“May 1–7. Luke 12–17; John 11: ‘Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost,’” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: New Testament 2023 (2022)
“May 1–7. Luke 12–17; John 11,” Come, Follow Me—For Sunday School: 2023
The Prodigal Son, by Liz Lemon Swindle
May 1–7
Luke 12–17; John 11
“Rejoice with Me; for I Have Found My Sheep Which Was Lost”
Begin your preparation by prayerfully studying Luke 12–17 and John 11. What “lost sheep” in your class come to mind? Use Come, Follow Me—For Individuals and Families and this outline as you seek the Lord’s guidance on how to best meet class members’ needs, even if they aren’t attending class.
Invite Sharing
Application is an important part of learning, so invite class members to share how they chose to live something they learned from the scriptures this week.
Teach the Doctrine
No excuse is sufficient for rejecting the gospel.
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To help class members study the parable of the great supper, you might invite them to an imaginary party that you will host. Let them share some reasons why they might or might not attend. Read Luke 14:15–24 together, and discuss the excuses the people in the parable made when they were invited to a feast that represented the blessings of the gospel. What excuses do people make today for failing to accept the Savior’s invitations to receive Heavenly Father’s blessings? Perhaps class members could share blessings they have received when they have made the sacrifices necessary to live certain gospel principles.
We can seek out those who are lost and rejoice with the Father when they return.
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How will you give class members the opportunity to share what they have learned about the three parables in Luke 15? Consider assigning each class member one of the parables to review. They could look for and share answers to questions like these: What words in the parable reveal how Heavenly Father feels about those who are lost? What do the parables suggest about how we should reach out to all of God’s children? Class members could share how the Savior has found them when they have felt lost.
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Singing “Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd” (Hymns, no. 221) together might be a meaningful addition to the teachings of these parables.
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As you review the parable of the prodigal son together, class members may benefit from focusing on the words, actions, and beliefs of each person in the parable. What do we learn from each person? Perhaps class members could write an alternate ending to the parable in which the older son’s attitude toward his brother is different. What does the father’s counsel in the parable teach us about how we should feel about those who are lost and those who return to the gospel? (See also Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s statement in “Additional Resources.”) Or you could ask class members to imagine that they are the father in this parable. What additional counsel would they give the older son to help him rejoice in the progress or success of others?
Gratitude for my blessings will bring me closer to God.
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Invite class members to share what they learned about gratitude from their study of Luke 17:11–19 and the video “President Russell M. Nelson on the Healing Power of Gratitude” (ChurchofJesusChrist.org). How was the thankful leper blessed for expressing his gratitude? How are we blessed when we express gratitude? Class members could suggest ways we can show our gratitude to God and others.
Jesus Christ is the Resurrection and the Life.
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One way to examine John 11:1–46 is to ask class members to take turns reading the verses and invite them to stop and discuss each time they find evidence of faith in Jesus Christ. You could also ask class members to consider the perspectives of the people involved—including the Savior, the Apostles, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. What do we learn from each of them? Perhaps class members could share experiences when their faith in Jesus Christ was strengthened during a trial.
Additional Resources
Learning from the other prodigal.
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland made this observation about the prodigal son’s older brother: “This son is not so much angry that the other has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. … He has yet to come to the compassion and mercy, the charitable breadth of vision to see that this is not a rival returning. It is his brother. As his father pled with him to see, it is one who was dead and now is alive. It is one who was lost and now is found” (“The Other Prodigal,” Ensign, May 2002, 63).
Improving Our Teaching
Reach out to the one. Like the shepherd in the Savior’s parable (see Luke 15:4), “you can reach out to those who are missing from your class. Your opportunities to teach and lift class members and help them come unto Christ extend beyond the classroom and beyond those who attend your formal lessons” (Teaching in the Savior’s Way, 8).