Bible Story: Day 1 - Jesus Tells a Parable

Resources: Christian Newsletter: May 2022, Story Props: Parable of the Seeds

You Will Need:

Introduction: Gather the children. Put the wheat into a shallow container. Encourage them to examine it closely with a magnifier. Have any of them ever seen wheat before? Explain that farmers grow wheat and it can be ground up to make flour. Flour is used to make bread, cakes, and many other good things. Return the wheat to the bag and seal.

Tell the Story: Before telling the story, become familiar with it so you can tell it in your own words. Read Matthew 13:1-32. Also, review the paraphrase below. Cut apart the Story Props where indicated. Show the pictures as you tell the story.

Jesus often told stories that teach important lessons. These stories are called parables. One day, he told a story about a sower who planted seeds in different places. A sower is another name for a farmer.

Jesus said, "One day a farmer planted some seeds. (Show "A Farmer Planted Seeds" Story Prop.) As he scattered the seeds, some of them fell along a path. The soil on the path was hard, so the seeds just laid there. Birds flew down and ate the seeds before they could grow.

Some of the seeds fell on rocky soil. (Show "Some Seeds Fell in Rocky Soil" Story Prop.) These seeds grew into plants, but the roots could not grow deep into the soil because the rocks were in the way. Because the plants had small roots, when the sun came out, they dried up.

Some of the farmer's seeds fell among the weeds and thorns. These seeds grew into plants but the weeds crowded them out. (Show "Some Seeds Fell into the Thorns" Story Prop.)

Some of the seeds fell in good soil. Their roots grew deep into the soil. They had room to grow into strong, healthy plants. The healthy plants produced a large crop of grain." (Show "Some Seeds Grew Strong" Story Prop.)

Not everyone understood the parable. Jesus's disciples came to him and asked him to explain. Jesus told them that the seeds are like God's word and the different kinds of soil are different kinds of hearts. Some people have hearts that are hard like the soil on the path. God's word can't grow there. Other people have hearts like the rocky soil. They are excited when they hear God's word, but their hearts are full of many other things and they don't have room for God's word to grow deeply in their hearts. Some people have hearts like the soil that is full of weeds and thorns. They hear God's word, but they are so busy with other things that they don't let God's word grow in their hearts. Some people have hearts like the good soil in the parable. When these people hear God's word, they listen and follow God. They keep on listening and learning so they can do the things God wants them to do.

Story Treasure: The Story Treasure for this story is a picture of a wheat stalk or an actual wheat stalk. It will remind children of the healthy grain that grew in the good soil. Place the wheat in the Treasure Chest (see Related Activities). Continue to add Story Treasures to the bag as each is introduced. From time to time, show a souvenir and ask the children which story it helps them remember.


Related Activities:
Parable of the Seeds - Introduction and Lesson Preparation This activity provides instructions for preparing to teach the story to children.