YEA Lesson Library
There’s No Place Like Home
About This Lesson
This lesson uses the parable of the prodigal son to teach that when we sin, we can repent and find God’s forgiveness.
Scriptures
2 Chronicles 7:14
Psalm 51:10-12
Proverbs 28:13-14
Matthew 11:28
Luke 15:7
Luke 15:11-32
John 14:2-4
1 John 1:8-9
Words to Know
WEARY - tired
BURDENED - carrying a heavy load, such as worries
TABBY CAT - common striped cat
The Lesson
Oscar, the family cat, was a plain looking tabby cat—nothing special. Oscar liked to sleep on Dad’s desk. Sometimes he messed up Dad’s important papers. He liked to play with and chew on Dad’s pencils. Every morning Dad had to straighten up his desk. It was getting harder and harder to put up with the family cat!
One day Dad came home from work with a box. The children were excited. They peeked inside. It was a puppy! Everyone spent time with the new puppy. The children took him for walks twice a day. Mom cleaned up his messes. Dad taught him to sit and stay. They were very busy with the new puppy. Oscar started getting jealous.
One day he thought, “I’ll show them— I’ll run away from home. They will be sorry!” So, off he went—out into the big wide world. The first day was wonderful! There were new things to see. He chased birds. He hid in boxes. Oscar was enjoying his new-found freedom. But one day things changed. It started to rain. Cats hate getting wet!
Oscar saw a little house nearby. He ran to it! But someone was in the little house—a great big dog! The dog growled and snapped at Oscar. He chased Oscar out of his house. Now Oscar was wet and scared. He was also getting hungry. He saw an open trash can. In he jumped. Surely he could find something to eat here. But the owner came out with a broom in her hand. She swatted at Oscar with it. She knocked him into the street. Poor Oscar —wet, hungry, scared, and a little banged up!
Then Oscar thought, “I would rather be in my nice warm house with my family. I could even learn to like the new puppy.” So, Oscar headed home. The family was happy to see him. Dad made a box for him. Mom put in a nice warm blanket for him to lay on. It was so nice to be home!
There was a young man in the Bible who felt a lot like Oscar. He got tired of his father telling him what to do. He was jealous of his older brother. One day he went to his father and said, “Give me my half of the inheritance.” That was the money his father planned to leave his sons when he died. He didn’t even say “please”! He just took the money and left.
At first he had a good time. He spent money on parties for his friends. But one day his money ran out. He didn’t have a place to sleep. He didn’t have food to eat. Finally he took a job on a farm. He took care of pigs. He even slept with them! Have you ever seen where pigs live? Pigs love mud. They roll in it. They sleep in it. Would you like to live like that? The boy was so hungry he thought he might eat some of the pig’s food. Yuck! The young man was cold, tired, and hungry. He thought about his father’s house. He had a warm bed at home. There was plenty of food to eat. Why, oh why, did he ever leave? Why was he sitting here in the mud with the pigs? He said, “I will go home and tell my father I’m sorry. Maybe he will let me be like one of his servants. They have it better than this!” So the young man cleaned himself up as best he could and started for home.
Every day the father hoped to see his son again. One day he looked down the road. What was coming? It looked like a man. He knew it was his son! He told his servants to cook his son’s favorite foods. He told them to bring fresh, clean clothes and a ring. The father grabbed his son and hugged him. The boy didn’t have a chance to ask to be a servant. His father put a ring on his hand and new clothes on him. They all ate a wonderful meal. He was so glad to see his son.
We all make mistakes sometimes, like Oscar and the young man. We do things that make our family sad. We even do things that make God sad. Our Heavenly Father knows everything we do. When we are sorry for doing bad things, we will be forgiven. God loves us. And He is ready to forgive us if we are sorry for what we do.
Student Prayer
Thank you Lord, for being my Heavenly Father and for loving me. Help me learn from my mistakes. I’m so glad that you forgive me when I am sorry for my sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Daily Devotions
Sunday - Luke 15:18-19
Monday - 1 John 1:8-9
Tuesday - Proverbs 28:13-14
Wednesday - Psalm 51:10-12
Thursday - 2 Chronicles 7:14
Friday - John 14:2-4
Saturday - Luke 15:7
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Explain how the story of Oscar relates to the prodigal son’s story.
2. Discuss from the stories how sin has consequences.
3. Tell why the father welcomed the son back home, even though the son had done wrong.
4. Recite the memory verse.
Topics & Themes
Eternal Life
Forgiveness
God’s love
Parables
Prodigal Son
Repentance
Sin
Preparation
Jesus chose the storytelling method to teach godly principles. He would begin with an idea that was familiar to those He was teaching, and then proceed to the primary point He wanted to get across. In this lesson we begin with something most children are familiar with—a cat. Anyone who has been around cats knows how independent they are, not unlike the younger son in our Bible lesson. Bringing a child’s stuffed cat to class might help children remember the story of Oscar.
How to Teach This Lesson
Begin today’s lesson by introducing children to the stuffed cat. Ask them if they remember the cat from their lesson. Once you have discussed that story and the children understand why Oscar left home (because he thought the grass would be greener on the other side), and they remember what happened to him as a result, you will be ready to begin your discussion of the story of the son who left home.
Remembering the name of the family cat in our story is not as important as remembering that he realized that he made a bad mistake in leaving home. Ask the children to list as many similarities between Oscar and the son as they can think of. You may need to stimulate their thinking by asking questions like: Were Oscar and the son happy with things at home? What did Oscar do? What did the young man do? How did Oscar feel when he first left home? Did the young man have fun when he first left home? What happened to Oscar to change his mind about leaving home? What happened to the young man? When Oscar returned home, how did his family treat him? When the young man’s father saw him coming, what did he do?
