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# 30th week of our Journey - Parable of the Sower

MATERIALS:
Dominoes. Chalk, small rocks for hopscotch. Two smooth round rocks for team game. A farmer’s hat, a bag of seeds, Seed Bible Cards, crayons, heap of rocks, 1 small plant, yellow cloth to act as the sun, 1 withered plant,1 bowl, small sponge cut into the shape of a heart, squirty bottle. Water bottle

AS KIDS ARRIVE PRIOR TO THE LESSON:
Get 6 children to colour the Seed Cards & Bible Verse Cards

Have a box of dominoes on the table. As kids arrive have them set the dominoes up in a path. Stand the dominoes on end vertically. Instruct the kids to place the dominoes close enough together so that if one domino falls it will start a chain reaction.

Before the class starts tell the children that people can be like a lot like dominoes, where one leads the rest will follow. For example, you may want the same type of tennis shoes that your friends have or the same type of bike. Tap the domino at the beginning of the line and watch the dominoes fall. If some of the dominoes don't fall, point out that these dominoes didn't give in to peer pressure.

Examine the Moringa bottle, you will probably see nothing this first week, sometimes God is working on the inside of us and there is not much to see on the outside but God is at work in our lives, just like He is at work on the Moringa seed in your bottle.

1. WELCOME GAMES: (10 minutes)
Hopscotch with rocks
Use chalk to draw a hopscotch pattern on the ground or use masking tape on the floor. Create a diagram with eight sections and number them. Each player has a marker such as a rock. They throw it into square 1 and hop in all the other squares on return they pick up their rock and start again this time throw into square 2. If they miss the square or hop outside the line they are out. Another child starts to play.

2. TEAM GAMES: (10 minutes)
Make two teams separate into two groups one at each side of the room. Select two round smooth rocks that have to be carried by each child between his/her knees from one group to the next where it is handed over, the first team to complete the run is the winner.

3. ACTIVE PRAISE CHORUS: (10 minutes) (Use Music Song Sheet)
Sow the Word (Sung to the Tune: “Row, Row, Row your boat.” )

Sow, sow, sow the Word, precious seeds of Faith;
Some that fall along the path, are quickly snatched away.
Sow, sow, sow the Word, precious seeds of Truth;
Some that fall on rocky soil, won't last the whole day through.

Sow, sow, sow the Word, precious seeds of Hope;
Some that fall among the thorns, grow weak from fear and woe.

Sow, sow, sow the Word, precious seeds of Life;
Some that fall into good soil, will live a life for Christ.

4. INTIMATE WORSHIP: (5 minutes)
The Seed Sower Song (Use Music Song Sheet, lyrics and music video)

Prayer: Heavenly Father let us be open to hearing Your Word. Don’t let our hearts be rocky places, where Your Word will not have much soil to take root. Let it not sprang up quickly, let me not be enthusiastic at the start but when times of difficulties come wilt and die because the Word is shallow. Let me be deep into Your Word. Amen

5. TEACHING:
a. “Back Track”
Last week we learnt Jesus was speaking about seeds in the parable, the story really applies to people. Where did the seeds fall? (On the path.)
Optional: Sing ‘The Farmer plants the seeds’ (Use music video and lyrics found in Visual Aid Manual)

b. Sword Play
Ready…Swords up… Mathew 13: 5 – 6 … CHARGE!
“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.” (Mathew 13: 5 – 6)

Encourage the children to dramatize the verses. Props needed: a farmers hat, a bag of seeds, a heap of rocks, a small plant, a yellow cloth to act as the sun, a withered plant. Have the children recite the verse to memorize it. Use the Bible Verse Card as a visual aid.

c. Teach the Lesson (15 minutes)
Introduction:
Seeds that fell on rocky places are like people that have hard hearts and little faith in God. When life gets a little rocky, their Christian walk quickly withers and dies.

‘Sow your Power Card.’ Get a child to read Matthew 13: 20-21.

We need to pray to God for strength, to soften our hearts to read the Bible to see how others withstood times of trouble. In the end, it doesn't matter what others think of us. We should live to please only God. Someone with a soft heart will soak up the Word of God. On the other hand, the Word of God rolls right off someone with a hardened heart of rock.

Object Lesson:
This hard rock (hold up rock) represents the heart of someone with a hard heart. The water represents the Word of God. (Squirt the rock with the squirty bottle.) When we try to explain the Word of God to someone with a hard heart, it will not soak in. It rolls off, they don’t want to hear, they are not interested.

This sponge rock (hold up sponge) represents someone with a soft and open heart. (Squirt the sponge with the squirty bottle.) When we explain the Word of God to a person with a soft heart, he or she will soak the information in. They want to hear more they are keen to join you in church.

The sun (wave yellow cloth) and the rain (spray the children with water) help the Jesus seed to grow.

Jesus becomes a light in me and I become a light to others. When I go to church and fellowship it is like the rain watering the Jesus seed.

1. In our story today, where did the seeds fall? (The seeds fell on rocky places.)
2. What happened to the seed that fell on the rocky places? (It withered, because it had no root.)
3. What does the word persecution mean? (To oppress, harass, annoy or bother.)
4. What are some ways that we may be persecuted or have trouble because we are Christians? (Some people may make fun of us, call us names.)
5. How can we help our faith withstand trouble and persecution? (Pray to God for strength, read the Bible to see how others withstood times of trouble.)
6. Should we care more about men or God? (God. In the end, it doesn't matter what others think of us. We should live to please only God.)

Extracts taken from www.kidssundayschool.com

Some people hear the Good News about Jesus and happily accept it. As soon as someone laughs at them or makes fun of their faith, they deny everything Jesus stands for. If things get tough, they give up. When trouble comes, they quickly abandon their relationship with Jesus. They worry more about men than they do about God. Their hearts become hard, like the rocky places some of the Sower's seeds fell.

Let’s spend some time holding our rock and asking God to soften our hearts and be open to hear from Him.

CLOSING PRAYER:
Our Heavenly Father we thank you for helping us to understand the Sowers Parable. Help us to look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet you Father feeds them. We know we are much more valuable than the birds.

TAKE HOME PAGE:
Give one copy of the ‘Take Home Truth’ to each child at the end of the class. Take home their Moringa bottle, continue to water it a little each day.
Optional: ‘Take Home Quiz Books’ are available for the children found in your Visual Aid Manual. These should be photocopied prior to the Session and available to take home.

NEXT WEEK:
Come back next week to hear about the war of the plants! Water your Moringa at home and bring it back next week. Let’s see who’s Moringa has grown the most. I can hardly wait to see.

CLICK to view Session #31.