252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-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.
Power Up: Engage the Heart (Large Group, 20-25 minutes)
Engage children’s hearts in a Large Group setting through interactive worship, prayer, and an
innovative re-telling of today’s Bible story.
GETTING READY
1. Opener/Closer
What You Need:
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Host
Referee costume for Host:
o Black and white striped shirt
o Visor or other hat
o Whistle
15 or more beanbags or similar small objects that can be easily thrown
9 containers to throw the beanbags into, such as boxes, large cups, bowls, etc. (Note: These
can be the same containers you used last week.)
Masking tape
Leaderboard
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Upbeat music to use as kids enter and exit the room
 Buzzer
Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website):
 Gratitude Slide
 Memory Verse Slide
 Bottom Line Slides
 30-Second Countdown Video
What You Do:
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Download the slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have
Orange’s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper.
Download the music and SFX from a resource such as iTunes® and have them ready to play.
Using the masking tape, create a Tic-Tac-Toe board on the stage or floor (it should have spaces
for nine containers) and place one container in each spot. Use an additional piece of masking
tape to make a “start” line.
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1
252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
2. Bible Story
What You Need:
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Storyteller
Bible
2 big buckets or other containers
Lots of corn on the cob (or canned baby corn)
Trash can
Candy corn (40-80 pieces)
Bowl
Spoon
Clipboard
Pen
Large Group Visuals (downloadable from the website):
 Bottom Line Slide
Music and Sound Effects (SFX):
 Theme from Jeopardy!
What You Do:




Download the slides and have them ready to use. If you do not have CG capabilities, you have
Orange’s permission to enlarge and print the slides on paper.
Fill one bucket with the corn and leave the other one empty for the corn to be placed in after it’s
shucked.
Fill the bowl with candy corn.
Download the music, available from a resource such as iTunes®, or on YouTube
(http://youtu.be/HuABhumm6fY)
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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
2
252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
FOR LEADERS ONLY
GOD VIEW: the connection between GRATITUDE and
God's character, as shown through God's big story
Have you ever been watching a sporting event where one of the teams played like they were falling
apart at the seams? The team is a complete mess until finally the coach calls it: “Time out!” He brings
the team in, takes a moment to regroup. He adjusts and recalibrates to get his team ready get back on
the field and face their opponent.
The same goes for life.
It’s not a quick change. It may even happen so gradually over time that you hardly know it’s happening.
Then one day you realize that everyone is grumpy, complaining about every little thing.
The kids who were once happy and played together are now bickering and nagging each other over
nothing.
Something is off. Something is broken. Everyone needs a time out. There are just some things that
need an adjustment.
Take the idea of GRATITUDE, for example.
If we never take the time to acknowledge what God has done in our lives or how others have helped us,
we may develop an unhealthy ego or a growing frustration with the people around us. We might
become bitter and complain about everything little thing.
That’s why we’re taking this month to talk about what it means to take show GRATITUDE: letting others
know how they’ve helped you.
This month, let’s think about how:
(1) God is at work in our lives even though we may not understand.
(2) Our response of gratitude shows that we trust God in all circumstances.
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.
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If you change the content of this document, please add to the copyright: Adapted by (your name/organization name/date).
3
252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-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.
Power Up: Engage the Heart (Large Group, 20-25 minutes)
Engage children’s hearts in a Large Group setting through interactive worship, prayer, and an
innovative telling of today’s Bible story.
SFX: Play high-energy music as kids enter.
Host enters with lots of energy, dressed in a referee shirt
and wearing a whistle.
Opener
HOST: “Gooooooood morning [or afternoon/evening]. I am stoked to be back with you guys for another
week of fun learning about what it means to take … (blow your whistle) TIME OUT (make a ‘time out’
signal with your hands) to show gratitude.
CG: Gratitude Slide
“Gratitude is letting others know you see how they’ve helped you. No big deal, right? Well, it’s easy to
show gratitude when we’re having fun. The true test comes when things AREN’T going so well. It’s just
like our memory verse says this month:
CG: Memory Verse Slide
“‘Give thanks no matter what happens. God wants you to thank him because you believe in Christ
Jesus,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:18. (NIrV)
“That’s a bit more challenging. But I believe you guys are up for a challenge. So I’ve got a fun new one
for you today. Who’s up for a round of (dramatically) Tic-Tac-Toooooe? (Get the kids pumped up by
repeating if necessary: “I said, ‘Who’s ready for a round of Tic-Tac-Toooooe?’”)
