The Lost Sheep Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Free, Ages 3–6)
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “He looks and looks until he finds it.”
Many people came close to Jesus to hear him. Some of them had done lots of wrong things. Jesus let them come close. He even ate with them.
Some leaders grumbled about that. To grumble means to complain in a grumpy voice. Hmm, hmm, hmm! “This man welcomes sinners, and eats with them!” they said. A sinner is someone who does wrong things.
So Jesus told them a story. He asked them to think. What would you do if you lost a sheep?
There was a shepherd. A shepherd takes care of sheep. He leads them to green grass and fresh water. He keeps them safe. This shepherd had one hundred sheep. That is a lot of sheep! Baa, baa! Can you say “baa” like a sheep?
One day, one sheep was lost. Let’s count like the shepherd: ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine… One is missing! Now there were only ninety-nine.
Where was the lost one? Maybe it was far away. Maybe it was all alone. Maybe it was calling, “Baa, baa.” He looks and looks until he finds it.
The shepherd left the ninety-nine sheep in the open country. That is wide land with no houses. He went after the one that was lost.
He looked over the hills. He looked behind the rocks. Up and down he went. Would he stop looking? No! He looks and looks until he finds it.
And then – there it was! He found his sheep!
The shepherd put the sheep on his shoulders. The little sheep did not have to walk. The shepherd carried it all the way home. He was so happy! Can you put your hands on your shoulders, like the shepherd?
At home, he called his friends and his neighbors. “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” Rejoice means be very happy together.
Then Jesus said, “I tell you that there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.” To repent means to turn back to God. It is like the lost sheep coming home. He looks and looks until he finds it.
Then Jesus told one more story, just like it. A woman had ten silver coins. One day she lost one! Maybe it rolled into a dark corner. So she lit a lamp. She swept the whole house. Swish, swish! Can you sweep like her? She looked carefully, until she found it.
Then she called her friends and neighbors. “Rejoice with me, for I have found the drachma which I had lost!” A drachma is a silver coin. Jesus said there is joy like that in heaven, when one sinner turns back. The angels of God see it too!
God is full of joy when a lost one comes back to him. The little lost sheep was found. The shepherd did not stop until it was home. It was carried home, safe and sound, on the shepherd’s shoulders. And God holds you safe tonight, too. He looks and looks until he finds it.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- How do you think the sheep felt when the shepherd found it?
- Why do you think the shepherd called his friends to his house?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep” — Luke 15:6 (Rejoice → clap your hands; I have found → open your hands wide; my sheep → hug yourself)
Dear God, thank you for the shepherd who looks for his lost sheep. Thank you for your great joy. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: You matter to God — more than you can imagine.
Memory verse: “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner repenting.” — Luke 15:10 · WEB
The Bible story
One little sheep wandered away and got lost — but the Good Shepherd would not stop looking until He found it, because every single one matters to Him.
Talk about it
- What is a parable? — A story Jesus told to teach us
- How many sheep did the shepherd have? — One hundred
- How many sheep got lost? — One
- What did the shepherd do? — Went to look for it
- How did the shepherd feel when he found it? — Happy and joyful
- What did he do with the sheep? — Carried it home
Where is Jesus in this story?
Jesus is the Good Shepherd who searches for every single one of us. The kind shepherd who climbs the hills all night for one little sheep is a picture of Jesus Himself. He does not wait for us to find our own way back — He comes looking for us, calling our name into the dark. And on the cross, He carried us home on His shoulders, so that not one of His little ones would ever be lost forever. God's rescue plan finds its happy ending when the Good Shepherd brings us safely home.
What God wants to tell us
Sometimes we feel small, or we wander off and make mistakes, and we wonder if anyone would even notice. But this story tells us something amazing: God notices you. If you ever feel lost or far away, you can remember the shepherd climbing the hills in the dark. God is always coming after you, ready to lift you up, carry you home, and throw a party because you were found.
Prayer
Dear Lord, thank You that You are the Good Shepherd who knows my name. Thank You that even when I wander off, You come looking for me and carry me home. When I feel small or lost, help me to hear Your voice and follow You. Thank You that You never, ever give up on me. Amen.
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