Note to the parent or teacher: Here is a 30- to 45-minute lesson plan to fill out the post “The Parables of Jesus: The Three Servants.” (It can also be broken into two smaller sessions.) It goes with the lesson objectives “Study more of the parables that Jesus taught and their meaning” (Christian Life and Faith: Biblical and Christian Foundation: Jesus, God’s Son-2b) and “Learn what putting love into action means, and that real love results in good deeds” (Christian Life and Faith: Biblical and Christian Foundation: God’s Law of Love-1f).

Read “The Parables of Jesus: The Three Servants.” (You can also read this parable in Matthew 25:14–29.)

Explain to the children how a person can put some money into a savings account in a bank that will pay a small amount of interest each year. Another example is investing in stocks in a company, which makes them the owner of a small part of that company. If the company succeeds, then the stocks they have bought will be worth more, increasing the value of the money invested.

Explain that this parable is not just about money, but it’s about our skills, our talents, our education and knowledge, our social skills, and the possibilities we are presented with in life to do good. Through this parable, Jesus encourages us to use our lives in the best ways possible and promises that He will reward us for that.

Read “A Thought for the Day: Grow Those Talents.”

Read “Talents and Skills.”

Ask the children what skills they have. Feel free to bring up other skills that you’ve seen they have. Talk about how those skills can be used to help others and better our world. Then talk about how to improve these existing skills, as well as the importance of gaining more skills through investing time and energy in education.

Read “11 Reasons for Investing in Your Education.”

Pause and consider what it is we each have that Jesus is most concerned about us investing. If we have money, is Jesus mainly concerned that we invest it to make more money? Or if we have a talent or skill, is Jesus’ chief concern that we invest our time and efforts to make that talent or skill the best possible? What talent or skill is Jesus wanting us to make the most of? What talent or skill do we have that should be the umbrella under which we use all the other talents God’s given us?

Listen to “The Love Chapter: 1 Corinthians 13.”

Read “1 Corinthians 13 for You Today!”

Read “Don’t Get Buried.”

Wrap up this time by talking about ways for each person to improve their talents and to put them to use in ways that will be a help to others. Include some appreciation for one another’s talents, pointing out the love they have manifested to others through those talents.

Additional reading:

• “Follow Your Dreams”
• “Level 2 Lesson Plan: Super Traits for Super Students”
• “Hunting for Study Treasure.”