“That’s good, but first we’ve got to check our Leaderboard to see who’s winning our month-long
competition. (Announce current standings.)
“It’s looking like a close game (or adapt for your situation), but anything can change this week. I need
one volunteer from each team, and a Small Group Leader to assist me. (Bring your volunteers to the
game board.)
“You guys know how to play Tic-Tac-Toe, right? Using these beanbags, the first person to get three in a
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4
252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
row wins. That could be three down, three across, or three diagonal. You’re both going to be throwing
at the same time and you have one minute to try. There is a catch, though. [SGL’s name] and I will be
turning you around three times after every bean bag you throw, so you may be a bit dizzy! And, of
course, don’t forget the other catch—you’ve got to take (blow on your whistle) TIME OUT (make a ‘time
out’ signal with your hands) for gratitude.
“As soon as you hear me blow my whistle and shout, ‘Time out!’ you’ve got to stop playing the game. I
will quickly ask a question about gratitude, and the first person to stand up from the crowd will get a
chance to answer the question. If you stand up and I call on you, you have to answer right away, or I’ll
pick the next person. After all, there’s no time to waste when it comes to gratitude! Then I’ll blow my
whistle again, signaling time to resume play.
“The team that gets three in a row before time runs out will win 5 points per bean bag, so 15 points! But
here’s the better news—the team that wins our gratitude time-out will win 20 bonus points! Wow! Okay,
on the count of three, [other volunteer] and I will get you wound up and then start throwing! One, two,
three!
CG: Start countdown clock
After every bag the players toss, turn them around three
times really quickly. If they appear to be getting too dizzy
(or not dizzy enough!), adjust the number of times you turn
them around.
If you don’t have enough bean bags to keep playing until
you have a winner, occasionally pick up the ones that
didn’t make it into a container and put them back in play.
(At some point during play, blow your whistle.) “Time out!
CG: Pause countdown clock
“Your question: What is the last thing you thanked someone for? First person to stand gets to answer!
If the first kid to stand up doesn’t answer immediately,
move on to the second kid who stood. You may want to
have another adult looking on to see who stands up first,
second, and third, in case you need alternates.
“Great job! (Blow whistle.) Game on!”
CG: Resume countdown clock
Players resume the game.
SFX: Buzzer
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252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
“That was epic! You guys played great. (Announce the winner.) It really is fun taking (blow your whistle)
TIME OUT (make a ‘time out’ signal with your hands) to show gratitude. Let’s keep the thankfulness
going as we worship God!”
Host exits. Storyteller enters as Worship Leaders exit.
SETTING UP THE STORY
STORYTELLER: “I have a really interesting story to share with you guys this morning. It’s a story that
Jesus told and we can find it in the Bible in the book of Matthew. Jesus told this story to teach His
followers something He thought was super important. He often used stories like this to make it easier
for others to understand. We call them parables. Let’s see how Jesus started out this story.
THE FIRST WORKERS
STORYTELLER: (Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:1-2.) ‘“The kingdom of heaven is like a man
who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire people to work in his vineyard. He agreed to
give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.”’ (NIrV)
“You know, that land owner was pretty smart hiring workers to help him with his crops. As you can see
(point to the overflowing bucket of corn), I’ve got a lot of work to do here, too. It looks like I need a
couple of volunteers up here. (Choose your volunteers and bring them on stage.)
“You guys see all this corn? Well, we need to get it shucked. Do you know what that means? Let me
show you. (Quickly demonstrate.) I need you to get started while I talk. Don’t worry, though—I will pay
you for your time. And you’re going to LOVE what I pay you with.”
(To the audience) “Let’s watch these guys work for a little while. What do you say?”
SFX: Jeopardy! music (one minute)
Storyteller walks around the stage, clipboard in hand,
surveying the two workers and occasionally throwing out
encouragement. Do this for a full minute to emphasize the
fact that they are going to work longer than anyone else.
Also mention several times how much they’re going to love
what they’re going to get paid for working the whole time.
SFX: Fade music
MORE WORKERS
STORYTELLER: “You guys really are doing great. Let’s keep reading and see what came next in
Jesus’ story. (Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:3-5a.) ‘“About nine o’clock in the morning he went
out again. He saw others standing in the market place doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and
work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ So they went.”’ (NIrV)
“Wow. More workers, huh? Not a bad idea. Can I get a couple more volunteers up here? (Bring the
volunteers on stage and have them stand around the corn bucket and start shucking too.)
SFX: Jeopardy! music (30 seconds)
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252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
Walk around the stage again, clipboard in hand, surveying
the workers and occasionally throwing out encouragement.
