A Family Devotional Lesson on Luke 15:11-14

Big Idea: No matter how badly we stray away from God the Father, He still loves us and longs for our return to Him.

Ice Breaker:  Imagine running away from home. Help one the younger children pack a suitcase with some clothes, food, and even some money. Send them out into the backyard (be careful with children who are too young to understand that this is only a dramatization). Assign another family member to be an investigative newspaper (or television – in this scenario you could for videotape the interview for even more fun) reporter. Send out the reporter to interview the runaway. Write out the questions that the reporter will ask the runaway son or daughter. For example, what plans does the runaway have for the next few days or weeks? Why is running away from home exciting? Will it be exciting in the rain? In the snow? In the dark of night? How will you eat? Where can you live? What can you buy without money? How long will your money last? What will you do when it’s gone? When will you begin to miss your own bed? When will you begin to miss your mommy and daddy, brothers and sisters, neighborhood friends? Do you think that you will go back home? Why?

Read the Text: Luke 15:11-24 

Questions from the Passage:

• Why does the father allow the son to take off with his share of the estate?
• How does the son use the money he gains from the estate?
• How does sin destroy the good things in life?
• Are pigs dirty or clean?
• Do they smell good or bad?
• What’s so bad about taking care of pigs?
• When does the son’s life change? How does it change?
• Why should he go back home?
• How do we run away from God?
• Why should we go back to Him?
• Was it hard for the son to go back to his father?
• Will it be hard for us to go back to God?
• What does God do when we go back home to Him?
• What should you always remember in case you stray from God? 
• Memorize Luke 15:20 so that you always remember to return to God!