1st-2nd Grade (8:45am) June 7, 2015
Leader BIBLE STUDY Use Week of: 1 The religious leaders who listened to and watched Jesus had some problems with the things He said and did. He taught about a righteousness that comes by faith rather than works, and He was friends with tax collectors and sinners. So Jesus told a parable to make clear that entering God s kingdom was not a matter of merit but of grace. The parable of the vineyard workers is about a landowner who hired workers to work in his vineyard. The first group agreed to work for a denarius, a fair wage for a day s work. Throughout the day, the landowner hired more groups of workers. At the end of the day, the landowner paid every worker one denarius. The workers who had put in 12 hours did not think it was fair that those who worked just 1 hour were paid the same. In Jesus parable, the second, third, fourth, and fifth groups of workers represent people who are not a part of the nation of Israel. The Israelites had been following God for generations. They faced trials, paralleling the men who worked through the heat of the day. God promised blessings to Abraham s family, Israel. (See Gen. 12:2-3.) God kept His promise, yet He also poured out blessings on tax collectors, sinners, and Gentiles. Like the landowner and his wealth, God is free to share His grace as He desires. Jesus gave salvation to the criminal who was crucified next to Him and to Saul, who persecuted believers. Does God act fairly in saving people who have not followed Him their entire lives? The reward eternal life is God s grace to those who believe, whether they believe at the first or at the last. God is generous; He gives good gifts. Jesus parable teaches about God s grace. God does not owe us anything, yet He pours out blessings on us. He makes salvation possible for us, regardless of our abilities or efforts. The last will be first, and the first last. This gospel does not make sense to the world, but it is good news for sinners. We deserve to die for our sins, but God gives us what we don t deserve salvation through His Son, Jesus. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 1
Younger Kids BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Parable of the Vineyard Workers Bible Passage: Matthew 20:1-16 Big Picture Question: Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. U N I T 30 1 Small Group Opening Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Large Group Leader Countdown Introduce the session (1 minute) Timeline map (1 minute) Big picture question (1 minute) Sing (5 minutes) Key passage (4 minutes) Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Discussion starter video (3 minutes) The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Prayer (5 minutes) Small Group Leader Key passage activity (5 minutes) Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Additional suggestions for specific groups are available at gospelproject.com/kids/additional-resources. For free online training on how to lead a group, visit ministrygrid.com/web/thegospelproject. 2
The BIBLE STORY Parable of the Vineyard Workers Matthew 20:1-16 One day, as Jesus was teaching, He told a story about some men who worked in a vineyard. A vineyard is like a farm where grapes grow. Jesus told this story to teach the people about God s kingdom. Jesus said, This is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A man who owned a vineyard went out early in the morning and hired some workers. He told the workers that he would pay them each one denarius (dih NEHR ih uhs). (A denarius was a silver coin worth one day s work.) So the workers went to the vineyard. Then Jesus said, A few hours later, around nine in the morning, the landowner went out again. He saw some men standing in the marketplace. They did not have any work to do. So the landowner said, You can work in my vineyard too, and I will pay you what is right. So these men went to the vineyard to work. The landowner went out three more times, a few hours apart. Around noon and around three o clock, he hired more men who did not have jobs to do. These men went to his vineyard to work. At five o clock, the landowner found more men standing around. Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing? the landowner asked. Because no one hired us, they said. So the landowner invited the men to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day, the landowner told the man in charge of the workers to call them together and pay them, starting with the workers who arrived last and ending with the workers who started early in the morning. The men who were hired around five o clock came to be paid, and they each received one denarius. The men who had been hired early in the morning saw what those workers received, so they expected to be paid more. But when it was their turn to be paid, they also received one denarius. These men have only been working for one hour, and you paid Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 3
