Matthew 13:31-32, NIRV

The Stories of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

³¹Jesus told the crowd another story. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. Someone took the seed and planted it in a field. ³²It is the smallest of all seeds. But when it grows, it is the largest of all garden plants. It becomes a tree. Birds come and rest in its branches.”

Camping objects:

Flashlight
Mustard seed (can be purchased at a grocery store)
Bible

Message:

Good morning, everyone! I have something to show you today, but it is very tiny. (Hold up your “mustard seed.”) Do you see this? You’ll have to look extremely hard. It’s mustard seed.

In today’s scripture passage Jesus compared the kingdom of heaven to the tiny mustard seed. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven starts small but can become really big, just like the mustard seed starts very small and grows into a big plant. When that small seed grows bigger, it affects everything around it. Like this little seed that grows into a big tree, birds can then rest in its branches. The tree can also provide shade on a hot summer day. There are many ways that a tree can help other living things. I wonder if you have another example of what a big, tall tree can help with? (Allow children to provide answers).

Jesus is telling the crowd who gathered around him, the value of heaven. Jesus tells them that the people who know heaven’s value will do anything to show others. I wonder what you might do to show someone how valuable heaven is. A lesson we can learn from Jesus is, that even if we might feel small in this world, like the mustard seed, we all can do big and wonderful things with God’s help.

I also have something that we would need as we continue our camping experience. Does anyone know what this is? (Hold up the flashlight.) Many of us now simply ask our smartphones to turn on the flashlight application, but we may need an old-fashioned flashlight in case our cell phones can’t be charged up while at the campsite.

This flashlight has a switch on the side to turn it on and off. This little switch can turn this flashlight on, and it will light up an entire area of our campsite. Here, I’ll get someone to help me out with the flashlight. (Recruit an adult who is much bigger than the children.) This is a pretty big flashlight, so I’d better get someone big and strong. Mr./Mrs. ___, you are big and strong, so I would like you to come and help me turn this flashlight on.

(Have the adult demonstrate how he/she can turn the flashlight on and off. You could have some fun by encouraging that person to stretch first or flex their muscles before turning on the flashlight.) That is awesome that you can do that and make it look so easy!

However, I want to show you something that is even more awesome. I need someone who is small to help me out. (Recruit the smallest child, perhaps even a younger toddler if you can ensure that the child can turn the flashlight on and off.) (To the child): I want you to see if you can turn this big flashlight on and off. (Allow the child to turn it off and on a couple of times.) You did it! That’s great.

Even though you are very young and not as big or strong as Mr./Mrs. _____, you can still turn the flashlight on and off. What (child’s name) did reminds me of what Jesus taught the crowd about faith and heaven. Jesus said that when we plant this very small mustard seed (hold it up), the smallest of the seeds, it will grow to be one of the largest plants. Our faith is like that as we grow and can do big and wonderful things. God wants to do big and wonderful things through people like you and me. I wonder what wonderful and mighty things you can do in the name of God.

Will you repeat after me?

Look up toward the sky.
Who created everything you see?
The Lord causes the stars to come out at night one by one.
God calls out each one of them by name (Isaiah 40:26 NIRV).

And I pray for each person in my family in the same way.

I see a star in the night sky, and I pray for ____

Amen.

(Invite children to pray for every family member, individually naming them. You can encourage them to name extended family members or even church family members.)