Jesus Tells the Story of the Two Sons

Luke 15:1-2, 11-32

Jesus was friends with people that had done bad things. Jesus loved them and forgave them for the bad things they had done. Jesus wanted them to learn about God and do things that God said to do.


Some did not like that Jesus was friends with people that had done bad things. Some thought Jesus should only care about the people who already did the things that God said.


But Jesus wanted the people to know that God cared about everyone. So Jesus told them stories to teach them. He told about a father and his two sons.


The father loved his two sons and had saved some money for them. One day, the younger son said, “Father, give me my share of the family money." So the father divided the money between his two sons.


The oldest son decided to stay at home with his father and save his money. But the younger son thought about all the fun things he could do with the money. He decided to leave his home. So he packed up everything he had and left his father, his older  brother, and his home.


The son traveled to a faraway country.


He spent money on doing wrong things.


Soon all the money was gone. Then the country where the son lived didn’t have any rain. It was hard to find food to eat. The son could not buy what he needed. He couldn’t buy any food.


The son looked for a job so he could buy food to eat. Finally, he found a job feeding pigs.


The pigs had plenty of food and they ate it all. But the son didn’t have much to eat. 


The son decided to go home. He said, “I have done many wrong things. I will tell my father I am sorry. Maybe he will let me work for him so I will have enough food."


The father saw his younger son coming. He was so happy he ran to his son and hugged him.


The son said to the father, “I have done wrong things. I’m sorry." 


His father said, “l forgive you. Let’s celebrate!”


The older brother heard about the party. The older brother was not happy.


The father asked the older brother to join the party. 


But the older brother said, “My brother left home. But I stayed and I helped you. I never got a party. But when my brother who did bad things finally comes home, you celebrate. Why?”


The father told the older brother, “I love you very much! Everything that I have is yours. Your brother has done bad things, but I love him, too. Even when he was gone, I still loved him. And now he is home! Your brother is sorry for the things he did and I forgave him. Your brother has come home. Be happy with me!”


Jesus showed that the father loved his two sons no matter what they did. And he forgave them when they did bad things.


God is like the father. He forgives us. He loves us no matter what we do. 


Bible Paraphrase: Nothing is impossible with God. (For no word from God will ever fail. – Luke 1:37 NIV)

Text Truth: Jesus loves us no matter what we do.


Activities You Can Do at Home

Bread with Love

You’ll Need: slices of bread, heart-shaped cookie cutter, jelly or your child’s favorite topping

  • Use the cookie cutter to cut heart-shaped pieces of bread.
  • Spread the topping on the pieces of bread.
  • Tell your child that the topping represents “love.” Talk about how hearts remind us of love and that Jesus loves us no matter what we do.


God Will Always Be Your Friend

Sing this song to the tune of “London Bridge.”

God will always be your friend;
Yes, He will,
Yes, He will.
God will always be your friend.
He loves (child’s name).


Happy-Sad Door Hanger

You’ll Need: flesh-colored foam, foam happy face, foam sad face, washable markers, foam pieces, foam sticker hearts, yarn, safety scissors, glue.

  • With your child, make a door hanger using the flesh-colored foam.
  • Glue the happy face to one side and the sad face to the other side.
  • Decorate the door hanger using the markers, hearts, other foam pieces, and yarn.
  • As you work with your child, talk about Jesus’ story of the father and two brothers. 
  • Make a two-sided foam door hanger using flesh-colored foam door hanger using flesh-colored foam. Glue a foam happy face on one side and a sad face on the other. Use markers, foam pieces, and yarn to decorate each face. Use foam sticker hearts to decorate the door hanger.
  • Show the happy face to talk about good choices. Use the sad face to talk about bad choices. Remind her that Jesus loves us no matter what.


Puppet Story

You’ll Need: Bible, paper lunch bags or socks, small boxes or other objects to represent sets and props in the story

  • Make simple puppets of the father and the two sons using the bags or socks.
  • Arrange boxes or other objects to represent the settings in the story.
  • Open the Bible to Luke 15. Tell the Bible story as your child and other family members us the puppets to act out the story.
  • When the son returns home, have the puppets hug and the father say, “I’m so glad you are home. I love you.”
  • When the older son is upset with the father. Have the father remind the son that he loves both sons no matter what.
  • Say with your child the Bible paraphrase, “Nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37)


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Story illustrations are the copyright of Sweet Publishing and licensed by FreeBibleimages (http://freebibleimages.org) for free download under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Share-alike 3.0 unported licence. 
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