them the same as us, they complained to the landowner. We have been working all day in the heat! The landowner said to one of the men, Friend, I have been fair with you. You agreed to work for one denarius, right? Take your pay and go. I want to give this last worker the same as I gave you. I can do what I want with my own money. Are you jealous because I am generous? Jesus ended His story by explaining, So those who are last now will be first, and those who are first now will be last. Christ Connection: Jesus parable teaches about God s grace. God is generous, and He loves us. We deserve to die for our sins, but God gives us what we don t deserve salvation through His Son, Jesus. Want to discover God s Word? Get Adventure! Invite kids to check out today s devotional to discover that Jesus described Himself as the Vine. If we remain with Him, we can bear much fruit! Order in bulk, subscribe quarterly, or purchase individually. For more information, check out www.lifeway.com/devotionals. 4
Small Group OPENING Session Title: Parable of the Vineyard Workers Bible Passage: Matthew 20:1-16 Big Picture Question: Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Welcome time LOW PREP paper marker scissors basket or other container Session starter (10 minutes) Gather the workers Write the numbers 1 3 on several small pieces of paper. Choose two volunteers and declare one area a vineyard for one volunteer and another area a vineyard for the other volunteer. Place a basket or other container with the pieces of paper inside it between the two vineyards. At the start signal, a vineyard owner must run to the basket and pull out a piece of paper. He must then choose the number of kids on the paper to come help him in his vineyard. Once they are in his vineyard area, he will return for another piece of paper. The game continues until all the kids are in a vineyard. The winner is the vineyard with the most kids. Say In today s Bible story, Jesus told a parable about a vineyard owner who hired workers throughout a day but paid them the same. Do you think that is fair? We ll see what Jesus said about it. Transition to large group Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 5
Large Group LEADER Session Title: Parable of the Vineyard Workers Bible Passage: Matthew 20:1-16 Big Picture Question: Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. room decorations countdown video Suggested Theme Decorating Ideas: Place a projector screen in the middle of the stage or front of the room. You may also use a large white bedsheet. Cut a large window out of a large appliance box to create a concession stand. Write Concession Stand above the window with a large permanent marker or paint. Place the stand on one side of the stage. Countdown Show the countdown video as your kids arrive, and set it to end as large group time begins. large appliance box small broom and dustpan Introduce the session (1 minute) [Large Group Leader comes out from behind the concession stand with a small broom and dustpan.] Leader Hello! You must be here for our double showing tonight at Parables Drive-In Theater. I ll take your ticket, and offer you any yummy snacks you want as you enjoy a movie on our giant screen from your very own car. Just in case you don t know, ticket prices vary depending on the day and time of your movie, whether or not it s a double feature or single showing, and whether Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 7
or not it s a 3D movie. If you add snacks, that will be another charge too. It sure would be nice if you just paid me the same price no matter what. Hey! That reminds me of a Bible story. Why don t we watch it on the big screen? Come on in. I m feeling generous today, so no charge. Timeline Map Timeline map (1 minute) Leader First, we have this nice timeline so we can figure out the order of the events we read about in the Bible. Today s Bible story has a special picture on the timeline. Who can find a picture of a drive-in theater? That s not the special picture. It doesn t tell us anything about the Bible story, but the picture near it does. Today s Bible story is called Parable of the Vineyard Workers. Big picture question (1 minute) Leader Whether you go to the movie theater or a store, you have to pay for almost everything. That s not the way God works. God gives good gifts gifts we can t pay for. How about joy, love, peace, blessings, forgiveness? Why does God give good gifts? That s a great question. Get your Bible ready. We can find the answer together. Jesus! song Key Passage Slide or Poster Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven song Sing (5 minutes) Leader There is no greater gift than Jesus. Jesus came, took the punishment for our sin, and gave us forgiveness and His righteousness instead. Let s praise Him with a new theme song. Sing along as you learn the song. Sing together Jesus! Key passage (4 minutes) Leader Today s Bible story is a parable. A parable is a story Jesus told to help people understand more about 8
