| The intention of this lesson is to explore what it means to be receptive and open to receiving our good. |
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"The Parable of the Sower"
Luke 8:4-16 |
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Story Focus
Understanding that being receptive to our good requires us to weed out the thoughts that hold us back.
Metaphysical Interpretation
In this story Jesus is telling us that God is like the sower, spreading seeds (Truth ideas) in our minds and hearts. It is a story that tells us how to be good listeners and to receive the good words and information given to us by God and by others in our lives. The Truth ideas are always available to us, sown in our minds just like the seeds are sown on the ground. What happens to those seed ideas depends upon us. Our minds are like the soil. We can each choose how fertile our minds are. Our minds can be like the road, where it is hard and dry and seed ideas just blow through our minds or it can be filled with weeds (negative thoughts) that choke the good ideas out. Our minds can also be like the rocky ground where nothing can penetrate it. The best choice for us to have a mind like the fertile soil. One that is open and receptive to Truth ideas and willing to release all that is not for our highest good. The receptive mind allows the seed ideas to express their fullest potential.
Spiritual Points
• God ideas can only grow in an open and receptive mind. We are responsible for keeping our minds open and receptive, to be like the fertile soil.
• Using denials and affirmations helps us to clean out the "weeds" in our minds.
• The wisdom of God is always available to us. We get to choose what to do with it.
*side note: you'll hear the story mention "Satan." This is a focal point for fear-based thoughts and beliefs that strive to contradict our relationship with God. |
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- What was the man sowing?
- What were the four types of soil that the seeds fell on?
- What does the story tell us about each type of soil?
- What happened to each of the seeds?
- What was Jesus asking the people to listen to?
- What did Jesus say the seeds were?
- What message was God giving us through each type of seed?
- Tell me about a time when you have been like each of the seeds?
- Which seed would you choose to be like?
- What does this story tell us about creating a fertile mind?
- What does it mean to weed out thoughts that don't serve us?
- How does hearing God speaking to us affect our lives?
- Tell me how being a good listener help us.
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The purpose of this activity is to discover that what we plant, we grow.
Supplies Needed
• 2 c. Cold milk
• 1 pkg. {4 oz) Instant chocolate pudding
• 1, 8 oz tub Prepared whip topping
• 15 Chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
• 1 Box raisins
• Plastic cups, 1 /child
• Plastic spoons, 1 /child
• 2 Large bowls
• Wirewhisk
• Large spoon |
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• Prepare the pudding as directed on the package.
• Crush the sandwich cookies.
• Gently fold the whipped topping and 1/2 of the crushed cookies into the pudding. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Place the remainder of the cookies in another bowl. |
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Referring back to the story, tell the children that we are going to make our own soil today.
• Give each child a cup and a spoon.
• Spoon some of the pudding mixture into each of the cups.
• Pass the bowl of crumbs and invite the children to add crumbs to their cup. |
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• When each child has finished creating their dirt cup, talk to them about the different kinds of dirt from the story:
◊ The path - too dry for the seeds to grow - they blow away
◊ The rock - too hard with no place to take root
◊ Thorny ground - seeds are choked out by weeds
◊ Good soil - rich fertile soil where the seeds can grow
• If our ideas are like the seeds and are mind is like the ground, what kind of ground do we want our mind to be like so that our ideas will grow? |
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• Give each child some of the raisins.
• Tell them the raisins are our seeds, our ideas, our words.
• Invite them to "plant" them in their good soil dirt cups.
• As they "plant" each raisin ask them to speak a good word or idea for each one.
• Pass out the spoons and enjoy! |
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| "Let the words of mv mouth and the meditation of mv heart be acceptable to vou, 0 Lord, mv rock and mv redeemer.'' Psalm 19:14 |
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