Parable of the Weeds

We just learned about one of Jesus' teaching stories called the Parable of the Sower

Another parable Jesus told was called the Parable of the Weeds.

He said that God's kingdom is like a field where the farmer planted wheat seeds, but when he was sleeping a bad person came and planted weeds right next to his wheat seeds.

The farmer's helpers asked if they should pull the weeds out, but the farmer said they couldn't because that would uproot the wheat too.

He said to wait until the wheat is grown. Then go pull the weeds out to be burned up and bring the wheat to the barn.

Jesus was really talking about people, and saying that the bad people of the world would not go to Heaven, they would be thrown out like the weeds. But the good people of the earth would be brought to Heaven to live with him forever.

(from: wikipedia - parable of the tares)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: New Testament

Parable of the Sower

We just learned about the wise man who built his house on the rock.

Sometimes when Jesus talked to his followers, he would try to explain things by telling stories called parables. They are stories that help teach lessons.

Once when Jesus was talking to some farmers he told a parable about someone who was planting seeds. This is sometimes called sowing, so we call it the parable of the sower.

He said that as a farmer was throwing seeds to the ground, some of it fell along the hard flat path. When that happened the birds came along and ate the seed right up!

Some of the seeds fell into some rocks, where it didn't have very good dirt to grow in. It grew quickly because the dirt was not deep, but because they couldn't put down deep roots they burned up in the sun.

Some seeds fell near some thorns, and when the plants grew they were choked by the thorns.

The last bunch of seeds fell into good soil, grew very well and made very good food.

Jesus explained what his parable meant:

The seeds are like the word of God and the message of his kingdom in heaven.

The seed on the path is when someone bad stops us from believing.

The seed on the rocks is someone who believes the word for a little while, but stops believing later.

The seed in the thorns is someone who worries too much about life and about money and things they want, and can't live for God.

The seed in the good dirt is someone who believes the word, understands it and spreads the word on to other people.


(from: wikipedia - parable of the sower)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Other Prophets

Wise man built his house on a rock

We just learned about Jesus telling people to Do unto others in the sermon on the mount.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he told his followers that if they heard his words and follow his ways they are like a wise man who built his house on a rock, and even though there were great storms it did not fall because it was built on a safe place.

He also said that if his followers did not follow his ways they were like foolish men who built their houses on sand, and the storms destroyed the houses because they were not built on a safe place.

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

(from: wikipedia - parable of the wise and foolish builders)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Shadrach Meshach Abednego

Do Unto Others

We just learned about Ask, Seek and Knock for his help.

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he told his followers to treat other people the way that they themselves want to be treated.

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

This is a very popular saying that is sometimes called the golden rule.


(from: wikipedia - golden rule)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Daniel

Ask, Seek and Knock

We just learned about Jesus' telling people not to judge others

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, he told his followers to always ask God for help.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

He told his followers to think of us as God's children. Since people give food to their children and help them, God who is all powerful will give even more to us, his followers.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!


(from: wikipedia - kingdom of god)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ezekiel

Do not judge others

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he told his followers that they should not judge other people.

He said that we all do things wrong, so we shouldn't be judging other people because we are not perfect ourselves.

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

(from: wikipedia - judge not lest ye be judged)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jeremiah

Treasures in Heaven

We just learned about Jesus telling people to Love their enemies

In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he tells his followers not to store up treasures for themselves here on earth, but to store them in Heaven.


(from: wikipedia - treasure)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Isaiah

Love your Enemy

During Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he told his follows that they should not hate their enemies, but instead should love their enemies.

This can be difficult to do, but God loves all of us.
It can be really easy to love the people who love us back, but to love even our enemies helps us to understand how God loves all of us.

(from: wikipedia - sermon on the mount)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Books of Poetry

Eye for Eye

We just learned about Jesus teaching people about the Light of the World.

In the Old Testament, there was a law saying an eye for an eye, meaning that if you fought with someone and poked out their eye, then you would have to get your eye poked out in return.

This all was a way to keep people from being mean to each other so they didn't get punished.

