so they would not be lost.
introduce the lesson
In this story, Jesus compares the fervent search of a woman with the love of God. Just like when the woman found the lost coin and rejoiced over it, God rejoices over finding us because we are valuable to Him, and he experiences joy when he finally finds those who are lost.
Jesus gave us a good model of teaching with the use of parables. He motivated those who listened to discover the truth, while there were some who were too lazy to see it (Matthew 13:10-11). He who sincerely seeks God can discover a new teaching in this parable.
In his daily life, a child may act wrongly or sin before God. You may think, “What I have done is so bad. God does not want me.” Sometimes, adults tell children, “God wo not want you because you have done this or that.”
That is not true, God loves us despite all the bad things we do, think, feel or even the good we failed to do. However it is important to understand that by acting in this way (in sin), we turn away from God.
If a child attends church faithfully, his family is Christian and knows a lot about God, but has not yet personally approached God, he/she is like the “lost coin” inside the house. Many may be lost within the Christian church.
The solution to both situations is the great love of God and his search for the lost. No matter if, the child is inside the church or roams the streets, or if one has wealth or is poor, or has been abused or neglected, everyone is very precious to God.
Like the woman in the story, God makes every effort to find the lost with joy and forgiveness so they can enjoy a good relationship with him.
Provide a special culturally acceptable welcome to each child that comes today such as by shaking hands or even giving a hug. Tell each one, “You are valuable, God loves you.” Ask the children if they remember last week’s lesson. Note if any helped someone during the week, and what the reaction was of those were helped.
Organize a project. You can call it “Operation Good Samaritan.” Arrange a box or basket and encourage your children to participate by bringing food donations to give to someone in need. Schedule a visit to a family, an elderly person or needy children to deliver your gift of love.
teach the lesson
The lost coin
(Before the children arrive for today’s session, hide a coin somewhere in the room.) Tell the children that earlier today you saw a coin in the room, and ask them to look for it. When the children find it, ask, what can I buy with this money? (Allow children to think about it and respond.)
Invite them to look in the Bible and read the Bible passage together. Explain to them things they might not understand (look at the “teacher preparation” section beforehand). You can use objects that show things about the story they are reading.
“Look at that!” said one of the Pharisees, annoyed. “See how Jesus allows these tax collectors and sinners to gather around him? This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
“How terrible!” said a scribe angrily?
Another Pharisee said, “If he really is a prophet or the Messiah, he would have nothing to do with such despicable people.”
Jesus listened. He wanted to help them understand that he does not reject anyone, and so he shared this parable:
“Suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does not she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?”
The people thought, “It would be very sad to lose a coin of that value.”
“I wonder if she planned to put it in a string with ten coins before marrying,” another said.
(It was customary for women to wear a chain with ten coins on their head when they got married.)
“I hope to never lose a coin like that!” thought another.
“And when she finds it,” Jesus continued, “she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ ”
People could imagine friends and neighbors happily celebrating with her.
Jesus looked at the angry scribes and Pharisees and said, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
connect the lesson
Activity: Searching
Give your group Student Activity Sheet #288-A entitled “Searching.” Read it with your children, let them search for Uncle Mario in the picture, and discuss the questions together.
Activity: LOST!
Give your students Student Activity Sheet #288-B and #288-C. Direct their attention to the activity entitled “Lost!” The passage for this lesson is Luke 15:1-3, 8-10. Discuss the first question and allow time for children to complete their drawing. Then talk about the sketches they made.
1. Have you ever lost something that is very important to you? Draw the lost object.
2. If it was so important or valuable to you, why did you lose it?
Encourage your children to write in the blank space what kind of reward they would offer for the lost object.
Activity: God’s response
Give your group Student Activity Sheet #288-D entitled “God’s Response.” Have them answer these questions according to the story and write the answers on the blank lines.
1. Who criticized Jesus?
2. Where was the coin lost?
3. What did the woman do when she realized that she had lost her coin?
4. How did the woman feel when she found the coin?
When they finish, discuss the answers together as a group. Now discuss the following questions which will help them apply the lesson to their life:
a. Do you think that God stops loving you when you are disobedient?
b. What is sin?
c. When you sin, are you close to God?
d. Why do you think God seeks those who sin?
e. How does God feel when we repent of our sins?
f. Why did Jesus compare the sinner with the lost coin?
Let your children draw a picture of what they believe happened in heaven when they asked God for forgiveness. Write under the picture, “I am valuable to God!”
practice the memory verse
Read the verse directly from the Bible (Luke 10:27). Prepare some hearts in advance on which you will write the verse in sections, for example: “You shall love the Lord your God / with all your heart, / with all your soul, / with all your strength / and with your entire mind; / and love your neighbor as yourself.” Stick the hearts under the chairs or benches where your children sit. You can also place them flipped over on the floor, mixed up so they cannot be read. Taking each heart, the children will try to put the verse in order. Then read it again. Mix up the hearts and let only the girls put them in order, and then let the boys do it. Each time you complete the verse, read it together aloud. Use this activity several times until the verse is in the correct order and your children have it memorized.
wrap-up
Pray
Ask the group to tell their prayer needs. Then pray with them. Do not forget to ask God to help them find ways to help others know God’s love and become followers of Jesus.
Encourage
Thank your students for their attendance and encourage them not to forget what they learned.
Invite
Announce something about the next lesson to increase the group’s interest.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™