Primary-age children do not yet know about inheritances, so you may want to take time to explain that when a person dies, all the money, property, and wealth that he owned is passed along to his living relatives. Many people make a will that tells who will get what. The father in our lesson intended to divide the inheritance between his two sons. But, instead of waiting until his father died, the younger son demanded that his father give him his portion immediately.
Ask: Why do you think the young man wanted to leave home? How do you think the father felt when the son made his demands? Do you think the father was angry?
While the young man had money, everyone was his friend. The Bible tells us he “squandered his estate with loose living.” This probably means that he paid for wild parties for his friends and bought their alcohol. But when his money was gone, all of his friends deserted him. Ask: Why do you think all his friends left him? (Explain that they were not really his friends, they just wanted to be with him so he would buy them things.)
After the young man wasted all of his money and all of his friends were gone, he realized he was in trouble. Ask: Where did the young man have to sleep and eat? Explain that pigs are considered to be unclean animals. We are told that we should not eat any meat that comes from a pig—like ham, pork chops, or bacon. For a young Jewish man to have to sleep and eat with pigs was one of the worse things that could happen to him. He had hit rock bottom!
When we choose to deliberately turn away from God, His laws, and our families, there are sure to be consequences. This young man made a foolish mistake. When he realized how low he had gone, he was sorry. But he knew there was a way out of his mess. Ask: Who did the young man turn to for help? Do you think he really was sorry? How did his father show that he had forgiven him?
Our Heavenly Father is preparing an inheritance for us. Someday we will get to spend eternity with Him. We cannot even imagine the wonderful things He has in store for us. But sometimes we don’t want to wait for those wonderful things. We want it all now! Some people lie and cheat, others steal. Even boys and girls do things that they shouldn’t do. Our Heavenly Father is like the young man’s father; He is waiting and looking for us to come back to Him. When we realize we have made a mistake and we are sorry for what we have done, He is waiting to receive us with open arms. He forgives us!
Review Questions
1. How many ways can you think of that Oscar was like the boy who left his father’s house?
2. When we leave our Heavenly Father, and His teachings, what happens?
3. Why do you think the young man’s father welcomed him back home?
4. Can you think of a time when you did something wrong and were forgiven?
Teacher-Directed Activity
To make a ring with pipe cleaner and “pony” beads, cut pipe cleaners into 4 inch lengths. Give each child one piece of the chenille wire and six or seven “pony” beads. String the beads onto the chenille. Adjust the wire to fit the child’s finger by twisting the two ends together.
REACH Activity
1. List five things in your Bible notebook that you love about home. Share the list with family.
2. After you have been gone from home for a while (for example to the Feast of Tabernacles, or a visit with relatives) why do you want to go home? What is it you miss the most? Share your feelings with family.
3. Using construction paper, card stock, color tools, scissors, glue or tape, and other materials, make a model of your house. Put a sign in the front that says: Home Sweet Home. Display for family and friends.
4. Read the YEA lesson and prepare to present it using Readers’ Theater. Perform it from home to family and friends.
5. Use a Bible dictionary and encyclopedia to find out more about pigs. Why does God say that they are unclean? Share your information with family and friends.
6. Use your Bible and concordance to find the word “Savior.” Find two other Scriptures with “Savior.” Write them in your Bible notebook.
7. Make the outline of a house from 81/2 x 11 construction paper. Use almost the entire piece of paper. With a pencil, draw four big windows and a big door. Do not color any part of the house, windows, or door. Have an adult help student cut out two sides and bottom of the windows and door. Put a light colored piece of construction paper underneath the house. Staple the two pieces of paper together at corners and sides. Open the flaps of the windows and write out the memory verse, except for “I will give you rest.” For example, under one window flap write: “Come to me,” and under another window flap write: “all you,” etc. Under the door flap write: “I will give you rest.” On the top flap of the door write the Scripture and verse as if it were the address. Finish by adding details to the house. Practice verse until memorized.
8. What is the heaviest load you can carry? With an adult helping, find out how many books you can carry at once. How did it feel? Jesus can carry that much and even more! No load is too heavy for Him!
9. Sing: “A Christian Home” on page 158 of the CEM Hymnal.
10. Role play the story of the prodigal son. Read Luke 15:11-32 before you start.
11. Have the child(ren) retell the story of the prodigal son in their own words. Write each event in the story on a strip of paper (3 x 17) with a marker as the story is told in their words. When they finish the story, you will have strips of the sequence of events. Let them mix up the strips and put them back in order again.
12. Write in your Bible notebook how the memory verse (Matthew 11:28) relates to the story of the prodigal son.
13. Make a card of encouragement with the memory verse on it. Send it to someone this week.
14. What should we do when we sin? How do we know that God will forgive us if we ask Him to? Read 1 John 1:9. Write this promise in your Bible notebook. It is a very good Scripture to remember the next time you sin.
15. Divide a piece of paper in six sections. Draw the events of the story of the prodigal son: a) leaving home, b) partying and sinning, c) running out of money, d) living and eating with the pigs, e) going home, f) welcome home party.
16. Pretend you are the older brother. Write in your Bible notebook how you might feel when your younger brother comes home. Are you glad to see him? Are you mad because he’s wasted his inheritance and hasn’t been helping to work on the family farm? Sometimes we get upset when God is merciful to a person who has lived a mean and rotten life. This is a good reminder that we are not to judge them or what God has done and is doing for them. We are to rejoice that they have come back to God.
17. Sing: “His Banner Over Me is Love” on page 36 of Kids Classics Collection.
Song
“I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever” is on page 17 of the Kids Classics Collection.
Closing Prayer
The teacher or assistant may lead in prayer, thanking God that He will accept us even when we have done wrong.
Printable Pages
