The Parable of the Talents Sunday School Lesson - Use it or Lose it

Use this Parable of the Talents Sunday School lesson to teach kids about the need to use the gifts God has given us.


Needed: Bibles, optional: chalkboard or whiteboard or paper

Lesson: (Note: Always allow students enough time to think about and to give their answers to the questions before clarifying the teaching.)

Ask students, What are some things that you’re good at? (Suggestions could include anything from being good at sports to be a good artist to being a good friend. Write at least one thing down for each student.)

If you were good at something, but you never did the thing you were good at, would that be smart? (No.)

You should do the things that you’re good at, right? That’s why God made you to be good at those things. He wants you to do the things that He’s made you to be good at. If you don’t do those things, then you’re just wasting that talent that God gave you.

Does anyone know when Jesus is going to come back? (No, only God knows when He’s going to send Jesus back to earth.)

It’s going to be s surprise for all of us when Jesus comes back. It will be like this story that Jesus told.

(Have students take turns reading Matthew 25:14-16, or read it yourself.)

So the king gave his money to three servants. The first two servants used the money the king gave them and earned even more money. They did a good job using what the king gave them.

(Have students take turns reading Matthew 25:17-18, or read it yourself.)

Did the third servant use his money that the king gave him to make any more money? (No.)

The king gave the servant some money, but he didn’t do anything with it. He just buried it in the ground and wasted it.

(Have students take turns reading Matthew 25:19-23, or read it yourself.)

What happened to the first two servants when the king came back? (The king rewarded them because they had done a good job using the money he gave them.)

(Have students take turns reading Matthew 25:24-30, or read it yourself.)

What happened to the third servant when the king came back? (The king punished him because he had wasted the money the king gave him.)

That’s how it is will be when Jesus comes back. Just like how the king gave each of his servants some money, so God has given us each of us talents and abilities. He’s made us to be good at certain things. And God wants us to use our talents and the things we’re good at for Him. If we use our talents and the things we’re good at for God, then Jesus will reward us when He comes back. But if we don’t use our talents and the things we’re good at for God, and we just waste our talents, then Jesus will punish us when He comes back.

So we always to thank God for the things that He’s made us to be good at, and we always want to use our talents for God. What are some ways that you can use your talents for God? (Brainstorm with students and help them to see how they can use the things they named earlier can be used to help other Christians, or to reach out to other people in Christ’s name.)

Find more Sunday School lesson ideas on our Free Children Sunday School Lesson Helps page.