Bible Study – Using Our Gifts
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
In this season after Pentecost, we hear stories of Jesus’ ministry in the world and our call to engage in that mission. This season is also known as Ordinary Time coming from the word “ordinal” which means counted time. This time is not ordinary as in common or regular, but it is the time of counted weeks between Pentecost and Advent. The color for this season is green and it is often referred to as the green growing time as we hear stories of what God is calling us to do in the world, we join in that call, and we grow in our faith.
We are working our way closer to the end of the Gospel of Matthew and our readings turn to messages and parables about what we are to do next, what might things look like when Jesus is gone?
Today’s parable, while it is about multiplying money, is about so much more. A talent is worth A LOT of money. For a slave who usually earned 1 denarius a day, it would take 20 years to earn a talent. So our master today is a very generous person and someone who believed in the varied abilities of the slaves, giving each “according to his ability.” The first two double what they were given, receiving praise from the master upon his return, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' In other words, the master is saying, “you have shown that I can trust you to grow what I have given you, and you have come to understand that was the purpose of the gift I gave you. Come and be a part of my celebration. The third slave, however, was scared of losing the talent, so he hid it and did nothing with it. Upon the master’s return, he receives scorn and is called wicked and lazy. This is harsh, and that is on purpose. Jesus is trying to get across to those hearing the story that they are not supposed to hide and save what God has given them, but rather they are to use what God has given them, growing it so it can be used and have a bigger impact on the world. God does not bless us with things so we can bury them and save them for a specific time. God gives us things so we can cultivate them, nurture them, and develop them into something bigger and grander. Not doing so, is to squander what God has given us, to waste our gifts and talents.
Opening Prayer: Gracious God, as we gather today to listen to your teachings, guide us to understand that all that we have been given has come from you. Help us to grow the gifts you have given us so that we may serve you better. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew 25:14-30 and read or read the scriptures below.
Matthew 25:14-30
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Questions:
- What did you like most about this story?
- Why do you think the master gave the servants money to take care of?
- What do you think it felt like to be one of the servants who got praised for growing the gift?
- What do you think it felt like to be the one who did not?
- If we have gifts that we have been given, do you think you can grow them into something bigger to serve God?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on url)
Matthew 25 The Parable of the Talents Lesson Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YNbpB5OGes
English KJV The Gospel of Matthew 25:14-30: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25sYVdHAkxw
Gospel of Matthew Summary: A complete Animated Overview (Part 2) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGCF3OPWN14
Song: Praise Him all ye little children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtNMdKKdlc8
Activities:
What Have You Been Given: Giving Tree: think about things that you are good at doing or that you enjoy doing. (sing, play an instrument, like helping people, organize things well, like making art, like dancing, enjoy writing, love listening to people, good at encouraging others, like to pray each day, love to welcome people and make them feel at home, love to lead, like to help others who are in need, etc.) Once you have a list of things that you are good at or that you enjoy doing, take a sheet of construction paper and draw a tree with a bunch of leaves. On each leaf, write one thing that God has given you or a gift that you have (like the ones you brainstormed above). On the tree or around the tree, write the things you can do to grow, nurture and cultivate those gifts. You can do this artistically or with words. Such as, if you like to sing, can you join a choir? If you enjoy doing art, is there a way you can get better at that or give someone your art as a gift? If you are good at welcoming people, can you learn to usher? Etc.
Talent Callings: You need 3 sheets of construction paper. Draw the 3 different talents that best reflect your giftedness or callings on each of the 3 pieces of paper. Just simple everyday gifts that you use to honor God. When you are finished with the drawings, write scriptures underneath each one to remind you how to use your talents to serve God.
The Parable of the Talents - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/the-parable-of-the-talents-5
The Parable of the Talents - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/the-parable-of-the-talents-9
The Parable of the Talents – Decoder: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/the-parable-of-the-talents-7
The Parable of the Talents – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/the-parable-of-the-talents-6
Prayer: Gracious God, Help us to remember to nurture and grow the gifts you have given us so that others might benefit from what you have given us. Be with us as we go into the world, and help us to see others gifts and support us as we use our own. Amen.
