📖

Jesus the Good Shepherd

Jesus the Good Shepherd

Day 141of 180
Week 29of 36
20Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)

Learning Objectives

1

Understand that Jesus cares for people like a shepherd cares for sheep

2

Learn that Jesus protects and loves His followers

3

Develop a sense of comfort in Jesus' loving care

John 10:11

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:11 (WEB)

Jesus describes His love and protection using the familiar image of a shepherd caring for his flock

📦 Materials Needed

  • Stuffed sheep or sheep picture
  • Shepherd's staff or stick
  • BibleMouse Resource Guide: Grade K Bible
  • World English Bible

Lesson Plan

1Opening (3 min)

Welcome to today's BibleMouse lesson! Let's talk about how Jesus takes care of us like a shepherd takes care of sheep.

💭 Review Question: What did we learn about Jesus' power in our last lesson?
2Teaching (7 min)

Today we'll learn about Jesus as the Good Shepherd who loves and protects His people.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • A shepherd takes care of his sheep
  • Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd
  • Jesus loves and protects us just like a shepherd
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What do shepherds do for their sheep?
  • How does Jesus take care of us?
3Activity: Good Shepherd Game (8 min)
interactive

Children pretend to be sheep, and a parent acts as the shepherd, demonstrating protection and care

📝 Instructions:
  1. Spread out around the room
  2. Parent calls out 'Come to the shepherd!'
  3. Children gather close to the 'shepherd'
  4. Discuss how Jesus calls and protects us
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Use a stuffed sheep for younger children

Challenge: Act out different scenarios of protection

4Closing (3 min)

Review what we learned about Jesus as the Good Shepherd

📝 Review Questions:
  • Who is the Good Shepherd?
  • How does Jesus take care of us?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank You for loving and protecting us like a good shepherd.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn about a special story Jesus told about a lost sheep!

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Sheep Hop Memory Verse - Children hop forward one step for each word of the verse, creating a fun movement-based memorization game

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Shepherds in biblical times were responsible for protecting and guiding their sheep, a powerful metaphor for Jesus' care

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use gentle, loving language when discussing Jesus' protection
  • Encourage questions and imagination
  • Use the BibleMouse Resource Guide for additional visual aids
🤔 Common Struggles:

Young children might find it hard to understand abstract concepts of spiritual protection

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Child's engagement, questions about Jesus, comfort with the concept of being cared for

Extension Activities

  • Create a sheep craft using cotton balls and paper
  • Sing BibleMouse songs about Jesus' love
  • Read additional shepherd-themed stories from BibleMouse Read-Aloud Library

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 142Back to Bible