The Kingdom of God Keeps Spreading

Jesus illustrated how the Kingdom of God
spreads now and throughout history.

Dear Lord, please help the children to sow your Word in the hearts of their friends. Let your Word take root like seed, grow and bear fruit in the children’s hearts.

Choose activities that fit the children’s ages and spiritual needs.

1. Let an older child or an adult tell Jesus’ story of four soils, Matthew 13:3-9 & 18-23.

Explain what happens when different kinds of people hear God’s good news.

· The story illustrates how God’s kingdom has steadily grown throughout the ages.

· Some people reject Jesus’ words. Others accept them.

· Satan attacks God’s people but God’s Word steadily keeps spreading and will soon take root among all peoples of the world.

2. Ask the children:

· Three soils were bad. What was wrong with them?

· Where did the seed take root, grow and bear fruit?

· How is the good news of the gospel like the seed?

· What happens when seed falls on good soil?

· What kind of people are like the poor soil?

· What happens when people hear the good news and believe it?

3. Dramatize parts of the story of the four soils.

· Arrange with the worship leader for the children to present the drama to the adults.

· Prepare the drama during your teaching time with the children.

· Let older children help to prepare the smaller ones.

· Older children or adults play these parts:

Narrator. Summarize the story and help actors to remember what to do.
Farmer
Thorn

Smaller children play these parts:

Birds
Wheat plants
Choked Plant

Narrator                 Tell the first part of the story, from Matthew 13:3-9. Then say,
“See what happens when the seed falls on the roadway.”

Farmer                   Pretend to sow (throw) handfuls of seeds.

Birds                        "Tweet! Tweet”
Hop over to where the seeds are, flapping your arms like wings.
Then pick up a few of the seeds and pretend to eat them.

Narrator                 “See what happens when the seeds fall on rocks.”

Farmer                   Sow more seeds.

Wheat plants       Stand for a moment where the seeds fell, holding your arms out.
Then look up at the hot sun, shield your eyes with your hands,
and slowly fall to the ground.

Narrator                 “See what happens when the seed falls among thorns.”

Farmer                   Sow more seeds.

Choked Plant       Stand where the seeds fell, holding your arms out.

Thorn                      Sneak up behind the wheat plant, walking on tiptoes.
Then laugh in an evil way very loudly.
Suddenly put your fingers around his throat and pretend to choke him.

Choked Plant       Put your hands to your throat, let your tongue hang out, and then fall.

Narrator                 “See what happens when the seed falls in good soil.”

Farmer                   Sow more seeds.

Wheat plants       Stand straight where the seeds fell, look up and raise your arms.

Farmer                   “Look! The seeds reproduced a hundred times!
Praise God for a great harvest!”

Narrator                 Tell the second part of the story, from Matthew 13:18-23.
Then, thank everyone who helped with the drama.

4. If the children present the story to the adults, then let the children pose to the adults the queries under section 2, above.

5. Let the children copy or colour the picture of a seed sprouting found at the end of this lesson.

Let them show their pictures to the adults during worship and explain that God’s Word is like a seed that takes root in our hearts, grows and bears good fruit.

6. Let three children each recite a verse from Psalm 1:1-3:

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers.

7. Older children write poems or a song about the four kinds of soils and what they represent.

8. Memorize Acts 4:12:

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

9. Let an older child pray:

“Dear Jesus, help us to sow the seed of your kingdom by telling other people about you. We want your Word to take root in our hearts and bear good fruit.”

A slightly more detailed drama, dealing with the four soils, five minutes:

http://biblestoryskits.com/010-jesus-likens-hearers-to-four-kinds-of-soil-3/