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(WT) Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin ~ "Cup" Memory Workshop

Rotation.org Writing Team

Parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin

Cup Stacking Memory Workshop


Summary of Activities

In this lesson, students will play several "cup stacking" games to help them remember and retell the two parables. The lesson is introduced with a sleight of hand object lesson that can be taught to the students (if time permits) and concludes with a lost sheep game that explores key concepts and life applications.

orange Wormy holds a sign saying 'orange alert' This lesson's activities can be applied to any Bible story or Scripture memory passage!

Scripture for the Lesson

Lost Sheep: Luke 15:1-7
Astray Sheep: Matthew 18:10-14

Lost Coin: Luke 15:8-10

Key Verses: "Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices." Luke 15:4-5 (NRSVue)

Lesson Objectives

See the Bible Background at Rotation.org for insights on this story and this set's complete list of objectives.

Preparation and Materials

  • Read the Bible Background and scripture.
  • Sleight of hand trick using a cup with a flap cut outPrepare for the lost sheep sleight of hand cup trick:
    • One paper cup (such as a "hot cup" for coffee) with a thumb flap cut near the bottom
    • A small white ball—we used a 1.5" smooth foam ball; a ping-pong ball will be too "noisy." Use a Sharpie to give the ball a sheep face.
    • Practice the sleight of hand trick; it is explained below and demonstrated here in a video.
    • You will need the sheep ball again for the reflection game at the end.
  • Decide which Cup-Stacking games you will play. For each game, decide whether you will use one set of cups for the whole class or one set for each student or for groups of students. Gather the needed cups for each game...
    • raised edgeFor the Verse-Cup-Stacking game: Styrofoam cups with a raised edge on the rim. Bigger is better!
      (12 cups in each set)
    • Plastic-disposable-cupsFor the Verse-Tower and Pyramid-Stacking games: Disposable plastic cups. If each student will be making their own set, purchase several different colors of cups so that students might have different colors to help sort out cups if the towers topple into each other. The lesson suggests games using a 12-cup tower, a 15-cup pyramid, and two different 6-cup pyramids.
  • Extra cups for teachers to use during the lesson.
  • Permanent markers - one for teachers to use during the lesson and one per student if they will be doing the writing and illustrating options described in the lesson and adaptations.
  • Print the Reflection Questions. Cut the questions apart, and put them into a big cup for use in the final reflection game.
  • Print the attached documents with words and pictures for the games you plan to use. Cut them apart and tape them to the cups.
  • Clear packing tape
  • Stopwatch (most phones have this feature in their "clock/alarm" function)
  • Optional: dryer sheet or anti-static fabric spray (depending on humidity and static electricity, foam cups can cling to each other—rub or spray them)


Lesson Plan

Opening

Welcome students and explain what they'll be doing and learning about today using the following intro and demonstration:

Introduce the lost stories with a lost sheep sleight-of-hand cup trick.

Say: Today we will be talking about some stories Jesus told about being lost and found. Jesus wasn't talking about losing a favorite toy and finding it under your bed! Jesus was talking about the kind of "lost" that a person feels when they feel so sinful or hopeless that they start to believe God doesn't care about them.

The first story Jesus told was about a shepherd who left 99 of his sheep to go out and find one lost sheep who had wandered off. The other story was about a woman who lost one of her ten precious coins. We'll be learning about the sheep first.

Begin the Trick: As you set up and perform the trick, say the following distracting (yet instructive!) "patter." (The instructional video below includes much of this patter.)

