Childrens Sermon Service

Teachers: Children may be interested in seeing and tasting the figs mentioned in today's lesson. The most common kind of fig tree grows anywhere from three feet to forty feet tall. It has very large leaves. The fig is mentioned several times in the Bible and was probably one of their common fruits because it grows well in the Mediterranean countries. It can be eaten fresh, dried, or preserved. You might have a sample of all three for the children to try. Many cookbooks have recipes for figs. You might want to try a few for sampling. There are also different varieties of figs. Slice open a fig and see what it looks like inside a cross section. It is filled with hundreds of tiny flowers. The fig plant is from the mulberry family and the children might relate it to the song, "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush." Jesus used stories about the plants that were familiar to the people he was talking to. As the children are seeing and tasting, talk about the parable of the barren fig tree and how the gardener gave the fig tree another chance by giving it good care and more fertilizer.

Parents: See how many kinds of figs your children can find at your grocery or produce market. Talk about the fig and how Jesus used it to tell his stories or parables.