The Lost Sheep Lesson and Bible Game

 for Children's Ministry

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Read from a child-friendly Bible
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. 
Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, `Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent" Luke 15:4-7.

Discussion
Who is the Shepherd? (Jesus)
Who is the Lost Sheep? (A person who has wandered away from Jesus.)*
Who are the other sheep? (People who already follow Jesus.)

Bible Game Objective 
One player, the "sheep," will draw arrows using chalk to give clues as to where he or she can be found by the "shepherd," the rest of the players. (You might decide to have two players to be the sheep.) 

How To Play 
The sheep are given a head start, (2-5 minutes-decide time before playing). At the go, the sheep hide from the shepherd. As the sheep run to hide, they must mark arrows with chalk on the pavement, walls, or trees, to give clues as to where they are going. (Make sure you have permission to mark on walls with chalk.) While the sheep hide, the shepherd(s) cannot peek. When time's up, the shepherd(s) head out to find the sheep. The shepherd that finds the sheep becomes the sheep in the next round of play. Use a different color of chalk in the next round of play. For added fun, play at night with flashlights.

*The sheep in our game left clues so the shepherd could find them. But Jesus, our Shepherd, knows and sees everything. He finds us even when we don't want to be found!

Get our Adult Devotional, Hide n' Go Seek.

Copyright 2004 Sarah A. Keith

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The Lost Sheep is an adaptation of the chalk game, Fugitive, one of the games found in the book, Chalk-It-Up - 22 Awesome Outdoor Games Kids Draw With Chalk.