Parable of the Seeds

One day Jesus went down to the water, where a huge crowd of people had gathered to hear Him. Jesus got in a boat and went out into the water a little ways so all the people could see and hear Him. He told many stories and one was like this.

A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he threw the seeds out on the field, some seeds fell on the path were people walked and the birds quickly flew down and ate them.

Other seeds fell on the ground were the rocks covered it the seeds quickly sprouted but then burned in the hot sun because there was no soil for them to root in.

Other seeds fell in with big weeds and as they began to sprout the big healthy weeds squished them and they died before they grew very big.

But some of the seeds fell on good healthy soil and grew they got bigger and bigger and pretty soon covered the whole field.

Now Jesus said anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand. But most the people didn’t care and went away just happy to hear a story.

Jesus’ disciples wanted to know what this story meant and wondered why Jesus told these stories without giving a meaning to them.

Jesus said most people don’t really care about living for me and changing their lives, if they did they would ask me and I would tell them what the meaning of this story really is.

His disciples were excited to know the secrets of the story so Jesus sat down with all who wanted to hear the secret and told them.

I’ll explain it to you guys so you can understand better.

The seeds that Jesus talked about was the word of God, how much God loves us, How Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead, and how to live and please God.

The boys and girls all came to Sunday school one day and Mike was teaching them about Jesus. Their mommies and daddies had dropped them off so they could learn how much God loved them and so they could learn how to be like Jesus.

The first little girl named Janice sat and listened for a minute and God planted a seed of His word in Janice’s heart, but the girl next to her named “Weedy” started talking to here about her new bike and how Janice could get one too if she came over to her house and signed up, Janice stopped listening to Mike reading the bible and didn’t hear another word so the seed God had planted in Janice’s heart died.

The next boy was named Pete, he was listening at first to the bible story and God planted a seed in his heart but “Rocky” came over and sat next to Pete and said he knew a way to sneak out and they could go play in the hot sun. So Pete thought that sounded like a lot of fun and snuck out with Rocky, the boys got in a big fight over the swing and they never learned about how much Jesus loved them or how they should love each other, the seed God had put in Pete’s heart never got a chance to grow.

Now the next girl’s name was Alice she was excited to come to Sunday school this was her first time, God planted a seed of His word in her heart. She was a little nervous being it was her first day in class a boy came and sat next to her, his name was “Birdy” he said Mike wasn’t a good story teller and that he’d seen a really scary movie and that he would tell her all about it. “Birdy” said there was a green monsters that turned apples into alligators and Alice listened to him and never heard another word about the bible, “Birdy” had stolen the seed that God had planted in Alice’s heart, how sad.

Now there was another boy his name was Tom, God planted a seed in his heart and as Mike told the bible story he listened and sang songs to Jesus and made a craft so he could understand even better. He could hear the kids playing outside but wanted to stay and grow in the things of Jesus. Tom could hear the green monster story but quickly turned back to listen to Mike tell the bible story. He heard for a minute about how you could sign up for a free new bike but he wanted to learn more about Jesus and how much Jesus loved him and how he wanted to use Tom to help other boys and girls learn about Him. Tom ask Alice if she wanted to know more about the bible and she said No I’m going to get a free bike be quiet so I can get all the details. This made Tom sad.

The next week Tom ask his mom if his neighbors Jeff and Melissa could go to Sunday school with him and she said sure and the next week Jeff and Melissa brought their parents they all learned about Jesus, see how the seed that was planted in Tom’s heart grew and grew that was what Jesus was talking about when He told the story about the seeds and the farmer. How one seed could bring lots of people to learn about Him if it was planted in good soil?

Does anyone have any ideas how to make the seed in your life, that God put there grow?

Do you think the seed would grow better reading a comic book or reading a bible story?

Do you think your seed would grow better if you sang “This little light of mine” OR “The green monster will get you?”

Do you think being selfish and keeping all your toys to yourself OR sharing with you sister or brother would help that seed grow?

Do you think memorizing your bible verse OR memorizing a poem about broccoli would make your seed grow?

Do you think obeying your mommy and daddy the first time they ask you to clean up your room OR pretending you don’t hear them would help that seed grow?

How many understand a little better how to make your seed God plants in your heart grow?

Does anyone want the seed God planted in your heart to grow?

Raise your hand if you want it to grow and I’ll pray for you.

What does a farmers seed need to grow?

Water

Sun

Good soil

Get rid of weeds

What does a seed that God puts in your heart need to grow?

Bible stories

Prayer

Ask Jesus into your heart.

Find Christian friends

Don’t hang out with kids that are bad and want you to be (except to invite them to go with you to Sunday school)