When Jesus came along, he told people that if someone slapped you on one side of the face you should not hit them back.
Even more than that you should turn the other side of your face even if they wanted to hit you there too.

Jesus wasn't telling us to go get beat up by a bully, he was just trying to tell us that we shouldn't fight people, just walk away from fights.

(from: wikipedia - beatitudes)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Job

The Light of the World

We just learned that in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount he called his followers the Salt of the Earth.

In the next part of his sermon, he calls his followers the Light of the World.

You are the light of the world.
A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Jesus is saying that people look to his followers to show them God's love,
so make sure to show God's love so we are like a bright light shining for everyone.

(from: wikipedia - light of the world)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Return from Exile

Salt of the Earth

We just learned about the Beautitudes that Jesus talked about on his famous Sermon on the Mount.

Another thing that Jesus told his followers in his sermon is that we are the salt of the earth.

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

In the time Jesus was speaking, salt was very important. It was used to help food stay fresh, to help make candles last longer, to help plants grow and to make food taste better.

Since it was so important, when Jesus told his followers they were the salt of the earth, he was saying they were very important, and that they needed to be the helpful flavor of the world and helped save people.

(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:13)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nebuchadnezzar

Blessed are the peacemakers

Let's keep learning about the Sermon on the Mount.

We've learned about these Beautitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be filled,
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy and
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

The seventh and last one is:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:9)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Other Kings

Blessed are the pure in heart

Let's keep learning about the Sermon on the Mount.

We've learned about these Beautitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be filled and
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

The sixth one is:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.


(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:8)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Elijah

Blessed are the merciful

Let's keep learning about the Sermon on the Mount.

We've learned about these Beautitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted and
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth and
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst, for they will be filled..

The fifth one is:

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.


(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:7)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: King Solomon

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Let's keep learning about the Sermon on the Mount.

We've learned about these Beautitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted and
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

The fourth one is:

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be filled.


(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:6)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: King David

Blessed are the meek

Let's keep learning about the Sermon on the Mount.

We've learned about the first of the Beautitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven and
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

The third one is:

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Meek means mild or gentle or humble.


(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:5)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: King Saul

Blessed are those who mourn

Let's keep learning about the Sermon on the Mount.

We've learned about the first of the Beautitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The second one is:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Mourning means you are sad about losing something, usually because someone died.

Jesus is saying that if you are sad, he will always be there to comfort you.

(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:4)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Samuel, Kings & Chronicles

Blessed are the poor

We just learned that Jesus gave a special talk called the Sermon on the Mount.

One of the things he talked about is called Beautitudes.

These are a list of blessed people that Jesus talked about, and the heavenly rewards they would receive.

The first one is:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

To be poor in spirit or in wealth means that we make God more important in our lives than saving up money and things on the earth.


(from: wikipedia - matthew 5:3)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ruth

Jesus' Sermon on the Mount

We just learned about Jesus' Miracle when he Calmed the storm.
When Jesus was walking through towns, he would sometimes go speak to large crowds of people.

The word sermon means something like a speech or someone talking about the Bible.
One of the times Jesus went up on a hill to talk to people was so famous that they wrote it all down and we call it the Sermon on the Mount because it was a very big hill like a mountain.

We'll talk more about what the sermon on the mount said next time!


(from: wikipedia - sermon on the mount)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Judges

Jesus' Miracles - Calming the storm

We've learned about Jesus' Miracles healing lepers, healing the blind, healing the paralyzed, healing women, healing on the sabbath, healing in a synagogue, healing a deaf and mute person, healing the centurion's servant, healing just by touching his cloak, raising the dead, turning water to wine, catching fish, feeding the multitude and walking on water.

Another miracle Jesus performed was when the apostles were in a boat in the water, Jesus was asleep in the boat.

While he was sleeping, a wild storm came along and was so big that there were waves crashing over the boat and the Apostles were afraid they might drown.

They woke Jesus up to see if he could help, and he got up and calmed the storm.
After the storm was calm, he told them that they should not have been afraid since he was in the boat, even though he was sleeping.

(from: wikipedia - calming the storm)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Joshua