  1. This is a sheep. [Show them your sheep ball.]
  2. The Bible has lots of stories about shepherds and sheep, like Psalm 23's The Lord is My Shepherd, King David as a shepherd boy, and the shepherds at the birth of Jesus. Jesus describes God as a shepherd, he calls himself "The Good Shepherd," and calls us the "sheep of his pasture."
  3. The prophet Isaiah taught us something very important about sheep. He said, "We are all like sheep who have gone astray." "Astray" means we've gone off course; we've wandered off, thinking we don't need God, ignoring God's rules, and getting into all sorts of trouble.
  4. But lucky for us sinful sheep, the Bible reminds us that God is our Good Shepherd and is always watching over us Thumb-in-the-cup-holds-balland is ready to forgive and guide us home once again. [Pick up the cup with one hand and using the other hand, put the ball in the cup, holding the ball with your thumb through the flap.]
  5. Why do we need God to be our shepherd? Because sometimes life is hard, the path is rocky, and we can become lost and afraid. [Place your hand over the top of the cup and flip the cup so it looks like you are putting the ball into your opposite hand, but actually, your thumb is holding the ball in the cup by pushing the flap. Pretend you are holding the ball in your closed fist.]
  6. Luckily for us sheep, the Good Shepherd promises to never abandon us, even when we are lost, even if we wander away from him, even if we are sinners. [While you are talking, put the cup down, releasing the ball onto the table (or your open Bible), still under the cup. Open your closed hand and act surprised! that your hand is empty!]
  7. Where did my sheep go? [Look around the table and on the floor.]
  8. Hmm. [Lift the cup and show the ball is there. Smile.] Look! We found it! [Rejoice! High fives all around!]


Here is a 3.5-minute video that demos the sleight of hand trick for the teacher.

https://vimeo.com/687702532

Explain:
What I just showed you is called "a sleight of hand trick." It's not real magic; I just distracted you so you did not see what happened. Sheep (and people) sometimes get lost when they are distracted. If you want to learn how I did the lost sheep trick, stick around at the end of class and I'll show you.

What is important to remember, is this: We ARE sheep just like the Bible says. When we wander away from God, we become lost in this world, thinking we don't need God, and worse, thinking God doesn't want anything to do with us ever again. But that's not what Jesus said. In today's parables, we will learn from Jesus that God does not abandon his lost sheep, and in fact comes looking for them to bring them home.

Let's read what Jesus said to us about God in the parables of the Lost Sheep and Lost Coin.

Read and Discuss the Scripture

Say: Open your Bibles to Luke 15 and notice that there are three parables about being lost:  The parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son (also known as the "Prodigal" Son). Today we'll be focusing on the first two parables.

Ask: Take a look at verse 1; who is Jesus talking to?  (Tax collectors and sinners, Pharisees and scribes.)
The Pharisees and scribes were very religious and they often argued with Jesus because they believed God only accepted religious people into his family/Kingdom. They taught that some people were beyond God's acceptance; sinners and tax collectors, for example.

Read Luke 15: 1-10 together.

Ask: How many times are these words used in our passage?  "lost," "found" or "find," and "rejoice" or "joy"?
a star marks text giving a different option  As a visual prompt, write these words in large letters on a cup.

Ask: How many times can you find the words "judge," "punish," "angry," or anything that suggests God isn't going to go find and bring all his lost sheep home? (Zero.)   
a star marks text giving a different option  As a visual prompt, you could write these words on another cup and smash it.

Ask: What or where is the "home" that God the good shepherd carries his lost sheep to? (Home can be "with the other sheep"—God's followers. It can also mean the "house" of God, where God lives, God's Kingdom, or Heaven.)
a star marks text giving a different option  As a visual prompt, you could write those words on another cup and put the sheep ball into that cup.

Say: If all you remember from these two parables are these four words—lost, found, home, and rejoice—then you know God's heart and desire for all of his sheep. Those words are often summed up with a special single word that we use a lot in church. It's the word "GRACE." The sheep didn't deserve to be saved, and the lost coin was only one coin out of many, but to God, every single one of us is valuable and worth saving!

Ask: Do you think the Pharisees and scribes believed Jesus? (Some didn't, and they would eventually have Jesus killed because they thought he was leading the people astray. But to everyone who felt they were lost and unwanted by God, this was Good News indeed.)

Say: Now let's play some cup-stacking games so you'll never forget Jesus' good news for all of the sheep!

The Cup Stacking Games

Here are three cup stacking games with a variety of options and tips on how to play them with your students.

the Verse Cup Stacking gameFor the Verse Cup Stacking game:

Use Styrofoam cups with a raised rim so that the words will show even when the cups are inserted into one another. Larger cups are easier to write on. We have divided the memory verse into 12 phrases (including the citation) so use 12 cups per stack. (Click on images to view larger.)

