We can help others believe in God.

Parable of the Sower Lesson 10 Bible Point We can help others believe in God. Bible Verse Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Growing Closer to Jesus Students will n learn why it s important to sow God s Word, n learn different ways to sow God s Word, and n commit to telling others about Jesus. Teacher Enrichment Bible Basis n Parable of the sower Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 Sowing seeds was something people in Jesus culture knew about; their society was heavily agricultural. Thus, this parable would have quickly caught the attention of Jesus listeners. They would have been able to picture a farmer doing just what Jesus described as he scattered the seeds on the ground. One point to note in this familiar story is that the harvest wasn t affected by any variation in the quality of the seed. The seed Jesus was talking about was his message of the coming kingdom, and there was no question of the quality of the seed it was all good! Jesus wants us to sow the seeds of the gospel message. He wants us to reap a harvest of new followers. But preparing the soil is sometimes as critical as planting the seeds. We need to be sure we re doing our part to prepare people to hear God s message by living lives that will point them toward Jesus. Then their hearts will be more fertile soil when the right time comes to introduce them to a relationship with Jesus. Prayer Read Matthew 13:31-32. What do these two parables, taken together, say to you about the value of planting seeds? Pray: Lord, thank you that someone planted the seed of your message in my heart. Help me plant seeds in the hearts of 111

Lesson 10 Before the Lesson n Collect the necessary items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed on the chart. n Make photocopies of the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children. n Pray for your students and for God s direction as you teach the lesson. This Lesson at a Glance Attention Grabber What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies Psst Pass It On Whisper good news, and learn that gospel means good news. Treats Bible Exploration & Application Sowing Seeds Act out Matthew 13:1-9; then read Matthew 13:18-23 and discuss different seedy characters. Bibles, Seedy Characters handout (p. 120), scissors So Many Ways Brainstorm about ways to sow God s seed, and read John 13:34-35. Bibles Seed and Feed Plant seeds as reminders to let God s love grow in their lives. Disposable cups, spoon, potting soil Sow for Success Try to sow seeds from across the room, and discuss Matthew 28:19. Bibles Closing Star Invitations Read Luke 6:31 and Acts 4:32, and invite everyone to join a family. Bible 112

Parable of the Sower Welcome As kids arrive, ask them how they put last week s lesson into practice. Ask questions such as How did you show kindness to someone who was left out? and What did you do to begin a new friendship? Remind kids that whenever you ring the bell, they are to stop talking, raise their hands, and focus on you. Explain that it s important to respond to this signal quickly so the class can do as many fun activities as possible. Attention Grabber n Psst Pass It On SUPPLIES: treats Before class, hide a plate of treats, such as doughnut holes, somewhere in the room, preferably behind a door or in a closet. Have kids form a line. If you have more than eight students, form two lines. Say: I m going to tell the first person in the line some wonderful news. The first person will pass the news to the next person and so on down the line. But we ll skip the third person and the last person in the line. Let s begin. Whisper to the first person in line that you brought a treat to class. Tell the first person to pass the news along. Remember to skip the third and last students. After the news has been passed all the way down the line, have kids form a circle. Then ask: What was it like to share good news with other people? (It was fun because it was good news; I felt bad that not everyone got to hear the good news.) When you have some really big news, what s the first thing you want to do? Why? (Tell someone! Because good news is hard to keep quiet.) Ask the kids who were skipped: In our game, how did you feel when we skipped you? (Left out; annoyed.) Ask the class: If your friend had some really good news and didn t share it with you, how would you feel? Why? (I would feel left out; I would be angry; I wouldn t think that person was my friend.) The word gospel actually means good news. Why do you think the gospel of Jesus is such good news? (Because Jesus loves us; because Jesus died to take the punishment for our sins.) How do you think people feel when we don t tell them about God s good news? (Left out; they might not care.) Say: In our game, only some people heard my good news. Right now, we need to share the news from our game with the people who haven t heard it yet. On the count of three, let s all say what the news is. Ready? Have children clean their hands with wet wipes or at a nearby sink before they eat the treats. Encourage active participation as students report back by following up kids answers with questions such as What did you mean by that? and Can you tell me more? It s important to say the Bible Point just as it s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point again and again throughout the lesson will help kids remember it and apply it to their lives. 113