God and how He reigns over His people. Why did Jesus tell these parables? The answer to that question is found in our key passage. Let s take a look. Show the poster of the key passage, Matthew 13:10-11. Lead the boys and girls to read the verse. Sing together Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. Parable of the Vineyard Workers video Bibles, 1 per kid Bible Story Picture Slide or Poster Tell the Bible story (10 minutes) Leader Our Bible story comes from Matthew 20. Let s find out what our Bible story has to do with generous gifts and some vineyard workers. Don t forget to listen closely for the answer to the big picture question, Why does God give good gifts? Show the Parable of the Vineyard Workers video, or tell the Bible story in your own words using the script provided. For a shorter version of the story, read only the bolded text. Leader The first workers were jealous that the vineyard owner gave the last workers the same pay. Does that seem fair to you? Shouldn t those who worked longer have received more pay? The vineyard owner hadn t cheated those who worked longer. They received the money he promised them. The vineyard owner wanted to give generously to the other workers too the money was his after all. Jesus said God is like the vineyard owner. God gives good gifts. Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Jesus was reminding the Jewish people that they were not the only ones who would receive God s grace. Grace is undeserved love. The religious leaders thought being God s chosen people made them better than others. They thought they were the only ones who deserved God s love and forgiveness. In love, Jesus came to save people from Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 9
all nations. Jesus reminded them that God has the right to give His grace to whomever He wants. Jesus said the first will be last, and the last will be first. That means everyone who turns away from sin and trusts in Jesus is saved whether they believed for a long time or they turned away from sin just before they died. Ask the following review questions: 1. How much did the vineyard owner offer to pay the first workers? (one denarius, Matthew 20:2) 2. How much did the owner pay the men who came later to work? (one denarius, Matthew 20:9) 3. How did the first set of workers react? (They were angry and jealous, Matthew 20:12) 4. What did the owner say to the first set of workers? (He had paid them what was promised. They had no right to be jealous because it wasn t their money; Matthew 20:14-15) 5. Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Unit 30 Session 1 discussion starter video Discussion starter video (3 minutes) Leader Have you ever been jealous of something someone else received? Watch this. Show the Unit 30 Session 1 video. Leader Have you ever thought you deserved better? Maybe a friend has a better toy or bigger room than you. Maybe another kid got a better grade, even though you worked harder. It s easy to feel like you deserve more than what you have. The truth is that we don t deserve anything. Anything we have is a gift from God that we should be thankful for. We certainly don t deserve God s grace. We have sinned. We deserve punishment, but Jesus gave us the gift of His life, death, and resurrection. 10
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me (optional) Use Scripture and the guide provided with this session to explain to boys and girls how to become a Christian. Assign individuals to meet with kids who have more questions. If this is not possible, encourage boys and girls to ask their parents, small group leaders, or other Christian adults any questions they may have about becoming a Christian. Big Picture Question Slide or Poster coin Prayer (5 minutes) Show the big picture question slide or poster. Leader Who would like to answer the big picture question? Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Divide the room to form two groups of kids. One group will be heads, the other tails. Flip a coin. If it lands on heads, the kids on the heads side of the room will say the question and the tails side will say the answer. If it lands on tails, do the opposite. Repeat a few times. Before transitioning to small group, make any necessary announcements. Lead the kids in prayer. Pray that God will allow us to see His love for others. Dismiss to small groups Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 11
The Gospel: God s Plan for Me Ask kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means good news. It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids. God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean. We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23) God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9. Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18. We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus. Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. 12
