November 15, 2026 – Use God’s Gifts Faithfully

“You have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” — Matthew 25:21

TODAY’S BIG IDEA

Jesus tells a parable about servants entrusted with very large amounts of money. Two act faithfully with what they receive; one hides his out of fear. The lesson invites us to receive God’s gifts with gratitude and courage and to use what is entrusted to us for faithful purposes.

CORE TEACHING THEME

Faithfulness is not about having the most, being the most talented, or producing the biggest result. We respond to God’s grace by using time, abilities, relationships, opportunities, resources, and responsibility with courage and care.

LESSON SNAPSHOT

Total Time: 30–35 minutes Prep Time: 10–15 minutes Age Range: Kindergarten–5th Grade Main Passage: Matthew 25:14–30

SUPPLIES AT A GLANCE

• Bible or printed Matthew 25:14–30
• 3 envelopes or small bags
• Play money or paper circles
• Index cards
• Markers or crayons
• Construction paper
• Tape or glue

5 min 10 min 7 min 7 min 3–5 min

5-MINUTE PREP

• Read the Wonder Truth and Big Idea.
• Read Matthew 25:14–30 once.
• Put different amounts of paper “money” into three envelopes.
• Set out index cards and markers.
• Remember: a “talent” in the parable is a huge amount of money; it does not originally mean a skill.

VOLUNTEER PREP

READ BEFORE CHILDREN ARRIVE

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

In Jesus’ parable, a master entrusts three servants with “talents”—enormous sums of money—according to their ability. Two put the money to work; one hides it because he is afraid. The story is part of Jesus’ teaching about faithful discipleship while awaiting God’s future.

GRACE-CENTERED REMINDER

Do not teach that children earn God’s love by being productive, successful, busy, or impressive. Faithfulness is a response to grace. Children have different abilities, resources, needs, and capacities. God’s worth for them is not measured by output.

THEOLOGY / SAFETY NOTE

The master is harsh toward the fearful servant. Do not flatten every detail into “this is exactly what God is like.” Parables can challenge, exaggerate, and provoke. Keep the child-facing emphasis on trust versus fear and faithful use versus burying what has been entrusted. Also explain that “talent” meant money in this story; our modern use of “talent” for ability came later.

LEADER PRAYER

“Generous God, everything good comes from You. Help me teach faithfulness without comparison or pressure. Show these children that You value them, and teach us all to use what we have with courage, gratitude, and love. Amen.”

BIBLE BACKGROUND

A talent was an extremely large unit of money, many years of wages for a laborer. The amounts in the story are intentionally enormous. The first two servants take action; the third acts from fear and a distorted view of the master. The parable comes within Matthew 24–25, where Jesus calls disciples to faithful living while waiting.

KEY VOCABULARY

Talent — In this Bible story, a very large amount of money. Entrust — To place something in someone’s care. Faithful — Dependable in doing what is right and loving. Stewardship — Caring well for what has been entrusted to us. Fear — A feeling that can warn us, but can also freeze us when it controls every choice.

BEFORE CHILDREN ARRIVE

• Prepare three envelopes with different amounts of paper money.
• Keep the actual amounts simple and visible.
• Set out index cards and markers for the Identity activity.
• Keep the Bible open to Matthew 25.
• Leave room for small-group scenario discussion.

5 MINUTES | GET THEM WONDERING

PURPOSE

Introduce the idea of being entrusted with something without creating competition.

BEFORE THEY ARRIVE

Place the three prepared envelopes where children can see them but not open them yet.

LEADER SAYS

“If someone trusted you with something important, what would help you take good care of it? Today Jesus tells a story about people trusted with a lot.”

DO THIS

1. Open one envelope and show the paper money.
2. Explain: “Imagine someone says, ‘Take care of this while I am gone.’”
3. Ask what responsible care might look like.
4. Open the other envelopes and note that different people were given different amounts.
5. Say: “Different does not mean more valuable as a person.”

ASK

“What does it feel like when someone trusts you?” “Does everyone have to be given the exact same thing in order to be faithful?”

LISTEN FOR

Trust can feel important, exciting, serious, or even scary. Faithfulness means caring well for what you actually receive, not comparing yourself to someone else.

