Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group TEACHER BIBLE STUDY Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27 Matthew and Luke both record parables from Jesus. In Matthew 25, Matthew writes about the parable of the talents. Luke 19 accounts for the parable of the minas. Though these parables are similar, they are not identical. Both parables are about a master who gives money to his servants and then goes on a trip. When the master returns, he judges the servants for their faithfulness in their stewardship over what they possessed. As you teach kids this week, focus on the parable of the talents. Jesus was teaching His disciples at the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. The disciples asked Jesus to tell them about the end of time. (See Matt. 24:3.) He told them parables to help them understand what it will be like when the kingdom of heaven comes. Jesus said that the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey. In this parable, the man is Jesus. Jesus was going to leave earth and return to His Father in heaven. Before the man left, he entrusted certain amounts of money to his servants. The relationship between a master and his servants would have meant that the master still owned the money they were given, and the master would own any interest they made on the money. The first two servants were faithful with the gifts, investing the talents and gaining more not for their own profit, but for the profit of their master. The third servant, however, knew that if he lost any of the money, the master would punish him. And if he gained any money, he wouldn t get to keep it anyway. So he took no risk and buried the money in the ground. When the master returned, he was pleased with the actions of the first two servants, but he punished the servant who did nothing. Jesus parable is a lesson to all believers. Jesus gives us the task of serving God while we wait for His return. We do not sit idly by, afraid of failure, but we serve joyfully for Jesus sake. We eagerly wait for the day we can share in the joy of our Master. Heaven is the joy of knowing, worshiping, and enjoying Jesus forever. YOUNGER KIDS BIBLE STUDY OVERVIEW Session Title: Parable of the Talents Bible Passage: Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27 Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Big Picture Question: Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilities and gifts to use for Him. Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 1
Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Welcome time Activity page (5 minutes) Session starter (10 minutes) Key passage activity (5 minutes) Small Group Time Bible story review (10 minutes) Activity choice (10 minutes) Journal (5 minutes) Prayer (5 minutes) THE BIBLE STORY Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27 Jesus was teaching people about God and His kingdom. He told them parables, or stories, to help them understand. One day, Jesus was talking about the last day, the day when Jesus will come back to earth. Jesus said that no one knows when that day will happen. Then He told His listeners a parable about three servants. Jesus said, This is what that day will be like. A man was going on a journey. He called his servants to him and gave them each some money. He gave one servant five talents, another servant two talents, and another servant one talent. (Now, a talent was a very large amount of money.) Each man received what the master thought he was able to take care of. Then the man left and went on his journey. The first servant, who had five talents, invested the money right away. Soon, the five talents had earned five more. In the same way, the man who had two talents invested the money and earned two more talents. But the servant who had one talent did not invest his master s money. Instead, he dug a hole in the ground and hid the money in the hole. After a long time, the master came home. He asked his servants what they had done with his money. The servant who had five talents showed the master that he had earned five more talents. Well done, good and faithful servant! the master said. You did a good job looking over a few things, so I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in my joy! Then the second servant, who had two talents, showed the master that he had earned two more talents. Well done, good and faithful servant! the master said. You did a good job looking over a few things, so I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in my joy! Then the third servant, who had one talent, brought the master his one talent. The servant said, Master, I know you. You are a difficult man. I was afraid and went off and hid your talent Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 2
Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group in the ground. Here is the one talent you gave me. The master was not happy. You evil, lazy servant! If you know me so well, you should have invested your money with the bankers so that when I returned, I would get my money back with interest. The master took the talent from the servant and gave it to the servant who had 10 talents. The master said, Everyone who uses what they have will get even more, and they will have more than they need. But anyone who wastes what he has will have everything taken away. Throw out this useless servant. Christ Connection: Well done, good and faithful servant! Every believer, as a servant of Christ, has the task of serving God with his or her life. We eagerly wait for the day we can share in the joy of our Master. Heaven is the joy of knowing, worshiping, and enjoying Jesus forever. SMALL GROUP OPENING Session Title: Parable of the Talents Bible Passage: Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27 Big Picture Question: Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilities and gifts to use for Him. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Welcome time: Arriving Activity: Numbered I Spy Before class, arrange some objects in groups of 1, 2, and 5. Keep objects in a natural location. Play a game of I Spy incorporating the numbers 5, 2, and 1. Select one child to start the game. The child chooses an object that is in plain sight. Explain that the object she selects must be a single object or something that is in a group of 2 or 5. Guide the child to say, I spy with my little eye something beginning with (first letter of object s name) in a group of (1, 2, or 5). Encourage the other children to guess what the object is. The first child who guesses correctly gets to select the next object. Continue as time allows. Say That was fun! The numbers 5, 2, and 1 are important in today s Bible story. Today s parable is one Jesus told about a master and his servants. Listen for the numbers 5, 2, and 1 in today s story. Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 3
Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Activity page (5 minutes) Word Search activity page, 1 per kid pencils Guide boys and girls to complete the activity page. Say All the words you found are part of today s Bible story! Our story is a parable Jesus told about a master and three of his servants. Session starter (10 minutes) Option 1: Gifts charades Encourage children to think of something they feel they do well or enjoy doing, such as playing a musical instrument, playing a sport, and so forth. Warn them not to tell anyone what they have in mind. Let kids take turns acting out the thing they do well, allowing the other children to guess. Offer helpful suggestions to actors. Say You all have some amazing abilities and gifts! Those abilities and gifts come from God. Today s big picture question and answer will tell us why God gave you those gifts. Option 2: Hidden coins plastic or choclolate coins Allergy Alert (optional) blindfold (optional) Before class, hide coins in different places around the room. Allow kids to hunt for the hidden coins. Make sure to post an allergy alert if you are using chocolate coins. If time allows, use the coins to play a game of Hot or Cold. Select a child to be the finder. Hide a coin somewhere in the room while the finder is blindfolded or steps outside the door with another leader. When the blindfold is removed or the finder steps back in the room, allow children to help the finder by shouting out hot or cold based on the finder s proximity to the hidden coin. Continue until the finder discovers the coin. Say Good job finding the hidden coins! In our Bible story today, we will hear a parable that Jesus taught. In this parable, a coin was hidden in the ground. Listen closely to find out who hid the coin. Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 4
Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group SMALL GROUP LEADER Session Title: Parable of the Talents Bible Passage: Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27 Big Picture Question: Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilities and gifts to use for Him. Key Passage: Matthew 13:10-11 Unit Christ Connection: Jesus taught in parables so His followers would understand how to live in anticipation of His second coming. Key passage activity (5 minutes) Key Passage Slide or Poster dry erase board and markers (optional) Make sure the key passage, Matthew 13:10-11, is visible for each child, either as the slide, printed poster, or written on a dry erase board. Read the verse together. Say Our key passage tells us why Jesus used parables to teach about the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called them the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. What was the secret of today s parable? (God has given us abilities and gifts to use for Him.) Invite children to sit down in chairs or on the floor. Select five children to stand up and say the key passage and sit down. Next select two children to stand up and say the key passage and sit down. Then select one child to stand up and say the key passage and sit down. Be sensitive to children who do not want to say the verses alone. Continue as time allows or until each child has said the key passage aloud. Bible story review (10 minutes) Bibles, 1 per kid Small Group Visual Pack Big Picture Question Slide or Poster Encourage the kids to find Matthew 25:14-30 in their Bibles. Help them as needed. Say Is the Book of Matthew in the Old Testament or the New Testament? (New Testament) Where is Matthew found in the New Testament? (first book) Matthew is one of the Gospels. The Gospels record almost all of Jesus life on earth. Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 5
Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Use the small group visual pack to show kids where today s Bible story is on the timeline. Review the Bible story provided using the bolded text, or summarize the story in your own words. Encourage kids to hold up 5, 2, or 1 finger(s) as they hear those numbers in the story. Say Jesus used parables to help people understand what the kingdom of heaven is like. Remember in this story we are like the servants and Jesus is like the master. Right now, Jesus is in heaven with His Father. One day, He is going to come back! Jesus did not leave His followers alone here on earth. Jesus has given us His Spirit, abilities, and gifts to serve Him while we wait for His return. The evil servant hid his coin because he was afraid of his master. Is Jesus someone we should be afraid of? (No!) We know our master is kind and good. Jesus loves His servants. We know Jesus loves us because He took the punishment we deserve for our sin. We can use the gifts and abilities God has given us with joy because we know we are serving a master who loves us completely. Show the big picture question slide or poster. Say Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilities and gifts to use for Him. Activity choice (10 minutes) Option 1: You are gifted! paper pencils Distribute a sheet of paper and a pencil to each child. Ask each kid to write her name at the top of her paper. Invite children to sit in a circle or around a table. Instruct children to pass their paper to the person on their right. Encourage children to draw or write an interest, ability, or giftedness they see in the person whose sheet they have. Continue in this manner until the children receive back the sheet with their name at the top. Allow time for children to read and talk about what their friends wrote. Say Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilties and gifts to use for Him. We all have different abilities, just like the servants had different amounts of money. Sometimes we have trouble recognizing the abilities God has given us. Asking friends to share what they see in us can help us know how to use our gifts for God. Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 6
Sunday, April 12, 2015 Kidzone KG and 1st Grade Small Group Option 2: Coin rubbings tape paper various coins crayons markers Tape coins to the table. Demonstrate to kids how to cover a coin with a sheet of paper and rub over it with the side of a crayon to make coin rubbing. Allow kids to use multiple coins and multiple crayons to make a design. Encourage writers to add the big picture question and answer on their coin rubbings with a marker Say You are using the artistic abilities God has given you to make these beautiful works of art. Put these somewhere where you will see them often to remind you: Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilities and gifts to use for Him. Journal and prayer (5 minutes) Journal Page, 1 per kid markers or crayons Bible Story Coloring Page Distribute each child s journal page provided with this session. Instruct the kids to draw a picture of them using an ability or gift for God s glory. Writers can make a list of ways they can honor God with their gifts. Say Why does God give us abilities and gifts? God gives us abilities and gifts to use for Him. God has given each of us unique gifts and abilities. We must always remember everything we have is from God. God loves us and wants us to joyfully use our gifts to honor Him! If time remains, take prayer requests or allow kids to complete the coloring page provided with this session. Pray, thanking God for our kind and good Master, Jesus, who gave His life for His servants. Pray for each child by name, asking God to show the kids the gifts and abilities they have and those they may not even know yet. Pray that they would use God s gifts for His honor and glory. Dismiss to parents Make sure to check security tags when dismissing children. Unit 30 Session 5 Younger Elementary 7
UNIT 30 Session 5 Parable of the Talents 2014 LifeWay OK TO PRINT Jesus Taught with Parables
2014 LifeWay OK TO PRINT UNIT 30 Key Passage Poster (NIV) Jesus Taught with Parables Matthew 13:10-11 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables? He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.