Jesus wanted the people to know through the parable of the Farmer and the Seed that our hearts should be like the good soil, ready to hear and learn God’s word. Take a few minutes to reflect on how you are cultivating good soil in your heart and in the heart of your child. Be encouraged as you go through the activities this week and remember that as we seek Jesus, He will help us learn more and more about His Kingdom and the great love He has for us.
HIGHLIGHTS from the Weekend…
This week your child learned that we must use God’s word as a guide for living, and God wants us to spread His Word. Jesus told a parable about a farmer who planted some seed. Some of the seed fell on the road, where the birds ate it. Some seed fell on the rocks, where it started to grow but could not take root, so it withered away as soon as the sun came out. Some fell in the weeds and could not grow because the weeds choked it out. And some fell on good dirt, where it produced a wonderful harvest for the farmer. Jesus explained that God’s word is like the seed and our hearts are like the ground. Some hearts are like the road - God’s word just remains on the surface so the evil one can come and take it out of the person’s heart. Some hearts are like the rocky ground - they may respond with enthusiasm at first, but they do not let God’s word live deeply in them, so when things get difficult they do not live by God’s word. Some hearts are like the ground of weeds - they are too worried by the many things in this world to care about what God’s word says. Finally, some hearts are like the good ground - they listen to all God has to say. These people live by His words and they produce good fruit for Him. *(Luke 8:4-15, Mark 4:3-9 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.) *
Teaching Truth:
Jesus wants our hearts to be like good soil, ready to obey God's word.
Memory Verse
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." John 14:6 (NLT)
3 Activities that Help Us Learn This Week's Teaching Truth:
1. Science Experiment
Go on a walk with your child and take along a paper bag. On your walk, find some small rocks, pebbles, or gravel, good soil, flowers and weeds. When at home, grab a sheet of white card stock and help your child fold it in half and half again to make four squares. Label the top of each section with good soil, gravel, weeds or road. Let your child glue soil, gravel, weeds and draw a picture of a road and bird into each appropriate section. Next let your child sprinkle seeds into each section. Glue a small flower or flower sticker into the good soil. Cover the front of the paper with contact paper. Now with this paper talk about the parable we call “Farmer & the Seed” and ask these questions.
1. What do seeds need to grow?
2. When God’s word is planted in our heart, how do we care for it?
2. Pretend to be a seed
Let your child pretend to be a seed and have him crouch down like a seedas you talk about each place where the seed could fall.
- Seeds on the road will blow away, so let your child roll away.
- Seeds in rocky soil will grow for a while, but eventually the rocks get in the way and hurt the seeds, so have your child grow a little by coming out of the crouch, then die back down.
- Seeds in the weeds get choked out and don’t have the ability to grow, so have your child try to grow, but gentle push him back down.
- Seeds in the good soil have everything they need to grow, so let your child completely grow
3. Grow a seed
When at the store, grab a small package of dry lima beans. At home, take three or four lima beans, a zip lock bag and a folded paper towel. Let your child squirt the towel with a water bottle a couple of times (just to slightly dampen the towel). Have your child put the lima beans on top of the paper towel and put it in a zip lock bag and seal it. Put it in on a window sill and check it daily to see what happens. When they begin to sprout let your child help you plant them. Talk about how Jesus wants our hearts to be like good soil and obey God’s word.
Pray
Pray a short, simple prayer thanking God that He will help our hearts to be like good soil, ready to obey God’s Word.