For the Verse Tower game:

Verse-Tower-GameUse the same Verse Cup Stacking cups with the verse phrases written on the rim, or write the words on the body of the cups (instead of the rims), or use the attached memory verse mailing labels and stick them to cups.

Pro Tips!
a star marks text giving a different option Attach the labels so they are right-side-up when stacked end to end.
a star marks text giving a different option Consider stacking the tower on the floor rather than a table so students can reach the top.
a star marks text giving a different option Styrofoam cups do NOT stack well in this game.

For the Story Pyramid Games:

Story Pyramid GameThe cups will have the words from the parables on them and get stacked in the correct word order starting on the bottom left of the pyramid and moving right to complete the row before starting the second row.

For students who can read, build a 15-cup pyramid using the full lost sheep scripture passage with illustrations.

For younger students, create six-cup pyramids for each story with pictures only and have them retell the story to go with the pictures.

Preparing the Cups

The teacher can prepare some or all of the cups in advance, or if you have time let the students prepare the cups as part of their memory work. Images can be included on the cups to represent a keyword or idea in the verse. Images will help with memorization and with non-readers.

You can decide to make one set of cups that your entire class will use. Or, you can have students make their own cup sets for one or more of the games and take them home with them.

Playing the Stack, Tower, and Pyramid Cup Games

We suggest you play two rounds for each cup stacking game (repetition is the cornerstone of recall).

All three games start the same way—with the cup set for that game randomly scattered on a table or the floor. First, you'll play the Verse Cup Stack, then the Verse Tower, then the Verse Pyramid (or any combination of those three you wish).

FIRST ROUND: On "go," the student (or team) reads through the cup labels and sorts the cups into the correct order as they stack the cups into the correct formation (either as a stack, a tower, or a pyramid). Check their work and give hints if any cups are in the wrong place.

SECOND ROUND: After stacking the cups in the right order once, time the student or team to see how fast they can do it a second time; or if you have several cup sets, have a head-to-head competition for fastest and most correct.

You may keep score or not. A little competitive energy will improve their recall and add to the fun.

Cup Tips:

  • LostCoinStoryPyramidFor the verse cup stacking and pyramids, as the students become more confident in the words they are memorizing, substitute blank cups for some of the phrases to see if they can still sort and recite the verse.
  • Depending on the size and age of your group and how many stack sets you've decided to create, you could have each student play all three games, or play just one or two of the stacking games. They can work alone, with other students, or as teams.

Teaching points during the stacking games:

  • If students are having problems with toppling towers and stacks, remind them that these two parables teach us that God does not give up on us. Just as the shepherd and the woman kept searching until they were successful, we should keep trying until we get the cups stacked correctly.
  • Encourage students to help one another. Sheep gotta look out for each other!
  • REJOICE! when a tower or stack or pyramid is completed. In the parables, God calls his followers (his neighbors and sheep) to celebrate his Grace.
  • If some in the class are having trouble completing stacks correctly, remind the others that we don't want to be like the Pharisees and scribes, judging others. Have those who have completed their stacks encourage the other students, help them as needed, and rejoice with them when they complete their stacks.
  • If cups tumble onto the floor, consider surreptitiously kicking one cup into a hidden corner. When the students discover one of the pictures or phrases is missing, it is another opportunity to talk about searching, finding, and rejoicing as the group looks for the lost cup.
  • Rejoice at each successful completion of a stack, tower, or pyramid!!


Final Reflection: Sheep lost under a cup game

After playing the cup stacking games, gather the students around the table. Place three cups in a row and hide the "sheep ball" from the sleight of hand trick under one of the cups. Move the cups around to scramble them.

Ask a student to guess which cup the sheep is under. If he/she is correct, that person gets to select a reflection question and answer it.
If they are incorrect, let them guess where the sheep is until they find it under one of the remaining cups (so that everyone is included and gets to answer a reflection question).

Let the person who answered the reflection question hide the sheep and scramble the cups for the next person to guess. Questions can be put back in the cup so that they get used again. Play this as long as you have time.

Close with a prayer thanking God that we are his precious sheep and coins, and rejoice in the good news that God cares for all his sheep and coins, every last one.



