Children’s Sermon

John 10:11-18

Knowing Your Own

Check out these helpful resources
Biblical Commentary
Sermons
Children’s Sermons
Hymn Lists

John 10:11-18

Knowing Your Own

By Lois Parker Edstrom

Object suggested: Pictures of baby animals with their mothers.

Pictures of sheep available at:
http://www.scotland-flavour.co.uk/pictures/sheep_scotland_9127.jpg

When you look at a picture of a flock of sheep do you ever wonder how the mothers know which babies are theirs? The babies look identical, don’t they? The lambs seem to be the same color, the same size, and they all say baaaaaa.

Animal mothers have many ways of telling which baby is theirs and this is important because the baby animals need constant care and attention from their mothers so they will grow to be healthy and strong.

When a lamb is born it has a particular smell and its mother sniffs around until she finds her baby in the flock of sheep. Other animals find their babies by touch, or sight, or hearing their babies call. Mother birds and their baby birds, especially, know each by the chirps each make.

Human babies are easier to identify, one from another and did you know that even when you were a very young baby you could recognize your mother’s voice? You and your mother came to know each other very well. Being close brings about the very best care for a newborn baby.

Jesus likens himself to a shepherd that takes care of us, his flock, and he says,“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own” (10:14).

The Bible teaches us the importance of being close to Jesus so we can grow healthy and strong. As we study the Bible and pray, we learn more about Him. We come to understand that each one of us is known by Him and that he cares for us. Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own” (10:14).

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible

Copyright 2009, Richard Niell Donovan