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see the very people who had taken p art in th a t horrible meal, seated about the - Lord’s table to eat of the bread, and d rink of th e cup th a t are th e emblems of His Body and Blood. A t th e close of -th a t fifty years, th irte en hundred churches of Christ could be counted, some of them standing on th e site of cannibal ovens, and ou t of a popula tion of 110,000, 104,000 were h abitual atten d an ts a t places of worship. ■S*4. is* Jesu s’ Love F o r th e World. John 10:1-16. Memory Verse.— “ I am th e good shepherd.” John 10:11. Approach.— Can you all see real well th is morning? T hat is fine to have two splendid little eyes to see all th e beau tifu l world and our p aren ts and friends and all th e BEGINNERS o th er good things AND PRIMARY God has given us to Mabel L. M errill enjoy. Now you watch as 1 unroll th is picture and see if you can tell me what it is. Yes, a sheep, and it looks so real you almost w ant to p u t ou t your hand and feel its wool. In th e coun try where Jesus lived when He was down here on earth th e re were lots and lots of sheep, and many of the people took care of th e sheep. One Who took care of sheep was called a shepherd. They did not have fences and keep th e sheep up in a lo t or pen as we keep anim als today, bu t th e shep herd watched over the sheep as they played and ran about over th e hills during th e day. He always knew ju st where th e best, juicy grass grew, and th e cool stream s of w ater were. He also kept a close watch for any wild animal th a t m ight slip in and h u rt or carry away a little lamb. The shep herd loved his sheep, and when he took them from one place to ano ther he always w ent before them and the sheep followed; and do you know th e shep herd had a name for each one of his
sheep, and each sheep knew its name, and would come when th e shepherd spoke its name. We all remember how the shepherds were sitting around th e fire watching th e ir sheep .while they slept, on' th e n igh t when Jesus came as a little baby to th is earth . P rayer. Lesson Story.— In our sto ry for to day we are to learn of th e 'g re ate st shepherd in th e world. He came down from heaven to live here on ea rth and his crib was a manger. Who was He? Jesus. Jesus is the G reat Shepherd and all the people who love Him are th e sheep. He knows us by name and watches over us day and night, and He goes before us to lead us in th e rig h t way. Now if we tru ly love Jesus we will follow Him by doing th e things He wants us to do, for sheep will al ways follow the shepherd, and you know when th e sheep followed th e shep herd and did ju st as he wanted them to do, they were well taken- care of and safe. Sometimes a little sheep th a t though t he would have some fun and did not follow the shepherd, fe ll' down a steep hill and was cut and bruised w ith th e sharp stones, and could not climb- up the hill again where the other sheep were w ith th e shepherd. At n igh t when th e shepherd counted his sheep to^put them away for the night, this one was missing. He w ent back and hunted and called un til he heard th e little h u rt sheep crying; th en he climbed down, took th e little sheep up in his arm s and carried it safely back to th e fold and pu t some medicine on the cuts and bruises. You know some times boys and girls get into trouble ju st like th e little sheep by no t follow- iug Jesus the Good Shepherd and doing th e things th a t Jesus w ants us to do. Jesus our shepherd not only loves us, His sheep, b u t He loves all th e people in th e world and He w ants them for His sheep; bu t th ere are so many people in th e world who have never heard of Jesus, and do not know w hat a loving
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