Jesus Is The Good Shepherd

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On your mark, get set, go!

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These teams are playing to see who can score a goal first. The volunteers are guarding their goal while their teammates try to score by kicking this hover ball through the goal.

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Congratulations to our winner! I was impressed with how well they protected their goal.

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Yep, they did not want the hover ball to get in. Today we’ll hear about a protector who watches over us.

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That’s definitely got to be Jesus.

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It is, and we will discover what He said about Himself. But first tell someone nearby who you’d rather have protect you: The Rock or (Pastor’s Name).

Co-Host

Sounds like Skip did not do Herman any favors by broadcasting his address.

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Do you think that Hannah and Sophia will be able to protect him from the escaped criminal?

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I hope so, otherwise he could be in for some serious trouble.

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I think Herman will trust more in our Big Point than in regular bodyguards. Let’s check it out. I need a volunteer to help us reveal our Big Point.

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Shout it out as we count down from three and then read the Big Point.

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Let’s all say it together, Jesus Is The Good Shepherd! Being a shepherd is not a common job today, but when Jesus said this, it was a job that most people understood.

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A shepherd does a lot, like make sure the sheep have food, guide them to the right path, and protect them from thieves and wild animals. It’s a tough job. Some shepherds do it well, but some don’t.

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Jesus is the Good Shepherd, which means He does His job very well. Jesus won’t abandon us when it’s tough. He’s with us all the time. Jesus’ words remind me of our relationship with pets. Does anyone have a dog? How do you take care of a dog?

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If you call your dog’s name, will it respond? Does your dog know your voice? When you walk your dog, would you ever lead it out into the middle of traffic? Why not? Would a good pet owner or bad one do that?

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Would you let a stranger take your dog for a walk? Do you put your dog inside at night or let it run around the neighborhood?

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If we do those kinds of things for our pets, think of how well Jesus takes care of us. He loves us more than we could ever love someone or something else.

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You can be 100% sure that Jesus will never leave you alone or forget about you. He is the perfect guard to watch over us. Let’s see if Herman’s guards will come through for him.

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I can’t believe that Sophia let the burglar into Herman’s house. Would you call that the opposite of being a good protector?

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I think Herman needs protection from his “protectors.” Jesus is way different, which is what we learn in the Big Point,

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Jesus Is The Good Shepherd!

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Jesus actually used that phrase to describe Himself. We read about Him being the Good Shepherd in our Big Verse. Let’s choose an assistant to help us reveal it.

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Help us count down from three and then we’ll read the verse.

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Our Big Verse says, “I am the good shepherd. I know My sheep, and My sheep know Me,” John 10:14 (NIrV),

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Jesus knows His followers, and we can know Him. How do you think we get to know Jesus?

Co-Host

That’s right. We get to know Jesus by reading what He said and did in the Bible, by coming to church, and by spending time with Him in prayer. Jesus knows us so well that we can be sure that He will never lose us.

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One of the important jobs shepherds do is to keep the sheep together and get them into the safe sheep pen at night.

Co-Host

That brings us to our next game. We have two groups of kids who are going to act as our shepherds. You’re going to use your pool noodles as shepherd staffs to get all of your color “sheep” into your pen. The first team to collect all of their color wins, but you can’t let the wrong sheep in.

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Great job to our winners. Jesus knows His followers, and He knows how to protect us. Jesus watches over us and keeps us safe just like shepherds keep dangerous animals out of the pen. Let’s take a moment to stand and worship our Good Shepherd.

When I think about all that Jesus does for us, it blows me away. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that God is that amazing, but it’s the 100% truth. Let’s take a moment to stand and thank Jesus for His protection and help. One of the ways we do that is prayer. Close your eyes and thank Jesus for being the good shepherd and watching over you. (Pause) Another way we can thank Jesus is singing worship songs to Him, which we will do in just a moment.

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I’m glad that Herman is safe from the burglar and his employees.

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Yep, I love that Jesus watches over us. He is our Protector, Caretaker, and Leader. Our Big Point is true,

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Jesus Is The Good Shepherd!

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Following Jesus is always the right decision.

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That’s something you can practice when you do this week’s Big Do.

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Play follow the leader with your family. Then talk about what makes Jesus such a good shepherd.

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One of the things I love about Jesus is that His actions and words always match up. He always does what He says He will do. This game is a little different. You have to follow what we say up here, but not what we do.

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Everyone, stand up. If you do what we do, but not what we say, then you are out and have to sit down. Let’s see who can outlast the group.

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I’m glad that we don’t have to do that with Jesus. He is the perfect leader. Let’s turn and connect with our small groups and talk about what we’ve learned from the Bible.

• How did Hannah and Sophia fail to help Herman?

• What are some of the different tasks that shepherds did? How does Jesus do those things for us?

• Why is it important to have a leader like Jesus to follow? Why would it be bad for us if Jesus didn’t care for us like a good shepherd?

• What did Herman tell us to do with our families in the Big Do? Play follow the leader

• Our Big Point says Jesus Is The ______ Shepherd!

  • Good

  • Okay

• Name one way that shepherds cared for their sheep.

• What would a good shepherd do if a thief tried to enter the sheep pen?

  • Fight

  • Run away

• Jesus helps us by ________.

  • Guiding us away from danger

  • Ignoring our needs

• Jesus said that sheep know the true shepherd’s voice.

  • True

  • False

• John 10:14 (NIrV), “I am the good shepherd. I ____ My sheep, and My sheep ____ Me.”

  • Ignore

  • Know

• Name some ways that Jesus helps us.

• A good shepherd would sacrifice what important thing?

  • His sheep

  • His life

• Jesus stands in the doorway, like a shepherd, to make sure what gets in?

  • Good things

  • Harmful things

• What challenge did Herman give us as this week’s Big Do? Play follow the leader