Parables on Service and Obedience

10/11/2023

Parable of the Sower by Jennifer Tolbert

Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard by Jennifer Tolbert

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.

Memory Verse

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.”

Songs

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

Story

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.

Visual Aids

Coins of the Gospel

Parable of the Sower Booklet Printable

Review Questions

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?