Lesson 10 After kids shout out that you brought a treat to class, let the kids who were skipped retrieve the treat from its hiding place; then pass the treats around the circle. Say: God has given us so much good news in the Bible. Other people need to hear the good news of the gospel. Today we re going to learn how we can help others believe in God. Bible Exploration & Application n Sowing Seeds SUPPLIES: Bibles, Seedy Characters handout (p. 120), scissors Before class, make a photocopy of the Seedy Characters handout, and cut the copy along the dotted lines. Say: When Jesus was on earth, instead of just telling people what God wanted them to do, he often used stories to teach about God. Ask: Why do you suppose he did that? (People like to hear stories; stories help us understand difficult ideas about God.) Say: Jesus told one story about a farmer who planted seeds. Open your Bible to Matthew 13:1-9, and show kids the passage. I need you to help me tell this story by acting out what happened to the seeds. Designate one child to be the Farmer, and give that child the seeds. Have the rest of the class count off by fours, and have each number go to a different corner of the room. It s OK if there s only one child in each corner of the room. Say: A farmer went out to plant seeds. While he was planting, some seeds fell by the road, and the birds came and ate them. Have the designated Farmer drop a few seeds around Group 1. Have this group immediately pick up the seeds and pretend to eat them, making loud chomping noises. Some seeds fell on rocky ground where there wasn t much dirt. The seeds soon sprouted because the soil wasn t deep. But then the sun came out and dried the plants up because the roots weren t deep. Have the Farmer drop a few seeds around Group 2. Have the children in this group wave their arms over the seeds as if they re a hot, threatening sun. Some other seeds fell among thorn bushes, which grew and choked the plants. Have the Farmer drop a few seeds around Group 3. Have the children in this group put their hands around their necks as if they re choking and then fall down. But some seeds fell on good ground where they grew and produced a large crop. Have the Farmer drop a few seeds around Group 4. Have the children in this group kneel down, pretend to grow taller, and then stretch out their arms like growing plants. You did a great job helping me tell this parable. Have the children gather the seeds and return them to the Learning Lab. Ask: What do you think Jesus was trying to teach with this story? (That seeds need good soil; that some plants don t get the right care so they don t grow; that we re like plants.) Say: When Jesus told this parable, the people didn t understand it. So Jesus explained what he meant by each kind of soil. Let s read together and see what Jesus told the people that day. 114

Parable of the Sower Have the Farmer join the smallest group. Give each group a Bible and a section of the Seedy Characters handout. Say: Read the Bible passage in your group. Then read the situation on the handout, and decide which kind of soil the person in your situation represents. After a few minutes, ring the bell, and have each group read its situation and tell which kind of soil its character represents. Then ask: What do the seeds in this story represent? (The message of God s love; the good news about Jesus.) How does the seed get planted in people s lives? (When we tell others about Jesus, we re planting seeds in their lives; when people want to follow Jesus, a seed is planted in their lives.) Who s responsible for planting the seeds of God s Word in people s lives? (We are; Christians are.) Why does God want us to sow his seeds, or spread the message of the gospel? (So no one will be left out; so everyone can have a relationship with Jesus.) Make your class a safe zone for kids with special needs and learning disabilities. Avoid calling on students to read or pray aloud if they find it embarrassing. Who can tell about a time you shared the good news about Jesus? (Let any children who would like to share do so.) What s it like to tell someone about Jesus for the first time? (Scary; exciting.) Who can you tell about Jesus this week? (Kids at school; my dad.) Say: We can help others believe in God. We plant seeds by telling others about God. Some seeds will grow, and some won t. Just as in the parable of the different soils, it depends on the hearts and attitudes of the people who listen. But no matter how people react, we can keep passing on God s Word. When we do this, we introduce others to Jesus so that they can begin a friendship with him. n So Many Ways SUPPLIES: Bibles Say: We can help others believe in God by showing God s love to them. There are many ways to help others believe in God by passing along God s love. Form pairs, and have partners sit together on the floor. Place all the Learning Lab items (but not the seeds or grow crystals) on the floor in the center of the room. Say: Helping people is one way to show God s love. With your partner, think of a way you could use one of these gizmos to help someone. For instance, you could use these gold coins to pay for a sick person s medicine. Take one minute to come up with a way to use a gizmo without destroying the gizmo! If someone else takes the gizmo you want to use, come up with your idea, and we ll take turns with the gizmos. 115

