Children’s Sermon

John 10:11-18

The Good Shepherd

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John 10:11-18

The Good Shepherd

OBJECT: This will take prior preparation. Have the children identify the sounds of several things: A piano or guitar chord, a bell ringing. And then, have someone from the audience say, “Follow me.” And finally, you say, “Follow me.”

SERMON:

This morning, we’re going to hear some sounds. Tell me if you can identify them. (A piano or guitar chord). What was that? (Allow the children to answer.) Yes, the piano playing a chord. Now, what is this? (Ring the bell. Allow the children to respond.) Yes, a bell is ringing.

Now listen carefully. Someone will say something and I want to see if you know who is saying it. Listen. (Someone from the audience says, “Follow me.) Who said that? Did you recognize what they said? (Allow children to respond.) That was harder to know who was speaking, but the person said, “Follow me,” didn’t he.

Now listen carefully again. Follow me! Did you recognize who said that? (Allow children to respond.) Yes, I said, “Follow me.” Now, let’s listen to our Bible story. It’s about the Good Shepherd.

Sheep are pretty dirty. They get stickers and dirt in their woolly coats, and they can’t get them out on their own. They don’t have a sense of direction, so even if they drank from a stream this morning, by evening, they won’t remember how to get to get to the water. They need a shepherd.

A shepherd takes care of sheep. A shepherd leads sheep and helps them when they are in trouble. A shepherd pulls stickers out of a sheep’s wool and takes care of them if they get sick. Sheep need a shepherd to lead them to water and food. Sometimes they even need someone who will even make them lie down in a safe place and rest.

In our Holy Bible, there are many stories about sheep. Moses took care of sheep for a long time in the wilderness. Before he became king, a boy named David cared for his father’s sheep. He even protected them from a bear and a lion.

In the stories about Jesus in the Holy Bible we see Jesus as the Good Shepherd. In one of the stories he told his disciples, he says,“I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I’m known by my own” (vs. 14). He defends us. Sometime we lose direction, too and he helps us get on the right path.

You can hear a lot of people talking, but you will only recognize the voice of someone close to you, like your parents, your brother or sister, or your teacher. Earlier, it was hard to tell who said, “Follow me,” because we didn’t know the person who said it.

Jesus wants us to follow him, doesn’t he? He’s the Good Shepherd who will guide us, help us and teach us. He helps us when we are in trouble, but he is always with us. He speaks to us through the Holy Bible.Let’s follow Jesus.

PRAYER: God, again, we thank you for Jesus. Thank you that he is the Good Shepherd who helps us as we lose direction, or need help. May we follow the Good Shepherd. Amen.

Scripture quotations from the World English Bible