Theme: Shame doesn’t get the last word
Sunday 26th October 2025
Storytelling
Aim: To hear how the father accepted the son back and forgave him.
Bible passage: Luke 15:11–32
We revisit a story that we explored a month ago – and that’s on purpose! Every time we come back to a story, we bring different baggage and God reveals different things to us. Children who remember this story will be able to step deeper into it and explore a different aspect of it. That being said, some won’t have visited this story before or remember it! However you and your family come to this story, expect new revelation and learning.
This week, we come to a session about shame and judgement. The adults will be looking at the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11); this isn’t appropriate for children in this context, so we come back to the forgiveness shown to the younger son when he returns to his father. The son isn’t judged by the father for what he has done, he isn’t shamed, he isn’t made to pay. He is accepted back. His brother tries to do all these things, but his father does not.
If we come back to God, he forgives us and we don’t have to be embarrassed about how we have messed up. We can be joyful that we have been restored!
Don’t forget to leave time for the Encounter/Response section, and to go through the prayers in the prayer scrapbook.
Sunday Kids Work Video
Things You May Need
plain paper and coloured
felt-tip pens
scissors & glue sticks
praise music
Questions & Thoughts
Think about what happened when the son came home to say sorry to his dad. Chat about what the younger son thought might have happened and what all this celebration meant.
Imagine what the coat was like that the son was given to wear. Give out the paper and create your own beautiful coat using felt-tip pens or making a collage.
As you work, carry on chatting about what all this celebration – the new coat, the ring, the shoes and the big party – meant for the younger son. He was expecting judgement, shame and punishment and instead he was forgiven and accepted back.
Have a kind of fashion parade of all the coats the children have made.
Chat & create
Share out some refreshments and enjoy eating and drinking together. Start to talk about the Bible story using these questions:
• Which is your favourite part of the story? Why?
• What is important about this story? Why?
• When the younger son decided to go home, what do you think he imagined his dad would say?
• Why do you think the dad forgave his son?
• How did the son feel when his dad threw a party for him?
• What does this story tell you about God?
• Have you ever messed up like the younger son? How did you feel? Did you say sorry? What happened when you did?.
Worship
These are the worship songs being played in our kids groups this morning, if you wish to listen to the same:
Under 5s
Superhero
The Rainbows in the sky
The butterfly song
Over 5s
Our God
One Way
Encounter
Remind yourselves that God forgives us when we come back to him to say sorry. He doesn’t hold the stuff we have done against us. Sit quietly for a moment and think about if you need to say sorry to God for anything. If you want to write or draw a prayer on the back of your coat, you can do so. Otherwise, you can chat with God in the head or whisper quietly into your hand.
Put on some happy praise music and celebrate that God has forgiven you. Have a short party, just like the one that the father threw for his younger son! Dance around, sing along to the song and wave your coats around.
Finally, get out your prayer scrapbook. Take a look through this and reflect on what is already in the scrapbook. Give out paper and felt-tip pens and write or draw a prayer. When you have finished, stick the prayers into the scrapbook (you can use the scissors to trim the paper down, so that you can fit more prayers on one page) to look at another day.
Growing faith at home
This week, we explored the story of the lost son (Luke 15:11–32) again, this time thinking about how the younger son was forgiven and accepted back, with no shame or judgement.
For All Children
For all children
• Read or listen to the story together. You can use the video retelling the children watched in the session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJgROx4wFKM or read it in the Bible or a Bible storybook.
• Explore the story by using these craft ideas: https://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/search/label/prodigal%20son Don’t forget to talk around the story as well as do the craft!
• On the same website, there are lots of creative prayer activities you can try. Choose ones that will suit your family and help your child(ren) think about what they might need to say sorry to God for. https://flamecreativekids.blogspot.com/p/creative-prayer.html
• If you started a prayer scrapbook, then add new prayers to it this week and look back to see how God has answered your prayers and how he forgives you.