Lesson 10 Bible Insight Jesus teachings about the kingdom of God are full of mystery. The parable of the sower and the fact that only one of the four soils promoted growth would seem to suggest that Jesus never expected Christianity to be accepted universally. After a minute, ring the bell, and ask pairs to demonstrate their ideas for sharing God s love by helping others. Applaud kids efforts, and then say: I m going to name situations that would bring opportunities to share God s love. As I m telling about a situation, think of a specific way you could share God s love. For instance, if I say, You have a neighbor who is elderly and has trouble getting around, you might say, I could show God s love by mowing my neighbor s yard or shoveling my neighbor s snowy sidewalk. After telling your answer to your partner, form new pairs for the next situation I describe. You may use the following situations or make up your own. A child who uses a wheelchair just moved in next door. Your cousin who almost never goes to church is coming to visit. Everyone always makes fun of a girl at school. Your bus driver always looks sad when he picks you up. You have a soccer teammate who refuses to speak to you. After pairs have discussed each situation, distribute Bibles. Have a volunteer read John 13:34-35 as pairs follow along. Then ask: Why is it important for us to share God s love with others? (That s how others know we re Christians; it s how we show we follow Jesus.) What sometimes keeps us from sharing God s love? (Being afraid of what others will think; being shy; being too busy.) How can God help you when you feel afraid to share God s love? (I can ask God to give me courage; God can help me be brave; God can help me know what to say or do.) Say: We can help others believe in God. Good words, good actions, and good attitudes help us to be good faith sharers for God. You re important to God. He wants to use you to accomplish the most important mission on earth: telling others about his Son. And that begins by sharing God s love! Collect the gizmos for later use. n Seed and Feed SUPPLIES: disposable cups, potting soil, spoon Say: The story that Jesus told about the farmer, the seeds, and the soil helps us understand that it s important to tell others about Jesus. Our Bible verse, Matthew 29:19, says, Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This means we should be planting the seeds of the good news of Jesus everywhere. But the story Jesus told also reminds us that we need to have hearts that will help God s love grow. Let s do a project that will remind us to let God s love grow in our lives. Give each child a disposable cup and a seed. Have kids put their seeds inside their cups. Ask: What do we need to make these seeds grow? (Water; dirt; sunshine.) What would hurt these seeds? (Weed killer; total darkness; birds pecking at them; a lot of rocks in the dirt.) What do we need to grow in our relationship with Jesus? (To read our Bibles; to pray; to go to church; to put what we learn about God into action.) 116

Parable of the Sower What might hurt our relationship with Jesus? (Getting involved in wrong activities; making bad choices about how to spend our time; not reading the Bible; not praying.) Show kids the potting soil. Say: The soil looks funny, but it actually makes good soil for starting a plant. Have kids remove the seeds from their cups. Help children spoon some of the potting soil into their cups; then let them push their seeds below the surface of the soil. Say: Take your cup home, and each day add about a teaspoon or two of water to it so the soil doesn t dry out. Be sure your seed gets what it needs and that you protect it from the things that will hurt it. When the seed grows into a small plant, you can plant it in the ground or in a larger container. Every time you see this plant, it can remind you to keep sharing God s love with others and to keep on being good soil so that God s love can grow in your own life. We can help others believe in God, and one way we can do that is by being a good example with our own lives. Have children put their cups aside to take home at the end of class. HANDS-ON BIBLE Say: It might seem scary to tell others about Jesus, but it s worth it! Let s read in our Bibles to discover why. Have kids find Matthew 27 in their Hands-On Bibles and read the activity there. Encourage children to complete the activity with a friend or family member later this week. n Sow for Success SUPPLIES: Bibles Place one of the mini disks at one end of your room, and gather children at the other end of the room. Give each child a gold coin or a cedar heart. Say: In the parable that s our Bible story today, Jesus told of a farmer who sowed seeds. Those seeds fell on different kinds of soil. Let s pretend that you re all farmers. The gold coin or cedar heart you re holding is your seed. On your farm, you have just one small patch of good soil but it s soil that produces all the crops you need if you plant just one seed there. Your plot of good soil is in that disk across the room. But there s a catch. All but two of you are really lazy farmers. You lazy farmers decide to stay in your house and sow your seeds from there. Go ahead all but [name two students], try to sow your seeds on that plot of good soil. Let all but the two students you named try to toss their seeds into the mini disk. No one will successfully get the seeds into the disk from that distance. Shake your head sadly. 117

