Bible Focus
Faithful servants use the abilities God has given them.
Life Focus
Use what God has given you to get yourself and others ready for Jesus to come.
Growing Up in the Word: Matthew 24:36, 42, 44
Set up one or both of the following activities to do as students arrive. Greet the students by name, explain the activities, and invite students to participate.
Memory Activity 1
Supplies
Bibles, index cards, paper grocery bags, tissues, masking tape
Before class, write phrases of two or three words from the Bible memory passage on individual index cards. Make two sets. Fill two grocery bags with tissues and bury the index cards in the bags. Use the masking tape to mark a starting line at one end of the room, and set the bags on the floor eight to ten feet away from the line.
Guide students to find Matthew 24:36, 42, 44 in their Bibles. Ask volunteers to read aloud the verses.
To play, divide the students into two teams. Have each team line up behind the starting line. At the signal, the first member of both teams races to one of the two grocery bags and digs for a card. When he has a card, he races back to the team, touches the hand of the next person in line, and that person races to the bag. As each member returns to the team, he or she must arrange the words of the memory passage in order on the floor behind the team. The first team to complete the memory passage wins.
Digging for the words to the Bible memory passage was a lot of fun!
• What other reasons do people have for digging? (archaeologist digging for artifacts, kids digging in the sand, construction worker digging a foundation for a building)
In our lesson today, we’ll talk about a man who did some digging.
Memory Activity 2
Supplies
Bibles, foil-wrapped candy coins, black permanent marker, small basket
Before class, write one or two words of the memory passage on each foil-wrapped candy coin. Place the candies in a basket.
Guide students to find Matthew 24:36, 42, 44 in their Bibles. Ask volunteers to read aloud the verses.
Place the basket of candy coins in the center of the table. Instruct the students that they are to work together to put the words of the Bible memory passage in order. Don’t give them any other instructions, but allow students to figure out who will contribute in what way. Only encourage those who are not actively involved to participate.
Great job! Let’s read the Bible memory passage together. Do so. These candy coins are worthless if we were interested in buying something, but they are good for a treat! Give each student a candy coin to eat. Our lesson today is about money—not candy money, but real money. Back in New Testament times another word for money was talents. And just like in today’s world, some people used their money or talents wisely and others did not.
why grow up?
Supplies
resealable plastic bags, 10 pennies per student
Before class, place 10 pennies in each bag. Each student needs one bag.
Give a bag to each student. When you give the word, each student is to go to another student and both of them are to pull a penny out of their bags. Each student will read the date imprinted on the face of his penny. The student holding the oldest penny takes both pennies and puts them in his bag. Then each player moves on to challenge another student. If the years imprinted on the pennies are the same, the students return their pennies to their bags and move on to another student. Give students several minutes to play. Have them count the number of pennies they have in their bags to see who has the most.
• How did you feel when you had to give someone else a penny? Accept students’ responses.
Maybe you didn’t feel too bad about it; after all, you weren’t giving away your pennies. And you were just losing a penny, not a whole lot of money. But if the penny really was yours or if it was something bigger, maybe a quarter or a dollar bill, it probably would have been harder to give away.
Satan tries to teach us that the most important thing we can do is to take care of ourselves. He wants us to put ourselves first, ahead of everyone else, so we get what we want. Satan wants us to believe that it isn’t important to share what we have with others, whether it is money, possessions, or even talents and abilities we might have. He’s happy when we selfishly want things for ourselves.
The Bible tells us, however, that this way of thinking doesn’t prepare us for Heaven and for Jesus’ return. God has given each of us different talents so we can serve each other and help each other grow closer to Jesus.
how to grow up
Supplies
Bibles, whiteboard, dry-erase marker, pennies
Begin by having the students find Matthew 25:14-30. Read the passage aloud while they follow along. Then select four students to dramatize these verses. One student can be the master and the other three can be the servants. Give the master eight pennies. He gives one servant five pennies, another servant two pennies, and the third servant one penny. It might help students better understand if each penny represented $100 or about a day’s wage.
After the skit, ask the students to call out as many jobs as they can think of that are done in the church while you list them on the board. Many jobs need to be done in the church. Some of these jobs seem to be more important than others. Some take specialized training to be able to do them well. Let’s think about some of these jobs and the talents and abilities a person must have in order to do these jobs well.
The list might include some of the following: the minister needs training in Bible study and preaching. The pianist and/or worship band needs to know how to play the instruments. The worship leader needs training in music and singing. Teachers need training to help students learn about God and His Word. People who prepare communion need to be willing to do it. Greeters need to be friendly and need to be trained how to best help guests.
Many times people think they aren’t serving God because they can’t get up in front of the church and preach or they can’t sing well. Some people think those are the only ways to serve God. But there are many other jobs in the church that need to be done. Some of them require special abilities; others just require a willing spirit.
The person who is ready for Jesus’ return faithfully uses what God has given him whether it is money, a possession, a talent, or some other gift.
ready to grow up
Supplies
reproducible pp. 6 and 7, scissors, paper lunch bag, pencils or pens
Before class, cut apart the cards from page 6 and place them in the lunch bag. Make enough copies of page 7 so that each student will have two blank cards.
Last week we kept watch for Jesus’ return by using some of the tools God has given us. How did your week go? Did you keep watch? Did the postcard I send you help remind you to watch for Jesus? Discuss this with the students. This week we’re continuing to discover ways to help us be ready for Jesus’ return.
Have a student draw a card from the lunch bag and read aloud what’s on the card. Brainstorm with the students what things someone with that talent or ability could do to use that talent or ability to be faithful and to help be ready for Jesus’ return.
God has created each person with special gifts and talents. Maybe you’ve been blessed with a wonderful singing voice. Maybe you’re good at organizing events. Perhaps you can play an instrument or you can memorize Scripture easily. Whatever it is God has blessed you with, He can help you use it so you and others can grow closer to Jesus.
Take some time right now to think of two things you can do well. How can you use those talents or abilities to help others be ready for Jesus’ return? Give two blank cards to each student along with a pencil or pen. Have students write down a talent or ability on each card and how they can use those talents.
When students are done filling out their cards, say, I encourage you to be faithful in using the talents and abilities God has given you. One day when Jesus comes back, I hope He finds you using your gifts for Him, and you hear Him say, “Well done!”
growing up every day
Supplies
none
• What happened to the talents in today’s story when the servant used them? (they increased)
• What happened to the talent that was buried in the ground? (The servant lost it.)
You’ve listed a couple talents or abilities that God has given you. How will you use them this week? The more faithful you are in using what God has given you, the more He will give you to use. A person who is ready for Heaven looks forward to the return of Jesus, and he faithfully uses his abilities to serve Jesus.
Lead the students in a time of prayer. Encourage each students to pray silently, asking for God’s help in using their talents and abilities to help others be ready for Jesus’ return.
Lesson 3: Be Faithful! 7
Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.
Lesson 3: Be Faithful! 7
Permission is granted to reproduce this lesson for ministry purposes only—not for resale.