Today’s Learning Together lesson is the third and final lesson of this October.  Our selected story is “Treasure Hunt” found on pages 250-255 of The Jesus by Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     Children: I would like you to reread our story in any way you prefer. Maybe you would like to draw your own illustrations, too. (Please bring them to share if you wish at the next Sunday School gathering.)
     As you know, Jesus taught using stories, or parables, to the crowds that surrounded Him. Why did He choose this way to share His beliefs? There are three reasons why Jesus chose this particular teaching style.
     First of all, parables were easy to understand for many people.  Jesus’ teachings were at times hard to explain because they were difficult ideas, but Jesus kept it simple by being able to relate to everyday people in their everyday lives. When people listened to Jesus, everyone understood what the parable meant to them. You and I all understood the man who found the treasure and how much he wanted it for himself, right?
     Secondly, parables are easy to remember. It’s not enough that Jesus’ words would be easy to grasp; they needed to be easily remembered. A parable gives the listener a hook to hold onto and an easy method to share the same lesson with others, as Jesus wanted.
     Lastly, Jesus’s parables always had a beginning, followed by a challenge or problem, and then ended with a solution. It would be a short, sweet, and to the point lesson that connected easily to His listeners’ daily lives, like bread baking and farming, or finding a life-changing treasure.
     Those three reasons also make Jesus’ teachings so easy to grasp and share today for US!
     Adults: The Biblical reference for this story is Matthew 13.
 
     Our topic today continues about Jesus’ parables, but this time we move from Matthew to the gospels of Mark, Luke, and John. 
 
        The Parables found in Mark

1. The Parable of the Growing Seed
2. The Parable of the Returning Owner

The Parables found in Luke
3.The Parable of the Moneylender
4. The Parable of the Rich Fool
5. The Parable of the Watchful Servants
6. The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Servants
7. The Parable of the Unfruitful Fig Tree
8. The Parable of the Master and the Servant
9. The Parable of the Good Samaritan    
1​0. The Parable of the Friend Seeking Bread
11. The Parable of the Place of Honor
12. The Parable of the Great Banquet
13. The Parable about Counting the Cost
14. The Parable of the Lost Sheep
15. The Parable of the Lost Coin
16. The Parable of the Prodigal Son
             17. The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
             18. The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus
             19. The Parable of the Persistent Widow
             20. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
     There are no parables in the Gospel of John, but there are stories that are considered allegories, which are not parables. Allegories are more complex than parables and can take the form of a book, poem, or even a movie.
This Week’s Prayer: Thank you, Jesus for making each parable you taught easy to understand. Amen
     Next Sunday, October 27, 2024, our Sunday School will gather right after church services at 11 am-12 pm for a snack, an oral read and story discussion, and a follow-up craft. All are welcome to attend!
Enjoy the summer weather,
Margo Greer

​     Fall greetings to you! At the start of this month, we are beginning, as always, a new story from The Jesus Storybook Bible. If you would like one of these books, please come to our church and ask for a free copy, or the book can also be ordered online by yourself.
     Children: Are you ready to listen and read and imagine and create about the story “Treasure Hunt!” found on pages 250-255? It is a fun story that Jesus told a small group of people, but there are real lessons to be learned back then and now.
     Please begin by making yourself comfy and listening to today’s story being orally read to you. Close your eyes and paint your own pictures in your head as you are listening.
     Jesus often told stories to explain his teachings. These stories are called parables. Parables are simple stories used to teach a religious lesson. He believed that people would understand His message easier if He did this. 

     Any questions or comments so far? Pastor Steve is ready to respond to you on this blog.
     Adults: The Biblical reference for this story is Matthew 13.
     When people talk about the ministry of Jesus, it’s easy to focus on his miracles. Jesus performed some amazing feats that the world had never seen (and hasn’t seen since), but one of the most exciting things about His ministry was His teaching style.
     Jesus taught using parables - simple stories intended to impart a spiritual lesson. He’s so identified with this teaching style that Mark’s Gospel tells us that “He did not say anything to them without using a parable” (Mark 4:34a), although He personally spoke to the disciples in more direct ways.
     Matthew combines a lot of Jesus’ parables in his Gospel. In Matthew chapter 13, we find eight parables. They begin with a tale about a sower and end with a story about a fisherman’s net. In the middle of all these parables, Jesus drops a couple of parables with similar themes:
     The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Matthew 13:44-46). Jesus wants us to buy God’s treasure of eternal life.
     As with the Children’s section, Pastor Steve welcomes any questions or comments you may have through this blog.
~This Week’s Prayer: Jesus, loving You is our treasure of eternal life. Amen
     This month of October will bring two more weekly online lessons, and then Sunday School will meet in person on Sunday, October 27 at 11 am-12 pm right after our church service. There will be a tasty snack, an oral reading and discussion of the story, and a fun craft. All are invited!
Enjoy the developing fall color,
Margo Greer