Game / Bible / Life Connection:  A Heavy Rock Slowed the Runners in the Game / In the Bible Rocky Soil Brings No Fruit / Our Lives Bring Success, Fruit, when we Listen, Obey, and Practice God’s Truth in our Life

 This is Step 1

1. Divide players into teams.
   2. Explain you will run a relay race, one player runs, comes back gives a “high five” to the next player, then the runner will have a seat at the end of the line. Play until all players are sitting down.  Declare the winner.
   3. Announce that the next round the winners will have a heavy object, (large rock or box, or chair) that they will carry and pass to the next player. Tell them this will make the race fair for the other players.
   4. Run the race again. Congratulate the new winning team. Give the new winning team the heavy object and continue to play.

 Game / Bible / Life Connection:    A Heavy Rock Slowed the Runners in the Game / In the Bible Rocky Soil Brings No Fruit / Our Lives Bring Success, Fruit, when we Listen, Obey, and Practice God’s Truth in our Life

Rules for Good Behavior:  We see rules everywhere. We are reminded to behave properly as we live in a civil society. We have school rules, office rules, road rules, bus and
train rules, construction rules, and many other rules.

What are our rules for living a good Christian life? These rules come from God’s word!  How do we understand and follow God’s rules?

Here is a beautiful parable told by Jesus.  

Once, a farmer went out to the field to plant seeds. He scattered the seeds on the entire field.  The seeds fell on different types of ground. 
Some seeds fell along hard pathways where birds came and ate them up.
Some fell on rocky places where there was not much soil. The seeds sprouted quickly but soon died in the heat as they did not take firm root.
Some other seeds fell among thorny plants.  They grew for some time, but the thorns choked the life out of the plants.
Some seeds fell on rich, fertile soil where they took root and produced many fruit.  

The seeds represent God’s word. We are the different types of ground.

The hard pathways are people whose heart is hardened by circumstances. These people hear God’s word but do not listen and understand.
The rocky places where there is not much soil, are people who are happy when they hear the Gospel. But, when a difficult or testing time comes, their little faith cannot hold, since they have no firm roots.
The thorny ground represents people who seem to receive the Gospel but worldly things like success and money become more important. They don’t give time to God. Their ambitions choke out the message of God.
The good soil represents people who hear, listen, understand and receive God’s word.  They live a life of growing faith in God. They nourish a good character. The spirit of God leads them. That is the result of having true faith in God. These people serve and honor God through their daily lives.

  Game / Bible / Life Connection:    A Heavy Rock Slowed the Runners in the Game / In the Bible Rocky Soil Brings No Fruit / Our Lives Bring Success, Fruit, when we Listen, Obey, and Practice God’s Truth in our Life

Memory Verse:   “But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.”   Luke. 11:28