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Seeds of Heaven

Month 9| week 1: Equip

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To take the hope of Christ to every student

To reach every student at our school with the gospel

vision

mission

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Marshmallow Kingdom

Let’s Play!

Icebreaker Game: Marshmallow Kingdom

Materials Needed: Two bags of jumbo marshmallows, table

Choose two volunteers and ask them to face the group while standing behind a table. Explain to them that they will be competing to see who can build the tallest marshmallow tower.

Here’s the catch:

● They will have 1 minute to build their towers, but every 15 seconds they will change the actions they take to build their towers.

● The actions they will take are:

a. Volunteers may only use their mouths to move around the marshmallows.

b. Volunteers will be allowed to use only their index fingers.

c. Volunteers may also use their thumbs.

d. Volunteers are free to use all their fingers as they build.

Once time has run out, congratulate the winner and give each volunteer their tower as a prize for competing.

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Digging deeper

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What made it easier to build your kingdom? Did your kingdoms get better at each step?

What great marshmallow kingdoms! What made it easier to build your kingdom? Did your kingdoms get better at each step? (Take a few moments for students to share.)

It was really hard to build your marshmallow kingdom. Probably because it kept falling apart, or you realized you didn’t have everything you needed. That is the same with people. We often try to build kingdoms for ourselves, but they always seem to fall apart.

But thankfully, God is building a Kingdom that won’t fail or fall apart. God will bring his Kingdom to earth one day. He is the architect and builder of this Kingdom. The great thing is that we don’t need to worry about whether he will build it the right way because he is the perfect builder and knows just what we need. He invites us today to participate in his Kingdom and live as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Even in the world we live today, we can see God’s eternal Kingdom taking root as it transforms the world from the inside out. We only see a fraction of it now, but one day we will see it in its full glory!

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For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.

1 CORINTHIANS 13:12

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Where do you see reflections of God’s Kingdom in the world today?

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He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.”

MATTHEW 13:31-32

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So what…

What does it mean that God has given us glimpses of his Kingdom in our lives on earth?

Tool time

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Key idea

Planting seeds

of heaven

God’s Kingdom is radically different from the world’s kingdom. These seeds on earth can be seen in many different ways. It can look a lot like a family welcoming foster children into their home or when we offer forgiveness to someone who has wronged us. They’re also seen every time you observe someone acting with strength and courage toward injustice, pain, or a challenging situation, and you wonder how they could get through that situation.

When you encourage someone in pain or step in to transform a situation full of anger or despair, you are planting seeds of heaven. When you share Jesus’ words, you water the seeds of heaven with truth and hope. When you live a resurrected life in the middle of the darkness of this world, you shine the light of Jesus on those around you.

Listen to how Paul, a follower of Jesus, described it.

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We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you.

Colossians 1:3-5

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In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.

Colossians 1:6

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when have YOU wanted to give up when your answers or results were delayed?

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Who can I pray for this week?

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Key point

we show the world what God’s Kingdom looks like.

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Let’s pray

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Thanks

See you next time!