The Lost Sheep (children)

When David was a shepherd, he loved to sit out on the hills and play his harp while the sheep contentedly munched the green grass. But he always kept a watch, because sometimes wild animals would come and steal the sheep and eat them up.

(wolf) That's a wolf! And David would run to protect the sheep. Then when the evening came, I think David would play on his shepherd's pipe and would call them back to the fold. (pipe) He took good care of them, and every night counted them to see if they were all there. (Song - "The Lord is My Shepherd")

Once there was a shepherd who had one hundred sheep. (S.E. sheep) As he was a good shepherd, he took good care of them. Very early in the morning he put them out of the fold to look for food. He called them and they went out, one after the other, from the sheep fold. The little sheep ran out playfully, and the mother sheep walked along quietly. And after climbing up mountains and coming down into the valleys, they lay down to rest in the shade, by a fresh, quiet little pool. In the evening they returned to the sheep fold where they could be safe. As they went in the gate, the good shepherd counted them, one by one. One night he was counting them: 1-2-3-4-5 (sheep) and on up to 95-96-97-98-99 - and - there were no more. Where was the hundredth sheep? There was a lost sheep! LOST! Lost! The night was very dark and stormy. But the shepherd knew that he must go and find the little sheep or it would die. And so he went out calling and playing his shepherd's pipe, (storm) but there was no answer.

Finally, he thought he heard something. He strained his ear to listen. Sure enough, it was the little sheep crying. Listen (lamb) It was caught in a bush, on the mountain side. Tenderly he lifted it with the hook of his staff and put it on his shoulders. How happy he was as he brought it home safely again.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He gave His life for us--the sheep. The Bible says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Jesus says, "Come to Me and I will save you." Will you answer? He is calling.

(Child's voice) "Here I am, Lord Jesus. I want You to save me."

He will gladly come and take you in His arms of love.