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Music and Other Workshop Lessons and Ideas for Lost Sheep, Lost Coin
Music and Other Lessons, Ideas, Activities, and Resources for the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep
Post your Sunday School other lessons, ideas, activities, and resources for the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep here. The 99 sheep, lost sheep, shepherd, woman, lost coin, rejoice, Matthew 18:12–14, Luke 15:3–7, Luke 15:8–10
From Member Janette:
Writing Your Own "Lost" Stories
In addition to the story of the lost coin, we also read the story of the lost sheep, and the lost son (prodigal). We looked at similarities between the stories and then wrote our own "lost" parables.
Some examples of the parables the children in my class wrote and illustrated are the Parable of the Lost Hamster, Parable of the Lost Goat, the Parable of the Lost Cheese, and the Parable of the Lost Chick.
In each story something is lost, someone finds it, and then they rejoice. We really stressed how the thing lost was like us when we sin and how the person searching is like God. I used tag board and white paper stapled together for books, but, little blank journals would be cute alternatives!
For older children and younger youth: We had them write a "lost" story about themselves. We asked them to write about a "trail" that they were walking and the decisions they made along the way that continued to lead them toward darkness. Trail story starters:
The first Sunday I decided I didn't need to go worship.
The first time I realized that people at my church were hypocrites and sinners.
The first person I didn't help but walked on by (like the priest did to the man on the Jericho road).
Each "decision" was to be worse than the one before, with the trail/road ending in a dark place.
Then they wrote about Jesus finding them, and what he would say to them.
What does the word "lost" mean? "Found" ? Who is "lost" in your community? Around the World? When and "what about" do you feel "lost"
From Member JohnG:
We had our older students use the computer to write and illustrate "LOST PEOPLE" stories.
Who are the lost people in school?
Who are the lost people in our community?
When are YOU the lost person in need of God?
How did you get lost? --what things make a person feel "lost"?
Video choices, Teaching possibilities, Discussion questions
Cory Asbury's "Reckless Love" speaks directly of the story of the Lost Sheep and the 99. It is also one of the most popular contemporary Christian songs of 2018, winning the CMA worship song of the year and becomingpart of the standard rotation in many contemporary worship circles. When I first heard it, it resonated with my experience and belief in the One who never gives up. To me, the term "reckless" is understood as extravagant and unexpected. Unconditional love might indeed seem "reckless" and unfair to those who believe they deserve their salvation.
There are several music videos of it. I've linked to three versions of it posted to YouTube and embedded one here for a quick look.
(1) A lyric version created by a fan that includes the lyrics, images, and the scripture. That's the version I've embedded below. ⇓
(3) A 'live' version with lyrics showing the artist and a friend singing it on a stage (the more visually interesting of the three).
Teaching possibilities
(1) What would the reckless God of love chasing you look like? Split into groups of 2 or 3 and have each present a "freeze frame" of what they think that line looks like, and have each try to explain what "reckless love" means and how God "chases" us.
(2) Come up with a body position to strike as each of the following is repeatedly sung when you play the song a second time (they come fast so teach the positions and practice them).
There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me
What do the following lyric lines mean?
You give Yourself away
Fights 'til I'm found (Who is God fighting with, how do we fight/resist?)
What kind of mountain does God have to climb to reach us?
What walls have we put up that God can kick down? How does God "kick down" our walls?
What are the "lies" that God tears down? How does God tear down lies?
What does "coming after me?" mean? How does God keep "coming after" you?
◊ If you show the soldiers singing the song, ask students to imagine what "reckless love of God" might mean to someone who is putting their life at risk to protect others?
"Reckless" Love of God?
This is a great discussion point regardless of which side of the argument you are on.
There has been some hub-bub about the use of the term "reckless" to describe God's love in the signature refrain, “Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.” Predictably, the less poetically-inclined guardians of orthodoxy have had their say, pontificating that God's love is certainly not "reckless" in the plain English meaning of the word (careless, foolhardy, hasty, ill-advised, imprudent, negligent, and thoughtless).
To a poet, reckless can also mean AUDACIOUS, DARING, and UNEXPECTED. The term "reckless" fits with Jesus' use of hyperbole (exaggeration). Logs in the eye, mountains that get up, the weak and meek who will inherit, and so forth. Paul called the cross "foolishness." (I Cor 18) and I've never heard the guardians call HIM out. Luke in Acts 17:6 described a scene that could have been written about some of the reaction to the word "reckless."
"They dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, “These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also!"
What are they REALLY concerned about? I don't think it's the word "reckless." I think it's the UNCONDITIONAL nature of God's love which the song so powerfully sings. It paints a God who is not as content to leave some to hell as many preachers would prefer to do.
Lyrics
v1 Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me You have been so, so good to me Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me You have been so, so kind to me
Refrain: Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
v2 When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me You have been so, so good to me When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me You have been so, so kind to me
Refrain: And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine And I couldn't earn it, and I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Bridge: There's no shadow You won't light up Mountain You won't climb up Coming after me There's no wall You won't kick down Lie You won't tear down Coming after me There's no shadow You won't light up Mountain You won't climb up Coming after me There's no wall You won't kick down Lie You won't tear down Coming after me There's no shadow You won't light up Mountain You won't climb up Coming after me There's no wall You won't kick down Lie You won't tear down Coming after me There's no shadow You won't light up Mountain You won't climb up Coming after me There's no wall You won't kick down Lie You won't tear down Coming after me
Refrain:
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights 'til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine And I couldn't earn it, I don't deserve it, still, You give Yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Songwriters: Caleb Culver / Cory Asbury / Ran Jackson
For younger children, I can see using the song Deep and Wide where you take out one word out each round and then put them back in one round at a time and then talk about how it's harder to sing the more words that are "lost" and much easier to sing when they are all "found"
1st round: Deep and Wide Deep and Wide There's a fountain flowing Deep and Wide
2nd round: Take out Deep MMM and Wide MMM and Wide There's a fountain flowing MMM and Wide
3rd round: Take out deep and wide MMM and MMM MMM and MMM There's a fountain flowing MMM and MMM
Nice song idea Lisa, and what a great way to get started at Rotation.org!
When I saw the word "fountain" in the song you posted, I immediately thought of sheep drinking from the water that the Good Shepherd leads us to. Reminiscent of Ps 23's lead be beside "still waters."
"Spring" is a synonym. An important explanation to kids who might be thinking of this kind of fountain:
or this:
On the other hand, what do THESE modern types of fountains tell the kids about God ??
The word "Fountain" (spring) only appears in the Old Testament and is associated with images of hope and restoration. Jesus turned the idea into "Living Water" at the well. Interesting!
The Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15 is one of the terrific presentations found in the SunScool Bible App for Kids.
It has two different retellings in the app. One is under the "Parables" menu for Levels 1 and 2 only (younger). The second is a slightly different retelling for older kids in the "Who is Jesus? His Life and Teachings" section of the menu with the title, "The Good Shepherd."
Here's a music video "mashup" of Crossroad Kids' animated retelling of the Parable of the Lost Sheep with the song from Toy Story, "You've Got a Friend in Me." One of our writers created it for a lesson in our "Lost Sheep" lesson set.
John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you
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or this: 
