March 3, 2024

Parents, what a joy it is to serve your precious arrows on Sunday mornings! The Little Reformers team wants you to always have full visibility to what we are teaching your kids. It is important to us that we be effective partners to you, reinforcing what you work hard to teach your children at home. Each week, we update this section of the website to reflect the lesson, the big truth, gospel point, verse, and catechism your child(ren) will learn while in our care. We hope this resource is a help to you and gives you confidence as you train up your children in the way they should go.

Bible Story: Chapter 73. Lost and Found (Luke 15)

The Big Truth: Jesus came to rescue and redeem lost sinners.

The Gospel Point: Do you know that not everyone was excited when the prodigal son returned home? When the older brother heard the music and saw the dancing (and likely smelled the tasty steaks on the grill), he was angry and refused to join in the celebration. He complained just like the Pharisees and scribes did. He told his father, “What are you doing? Look, all these years I have faithfully served you and never disobeyed you, and you have never thrown even a little party for me. But you have thrown a big party for this sinful son of yours, who did terrible things and spent all the money you gave him. Why?” (see 15:29–30). He thought we earn the Father’s favor, so he begrudged when it was an undeserved gift. The father replied to the older son, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found” (15:31–32). The older brother’s thinking is common even today. It’s easy to think we deserve God’s salvation because we’ve done enough good things. We’re not as bad as others (so we think). Jesus told the three “lost” parables to correct such thinking. All heaven rejoices when someone repents of their sins and returns to God. When the lost are found. That is why Jesus came and spent time with sinners—to seek and save the lost, like us. When we understand the true gospel, we rejoice that God came to rescue sinners of all kinds.

Memory Verse: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Catechism: Q: What else did God make? A: God made all things. (Genesis 1, esp. vv. 1, 31, Acts 14:15, Romans 11:36, Colossians 1:16)

Sources: Bible stories from The Biggest Story Bible Story Book by Kevin DeYoung. Catechisms from Truth and Grace Book 1 by Tom Ascol . The Big Truth and the Gospel Point taken from The Biggest Story Bible by Kevin DeYoung, published by Crossway.