Curriculum

The Parable of the Talents

Parable of the Talents Go to Curriculum multi-week pack

Bible Background

What Kids Will Learn

God gives each of us special abilities and resources that we can use to point others to Him. It’s important to embrace our own unique talents and be willing to share with others.

Scripture Summary

Jesus wanted His disciples and followers to truly understand His teachings, but they were often confused. Jesus told parables to bridge the gap from the known to the unknown, or from the concrete to the abstract, to help His followers understand.

In this parable, the master knew his servants and trusted them with his wealth, property, and livelihood. While the master was away, he empowered the servants to manage his affairs and entrusted each of them with a certain number of talents. The servants didn’t receive any more or less than they were able to handle. The amount was just right.

When the master returned, he met with the servants. While the first two servants were praised for how they invested their talents, the last servant was too concerned about himself, the possibility of failure, and his reputation, so he hid his talents. He disobeyed the master and was punished.

The master represents Jesus, and the servants represent you and me. The talents represent any resources the Provider entrusts to us (time, money, expertise, ability, and possessions). While we might benefit from the resources, Jesus wants us to invest them wisely in others for His purposes.

Why Is This Important

When we use our talents for God’s purposes, we are obedient to Him. Jesus will return, and each of us will answer for how we used the talents He gave us.

Teacher Devotion

Scripture

Talents to Bless One Another

“To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.” Matthew 25:15

The familiar Parable of the Talents includes the messages of responsibility and preparedness. But did you notice?

All three of the servants received talents. No one was left out. Yes there were different amounts, but every servant received at least one talent.

We each have talents. Unique. Specific. According to our abilities. Hand-picked by God. Beautiful.

A good friend asked me about my paddle board. She had never been paddle boarding, and I mentioned that we should go together. I brought my extra board for her to borrow, and we had a great morning on the water. At the time, I didn’t consider my paddle board and experience as talents, though God gave me the opportunity to share them.

As we chatted, I found out that she’s an avid gardener. The condition of my backyard garden is right at embarrassing.

I had never learned how to garden, the best soil choice, and what grows well for the climate. And it shows. My optimistic hope of planting a variety of plants and watering when I remember has yielded little fruit (literally). My friend offered to use her talents and teach me to garden.

We blessed each other with our talents. From out of paddle boarding and gardening came transparent conversation, shared concerns, and intentional encouragement recentering both of us on Jesus and His best next steps for us.

Prayer

Dear God, please help me recognize the talents You’ve entrusted to me. My strengths, possessions, abilities, and resources. I pray that You help me hold them loosely in my hands and use them daily to point others to You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Get the full Sunday school lesson plan

  • Bible Memory Verse
  • Interactive Bible Experience
  • Animated video with companion questions

Bible Memory Verse

You’ll Need: Bibles — one per child, Gold or yellow, balloons, Index cards

Get Ready:
Write words or phrases from the Bible memory verse on different index cards. Roll up the index cards and place them in the balloons. Blow up the balloons and hide them around the room.

“For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” Matthew 25:29

Explain to the kids that you’re going to time them to see how fast they can find all the balloons, pop them, and put the cards in order of the Bible memory verse.

Once the cards are in order, invite the class to read the Bible memory verse aloud.

ASK: What talents or abilities did you use in our game?

SAY: Every day we can use the gifts and talents God gave us to the fullest, and when we do, God rewards us with even more!

Interactive Bible Experience

You’ll Need: Bibles - one per child

Get Ready: Invite each child to turn in their Bibles to Colossians 3:23. Read aloud while kids follow along.

SAY: This Scripture tells us that whatever we do, we should do it with all our hearts as if we’re doing it for God. We don’t want to be lazy with the gifts God gives us, like the servant with the one bag of gold was. He sure didn’t work with all his heart to do something good with what he had.

Explain that class has now become a talent show. Call on kids to show any talents they may have (i.e., singing, dancing, drawing, etc.).

ASK: What are some ways you can use your talent for God?

What would it look like for you to work at this talent with all your heart?

SAY: God gave each of us talents. We can use them for ourselves, we can hide them, or we can work at them with all our hearts so we glorify God and shine His light.

Snack

Gold Coin Cookies

You’ll Need: Small sugar cookies — 3 per child, Yellow icing, Jelly beans — 8 per child, Napkins, Plastic knives

  • Place the icing and jelly beans in the middle of the table.
  • Give each child three small sugar cookies.
  • Invite them to ice their gold coin cookies.

SAY: Today we heard a parable about three servants. Each was given a gift from their boss to take care of while he was gone. One was given five bags of gold. (Invite kids to put five jelly beans on one cookie. They may eat it while you continue.) This servant was wise and invested what he was given and ended up with 10 bags of gold. Then there was a servant who was given two bags of gold. (Invite kids to put two jelly beans on one cookie. They may eat it while you continue.) He also worked hard and got

two more. Then there was the servant that got one bag of gold. (Invite kids to put one jelly bean on one cookie. They may eat it while you continue.) He went and dug a hole and hid his and only had one bag when the boss came back. The boss called him lazy because he didn’t use what he was given.

ASK: Tell about a gift or talent you wish you would’ve used for God. How might you use that talent in the future?

SAY: The servant with only one bag didn’t use the gift his boss gave him. If you haven’t used your talents or gifts for God or worked at them with all your heart, you can start today! God will see what you do and trust you with more.

Game

Hide the Talent Game

You’ll Need: Small bag of coins

  • Invite kids to sit in a circle.
  • Explain that one kid will leave the room and the teacher will give the bag of coins to one child to hide on their person.
  • The other child will be invited back into the room and they have three guesses for who has the bags of coins.
  • Whoever had the bag of coins is the next to go out of the room and try to guess who has the coins.
  • Play several rounds as time allows.

ASK: What did you do to figure out who had the bag of coins? What do you do to figure out what your talents from God are?

SAY: It’s not always easy to know what to do with the gifts or talents God gives us. Sometimes we have to take time to pray, read our Bibles, or spend time with other people to see what God wants us to do with our talents. But we don’t need to be afraid like the servant with the one bag of gold was. God loves us and wants us to use our talents, so we can trust Him to show us what to do!

 

Craft

Coin Cross Craft

You’ll Need: Large bag of pennies, Small art canvases or small squares of thick cardstock paper, Glue, Markers

To make the coin crosses, have kids follow these steps:

  • Give each child a small canvas or square of cardstock paper and a handful of pennies.
  • Instruct kids to each make a cross made out of pennies and glue it on the canvas.
  • Then instruct kids to write “Share your talents for Jesus” somewhere on their canvas.

SAY: Take home your coin crosses and put them somewhere in your room or house as a reminder to give your gifts and talents back to God to point others to Jesus.

Prayer

Talent Prayers

You’ll Need: Small squares of wrapping paper with blank backsides, Pens, Gift box with a slit in the top

Give each child a square of wrapping paper. Invite them to write a talent they have on the back of the wrapping paper. (Be prepared to help kids with ideas.)

Explain that for prayer time they’ll get to walk up to the gift box one at a time to put their talent in.

Invite them to say aloud, “God help me use my talent for you” as they put their talent in the gift box.

PRAY: Dear God, thank You that You created us and You love us. You also gave each of us talents. Sometimes, God, we’re afraid to share our talents, and sometimes we share them so we can get all the applause and praise. God we need Your help to share Your talents for Your glory. Will You help us please? In Jesus’ name, amen.