Be Leaven

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the service module is to teach the children what service looks like in their lives. For fifth graders, it's important to develop their relationship with God and to make the Lord very real to them. Every week of this module will focus on relating their action to the words of the Lord: week 1 -- Be Salt, week 2 - Be Light, week 3 - Be Leaven, week 4 - Be Ambassadors and Apostles. Help them realize how their actions are a service to those around them.

INTRODUCTION & HOOK - 10 Minutes

Review the previous lesson on 'Being Light'

Yeast Experiment

(See first two minutes of video for demonstration, or better yet do the experiment in class)

Materials:

  • Plastic bottle
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 1 tbsp yeast
  • Balloon

Directions:

  • Pour sugar and yeast in the warm water and mix to combine.
  • Pour the yeast mixture into the balloon, and cover the top opening with the bottle with the balloon.
  • As time passes, the yeast will multiply, form gas, and inflate the balloon.

Ask the children what they noticed and use the conversation as a way to explain further how yeast works.

  1. Bring to Class leavened bread and unleavened bread, if possible. (See pictures in appendix.)
  2. Pass around the two types of bread (or pictures) and have students compare them. The Church orban can be used for the sample of leavened bread. They can taste each type of bread.
  3. Ask: What difference do you observe between the two? Students will comment on the size and texture.
  4. Explain brief background information on leaven/yeast: when someone was making bread in the first century, they'd throw in a little piece of dough that was left over from the last time they made bread. By that time, leftover dough would have fermented and become leaven. When leaven was added to a new batch of bread, it would act like yeast, causing the bread to rise. Today we conveniently have packaged yeast that we use to leaven bread.
  5. Show a packet of yeast to the class to demonstrate how little is used to have dough rise and more than double in size
  6. Say: today we are going to see how the Kingdom of God started very small and how it multiplied. We will also talk about our own spiritual growth; is it stagnant or are you continuously growing?

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

Read the first two Bible passages below together with open Bibles. Refer to the 3rd and 4th Biblical passages as needed during discussion.

  1. Matthew 13:33-34 - Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,
  2. Luke 13:20-21 - And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."
  3. Luke 17:20 - Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation.
  4. Luke 12:31 - But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

CONTENT (KEY POINTS) - 20 Minutes

Note: This lesson will be successful with knowledge on parables and the symbolism of leaven throughout the Bible in the Old and New Testament. Background information is attached in the appendix below, if students need to be given a brief overview.

Pass out KWL Chart. Have students complete the first two portions of the chart before beginning the discussion.

  • What do I know about the Kingdom of God? Hint: There are 9 Parables where Jesus used parables to speak about it.
  • What do I want to know about the Kingdom of God?

Use the following detailed lesson notes to discuss the lesson.

  1. Jesus spoke two parables to teach how the Kingdom of Heaven would grow: The Mustard Seed and The Leaven. These two parables should be considered together.
  2. In the parable of the mustard seed, the Kingdom of Heaven is compared to the mustard seed.
    • From this tiny seed grows a large tree.
    • If the seed stayed small, it would be eaten by a bird.
    • The bird can be seen as the enemy which will eat the seed. But if the seed grows into a magnificent/large tree the bird will not overcome it. It will be a refuge for animals.
    • Similarly, if when the Church grows it is refuge for enemies who were once against it; they would come to it and seek peace and understanding.
    • The tiny mustard seed grows and becomes a tree greater than all the herbs. The Kingdom of God gradually increased from a humble and despised beginning.
    • The mustard seed provides lodging for the birds. The Kingdom of God continues to grow and offer shelter to those who seek it.
  3. This is how the Church grew; it started very small. Who did it start with?
    • The disciples who were simple people, uneducated and poor. When the Church grew what happened? The people that once attacked the Church, came and sought shelter in the Church and instead of attacking it; they came to seek and to take shelter
    • When I grow in God, my enemy will come and seek refuge, asking for help.
    • We need to measure ourselves all the time.
    • We need to grow our small seed every day.
    • We need to water it with prayer, attending the liturgies, fasting, doing charity work.
  4. The Parable of the Leaven has the same message.
    • The Church welcomes the small steps you take in your spiritual life and God takes what you do and multiples it.
    • Looking at the parable, the amount of yeast was very little. What does it do in the flour? It makes it grow. The woman brought a small amount of yeast. Why did the flour which there was so much more of, not affect the yeast? The yeast which was little made the entire volume bigger.
    • This is exactly like the kingdom of God, which starts small without anyone seeing. Do we see the yeast working in the flour? We cannot. The verse below demonstrates this point.
      • Luke 17:20 - Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation.
      • It comes slowly in our life. For example, if you know a six-year-old and you haven't seen him in a couple of years but one day you finally see him, you notice so much growth, yet you did not observe that growth.
      • Other people can see your growth in your spiritual life. They see spiritual maturity. If I have small good things in my life; for example, a small charity, for fasting, for prayer. You will find yourself growing spiritually without realizing it.
  5. What does the woman resemble?
    • She is the Church- she took the yeast and buried it in the dough. The Church does the same for us. The Church puts good things in our life so that when we go out, we affect other people with a good influence.
    • The Church plants good things in the children and they learn and grow. So you water it by coming to the liturgies, praying, fasting, doing works of charity.
    • The meaning is that the kingdom of God starts very small and then it keeps growing
    • Taking little steps to do simple things such as fasting, praying, attending the liturgy, attending Sunday school will help you grow.
    • We are small seeds, or a little yeast and we grow even if we start small
    • The leaven which is hidden works steadily until the effect of its power is visible. Each individual Christian must spread the gospel and let his light shine.
  6. If you grow, your enemy will come seek your help, advice, and refuge
    • The Church puts good in our life in this world so we can preserve and keep the faith and keep the Love of Christ in our life and multiply this in our society and with the people around us.
    • This reminds us to consider what kind of person I want to be.
    • Do I grow or am I stagnant in my spirituality?
    • Am I continuously growing or am I still the same person?
    • If you are not, you need to correct yourself
    • Luke 12:31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you

