Lesson 1: The two sons.
Passage: Matthew 21:28-32 - Jesus told this story to the chief priests and elders who were questioning him on his authority. He said to them, there was a man who had two sons, each of whom he asked to go and work in the vineyard. The first son said no, but ended up changing his mind and going. The second son said yes, but he didn’t go. Jesus asked the chief priests and enders which son did what the father wanted, to which they answered, the first son. Jesus then reveals the meaning of the parable: that those considered “sinners” were actually entering the kingdom of God ahead of the religious folk, because when they heard Jesus’ message they repented and believed.
Big Idea: Actions speak louder than words.
For Teachers:
Lesson plan.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit in a circle on the circle time rug. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Emoji Bingo — Activity Leader
Each kid gets a bingo card. The leader draws emojis from a jar and calls them out. The first to get a line of 5 gets a prize.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re going to be starting a brand new series all about the stories that Jesus told his followers to teach them something about God. These stories are called Parables. They are short little stories, kind of like fairytales.
Does anyone know any fairytales? What are some lessons you've learned from fairytales (ie. Little Red Riding Hood)?
Jesus also told stories that are meant to teach us something, but they’re not really like fairytales because there’s no talking wolves or fairy godmothers… Jesus’ stories are based on normal, everyday life. Like today's story, which is all about a father and his two sons.
Let’s watch our video to find out more about the story…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
What was it that the father in Jesus’ story asked his two sons to do?
What did the first son say? And what did he actually do in the end? What about the second son?
Do you think that sometimes people can say one thing and then do something else?
What do you think makes someone a follower of Jesus - if they say they believe in Jesus or if they actually follow his teachings?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you for the stories that Jesus told to his followers to teach them some important lessons. Thank you for the story we heard today about the father and his two sons, and how sometimes things aren’t always what they seem, and that in the end, it’s what we do that matters more than what we say. Please be with us every day and help us to follow your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Life Sized Portraits — 10 minutes
Tables will be pushed to the side so there is more floor space to work on their portraits. This group will have pre-drawn figures provided.
If a child is not interested in the activity, allow them to move to free play.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Have the children sit near the TV. Welcome them to class.
Warm Up Activity: Emoji Bingo — Activity Leader
Each kid gets a bingo card. The leader draws emojis from a jar and calls them out. The first to get a line of 5 gets a prize.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re going to be starting a brand new series all about the stories that Jesus told his followers to teach them something about God. These stories are called Parables. They are short little stories, kind of like fairytales.
Does anyone know any fairytales? What's a lesson that you've learned from a fairytale (ie. Little Red Riding Hood)?
Jesus also told stories that are meant to teach us something, but they’re not really like fairytales because there’s no talking wolves or fairy godmothers… Jesus’ stories are based on normal, everyday life. Like today’s story, which is all about a father and his two sons.
Let’s watch our video to find out more about the story…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Does anyone remember what the father in Jesus’ story asked his two sons to do?
What did the first son say? And what did he actually do in the end? What about the second son?
Do you think that sometimes people can say they believe in God but don’t really follow Jesus’ ways? Which son do you think they’re like in Jesus’ story?
What do you think we can learn from the story about what it means to be a true follower of Jesus?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you for the stories that Jesus told to his followers to teach them some important lessons. Thank you for the story we heard today about the father and his two sons, and how sometimes things aren’t always what they seem, and that in the end, it’s what we do that matters more than what we say. Please be with us every day and help us to follow your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Life Sized Portraits — Activity Leader
Tables will be pushed to the side so there is more floor space to work on their portraits. Kids can lie down on their paper and have another kid or leader trace their outline. They can then draw and decorate their portraits as they like.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
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Welcome — Activity Leader
Welcome the kids to class, ask how their week was.
Warm Up Activity: Emoji Bingo — Activity Leader
Each kids gets a bingo card. The leader draws emojis from a jar and calls them out. The first to get a line of 5 gets a prize.
Preliminary Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Today we’re starting a new series for the fall which is gonna be five weeks on the Parables (or stories) of Jesus. We did a series on the Parables last Fall too, but this time we’re going to be learning about some stories that we didn’t talk about last year.
Does everyone remember what the definition of a parable is?
In a way, parables are kind of like fairytales which sometimes have a lesson or moral of the story. Can anyone think of a fairytale that’s meant to teach us something?
A good example is the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Does anyone know what happens in it? What do you think the moral of that that story?
The difference between a fairytale and a parable is that fairytales usually have some kind of magical aspect to them, like talking wolves or fairy godmothers… But Jesus’ parables are based on ordinary, everyday life that would be relatable to the people listening.
The story we’re going to be hearing about today is about a father and his two sons, and he asks each of them to do something, and we see how each of them responds.
Let’s watch our video to find out more about the story…
Video Lesson — Bible Story Leader
Follow Up Discussion — Bible Story Leader
Can anyone remember what it was that the father in Jesus’ parables asked his two sons to do? What were their responses?
In the passage, Jesus is talking to a group of religious people: chief priests and elders… and he’s telling them that they’re actually like the second son. They claim to know and believe in God, but they hated Jesus and his teachings and refused to follow him.
Meanwhile, the people who they think of as “sinners” were actually like the first son, who seem to have rejected God but in the end they actually believed in and followed Jesus.
How would you summarize the main lesson is that Jesus is trying to teach through this story?
Prayer — Bible Story Leader
“Dear God, thank you for the new season ahead of us. Thank you for fresh beginnings and we pray that you will be with each one of us in whatever is store for us this Fall. Thank you for Jesus’ stories and how they teach us something about you and your kingdom. Please help us to remember that actions speak louder than words, to not judge by appearances, and to strive to follow in your ways each and every day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Activity: Life Sized Portraits — Activity Leader
Tables will be pushed to the side so there is more floor space to work on their portraits. Kids can lie down on their paper and have another kid or leader trace their outline. They can then decorate their portraits as they like.
Dismissal: Collect tags and make sure each child leaves with their caregiver.
For Parents:
Follow-up questions.
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What was it that the father asked his two sons to do? Did they listen to him?
What do you think matters more - saying that you believe in God or actually following Jesus’ ways?
Do you think the story also teaches us about judging others? Why do you think we should never judge someone by how they seem on the outside?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What was it that the father asked his two sons to do? How did they respond?
What do you think is the lesson or moral of the story? What or who was Jesus comparing the two sons to?
Have you heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover?” What do you think it means? Why do you think we should never judge people by how they seem on the outside?
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What was the story you learned about in class today?
What or who do you think the two sons represented?
What do you think is the lesson or moral of the story?
Have you heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover”? What does that mean to you? Why do you think shouldn’t judge others by their appearances?
