Jesus came to earth to teach us how to live in a way to please God. Jesus used stories about everyday things and everyday life so that everyday people could understand. These are 3 stories Jesus told to teach the people about the kingdom of heaven. 

Key Concepts:
1. God's kingdom grows! 
2. God's kingdom is more precious than anything! 
3. We help to grow God's kingdom when we tell others about Jesus. 

Matthew 13:34-35
​34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

New Testament Books
J-E-S-U-S
Banner Over Us Is Love
Big, Big House
Nobody Fills My Heart Like Jesus
I Want to Be Where You Are

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time. 
Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas:
1. Collect a few different types of seeds and seed packets and bring them to class. Compare the different types of seeds. Discuss the type of plant that will grow from each seed. Continue to point out that huge plants will grow from these very small seeds. You could also cut some fruit and look at the seeds inside (then eat the fruit, of course). Strawberries are a good example because the seeds are on the outside and they are very small compared to the fruit. Other interesting choices are bananas, cucumbers, passion fruit and more. You might also be able to show acorns that grow into huge trees. If there is a tree near the building where your class is, go and find some seeds. “Jesus once told a parable about a very small type of seed. Let’s listen to the story . . .” (from MissionBibleClass.org)

2. Leaf Rubbings
Bring some different leaves, bark, and show the kids how to make leaf rubbings using paper and crayons. TAlk about different kinds of trees and how they provide homes for animals. Talk about how big, big trees come from very small seeds. (inspired by Truewaykids.org)

Read Matthew :13:31-33, 44-45; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18-21

Kingdom of Heaven Parables Images

Parable of the Mustard Seed Video

1. What is a parable? 
2. Why did Jesus teach the people using parables? 
3. What did the seed represent in the parable?
4. What did Jesus want the people to know about the kingdom of God? 

Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. 

Grow with Jesus Sunflower Sign

Seed Tree from Trueway Kids
​Supplies: Template, Colors, Glue, Seeds

Seed Mosaics
Supplies: Cardboard, Seeds, Beans and Glue

Jesus came to earth to teach us how to live in a way to please God. Jesus used stories about everyday things and everyday life so that everyday people could understand. This is a story Jesus told his followers so they could understand how to serve God in a way that pleased him. 

Key Concepts: 
1. God is generous with his reward-heaven. 
2. God wants me to serve without grumbling. 
3. When we serve others, we please God. 

​Matthew 13:34-35
​34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables,
    I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.”

New Testament Books
J-E-S-U-S
Big Big House
I Want to Be A Worker for the Lord
You're My Brother
​Make Me a Servant

Begin Class with Songs, Games, Table Activity, or Sharing Time
Open Class in Prayer

Introducing the Story Ideas:
1. Bring grapes to class and introduce the idea of a vineyard. 
​
2. ​THAT'S NOT FAIR CHAIRS: This will play like musical chairs while children walk around some chairs until the music stops. There will be one chair less than the number of children playing and keep removing one chair after each stopping part. Children will all say, THAT'S NOT FAIR CHAIR and then start the music up once again to continue playing until just one child is left standing with a chair and all the other children will say, THAT'S NOT FAIR! Then tell today's Bible story to the children as they sit in the chairs in a circle today.

3. ​REWARD RELAY: Let children divide into teams and take turns running to a box or bowl after they have done what the teacher tells them to do, such as jump to the wall, skip around the room, hop to the chair, etc. Each child and team can get a REWARD after their relay.

Read Matthew 20:1-16 or tell them the story of the Parable of the Vineyard. 

Coins of the Gospel

Parable of the Sower Booklet Printable

1. Why did Jesus tell his followers stories? 
2. What were his stories called? 
3. What does this parable teach us about God? 
​4. What does this parable teach us about about ourselves? 

Connect the story back to God and his character. Explain how this story fits into God's overall story. ​

Parable of the Sower Sticker Sheets

I Think You're Grape Craft

Parable of the Vineyard Grape Template

Good Soil Plates by Trueway Kids

Parable of the Sower Craft