DISCUSSION (Challenge) -5 Minutes

What small steps can I do to grow in my spiritual life? Do we need faith in what God has given us in order to grow? Are we ever too small or too sinful to begin our lives with God?

LIFE APPLICATION (Action) - 5-10 Minutes

Choose one aspect of your spiritual life (reading the bible for a few extra minutes, coming to church early, showing kindness to your family) to work on this week. Even though God's love may not seem to make much difference in your life now, it is growing. We just need to be open to His grace every day. Have students complete the worksheet in the Appendix below.

ACTIVITY - 10 Minutes

Option 1

You will need a large bag of colorful rubber bands for this activity. Each child will have a pile of rubber bands to begin making a rubber band ball As the children wrap the bands around each other, the ball will grow. Let the children continue to wrap the bands as time allows and soon a bouncing ball will be enjoyed by the children as they learn from today's lesson that "great things grow from small beginnings." (There are many tutorials for making rubber band balls on YouTube.)

Option 2

Complete the attached chart and worksheet with the children.

SERVANT RESOURCES

A Bible Study given by Father Elisha Resk at St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Washington DC on September 16, 2009

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

Discuss the following points and questions with your children regarding Matthew 13:33-34

  • The woman in the verse is like the Church - she took the yeast and buried it in the dough.
    • The Church does the same for us
    • The Church puts good things in our life so that when we go out, we affect others with our good influence.
    • The Church plants good things in the children, allowing them to learn and grow
    • You water it by coming to liturgies, praying, fasting, and doing works of charity.
    • The meaning is that the kingdom of God starts very small and then it keeps growing.
    • Taking little steps to do simple things like fasting, praying, attending liturgies, and Sunday School will help you grow
    • We are like small seeds, or a small amount of yeast, and we grow even if we start small
    • The leaven, which is hidden, works steadily until the effect of its power is visible
    • Each individual Christian must spread the gospel and let his light shine
    • The Church puts good in our life in this world so we can preserve and keep the faith, and keep the love of Christ in our life, and multiply this in our society and with the people around us
    • This reminds us to consider what kind of person we want to be
      • Do I grow, or am I stagnant in my spirituality
      • Am I continuously growing or am I the same person. If you are not growing, you need to correct yourself.

APPENDIX

Important Background Information (see Content/Discussion)

Parables

  • What is a parable?
    • It is a short simple story which compares earthly matters to spiritual truths. The truth is illustrated by a comparison or example taken from everyday experiences. One of means our Lord Jesus Christ used to impart his message was to speak in parables
  • There are nine parables that talk about the Kingdom of God.
    • The Sower
    • The Tares
    • The Seed Growing in Secret
    • The Mustard Seed
    • The Leaven
    • The Hidden Treasure
    • The Pearl of Great Price
    • The Drawnet
    • The Laborers in the Vineyard.

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Grade 5 Week 3 Activity (Service).pdf

Grade 5 Week 3 Word Search Activity (Service).pdf