Do this for 30 seconds. From here on out, until the very
end, don’t mention how much anyone will get paid.
SFX: Fade music
“You guys are doing a great job. While you keep shucking, I’m going to keep reading Jesus’ story.
(Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:5b.) ‘“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and
did the same thing.”’ (NIrV)
“Again, huh? Hey, the more, the merrier. Okay, two more volunteers, please. (Bring the volunteers on
stage and have them start shucking with the group.)
SFX: Jeopardy! music (15 seconds)
Walk around the stage again, clipboard in hand, surveying
the workers and occasionally throwing out encouragement.
Only do this for about 15 seconds this time.
SFX: Fade music
“You guys are making some serious headway on my work. That’s great! You guys keep working and I’ll
see what Jesus said the landowner did next. (Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:6-7.) ‘“About five
o’clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been
standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to
them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’”’ (NIrV)
“Crazy! Even MORE workers. Well, that’s good news for me—more work will get done! Okay, two more
volunteers, please. (Bring your volunteers on stage and have them start shucking.)
SFX: Jeopardy! music (five seconds)
Walk around the stage again, clipboard in hand, surveying
the workers and occasionally throwing out encouragement.
Only do this for about five seconds this time.
SFX: Fade music
SFX: Buzzer
PAY DAY
STORYTELLER: “Ah, that buzzer means quittin’ time! Great job, everybody! You did so much work for
me—especially those of you who have been up here this whole time. You must be EXHAUSTED, huh?
Luckily for you, it’s not just quittin’ time; it’s also PAYIN’ time! That’s right. Step right up and get your
pay. Let’s start with the last ones I brought up here. You guys line up and hold out your hands!
Make sure the group lines up, shoulder to shoulder, in the
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252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
order you brought them on stage. Starting with the last
ones you brought up to help, use a spoon in your bowl of
candy corn and give each kid a pre-determined amount—
like 5 or 10 pieces. Make a big deal of counting out the
same amount out loud for each kid as you go down the
line. When you get to the last two (who you brought up on
stage first), make a big deal about how long they worked
and how you appreciate all that they did before you pay
them. Then pay them the same amount as everyone.
Depending upon their reaction, adjust the next part of what
you say.
“It looks like you guys that I hired the earliest were a bit surprised that I didn’t pay you any more than
the guys who just got up on stage to help at the end. Maybe you were even a little mad at me? I can’t
say that I blame you. You guys DID work a lot more than these other guys. Tell you what, let me finish
reading the rest of Jesus’ story and let’s see if that helps us all understand a bit more about what just
happened.
(Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:8-11.) ‘“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke
to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay.
Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’ The workers who were hired about five
o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. So when those who were hired first came, they
expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. When they received it,
they began to complain about the owner. ‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’
they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the
hot sun all day.’”’ (NIrV)
(Addressing the two who were first.) “So if you guys felt a bit ripped off just now, you aren’t alone. Jesus
said that the workers who had worked ALL DAY LONG felt they should get paid more than the workers
who were hired later in the day. And, yes, that does seem like it would make sense, doesn’t it? Well,
let’s talk about this some more together. All of you can go back to your seats for now. (Allow volunteers
to get back to their seats.)
WRAPPING UP THE STORY
STORYTELLER: “I don’t think any of us could blame the workers for feeling the way they did, can we?
We’ve all felt that way before probably—watching someone who didn’t work as hard as we did get as
much or even more than we received. It doesn’t feel good. So why did Jesus tell us this story? What
was His point? Let’s read one more thing from the book of Matthew and I think it will make sense.
(Open your Bible and read Matthew 20:13-15.) ‘“The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said,
‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? Take your money and go. I want
to give the ones I hired last the same pay I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my
own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’”’ (NIrV)
“Wow. Jesus certainly had a point to make with this story. It’s basically like He was telling them:
CG: Bottom Line Slide
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252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
[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 [first
two kids’ names] 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.
That is most certainly NOT easy, so let’s pray and ask God to help us with it.”
Pray
STORYTELLER: “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.
Storyteller exits and Host enters.
Closer
HOST: “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.
CG: Bottom Line Slide
“The one thing to remember today is this: [Impress] Take time to adjust your attitude. Say that with
me!”
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252 Groups
November 2014, Week 3
Large Group, K-3
HOST and KIDS: [Impress] “Take time to adjust your attitude.”
HOST: “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! And be sure and come
back next week because there’s more fun to be had as we learn about gratitude!”
Dismiss children to their Small Groups.
SFX: Play high-energy music as the kids exit.
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10