Small Group LEADER Session Title: Parable of the Vineyard Workers Bible Passage: Matthew 20:1-16 Big Picture Question: Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) box wrapping paper tape bow marker Key passage activity (5 minutes) Make sure the key passage, Matthew 13:10-11, is visible for each child, either as the slide, printed poster, or written on a dry erase board. Read the verses together. Say Jesus told stories called parables to teach His disciples. Why? He wanted them to understand more about God and God s kingdom. Wrap a box of any size, and securely tape a bow on top. Write a number on all sides but the bow. Use a different number between 1 and 5. Repeat the key passage together several times. Form two or more groups. Allow one group of kids to roll the box. Whichever number lands facing up is the number of hints they will get as they read through the key passage. Choose one volunteer to say the verses, but the volunteer can get help from her group. She can only get the number of hints the team rolled. If the group completes the key passage successfully, that group gains a point. Give each group an opportunity play. Continue as time allows. The group with the most points wins. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 13
Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster coin or token, 1 per kid LOW PREP purple, blue, red, or green finger paint or washable markers paper Bible story review (10 minutes) Encourage the kids to find Matthew 20:1-16 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say Matthew is the first book in which division of the Bible? (Gospels, New Testament) Who was Matthew? (a disciple of Jesus) Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, but it also quotes more of the Old Testament than any other book in the Gospels. Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. As you retell the story, invite a group of kids up each time you talk about the owner hiring workers. Give them a specific place to stand. By the end, all of the kids should be chosen. Close by giving them all a coin, a penny, or a token of some kind. Invite them to keep the coin as a reminder of all that God has given them. Say The vineyard owner had the right to choose how he paid his workers. The first workers could have been happy that the owner was generous to the other workers. Instead, they were jealous. God wants His people to be happy when He blesses others. Nobody deserves God s goodness, but God gives it anyway. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Activity choice (10 minutes) Grape art Demonstrate how the kids can use fingerprints to make a triangle-shaped bunch of grapes. Provide a piece of paper and purple, blue, red, or green finger paints. If you don t have finger paints, provide the same colors in washable 14
markers. The kids can color their fingertips and press their fingers to the paper. Once the kids finish their grape pictures, invite them to draw a stem and leaves above the grapes. Encourage the kids to write the Bible story reference at the bottom of the page. Say Jesus used the parable about the vineyard workers to show that some of God s chosen people, the Jews, didn t understand God s grace. God gives good gifts to people of all nations. Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. journals Journal Page, 1 per kid markers or crayons Bible Story Coloring Page Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Distribute each child s journal and the journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of something God has given them. Writers can write a list of good things God has given them. Say It s time for our last review of the big picture question and answer. Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. Make sure each child puts this week s sheet in the journal, and then collect them. Keep the journals in the classroom so they will be available every week or as often as you wish to use them. If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God for all His good gifts. Pray for each child by name, asking God to allow the kids to understand God s love for others in a way that makes them want to be generous as well. Younger Kids Bible Study Leader Guide Unit 30 Session 1 15
Journal Page Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Session 1: Parable of the Vineyard Workers Matthew 20:1-16 Session 2: Parable of the Wedding Feast Matthew 22:1-14 Session 3: Parable of the Faithful Servant Matthew 24:45-51; Luke 12:42-48 Session 4: Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31 Session 5: Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27 OK TO PRINT
Then the disciples came and said to him, Why do you speak to them in parables? And he answered them, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Matthew 13:10-11 UNIT 30 Key Passage Poster (ESV) OK TO PRINT
Why does God give good gifts? UNIT 30 Session 1 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
Why does God give good gifts? God gives good gifts because He is generous. UNIT 30 Session 1 Big Picture Question OK TO PRINT
UNIT 30 Session 1 Parable of the Vineyard Workers OK TO PRINT
Instructions: Find the 10 hidden coins needed to pay the workers at the vineyard. Unit 30 Session 1 Younger Kids Activity Pages
Parable of the Vineyard Workers Matthew 20:1-16
Today we will be tasting/ touching/sniffing: Please notify the leader if your child should not participate. Instructions: Print this poster. You may laminate it and reuse it throughout the quarter. Use a dry erase marker to fill in the necessary information. Display the poster where parents and kids can see it before class. UNIT 30 Allergy Alert Poster OK TO PRINT