This lesson teaches children that God’s word grows in hearts that listen and trust, and that Jesus has power over storms, demons, and even death. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Jesus is more powerful than anything that scares us, and when we hear God’s word and trust him, it grows strong in our hearts.
Memory Verse
Luke 8:15
Those in the good ground, these are those who with an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and produce fruit with perseverance.
(WEB)
Cup both hands in front of your ears, then slowly open them as if a seed is growing into a flower. Repeat the verse together while you move your hands. Doing the motion each time helps the words stay put.
The Story: Luke 8 for Kids
One day Jesus went from town to town, telling people about God’s kingdom. His twelve friends went with him, and some women who had been helped by Jesus went too. A big crowd gathered, so Jesus told them a story about a farmer. The farmer scattered seed, and some seed fell on the hard path where birds ate it. Some fell on rocky ground and dried up. Some fell among thorns that choked it. But some fell on good soil and grew into a plant that made much fruit.
Later, Jesus got into a boat with his friends to cross the lake. Jesus fell asleep, and a big storm came. The waves splashed into the boat, and the friends were scared. They woke Jesus and said, “Master, we are going to drown!” Jesus stood up, told the wind and waves to be quiet, and suddenly everything was calm. He asked them, “Where is your faith?” His friends were amazed and asked one another who this could be, since even the wind and water obeyed him.
When they reached the other side, a man who lived among the tombs ran out to meet Jesus. He had many evil spirits inside him, and he was very sick and scary to others. He called out, “Please don’t hurt me, Jesus!” Jesus told the evil spirits to come out of the man. They went into a herd of pigs, which ran into the lake. The man sat calmly at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind. Jesus told him, “Go home and tell everyone what God has done for you.” The man went all over town telling his story.
When Jesus came back across the lake, a man named Jairus begged him to come to his house because his little daughter was very sick. On the way, a woman who had been sick for twelve years touched the edge of Jesus’ cloak and was healed right away. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” Then someone came to say Jairus’s daughter had died. Jesus told Jairus, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe.” At the house, Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, “Child, get up!” She got up immediately, and her parents were amazed.
Read It Together
Luke 8:21
But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it.”
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus called the people who hear God’s word and do it his family. Ask children what it looks like to do what God’s word says at home, at school, or on the playground.
Luke 8:25
He said to them, “Where is your faith?” Being afraid they marveled, saying to one another, “Who is this then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?”
(WEB)
Ask the children to notice Jesus’ question about faith. Explain that he asked his friends this even while they were scared, and that he invites us to trust him in our own frightening moments.
Luke 8:50
But Jesus hearing it, answered him, “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed.”
(WEB)
Show children that Jesus spoke these words to a worried father. Point out that when we feel afraid, Jesus encourages us to keep believing him.
Talk About It
- What did the farmer’s seed need in order to grow big and strong?
- When the storm came, how do you think the friends felt, and what did they do?
- How did the man who was helped by Jesus change after he met him?
- What did the woman do to get close to Jesus, and what happened because of her faith?
- What is one thing you can do this week to listen to God’s word and do what it says?
Activity Ideas
Seed Jar Drawing
You will need a clear cup, a paper towel, a few dry beans, and some water. Fold the paper towel, slide it inside the cup against the glass, and add a few beans between the paper and the glass. Keep the paper damp and let children watch the roots and sprouts appear over several days. Talk about how good soil helps the seed grow, just as God’s word grows in listening hearts.
Calm the Storm Game
Gather a few children and have them sit in a row as the “boat.” One child plays Jesus and sleeps in the middle while the others wiggle and make wave sounds with their arms. When the “Jesus” child wakes and says “Be still,” everyone freezes like a calm lake. Play a few rounds so children practice being still and trusting Jesus.
Take-Home Seed Packet
Give each child a small paper envelope and a few real seeds such as beans or sunflower seeds. On the outside, write the memory verse or have children draw a picture of a plant. Encourage families to plant the seeds together at home and to talk about one way they heard God’s word that week. Remind children that the plant grows as they keep caring for it.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows Jesus’ authority over nature, spiritual forces, sickness, and death. It also shows that faith is trust in Jesus himself, and that hearing God’s word leads to doing it. The parable of the sower invites honest reflection on whether our hearts are receptive or distracted.
With children, avoid suggesting that a lack of faith or a small amount of faith is the reason someone stays sick or dies. The Bible shows Jesus healing many people and raising Jairus’s daughter, but it does not present faith as a formula that guarantees outcomes. Keep the focus on who Jesus is and his loving care.
A Prayer to Close
Jesus, thank you that you are stronger than any storm and that you care for us. Help us listen to your word and grow it in our hearts. When we feel scared, help us trust you and remember that you are with us. Amen.