Adaptations

For Younger Students:

A pyramid of cups with story pictures to retell the parableAvoid Styrofoam cups for the pyramids and tower as they are lightweight and harder to stack than heavier plastic cups.
Focus on retelling the stories using the six-cup story pyramids that have pictures rather than words. Review the story and the pictures with the class and their correct order before starting the game.
Pick two cups at a time and ask the students "which one do you think comes next in the verse?" If they get it right, let them do the stacking. If they get it wrong, correct them and hand them the cup for stacking. Play the entire stacking game with them again to see how quickly they can get it correct a second time.

For Older Students:

Let the students make their own sets of memory verse cups to take home. Encourage them to share the cups and memory verse with family members and challenge them to a friendly game of cup stacking.
Relay race: Divide into two teams, each at a different table. Give each team a set of scrambled memory verse cups. On the signal “GO,” the first player from each team goes to his/her group's table and finds the first correct cup, and starts their team’s stack. When they return to their line, the next player goes and finds the next part of the verse and stacks it. If any player finds a mistake they can fix it, but that is all they can do on their turn. If a stack falls over, they need to start over, stacking one cup at a time. When all the teams have finished, have them read their pyramid or tower of verse cups to see which team got the cups/words in the right order—a team can be rewarded for being fast or being most correct. Remind them that God plays no favorites, even the slowest, most incorrect sheep will be carried home in victory by God!

For Those With More Class Time:

Teach the children how to do the lost sheep sleight of hand. Make sure they also know how to explain the trick using the "patter" about sheep going astray,
Brainstorm "ways sheep their age get lost."
Following the stacking games, have students illustrate a cup and use it for their next meal, to "rejoice" in the message of these grace-filled parables.
Let the students make their own sets of memory verse cups to take home. Encourage them to remember and tell the parable as they share the cups and memory verse with family members.

For At-Home Use or a Shorter/Simpler lesson plan:

Eliminate one of the stacking games if you have shorter class time.
Eliminate the Styrofoam cups and Verse Cup Stacking if your budget is tight.
The stacking games are easy to play at home with just one or two people. Provide families with cups, printed word and picture pages to cut out and tape on the cups, and instructions for the games.

If you have early arrivers:

Practice speed cup stacking skills with blank cups (or use the labeled cups so students can start to get familiar with the stories, but don't worry about stacking the cups in the correct order). This is a fun, community-building activity. Here are some helpful videos to get you started:

Notes and Sources

Clipart and illustrations for cup labels attached are from:

  • Parable of the Lost Coin - artwork by Richard Gunther; select 6 for a story summary pyramid
  • Richard Gunther's illustrations for the cup labels for the lost sheep story 15-cup pyramid labels are from Lambsongs, "One Hundred Sheep" and "Precious Lamb."
  • The images for the 6-cup lost sheep Bible story summary pyramid are by Richard Gunther from Free Bible Images.


The sleight of hand trick is trick #1 demonstrated at the beginning of this video and explained at 3:10.

Written by Amy Crane, Neil MacQueen, and the Rotation.org Writing Team.
Copyright Rotation.org Inc.

Attachments

Images (19)
  • Supplies-for-Sleight-of-Hand
  • raised-edge-on-cup
  • Plastic-disposable-cups
  • Thumb-in-the-cup-holds-ball
  • Verse-Cup-Stacking-Game
  • Verse-Tower-Game
  • Story-Pyramid-Game
  • VerseCup-Stack
  • VerseCup-Tower
  • VerseCup-Pyramid
  • LongScriptureCupPyramid
  • LongScriptureCups
  • LostCoinStoryPyramid
  • LostSheepStoryPyramid
  • MemoryVerseStack
  • MemVerseCupCloseup
  • MemVerseCupTower
  • PyramidCloseup
  • MemVerseCupLabels
Files (5)
NRSV; fits Avery mailing labels - 2 sets of memory verse for a stack, tower, or 15 cup pyramid
Luke 15:3-7 (NRSVue), 15 labels with illustrations for a 15-cup pyramid
six illustrations for a story summary pyramid
select 6 illustrations for a story summary pyramid
for the closing activity
Last edited by Amy Crane
Original Post
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