Lesson 10 Say: Oh well, I guess those seeds will never grow. But you two farmers (indicate the two students who still have their seeds) aren t lazy, so you can get up and go to the patch of good soil to sow your seeds. Allow the two students to stand over the mini disk and drop their seeds inside. When the two farmers are finished tossing their seeds in the mini disk, ask: Which farmers will get the largest crop? Why? (The farmers who get up and plant their seeds; the farmers who take action.) How are we sometimes like the lazy farmers in this activity? (We don t bother telling others about Jesus; we choose to be mean instead of loving.) Say: We can help others believe in God by sharing God s love and telling others about Jesus. That takes effort on our part. Let s see what our Bible verse says. Have a volunteer read Matthew 28:19. What s the first action this verse mentions? Jesus said, go, but if we re lazy, we aren t willing to go and tell others about Jesus. Ask: How can you be sure to live out this verse this week? (Go tell a neighbor about Jesus; go tell a friend at school about Jesus; go tell someone at gymnastics about Jesus.) Say: Let s be sure that we do these things this week and aren t lazy about sharing God s love! Closing n Star Invitations SUPPLIES: Bible Ask a volunteer to read aloud Luke 6:31. Say: Because Jesus isn t physically here, we know about Jesus because someone told us about Jesus and showed us his love. Ask: Who first told you about Jesus? Is there someone in your life who you think hasn t heard about Jesus? Why do you think that person hasn t heard about Jesus? Ask children to gather in front of you in a tight bunch. Then step three feet away from them. Say: When we tell others about God and they believe in him, they become members of God s family. Let s find out what it s like to be part of God s family. Choose a volunteer to read Acts 4:32 aloud. Ask: How would you describe God s family? (Sharing; giving; thinking alike.) Why would you want to belong to that family? (It sounds like a family that loves each other; it would be nice to be in a family that shared.) Say: Showing God s love and telling people about Jesus is like inviting them to become part of God s family. Think of someone you d like to become a member of God s awesome family. When I pass this foam star to you, silently pray for that person to believe in Jesus and become a member of God s family. Then come join me, and toss the foam star to someone else so he or she can pray. 118

Parable of the Sower When everyone is in the family group with you, say: We can help others believe in God and join his special family. This week, think of some way to share Jesus with the person you prayed for. Put the foam star away for use in other lessons. Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom. Photocopy the Hands-On Fun at Home handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your kids. Encourage kids and parents to use the handout to spark meaningful discussion on this week s topic. 119

Seedy Characters Group 1 Matthew 13:18-23 Max has just returned from summer camp, where he heard the good news that Jesus loves him. He tells a few friends at school how excited he is about Jesus. His friends tell him that that stuff is stupid. Why does he need Jesus? Christians are boring. Max goes away doubting his faith. Group 3 Matthew 13:18-23 Zack learned about Jesus while visiting his aunt s church. He thinks that being a Christian would be great except for one thing. Zack comes from a wealthy family. He gets a large allowance, which he usually spends on video games, toys, and movies. He s heard that God wants everyone to give some money to him. Maybe I can skip that part of following God, says Zack. Group 2 Matthew 13:18-23 Laura recently became a Christian. She s excited about knowing Jesus and building a friendship with him. But when someone teased Laura about praying before lunch at school, Laura got discouraged and stopped going to church. Group 4 Matthew 13:18-23 Rebekah has just started going to a neighborhood church, where she learned that Jesus can forgive her sins and make her part of God s family. She s very excited! She can t wait to tell her best friends so that they can know that Jesus loves them, too. Rebekah knows that others may not be as excited about Jesus as she is, but she wants to serve him more than anything in the world. 120 Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

LESSON 10 We can help others believe in God. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). Select one or all of the following ways to plant the seed of God s Word this week. Decorate a matchbook cover with a short verse, such as 1 John 4:15. Leave it in a public restroom or on a restaurant table. With a parent s help, bake a loaf of bread. Attach a small note that includes John 6:35a: Jesus replied, I am the bread of life. Give the bread to a neighbor. Encourage a friend to join you for church next week. Read Mark 16:15. How can you spread the gospel in your world? Read John 3:16. What would you tell someone who wanted to know more about Jesus? Good After dinner one evening, let each family member tell about times he or she planted God s Word by saying something kind, doing a good deed, or telling someone about Jesus. Drop a seed in a bowl for each action. Pray that the seeds fall on good soil and bear fruit. Take time to pray for family members and friends who don t know Jesus. Soil Read Acts 16:23-34. What did Paul and Silas do that showed Christ to the jailer? What can you learn from their actions? Read Matthew 13:3-8 with your family. If the weather permits, plant a small vegetable or flower garden outside. If the weather is too cold, use potting soil and paper cups to plant flower seeds. Talk about what the seeds need in order to grow. Discuss how God s Word grows and bears fruit. Permission to photocopy this handout from Group s Hands-On Bible Curriculum Grades 3 & 4 granted for local church use. Copyright Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Avenue, Loveland, CO 80538. group.com 121