ADAPT

K–2: Use examples: pet care, classroom job, library book, helping carry something. Grades 3–5: Ask: “How can comparing what you have with what someone else has make it harder to be faithful?”

TRANSITION

“Jesus used a story about huge amounts of money to help His followers think about trust, courage, and what we do with what is placed in our care.”

VOLUNTEER HELP

Short on time: Use one envelope and one question: “What does faithful care look like?” Extra time: Ask children to name things besides money that can be entrusted to us: time, abilities, responsibilities, friendships, information, creation, opportunities. Remember: Avoid praising children for “having more talent.” Keep comparison out of the activity.

10 MINUTES | HEAR GOD’S WORD

PURPOSE

Explain the parable clearly, including the biblical meaning of “talent,” and focus on faithful action rather than comparison.

PRAY

“God, thank You for every good gift. Help us hear Jesus’ story and learn how to be faithful with what You place in our care. Amen.”

BIBLE STORY — READ ALOUD

“Jesus told a parable about a man who was going on a journey. Before leaving, he called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” “To one servant he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. In this story, a talent was not a special skill. It was a huge amount of money.” “The servant with five talents went to work with what he had been given. The servant with two did the same. Each used what had been entrusted to him faithfully.” “The servant with one talent was afraid. Instead of doing anything with it, he dug a hole and hid the money.” “After a long time, the master returned and asked what each servant had done. He praised the first two for being trustworthy with what they had received.” “The third servant explained that fear had controlled his choice, so he had hidden what was entrusted to him.” “Jesus’ story asks us to think about faithfulness. God’s gifts are not all identical, and faithful living is not a competition. We can receive what is in our care with gratitude and courage, then use it in ways that honor God and bless others.”

PAUSE AND ASK

Ask: “What kinds of things can God place in our care besides money?”

LISTEN FOR / IF QUIET

Time, abilities, friendships, responsibilities, opportunities, possessions, the earth, knowledge, words, influence. If quiet, ask: “Can your words be something you use faithfully?”

MAIN TRUTH

“God gives us good things and calls us to use them faithfully. Your value does not come from having more than someone else. Faithfulness means asking, ‘What has God placed in my care, and how can I use it with love and courage?’”

WORD OF WONDER

“You have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” — Matthew 25:21

MEMORY MOTIONS

TRUSTWORTHY — hands together firmly. FEW THINGS — hold up a few fingers. IN CHARGE — place hands open in front as if caring for something. MANY THINGS — spread arms wider.

CHECK UNDERSTANDING

1. What did “talent” mean in this parable? — A very large amount of money.
2. Did each servant receive the same amount? — No.
3. What did the first two do? — Acted faithfully with what they received.
4. What controlled the third servant? — Fear.

VOLUNTEER HELP

Short on time: Tell the story in five short sentences, explain “talent,” and emphasize faithfulness without comparison. Extra time: Ask older children: “What is the difference between healthy caution and fear that freezes us from doing any good?” Remember: Never connect disability, poverty, grades, athletic ability, or popularity with greater or lesser worth before God.

7 MINUTES | PRACTICE THE TRUTH

PURPOSE

Help children identify real things in their care and practice faithful stewardship without comparison.

K–2 DISCUSSION

Ask: What is something you are trusted to care for? How can you use kind words well? What can you do with five extra minutes? How can you care for a friendship?

GRADES 3–5 DISCUSSION

Ask: What has God entrusted to you right now? How can fear keep someone from using a gift? When can taking a wise risk be faithful? How can we use influence without showing off?

FAITH PRACTICE

PUT IT TO WORK

DO THIS

Read each situation. Ask: “What has been entrusted here?” and “What is one faithful next step?”

SITUATIONS

• You are good at explaining homework and a classmate is confused. — Use your ability kindly without making them feel stupid.
• You have ten free minutes while a family member needs help. — Choose whether this is a good opportunity to serve, while also recognizing rest can be a legitimate need.
• A friend tells you private information that suggests they may be unsafe. — Do not keep a harmful secret; tell a trusted adult who can help.
• You receive money as a gift. — Consider saving, giving, and spending wisely with family guidance.
• You are asked to care for shared supplies. — Use them responsibly, return them, and help keep them ready for others.
• You have an idea but fear being embarrassed. — Think wisely, ask for help, and consider trying rather than letting embarrassment decide everything.

