Hey kids and parents! Gather with the family for a special YouTube live event Monday night at 7 pm eastern time (5 pm mountain). Here’s how it works:

  1. Click on the video above Monday @ 7 pm ET to watch the live broadcast.
  2. After the broadcast, use the questions below to spark a great family conversation.
  3. For the full experience, download a Teacher Pack below for lesson activities and crafts.

This Week’s Topic

The Story of the Runaway Son

Posted: May 29, 2020

Watch the video above and talk about it with your family. Learn more

When a man’s son ran away it taught us a really awesome lesson in how much God loves us.

In today’s lesson, we’re talking about a parable, or story Jesus told. A rich father had two sons. The younger son went to his father and asked him for his inheritance early. An inheritance is supposed to be the money you get when your parents die. The son was basically saying that his father might as well be dead and he wanted his money now. Even though this made the father sad, he gave his son his inheritance. The son left home and went off to live a crazy life that didn’t honor God at all. He ended up wasting all of his money. He was so desperate that he got a job feeding pigs but he was never paid for his work. He was really hungry and really sad. The son realized that he walked away from a really good life with his family and he wanted to go back. But he wasn’t sure if his father would accept him after he had turned his back on him. As he walked home, his father saw him off in the distance and ran out to meet him. Instead of yelling at him and telling him to leave, he hugged him and threw a big party. The father forgave his son and was so glad to have him home. This story is really about God’s love for us. When we mess up and turn away from God, he is always willing to forgive and welcome us back!

Read more
Read less

Key Points:

  • One day, a son asked for money from his dad and ran away. Luke 15:11-12
  • The son lived a wild life until he had no money left. Luke 15:13
  • The son finally came to his senses and went back to his home. Luke 15:17-19
  • His dad didn’t just take him back; he threw a party! Luke 15:22-24
  • God throws a party when we come home.

Memory Verse:

Luke 15:24 ‘He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

Talk About It
  1. What’s your favorite part of the video? What’s one thing you learned from it?
  2. Share a time you were so mad that you wanted to run away from home. 
  3. What did the son want from his dad? Why do you think the dad gave him his inheritance early?
  4. What did the son do with the money? What happened when the son came home? How is the Dad in the story like Jesus?
  5. Read Micah 7:18-19. Pardon is another word for forgiveness. Identify all that this passage says about what God does with our sins?
  6. How will you apply this lesson to your life this week?

This is part of the Life of Jesus series.