Lost Sheep and the Sound of Music

Scripture

Luke 15:4–5 NIV

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

Introduction (2 mins)

Hey everyone! Who had a great week this week?

Does everyone know who Mrs. Beaty is? I recently learned that her favorite movie is a movie called, The Sound of Music. Has anyone seen that movie?

It’s a movie full of music and a powerful story! It's all about the von Trapp family who was going through a really tough time until someone very special came into their lives. A young woman named Maria helped them find joy, music, and their way as a family again.

That's what we're going to explore today - how the journey of Maria and the von Trapps connects to one of Jesus' most famous stories about a lost sheep. We’re going to watch our first clip and it’s going to help us see how God helps us when we feel lost!

Part 1 (5 mins)

(Play YouTube clip: "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?")

Maria, one of the main characters of the movie, doesn’t feel like she fits in with a group of nuns! There’s one problem after another and the other nuns don’t know what to do with her! You could say that Maria was feeling a bit...lost. Have any of you ever felt lost, like you didn’t quite fit in?

That reminds me of a story Jesus once told about a shepherd who had 100 sheep. One of the sheep wandered off from the flock and got itself lost. Do you know what the shepherd did? Let's read it straight from the Bible:

(Read Luke 15:4-5)

Luke 15:4–5 NIV

“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders

The shepherd didn't just forget about that one lost little sheep. No, he left all the others behind and went searching until he found the one who was lost. When he finally tracked that sheep down, he was so happy that he carried it home rejoicing!

This story teaches us that God loves each and every one of us so much. When we feel lost, He doesn't give up on us. Just like the shepherd, God actively searches for those who are lost, He looks for us until He finds us and brings us home. Let’s watch our second clip!

Part 2 (5 mins)

(Play YouTube clip: "Do-Re-Mi")

Has anyone sang the song in the video before? At first, you can see how sad and closed off the kids are. Their home had become so strict and joyless — in part because they didn’t have a mom who loved them! But then Maria comes in with her energy and passion for life. Through her love, she begins to open their hearts and minds to all the possibility and beauty around them.

In the same way that God had a very special plan for Maria's life to go and be a part of this family, He also had a plan to use her to bring that lost "flock" of von Trapps back together. Just like the shepherd went and left the 99 sheep behind to find the one who was lost, so God sent Maria to guide this family back to each other when they felt like they were lost didn’t have a place!

Maria brings her joy for music and life into the home and Maria helped the von Trapps rediscover their love for each other. She took a home that had wandered so far from what a family should be, and she got them back on track! Let’s watch our last clip to see how the story ends!

Part 3 (3 mins)

(Play YouTube clip: "Climb Ev'ry Mountain")

The family was faced with a really hard decision! They were in danger because of a war, and the entire von Trapp family has to make an escape over the mountains into Switzerland to be free from the danger.

After all the times they had lost their way and forgotten what mattered most, this family believed that there was a better future together. Just as the shepherd celebrated when he found his lost sheep and carried it home, the von Trapps were able to experience the happiness of finding their path again.

That's exactly what God wants for each of us too. When we're lost, when we feel like we don’t fit in, God never stops pursuing us with His love. He is searching, always working to bring us back home to Him and to the purpose He has for our lives.

Summary

The journey we saw Maria and the von Trapps go through in "The Sound of Music" reminds us of the loving, shepherd in the story of the Lost Sheep. When we are lost like that little sheep, we have a Good Shepherd who leaves everything behind to come find us. He finds us, and takes us home, and He celebrates when we are found!

So if there's anyone here today who's feeling a bit lost or like they don’t fit in, listen to this: You are deeply loved and cared for by God. He has a great plan for your life! He’s got an exciting journey for you ahead, just like He did for Maria and the von Trapps. Let's follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and experience that joy of being found!