Planted in Good Soil
Items needed: Packet of seeds, flowerpots, soil
Plant some seeds (that can later be transplanted into your garden or yard) as a way to talk about how the different kinds of soils (hearts) received the seed (the Word).
Some questions to ask:
Does it matter where the seed is planted?
What might happen to the seed if the ground is hard or rocky or filled with thorns?
Why is it important for the seed to be planted in good soil?
Jesus said the Word of God is like a seed. Our hearts are the different types of soil. (If you want to refresh your memory about the different soils/hearts, read Mark 4:3–8; 14–20.)
How is the Bible like a seed? (The Bible has everything in it to make you grow into a strong Christian.)
The Bible is God’s truth and contains all we need to grow to be more like Jesus. It can help us learn how to get to Heaven, to be a good friend, to forgive our enemies, and to grow in love.
What things can keep God’s Word from helping us? (We don’t listen to it; we don’t do what it says; we don’t think about it; we are more concerned about other things; etc.)
Just as we must plant the seed in good soil, we must also pay attention to it. We must water it and give it sunlight. If we neglect the plant, it will wither and die. We must pay attention to God’s Word. We must read it, think about it, do what it says, etc. Then it will produce good things in us.
Growing Good Fruit
Go to the grocery store and let each child pick out their favorite fruit. As you share it, talk about what that fruit needed to grow. (If you have older children, you might ask them to find out something that others don’t know about their fruit.)
For example: A pineapple plant starts from the pineapple itself (from the leafy top). Once the pineapple head takes root, it will take two to three years to bear fruit and it grows to be almost 4 feet high by 4 feet wide. Once it is matured, a large flower will grow in the middle of the plant and eventually be replaced by a pineapple itself. Once the pineapple is harvested, a new fruit will grow in its place the following year. That is a lot of work for one pineapple.
What does a plant need to grow fruit? (Good soil, water, sunlight, right temperature, etc.)
Growing fruit is usually a slow process. When we plant the seed of God’s Word in our minds, it will produce fruit—not the kind we can eat, but good qualities and actions. Let’s practice planting God’s Word in our minds this week!
God’s Thoughts and Truth
Items needed: pieces of copy or construction paper, markers, crayons, yarn, twine, string, tape
Make a banner to review the Bible verse Matthew 4:19.
What did Jesus say to His disciples? (If they followed Him, He would make them fishers of men.) What do you think it means to be a fisher of men? (You search for people who need to hear about the love and life of Jesus, and you share it with them.)
Jesus’ words are all true and were written down in the Bible. Different men wrote God’s words in the Bible, but His Spirit directed them all. The Bible is not filled with man’s ideas, but with God’s thoughts and truth. God’s Word, the Bible, contains truth about how to live and grow to be more like Jesus. There is so much we need to know. Every time we open the Bible and read it; we can learn more that will help us.
Assign different phrases of the verse for the children to illustrate. (The older ones can help the younger ones write the words while the younger ones can “decorate” their pages.) Tape these to the string, hang it so everyone can see it, and recite it together at least once.