The Good Shepherd and the Lost Sheep

Mr. Kurt: Hey friends, good morning! Before we start, let’s all take a big deep breath together — in through the nose, and slowly out. Wonderful. Today I brought something with me. Can anybody guess what a shepherd does? That’s right — a shepherd takes care of sheep.

Now, imagine you have one hundred sheep. That’s a lot of sheep! You’d count them every night: one, two, three… all the way to one hundred. But one evening you count, and you only reach ninety-nine. One little sheep is missing. What would you do?

Some people might say, “Well, I still have ninety-nine — that’s plenty.” But not this shepherd. He leaves the ninety-nine safe in the field, grabs his lantern, and goes out into the dark to look for the one that’s lost. He searches behind the rocks and through the bushes until — there it is! The little lost sheep.

And here’s my favorite part: he doesn’t scold it. He doesn’t say, “Bad sheep, why did you wander off?” No — he lifts it gently onto his shoulders, carries it all the way home, and calls his friends to celebrate. “Be happy with me,” he says, “I found my sheep!”

Mr. Kurt: Jesus told this story so we’d know exactly how God feels about each one of us. We are never just a number to Him. When we wander, He comes looking — with joy, not anger. So this week, remember: you are the sheep the Shepherd loves to carry home. Let’s pray together.