I decided to illustrate God’s teaching in the garden. I gave each child a packet of seed and told them to go and plant them anywhere in the garden that they would like but not next to their siblings.

Asher went straight to the challenging part of the garden where it was stony and rocky and thought that it would be fun to plant his seeds there. Isla-Mae found a lovely spot under a tree in the shade as she says that the sun hurt her eyes while planting. Sophia, being the older one, found an empty flower bed that was in need of seed. It was in good soil and had the perfect sunlight that the seed would need to grow. She knew this by looking at the back of the seed packet. As the weeks went by so came in the results. Much joy to Sophia and disappointment to Asher and Isla-Mae.

This was the perfect opportunity to explain to the children that the Word of God is like a seed. Once we accept Jesus in our hearts, only time will show if we have a good heart that produces good things. It’s important to keep away from anything that might make us fall into temptation. Just like the children song says, “be careful little eyes what you see, ears what you hear, tongue what you say, hands what you do, feet where you go, heart whom you trust and mind what you think.”

Mark 4: 13 – 20 – The parable is explained:

And Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness, and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns, they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty and some a hundred.

Let’s ensure our hearts are good to reap the rewards of God’s Word in our daily lives.

With warmth, love and gratitude,

Kayleigh