The scriptures contain surprisingly little about the changing of seasons, and even the great blooms of spring. This is because the Testaments were written in places that were dry and often barren – not the like paradises of the South Pacific! Still, spring provides a lot of fodder for teaching Sunday school lessons about God’s nature by using nature.
Spring Sunday School Lessons and How Weather and Spring Flowers Provide Lessons on Spiritual Growth
The following concepts can be brought to life with crafts, games, snacks and lessons:
Seeds being planted.
Planting seeds for spring is a great way to discuss the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23). The seed is the good news of the gospel, and the four ways in which the seeds respond have to do with our reactions to it. The Parable of the Sower is fully spelled out in the gospel, unlike some other parables, and that’s another reason why teachers love to use it.
Seeds being planted also relates to our growth as Christians. John 12:24 relates this to giving up our own wills in order to the will of God. Seeds provide a great means to teach that we can reach the best level of happiness by doing things God’s way.
Flowers in bloom.
Buds are often compared to young Christians, and blooms are compared to mature Christians. Many buds die before turning into flowers, and this can be compared to Christians who get so distracted with the materialism so that their spirits can’t grow. Blooms give off the tremendous aromas, which are like mature Christians who exude peace and understanding.
Flowers can be bought very reasonably now that supermarkets sell them prearranged. For under $10 these days, teachers could give every student in class a tulip or rose bud as part of a lesson.
Caterpillars to butterflies.
Butterflies often appear in the spring and summer, and their former state as caterpillars provides great fodder for making heaven real. Caterpillars are sort of like us here on planet earth. Caterpillar’s eyes are not refined enough to process either a butterfly or a human being. Their brains are not big enough to translate that much information. However, that doesn’t mean that butterflies and humans don’t exist! People who say that death is the end and God doesn’t exist are acting like caterpillars – believing the very limited amount that the human eye can see!
Bees pollinating.
Bees carry pollen from one flower to the next. It is sort of like us when we share the gospel. Bees are often seen as scary and menacing. Likewise, people may be unkind or roll their eyes when we share the gospel They may be afraid that we sting! But we’re not interesting in stinging people with the kind words and actions of Jesus. If we faithfully profess our love for him, we’ll carry that beautiful message like the bees carry pollen, and when we get to heaven we’ll know how many blooms we caused!
Animals coming out of hibernation.
God loves forgiveness and giving people second chances – and third and fourth chances. Hibernation can be compared to people who ignore God and his word. It’s like they’re spiritually asleep. We should not be unkind to people who don’t believe in Jesus, because we don’t known when “their season” will come, and they will awake and enjoy their spiritual existences again.
Do your students enjoy Sunday school lessons that incorporate their favorite things about spring? Do you have other ideas you would like to share? Feel free to comment below! And don’t forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where you can share more great ideas with other fans!