The Talents Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Free, Ages 3–6)
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “The master trusted his servants.”
Jesus told a story. A man was going far away on a trip, to another country. He would be gone a long time. Before he left, he called his servants.
He gave them his money to take care of. It was a lot of money! The money came in talents. A talent was a big bag of money. One bag was more than a worker could earn in many years! The master trusted his servants.
To one servant he gave five bags of money. To another he gave two bags. To another he gave one bag. Each one got as much as he was able to take care of. Five bags! Two bags! One bag! Each servant got some. Let’s count: five, two, one!
Then the master went away on his trip. The servants were left with the money. What would they do with it? Can you guess?
The first servant went to work right away. He traded with the money. To trade means to buy and sell things. Buy and sell, buy and sell! He worked hard. He made five more bags! Five and five – now he had ten.
The second servant worked too. He did just like the first servant. He made two more bags! Two and two – now he had four.
But the third servant dug a hole in the ground. Dig, dig, dig! He hid his master’s money in it. Then he covered it with dirt. Nobody could see it now. Can you dig a hole with your hands?
Days went by. Months went by. After a long time, the master came home. Now what had the servants done? The master trusted his servants.
The first servant came with ten bags. “Lord, you delivered to me five talents,” he said. “Behold, I have gained another five talents.” That means: You gave me five bags. Look, now there are five more!
The master said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.” Faithful means you can be trusted. Enter into the joy of your lord means: come and be glad with me! Can you give a thumbs-up and say, “Well done!”?
The second servant brought four bags. “Lord, you delivered to me two talents,” he said. “Behold, I have gained another two talents.” The master said the very same thing: “Well done, good and faithful servant.” The master trusted his servants.
Then the third servant spoke. He said he thought the master was a hard man. “I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth.”
He gave back the one bag. Just one. He had done nothing with it. It was still just one bag. It had not grown at all.
The master was not pleased. He said the servant could at least have put the money with the bankers. Then it would have grown a little. He told them to take the bag away and give it to the servant who had ten.
God gives good gifts to each of us, big and small. The master trusted his servants.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- What do you think the first servant did with the money?
- Why do you think the third servant hid the money in the ground?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Color the bags of money: 5 for the first servant, 2 for the second, 1 for the third.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Well done, good and faithful servant.” — Matthew 25:21 (Well done → clap your hands; good and faithful servant → hand on your heart and bow)
Dear God, thank you for all the good gifts you give me. Thank you that you trust me with them. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Use the gifts God gave you
Memory verse: “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things.” — Matthew 25:21 · WEB
The Bible story
A kind master gives his three servants shining bags of gold before a long journey, and waits to see who will bravely use the special gifts he gave them.
Talk about it
- Why did the master leave his gold with his servants? — He was going on a journey
- What did the master give his three servants? — Bags of gold
- How many bags did the first servant get? — Five bags
- How many bags did the last servant get? — One bag
- What did the first servant do with his gold? — He traded and made more
- How many extra bags did the second servant earn? — Two more bags
Where is Jesus in this story?
In this story the good servants used everything their master gave them. Jesus did that perfectly. On the night before he died, he prayed to his Father, “I finished the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4). Jesus used his whole life for God, and now he invites you to share in his happiness (Matthew 25:21).
What God wants to tell us
God has given every single one of us something special, whether it is a kind heart, a happy laugh, quick hands or a caring smile. Just like the master in the story, God is delighted when we use our gifts to help others and make the world brighter, instead of hiding them away because we feel scared or small. You do not have to be the biggest or the best, you only need to bravely try your best with what you have. When you share your gifts, they grow, and God says a joyful, Well done!
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for the special gifts You have given me. Please help me to be brave and use them to help others and make You smile. I do not want to hide my gifts away. Help me to share Your love every day. Amen.
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