Teaching Plan

Session 59: Parables about the Kingdom

Biblical Truth: Jesus used parables to teach about the origin, spread, power, and ultimate victory of the kingdom of God.
Fanning the Flame Question: Other than the Bible, what book has taught you the most?

Large Group
Show “Play All” for session 59 on the DVD. If you want to lead a discussion after each section of the video, show “The
Spark,” “Fanning the Flame,” and “Combustion” separately. As an alternative, replace “Combustion” by using “Story Outline,
Session 59” to present the story of Matthew 13:1-9,18-33,36-50. If desired, distribute copies of “Listening Guide 59” to the
students to complete during “Combustion.”

Small Groups
(Note: Questions or activities that are more appropriate for younger youth or for older youth are marked by “YY” or “OY”
respectively.)
Preparation: Listen to “Parables about the Kingdom” by playing this CD in any CD player. Read Matthew 13:1-9,18-33,36-50
and “Background for the Bible Passage, Session 59.”
1. Begin by asking: What are the responsibilities and privileges of being a member of a club, team, band, or other group?
2. Show “Time Line 59” and point out where Jesus' parabolic teachings fit on the time line. Emphasize that parables are
stories Jesus told as a method of teaching spiritual truth. Explain that, unlike the forms of art on the video, Jesus used the art
of storytelling to clearly communicate to His listeners.
3. Direct students to open their Bibles to Matthew 13:1-9,18-33,36-50 and briefly review each parable as you lead a
discussion with the following questions:
•What does each of the four types of soil represent in the parable of the sower?
•Which of the four types best describes your response to the gospel? (OY)
•What can you do to be like the soil which produced a good crop?
•In the parable of the wheat and the weeds, what does the master tell the slaves to do with the weeds?
•Why do you think people do evil and get away with it sometimes? (OY)
•At the end of the age, would you rather be a member of God's kingdom or one of the devil's followers? Why?
•What characteristic do mustard seeds and yeast have in common?
•What can you do to help spread the kingdom of God?
•Why do the men in the parables of the hidden treasure and the priceless pearl sell everything they have?
•What is the kingdom of God worth?
•What is the cost of becoming a member of the kingdom of God? (OY)
•In the parable of the net, what did the net collect?
•What kind of people will be excluded from the judgment at the end of the age? (OY)
•What kind of people will have the victory at the end of the age? (OY)
4. Review the characteristics of the kingdom of God that have been learned from these parables. Guide students to discuss the
following question: What are the responsibilities and privileges of being a member of the kingdom of God?
5. Give students who are not members of the kingdom of God, or who are not sure about it, the opportunity to speak with you
about how to accept Christ.

Options
1. Distribute copies of "Kingdom Parables" and instruct students to match the parables with their meanings. (Answers: 1.d;
2.b; 3.a; 4.e; 5.c) (YY)
2. Group youth into three to five teams. Lead each team to choose one of the following parables from Matthew: 13:1-9; 18-
33; or 36-50. Act out a contemporary story to teach the truths of each parable. As each team presents its story, the other
students should guess which parable it is and state the truth that it teaches. (OY)
3. Group youth into two or three teams and provide paper and markers for each team to make a poster. Distribute the handout
“Team Assignments.” Instruct the students to complete their assignments. When teams have finished, guide them to present
their posters to the large group.

© 2005 LifeWay Press®. Fuel: Igniting New Life with God’s Story 2.1. Permission granted to reproduce this item for church use only. Published in the United States of America.
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Hand out copies of “Exploring the Bible Daily 59.” Direct students to write questions or insights as they read.