God Looks for the Lost: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 15:1-10

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 15:1-10 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 15:1-10 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Have you ever lost something special to you? What was it, and did you find it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how God cares for people who feel lost or far from him. Jesus tells two stories about finding something special that was lost. We will see how heaven celebrates when one person turns to God.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
complain: (verb) To say that you are not happy about something.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
search: (verb) To look carefully for something.
sheep: (noun) An animal with thick wool that often lives in a flock.
silver coin: (phrase) A small piece of round metal used as money.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
carefully: (adverb) Doing something with a lot of attention so you do not make a mistake.
change: (verb) To make something different.
complain: (verb) To say that you are not happy about something.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
field: (noun) An open area of land.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
in the same way: (phrase) Having a similar meaning or result.
joy: (noun) A feeling of very great happiness.
look for: (phrase) To try to find someone or something.
lost: (adjective) Not knowing where you are or being unable to be found.
neighbor: (noun) A person who lives near you.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
search: (verb) To look carefully for something.
sheep: (noun) An animal with thick wool that often lives in a flock.
silver coin: (phrase) A small piece of round metal used as money.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
suppose: (verb) To think that something is true.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

angel: (noun) A messenger from heaven who serves God.
because: (conjunction) For the reason that.
began: (verb) To have started something.
call: (verb) To speak a name to get someone’s attention.
came: (verb) To have moved toward a person or a place.
carefully: (adverb) Doing something with a lot of attention so you do not make a mistake.
carry: (verb) To hold something and move it from one place to another.
change: (verb) To make something different.
clean: (verb) To make something not dirty.
complain: (verb) To say that you are not happy about something.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
decide: (verb) To make a choice.
eat: (verb) To put food in your mouth and swallow it.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
field: (noun) An open area of land.
find: (verb) To see or get something you were looking for.
found: (verb) To have seen something you were looking for.
friend: (noun) A person you know and like.
go out: (phrase) To leave a room or a building to go outside.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
happy: (adjective) Feeling joy or pleasure.
have: (verb) To own or hold something.
heaven: (noun) The place where God lives.
home: (noun) The place where a person lives.
in the same way: (phrase) Having a similar meaning or result.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
joy: (noun) A feeling of very great happiness.
leave: (verb) To go away from a place.
light: (noun) The brightness that lets us see.
listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
look for: (phrase) To try to find someone or something.
lost: (adjective) Not knowing where you are or being unable to be found.
many: (adjective) A large number of people or things.
more: (adjective) A larger amount of something.
need: (verb) To require something because it is important.
neighbor: (noun) A person who lives near you.
other: (adjective) Different from the one already mentioned.
people: (noun) More than one person.
Pharisee: (noun) A religious leader who was very strict about rules.
place: (noun) A specific area, room, or location.
search: (verb) To look carefully for something.
sheep: (noun) An animal with thick wool that often lives in a flock.
silver coin: (phrase) A small piece of round metal used as money.
sinner: (noun) A person who does things that God says are wrong.
story: (noun) A description of people and events that happened.
suppose: (verb) To think that something is true.
take: (verb) To get or carry something away.
tax collector: (phrase) A person whose job is to take money from people for the government.
teacher of the law: (phrase) A person who is an expert in the religious rules given to the Jewish people by God.
than: (conjunction) A word used to compare two things.
told: (verb) To have given information to someone.
until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
very: (adverb) In a high degree.
welcome: (verb) To greet someone in a friendly way.
will: (verb) A word used to talk about the future.
woman: (noun) An adult female person.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells us about a time when Jesus was teaching. Many tax collectors and sinners came to listen to him. Tax collectors were people who took money from others for the government, and sinners are people who do things God says are wrong. Most people did not like or trust them.

The Pharisees and teachers of the law were upset. They complained because Jesus welcomed these people and even ate with them. Jesus wanted to teach them why he did this, so he told two stories.

In the first story, a man had one hundred sheep. One sheep got lost. The man left the ninety-nine sheep in the field and went to search for the one lost sheep. He did not stop until he found it. When he found it, he was very happy! One sheep got lost. The man left the ninety-nine sheep and went to look for the one lost sheep. When he found it, he was very happy. He carried the sheep home and asked his friends and neighbors to celebrate with him. Jesus said this is like heaven. Heaven is full of joy when one person turns to God.

In the second story, a woman lost one of her ten silver coins. She lit a lamp and cleaned the house carefully. She was searching everywhere for it. When she found it, she was so full of joy that she told her friends and neighbors. They celebrated together. Jesus said the angels in heaven are happy in the same way when one sinner turns back to God.

This passage teaches us that God loves every person, even those others do not like. He cares for people who feel lost and wants them to come back to him. Heaven is full of joy when one person turns to God.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Joy in Heaven
1 Many tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus.
2 Then the Pharisees and the teachers of the law began to complain,
“Look, this man welcomes sinners and even eats with them!”
3 Then Jesus told them this story:
4 “Suppose one of you has 100 sheep, but one of them gets lost.
What will you do?
You will leave the other 99 sheep there in the field and go out and look for the lost sheep.
You will continue to search for it until you find it.
5-6 And when you find it, you will be very happy.
You will carry it home, go to your friends and neighbors and say to them,
‘Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep!’
7 In the same way, I tell you, heaven is a happy place when one sinner decides to change.
There is more joy for that one sinner than for 99 good people who don’t need to change.
8 “Suppose a woman has ten silver coins, but she loses one of them.
She will take a light and clean the house.
She will look carefully for the coin until she finds it.
9 And when she finds it, she will call her friends and neighbors and say to them,
‘Be happy with me because I have found the coin that I lost!’
10 In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.”
Luke 15:1-10 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 15:1-10 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 15:1-10 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 15:1-10 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 15:1-10 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 15:1-10 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 15:1-10 (ESV)

Luke 15:1-10 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Who came to listen to Jesus?
Why were the religious leaders unhappy with Jesus?
What did the man do when one sheep got lost?
How did the man feel when he found his lost sheep?
What did the man do after finding the sheep?
What happened when the woman lost a coin?
How did the woman look for the coin?
What did she do when she found the coin?
Who is happy when one person turns back to God?
What do these two stories teach us about God’s love?

Application Questions

Have you ever felt lost or alone in life?
Why do you think God cares so much about one person?
How can you help someone who feels left out or forgotten?
What makes you feel special and loved?
How can you show others that God loves them too?

Theological Insights

God loves every person, no matter what they have done.
Jesus welcomes people others might reject.
Heaven is happy when even one person turns to God.
God looks for people who feel lost and brings them back.
We should care for others the way God cares for us.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for loving us and looking for us when we feel lost. Help us to turn to you and show your love to other people. Thank you for your joy and care. Amen.