Year C. 1st Term. Lesson 1. Parable Series: The parable of the sower

Scripture: for teacher background:  Matthew 13:1-23

Making contact:

Play the game: “Broken telephone” to show how a message doesn’t always get through. Try and see how far the correct message got.

Here is a play that could be used in connection with this story. You might like to use it to present to the congregation in a family service. It needs 2 narrators. You could have the children acting out the parts of the birds and the thorn bushes.

1. Once upon a time…

2.  A long time ago

1.  Old Mac Donald had a farm

2. E I E I O

1. And on that farm he planted some wheat
2. With a scatter scatter here

1. And a scatter scatter there
2. The seed was planted everywhere

1. Now some of the seed fell on the path
2. Uh-oh! Bad news!

1. That’s true!
2.  Because on that farm there lived some birds,

1. With a flap flap here
2.  And a tweet tweet there

1. The seed was gobbled up fair and square
2.  So the seed didn’t grow

1. And the poor farmer, you know
2.  Couldn’t have his Wheatbix for breakfast – Oh No!

1. Jesus said that the Word of God is rather like that seed
2.  Just as the seed was scattered on the ground

1. So God’s Word is spread around

2.   For some of it goes in one ear and out the other

1. What a shame! They just don’t bother!

1        Once upon a time…

2.  A long time ago

1.  Old Mac Donald had a farm

2  .E I E I O

1.  And on that farm he planted some wheat

2.  With a scatter scatter here

1. And a scatter scatter there
2. The seed was planted everywhere

1. Now some of the seed fell on rocky ground
2.  With big rocks and stones all around

1. Here’s a rock
2.  There’s a stone

1. Another problem, another block!
2.  Every one of those baby shoots

1. Withered without soil and water for its roots
2.  Jesus said the Word of God is rather like that seed

1. It’s starts off well but there’s no depth for it to feed
2. The message just does not sink in

1   When the going gets tough they just give in

1.Once upon a time…

2.  A long time ago

1.  Old Mac Donald had a farm

2  .E I E I O

1.  And on that farm he planted some wheat

2.  With a scatter scatter here

1.   And a scatter scatter there

2.   The seed was planted everywhere

1. Now some of the seed fell among the thorn bushes
2. With a thistle, thistle here

1. And a khakiebos there
2. Thorns and branches everywhere

1. Every baby seed that grew
2. Was strangled by a weed and couldn’t get through

1. Jesus said God’s Word is rather like that seed
2. People listen a little but other things they need

1. Like work and hobbies, sport and T. V.
2. Music and fashion, lots of parties and money

1. There’s just no time to think about God’s Word
2. It gets pushed to the back of the darkest cupboard

1.  Once upon a time…

2.  A long time ago

1.  Old Mac Donald had a farm

2  .E I E I O

1.  And on that farm he planted some wheat

2.  With a scatter scatter here

1   And a scatter scatter there

2.  The seed was planted everywhere

1. Now some of the seed fell on good soil
2. Well dug and fertilized with extra toil

1. The seeds grew long roots
2.  And sent up huge shoots

1. Strong and eager
2. Nothing pathetic or meager

1. Growing tall towards the light
2. A huge crop, a wonderful sight

1   Jesus said that God’s Word is rather like that seed

2.   There are many people who know its Jesus they need

1   They grow and grow

2.   And fruit they show

1. They love the Lord with all their heart
2. And grow the Kingdom as they do their part.

 Exploration:

One day Jesus was teaching at the lakeside and the crowd was so big He got in a boat and spoke to the people from this floating pulpit. He wanted to tell the people about God and how to live as God’s child. He told stories that had meanings. These are called parables.

As Jesus was teaching, He just knew that some people weren’t even listening, others would be hearing a little but it wouldn’t last, but others would grab what He was saying and their lives would be changed forever. He told this story to show how this happens still today.

The story is called the parable of the sower. In those days, before machines and tractors were invented, the farmer walked through his ploughed land carrying a bag of seed, which he tossed, on to the land.

1. Now some of it didn’t land in the nice, ploughed land, but it fell to the side on the path. The birds flew down and gobbled it up.
2.  Some of the land was still rocky and the soil was very shallow there. The seed that fell there started to grow, but the roots were very shallow and when the sun came up, the plants got burnt because their roots were so shallow.
3. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes and when these little plants started to grow, the thorn bushes choked them and they died.
4. Most of the seed, however, fell on the good, ploughed land and these seeds grew and produced a wonderful crop.

Application

Now this parable has a meaning for us. What does it mean? Jesus explained it like this. He said that the farmer who sowed the seeds is like the person teaching about God.

1. There are people who hear this message but don’t understand it at all. Their minds are totally closed and Satan snatches away those message seeds just like those hungry birds. Closed minds are just not interested in God at all.

2. The rocky ground is like people who start off well – they hear the message gladly but the minute trouble comes along they give up. Their minds are shallow and their faith is shallow. Shallow minds. These people pretend to be interested in God, but soon fall away.

3. The thorn bushes are other things in people’s lives that choke God’s message. It doesn’t work when people love material things and lots of other pleasures more than God. Or they let worry choke them instead of trusting in God. All these things choke the message from God. They are double minded. You can’t love God and money. Some people love sin too much and they won’t give it up for God.  Double minds.  These people just find everything else much more important than God.

4. The good ground is where people accept the message and grow and become wonderful, fruitful Christians who even become messengers for God themselves. They have fruitful minds and they spread the Gospel. Fertile minds. These people put God first and love Him with all their hearts, minds, souls and strength.

What kind of ground do you think you are? Do you listen to the message from the Bible and remember it and do what it says? If you do then you are growing and bearing fruit.

 If you tell other people the message then you are sowing seed for God.

 Sometimes people will listen to you and other times they won’t.

 Then you’ll see how it’s like the seed falling along the path and birds eat it up before it can grow.

 Sometimes a friend will listen and maybe come to church with you, but they soon lose interest. Maybe there are too many parties to go to and too much shopping to do to bother with God. The things of the world distract them.
That is like the thorn bushes choking God’s message.

Maybe they get teased and mocked for believing in God – a kind of persecution like the hot sun on the shallow roots and the message just dies – they can’t handle the heat! Or maybe problems in their life hit them and they blame God for them.

What is so special about this story is that most of the seed grew and produced a huge crop – thirty, sixty and even a hundred times more than the seeds planted. God’s message is powerful and is spreading throughout the world.

What started as a little band of Jesus’ friends has now grown across the world over more than 2 000 years. It is huge and is still growing.

Let’s let it grow in our lives and let’s help it spread more and more. Let’s get excited and let’s grow.

Challenge to Mission

How can you sow seeds for God? Can you help spread the message further?

Consolidation

There is a worksheet that needs labels written in and there is a separate crossword and answer sheet.

Memory Verse

“They listened to the message with great eagerness and every day they studied the Scriptures.” Acts 17:11