Key Verse

Matthew 13:1-23

Additional Verses

Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:1-15

Materials Needed

• Four buckets of dirt
• Rocks
• Thorn branches
• Seeds

Preparation

Fill the four buckets full of dirt. Pack the dirt down really hard in one bucket. Fill the top of one bucket with dirt. Stick thorn branches in another. The last bucket should have good soil.

Object Lesson

(Have the four buckets lined up.)

In Matthew 13:1-23 Jesus told a story about a farmer who went out to plant his field. As he was scattering the seed some of it fell onto the path that was packed down hard. (Show the bucket with the packet dirt and sprinkle some seeds on it.) But guess what happened? The birds saw it and swooped down and gobbled it all up! (Use your hand like a bird to sweep down and peck at the seed.)

(Show everyone the bucket with the rocks in it and sprinkle some seeds on it.) Some of the seed fell onto the stony dirt. How well do you think a plant would grow here? The seeds started to grow really quickly, but the roots were not able to grow deep. The sun came out and was so hot that all the plants died.

(Show the bucket with the thorns and sprinkle some seeds.) Some of the seeds fell in the thorn bushes. Do you think the plants would grow well here? They started to grow but the thorn bushes were hogging all of the sunlight, water and nutrients and choked out the baby plants.

(Show the good soil and plant some seeds.) Some of the seed fell onto the good soil! Do you think that the plants would grow here? Of course they would! The plants grew and grew and produced a lot of food!

After Jesus told this story his disciples came to him because they were confused. They asked him to tell them what the story meant. Jesus told them that the seeds (hold up the seeds) represents the Good News about God. The path (hold up the bucket with the hard packed dirt) represents those people that hear God’s Word but don’t believe it, then the enemy comes and quickly snatches it up.

The rocky dirt (hold up the bucket with the stones) is the people that hear God’s Word and get really excited about it but their roots never go down into His Word by studying and obeying the Bible. As soon as hardship comes they fall away from God.

The soil with the thorns (show the bucket with the thorns) represents those that hear God’s Word and begin to grow but soon fall away because they are distracted by the things of this world and trying to please other people.

The good soil (show the bucket with the good dirt) is the person that hears God’s Word and understands it. They begin to do what it says that they grow and grow and their life produces many good things!

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• Parable of the Sower Lesson