Four Week Friendship Sunday Series Week Two Children’s Message
Planting the Seeds Scripture Reference: Matthew 13: 1-23, Story of the Farmer Scattering Seed (Kids’ Life Application Bible NLT) Goal: Different people will understand and receive the Good News of Jesus Christ differently at different times. We should keep trying to share our faith with our friends even if they don’t understand it at first. Materials: Bible, The Seeds that Grew and Grew by Jeffrey E. Burkart (or another children’s book based on Matthew 13:1-23), a large planter filled with soil, at least 1 sunflower seed for each child and small signs on popsicle sticks that read “Matthew 13:1-23,” “God’s Word = The Seed,” and “Keep Sowing!” References: Arch Books: The Seeds that Grew and Grew by Jeffrey E. Burkart, published by Concordia Publishing House, 1997. Message:
1. Welcome to the children’s message.
2. Review: Last week we talked about sharing our life saver, Jesus Christ, with others.
3. Explain: This week we will learn how different people will respond when we try to share our faith in Jesus with them. Jesus explained how in a parable in Matthew 13:1-23. Show where passage is located in the Bible.
4. Read: The Seeds that Grew and Grew by Jeffrey E. Burkart (If possible, enlarge the pictures and show them as slides or overheads as you read the book. You will need permission from the copyright holder to do this.)
5. Question: What does the “seed” represent in this story that Jesus told? (answer: page 9 – “God’s Word is like the seed.”) Where do we find God’s Word? (Show the Bible.)
6. Explain: When God’s Word falls on “bad soil” – hearts that are not open or ready to hear about Jesus - it may die and those people will not grow a strong faith. When God’s Word falls on “fertile soil” – hearts that are open and ready – it will grow and those people will become believers and their faith will grow strong. We should keep trying to share our faith and God’s Word with others and praying that their hearts will become open like the “fertile soil.”
7. Activity: Give each child a sunflower seed to plant in the planter. Ask them to remember the friends they identified last week as people who they’d like to share their faith with. Ask them to pray that their friends’ hearts are like the good soil as they plant the seeds. Read the small signs to the children (‘Matthew 13:1-23,” “God’s Word = The Seed,” and “Keep Sowing!”). Plant them with the seeds. Keep the planter in a prominent place where the children can check on the flowers’ progress each week.
8. Pray: Remember to pray for the friends each child has identified to share their faith with.
Also in this section:
Four Week Friendship Sunday series, Plan
Four Week Friendship Sunday series, week one
Week One Sermon
Week One Children's Message
Four Week Friendship Sunday series, week two
Week Two Sermon
Four Week Friendship Sunday series, week three
Week Three Sermon
Week Three Children's Message
Four Week Friendship Sunday series, week four
Week Four Sermon
Week Four Children's Message
Video & Other Sermon Illustration Resources
Invitation Card
Child Invitation Card
Bulletin Inserts on Prayer
Sermon - Summer
Sermon - Start of Year
Sermon - Thanksgiving
Sermon - Christmas
Sermon - Easter
Bulletin Paragraphs For printer-friendly version, download "Worship" from the Downloads library. |
