Weeds!
Children's sermon
Ants Work Best Together
31 Object Lessons from Nature
Object:
a flat of pure grass and a flat of mixed grass and weeds
Scripture: Matthew 13:14-20
With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: "You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn -- and I would heal them." But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy."
Material: a flat of pure grass and a flat of mixed grass and weeds
Oh, my goodness, look at this! Boys and girls, I have two gardens here. Which one of them is like the one I planted last week? Well, let's see. (consider both gardens as you speak) I know that what I sowed in my garden was grass seed, so let's check out these two gardens. This garden (indicate grass) is all grass. So what kind of seed do you think was sown in there? (let them answer)
Okay, now what about this other garden? (indicate the mixed garden) I see some grass in here, all right. But what's this? (pull out a weed and look at it) This is not grass. And what about this? And this? And this? (pull other weeds with flourish) Somebody must have put some weed seeds in this garden! But you know what? If I try to pull out all the seeds, my poor little grass plants will get pulled up with them. I'm just going to have to let them all grow together until the grass is stronger. (set mixed garden aside) That is messed up.
You know what, boys and girls? The Bible tells us that sometimes the people we know are like that messed-up garden. Some people are growing from the seed of the Word of God. They are becoming more and more like Jesus. But some people are not letting God sow his Word in their hearts. They are letting bad seeds be sown in there. They are not growing to be more like Jesus at all! Let's learn from these two gardens and make sure that we let only the Word of God be sown in our hearts. We don't want to be a messed-up garden!
With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: "You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn -- and I would heal them." But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy."
Material: a flat of pure grass and a flat of mixed grass and weeds
Oh, my goodness, look at this! Boys and girls, I have two gardens here. Which one of them is like the one I planted last week? Well, let's see. (consider both gardens as you speak) I know that what I sowed in my garden was grass seed, so let's check out these two gardens. This garden (indicate grass) is all grass. So what kind of seed do you think was sown in there? (let them answer)
Okay, now what about this other garden? (indicate the mixed garden) I see some grass in here, all right. But what's this? (pull out a weed and look at it) This is not grass. And what about this? And this? And this? (pull other weeds with flourish) Somebody must have put some weed seeds in this garden! But you know what? If I try to pull out all the seeds, my poor little grass plants will get pulled up with them. I'm just going to have to let them all grow together until the grass is stronger. (set mixed garden aside) That is messed up.
You know what, boys and girls? The Bible tells us that sometimes the people we know are like that messed-up garden. Some people are growing from the seed of the Word of God. They are becoming more and more like Jesus. But some people are not letting God sow his Word in their hearts. They are letting bad seeds be sown in there. They are not growing to be more like Jesus at all! Let's learn from these two gardens and make sure that we let only the Word of God be sown in our hearts. We don't want to be a messed-up garden!
