Big Group Leader
November Week 3
Sour Grapes
Bible Story: Sour Grapes (Parable of the Vineyard Workers) • Matthew 20:1-15
Bottom Line: Take time to adjust your attitude.
Memory Verse: “Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him
because you believe in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIrV
Life App: Gratitude—letting others know you see how they’ve helped you.
Basic Truth: I can trust God no matter what.
This week, we’re discovering:
We'll dig into a parable Jesus told one day about some vineyard workers. In Matthew 20:1-5,
we read that a few of the workers started making comparisons to what others were getting paid
and became ungrateful and started complaining. Then at the end of the day, they had a bad
attitude because they thought, that's not fair.
Our Bottom Line for this week is: Take time to adjust your attitude. We change our whole
outlook on life if we take the time to think about all that we’ve been given instead of comparing
ourselves to others.
Our memory verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks no matter what happens. God
wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ Jesus.” (NIrV) There are many times
when we don’t want to give thanks, but our hope in Jesus allows us to be thankful regardless of
our circumstances.
WHAT YOU TELL THE KIDZ
Who can tell me the definition of Gratitude? (pick a child that will come to the mic for a prize)
Awesome! Now let’s say it together:
Bottom Line Slide
Gratitude—letting others know you see how they’ve helped you.
Great work everyone!
Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:13-15.
The owner answered one of them. He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair!
Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to
pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my
money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?
Wow. Jesus certainly had a point to make with this story. It’s basically like He was telling them:
Big Group Leader
November Week 3
Bottom Line Slide
[Impress] “Take time to adjust your attitude.
In other words, ‘Um, workers who were picked first, your attitude needs some adjusting. Be
THANKFUL.’ God knows what's best, so let HIM handle it. After all, if I really believe that
[Recycle] I can trust God no matter what, then I need to trust Him even when things don’t
seem fair. We can get so caught up in what’s fair that we forget what we have to be thankful for.
Look at it this way—did get a chance to earn some payment? Yep! They did! You can always
find something to be thankful for, but sometimes that means you have to [Impress] take time to
adjust your attitude.
You know, sometimes life can be unfair. Let’s say you’re the best singer, the best dancer, or the
best actor in your school. But when they cast the school musical, instead of the lead role you
think you deserve, you get a much smaller role. Doesn’t feel fair, does it?
Or let’s say you do all the chores someone gives you at home. And you do them REALLY well.
Like, you don’t just rinse your dishes, but you put them in the dishwasher, too. Or you don’t just
clean your toys off the floor by shoving them under your bed, but you actually organize them
neatly on your shelves. Your sister, though, only does what she has to do to get by. You do more
work than your sister, but your allowance is exactly the same. Doesn’t seem fair, huh?
But get this, if you spend your life getting angry at all the things that you don’t think are fair,
you’re going to be miserable. (Blow your whistle.) TIME OUT! (Make a ‘time out’ signal with your
hands.) Maybe there’s a better way. Maybe instead of focusing on all the things you don’t have,
focus on the things you do have. Be grateful that you have an allowance. Be grateful you were
given any role in the school musical.
It’s not about what you think is fair or unfair. This is about you choosing to be grateful instead of
miserable. It’s about trusting that God knows what’s best. It’s an attitude adjustment. Let God
handle fair and unfair. He’s better at it than we are.
Bottom Line Slide
The one thing to remember today is this: [Impress] Take time to adjust your attitude. Say that
with me!”
[Impress] “Take time to adjust your attitude.”
So this week, when you find yourself getting grumpy or jealous because it seems that someone
else is getting more—or getting AWAY with more—than you are, give yourself a (blow your
whistle) TIME OUT! (make a ‘time out’ signal with your hands) and adjust that attitude!
That is most certainly NOT easy, so let’s pray and ask God to help us with it.
Pray
Heavenly Father, we thank You that You DO know what is best, and that You’ve got it all under
control. Help us to ignore what is fair, and instead focus on what we have to be thankful for. We
need Your help to adjust our attitudes sometimes, so please give us the strength and wisdom
we need to stop complaining and be thankful. And thank You that you didn’t give us what we
deserve, but instead, You gave us Jesus and the gift of eternal life. If nothing else good
happens, we should be thankful for that alone. We love You, God, and we ask these things in
Jesus’ name, amen.
Remind kidz about bringing in their shoe boxes and dismiss for small groups.