904 Washington St SE, Olympia, WA 98501
Gather around a candle in the coziest spot in your home to read the Parable of the Lost Sheep from Matthew 18:12-14 or from your favorite children’s Bible. Share highs and lows from the day, then tell stories about times you have been lost—in a store, on a trip to an unfamiliar place, in the woods, etc. You may also have stories
of feeling lost because you don’t know what to do—taking a test, being hurt by a friend, losing a job, etc.
Talk about what it felt like to be lost, and what it felt like when you were finally found. Remember that even when we are lost, God finds us.
Reading the Bible helps us know more about God and God’s love. Ask everyone to search the house to find all the Bibles you have. Gather them together and compare them. Grown-ups, do you like a Bible with extra features for study and journaling? Kids, which one do you like best—pictures or no pictures? Find the Old
and New Testaments and count all the books in each (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books). Are there any books of the Bible you haven’t heard of? What book of the Bible are you most familiar with?
If you have a family Bible, explore what is inside—family tree, birth dates, baptism dates, marriage dates, death dates? Where does your family keep this kind of information? If you do not have a family Bible with these dates, consider starting one.
Ask these questions of each other:
• When did you receive your first Bible? Who gave it to you? Do you still have it?
• When is your favorite time to read the Bible: morning, middle of the day, or evening?
• Share a story about a time when a Bible story or verse helped when you felt lost.
Play a game of Hide and Seek. For extra fun, play it in the dark. When you are done, celebrate that everyone was found and enjoy a snack of popcorn and your favorite drink.
We learn more about God’s love by reading the Bible. As a family, plan to donate a Bible to your church’s library or a Sunday school class or buy a children’s Bible and gift it to a new baby.
Say this prayer or blessing at the close of your time:
Thank you, God, for finding us when we are lost. Thank you for our Bibles. Thank you for our family. Amen.