All we like SHEEP!

DAY  `1  The Good Shepherd KNOWS US

The Sheep Fold(Bible Lesson)

Supplies needed:

sheep flash cards

Day 1 hand outs

Pencils  to write with 

                                                                                                                                                    

Advance preparation:
Read the Day 1 devotional for VBS staff

Print and cut out flash cards (it would be preferable to use card stock to print)

Familiarize yourself with the story and theme of the day 

Introduction:

Welcome the children and encourage them to gather around you. Invite them into a discussion with some of these questions.

Have you ever been mistaken for someone else like a sibling or cousin?

How did that make you feel?  Did the person who had you confused with someone else know you very well? 

I have a bunch of flash cards, that I want to show you really quick. Each card has a picture of a sheep and when I show it to you I will tell you want the sheep’s name is  then I want you to  see how many names you can remember. (do this)

Now I am going to go through this again and this time I am going to give you their name and and  some information about the sheep. Then we will see if it is easier to remember the names of the sheep.     Go through the cards, and see how much the kids can remember.

Was that hard?  Why? Was it easier the first time or the second time? Why do you think that was?  Do you think that if you spent every day and night with these sheep that you would  have known them better? What if you had raised each one of these sheep from birth? 

 

Bible Time:

I want to read to you from John 10

1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.

Sometimes in Bible Times, a group of Shepherds would put all their sheep together a night. This would help the sheep to stay safe, because they were together, and they could be in a really strong sheep fold, and nothing could get at them. In the morning time the each shepherd would come to the gate and get his own sheep and take them out to the pasture to eat.  Each shepherd had to know his own sheep so he took the right ones out. He had to know each individual sheep so that he didn’t accidentally take someone else’s sheep. The shepherd spent so much time with the sheep that he recognized each one and the sheep knew who their shepherd was and knew to follow his voice, kind of like maybe your pet dog might recognize and know to come to you and not someone else.

God knows us in the same way. He knows every single thing about us. He knows what we look like, how we feel, and what we do and don’t like. He knows when we are happy and knows when we are upset.

Let’s keep reading from John 10

.14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 

Isn’t’ that neat?  Jesus is calling himself the Good Shepherd. He tells us that He knows us just as well as He knows his Father.  That is really really really well. And he cares so much for us that he would even allow himself to be put in danger to save us. 

A really good shepherd can tell right away if there is something wrong with one of his sheep.  He can tell right away if a sheep is limping, or looking sick, or hungry.  God is our Good Shepherd and he knows right away if there is something wrong, he knows how we feel and He knows how to help us.

Bible Memory :

  Review memory verse

  I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me John 10:14

I am the Good Shepherd

(kids make a shepherd staff with their hands)

I

(point at self)

Know my sheep

(point at each other)

And my sheep

(point at each other)

Know me

(point to self)

John 10:14

Have the kids work on their bible memory paper and make sure to point out the ‘extra credit’ verses on their paper, explain whatever prizes, reward system is set up for memorizing the extra verses at home and saying them to their group leader the next day.