LEADER SAYS

“Faithfulness is not ‘do everything’ or ‘never rest.’ It means caring well for what God actually places in your life. Sometimes faithful stewardship means serving. Sometimes it means asking for help, protecting safety, resting, or saying no to something that is not yours to carry.”

TRANSITION

“Now we’ll name one thing in our care and one faithful way to use it.”

VOLUNTEER HELP

Short on time: Use the homework, shared-supplies, and safety scenarios. Extra time: Have older children identify one resource they often overlook—time, attention, words, listening, creativity—and one way to use it this week. Remember: Stewardship should not become overwork. Children are not responsible for solving adult problems.

7 MINUTES | ENTRUSTED TO ME CARD

PURPOSE

Help children name one real responsibility or gift without comparing it to anyone else’s.

SUPPLIES FOR THIS ACTIVITY

Index cards or construction paper; markers or crayons; tape or glue if desired.

DO THIS

1. Give each child a card.
2. Write: “God has placed ______ in my care.”
3. Fill in one appropriate item: my words, my time, a friendship, an ability, my belongings, a responsibility.
4. Write: “One faithful step is ______.”
5. Decorate only after the words are complete.

WHILE THEY WORK

Say: “Do not look at someone else’s card and decide they have something better. Jesus’ story asks us what we will do with what is in our care.”

ADAPT

K–2: Offer choices and let children draw the item they care for. Grades 3–5: Add: “One fear I can bring to God is ______.” Keep this private unless the child wants to share.

FINISH EARLY

Write the Wonder Truth on the back.

IDENTITY CONNECTION — READ ALOUD

“God’s love is not a paycheck for being productive. You are loved by grace. Because you are loved, you can use what is in your care with courage, wisdom, and generosity.”

GROUP RESPONSE

Leader: “Are we all given the same things?” Children: “No!” Leader: “What are we called to be?” Children: “Faithful!”

VOLUNTEER HELP

Short on time: Write only the two sentence starters; skip decorating. Extra time: Invite children to silently pray over the faithful step they wrote. Remember: If a child cannot think of an “ability,” shift to responsibility, time, words, friendship, or care. Everyone has something meaningful in their care.

3–5 MINUTES | SEND THEM WITH THE TRUTH

WONDER TRUTH

God gives us good things and calls us to use them faithfully.

LEADER REVIEW — READ ALOUD

“Jesus told a story about servants trusted with very large amounts of money. The first two acted faithfully; the third hid what he had because fear controlled him. God’s gifts are not a competition. We can use what is in our care with gratitude, courage, and love.”

QUICK REVIEW

• What did a “talent” mean in Jesus’ story? — A very large amount of money.
• Did all three servants receive the same amount? — No.
• What did the first two show? — Faithfulness / trustworthiness.
• Name something God may place in our care. — Time, words, abilities, relationships, responsibilities, resources, creation, etc.

WORD OF WONDER — ONE LAST TIME

“You have been trustworthy in a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” — Matthew 25:21

TAKE-HOME CHALLENGE

Do the faithful step written on your card once this week. Afterward, thank God for what He placed in your care.

CLOSING PRAYER

“Generous God, thank You for loving us and trusting us with good things. Keep us from comparing ourselves with others. Give us courage when fear makes us want to hide. Help us use our words, time, abilities, relationships, and resources in ways that honor You and bless others. Amen.”

DISMISSAL

Say: “You are loved. Be faithful with what is in your care.”

VOLUNTEER HELP

If the group gets loud: Say, “Freeze and find my eyes.” Wait quietly, then repeat the Wonder Truth together. If no one answers: Give two choices or offer your own example first. If one child answers everything: Say, “Thank you. I want to hear from someone who hasn’t shared yet.” If a child shares something serious: Listen calmly. Do not promise secrecy. Follow your church’s child-safety procedures and notify the appropriate ministry leader. If time runs short: Keep the Bible story, Wonder Truth, and closing prayer. Everything else may be shortened.

AFTER CLASS

Reset the supplies and room. Report any safety concern or important disclosure. Remember one thing that worked well.

Connection matters more than perfect execution. Be calm, caring, and point children toward Jesus.