Helping Children recieve God's Kingdom message, allow it to grow in their hearts and reproduce through their lives.
Overview
The Bible teaches that the message of God’s Kingdom is for everyone but that not everyone receives it in the same way. It must be received, accepted and allowed to grow in a persons heart if they are going to bear fruit as Jesus said. Sometimes God’s Kingdom message is like seed that lands on a hard path. Sometimes it is like seed that lands on shallow or rocky ground. Other times it is like seed that lands among the weeds. But sometimes the message of God’s kingdom is like seed that lands on good ground and reproduces 30, 60 or 100 times. Not only did Jesus teach a parable based on these facts, but He also encountered people who were examples of each. This four lesson unit uses Biblical examples to focus on each type of ground represented in this parable. In each lesson a parallel is drawn between someone’s response to Jesus and one of the four types of ground.
Unit at a Glance
Lesson #1 — “Hard Ground”
Hard hearted Pharisees do not believe in Jesus - John 9:1-34
Sometimes the message of God’s Kingdom is like seed that lands on a hard path. This happens when the person receiving it has a hard heart. The message is quickly snatched away by the devil and is gone. Hard hearts are unbelieving hearts that refuse to open up to God’s Word. The Pharisees had hearts that were hard and they refused to believe in Jesus even when they saw how He healed a man who was born blind. Their hard hearts kept them from receiving God’s Kingdom message.
Lesson #2 — “Shallow Rocky Ground”
Parents of the blind man deny Jesus - John 9:1-34
Sometimes the message of God’s Kingdom is like seed that lands on shallow, rocky ground. This can be seen when the person receiving it is all excited about Jesus at first but then when trouble comes because of the Kingdom message, they quickly fall away. Hearts that get excited but fall away during trouble are like a plant in the sun trying to grow in shallow, rocky ground. The parents of the blind man healed by Jesus showed they had hearts that were rocky and shallow when they denied knowing about Jesus because they were afraid of what others would say. At first they received the message of God’s Kingdom, but their shallow hearts kept them from letting it grow in their hearts.
Lesson #3 — “Thorny Ground”
The Rich Young Ruler - Mark 10:17-27; Luke 18:18-27
Sometimes the message of God’s Kingdom is like seed that lands among thorns. This can be seen when the person receiving it has so many other things in their life that the message can’t grow because it gets choked out. Hearts that are devoted to and full of other things are like a plant trying to grow among thorns. The thorns and weeds choke out the plant and it is unfruitful. Jesus met a man called the Rich Young Ruler who said he wanted to follow Jesus but could not because of something else that he wanted to keep as most important. He had received God’s Kingdom message and wanted to be fruitful, but his love of money choked out it out and he was not able to bear any fruit.
Lesson #4 — “Good Ground”
The Woman at the Well - John 4:1-42
Sometimes the message of God’s Kingdom is like seed that lands on good ground and reproduces 30, 60 or 100 times. This is when the person receiving it lets it grow in their hearts and then shares it with other people. Hearts that receive the message and reproduce it are like a plant growing in good ground where it just keeps on bearing fruit. Jesus met a Samaritan woman at a well who, after meeting Jesus and receiving His Kingdom message, went back to her town and brought all the people out to see him for themselves. She had received God’s Kingdom message and was bearing fruit by leading others to hear and believe in Jesus too.
Each lesson contains game time activities (option for large or small groups), supply lists, oject lessons, and craft time.
Lessons divided into Three P's format [ learn more about Three P format? ]
This product was added to our catalog on Wednesday 13 June, 2007.
