What Kind of Ground?

Your feed as a field, the parable of the sower acted out with birds, sun and thorns, and a soil sort of real teen life

  • 🔥 Youth 14–16
  • Week 12
  • 📅 Sunday, March 21, 2027
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

The Lord’s word grows in me when I give it an honest heart, deep roots and room to breathe, and He is patient with me while I grow.

I can make my heart good ground by pulling out thorns, growing deeper roots and giving the Lord time to work in me.

Know the chapters

Matthew 13 opens with Jesus teaching from a boat because the crowd on the shore was too big (13:1–2). He told the parable of the sower: seed falls by the wayside and birds eat it; on stony ground it springs up fast and withers because it has no root; among thorns it gets choked; on good ground it bears fruit, “some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” Then He explained it (13:18–23): the wayside hearer doesn’t understand and the wicked one snatches the word away; the stony hearer receives it with joy but quits when persecution comes; the thorny hearer lets the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke it; the good-ground hearer hears, understands and bears fruit. Luke’s version adds that good ground is “an honest and good heart” that keeps the word and bears fruit “with patience” (Luke 8:15).

This parable fits fourteen- to sixteen-year-olds almost too well. Stony ground is the spiritual high from youth camp or an FSY conference that fades in two weeks because nothing was rooted. Thorns usually aren’t evil things; they’re practices, jobs, homework, worry about the future and endless scrolling that leave no room to breathe. Roots are the quiet daily habits nobody posts about: personal prayer, scripture study, seminary, the sacrament. Notice, too, that good ground doesn’t all produce the same amount. The Lord isn’t asking every youth to be a hundredfold overnight.

The chapter keeps going with short parables of the kingdom: wheat and tares that grow together until the harvest (13:24–30, 36–43), a tiny mustard seed that becomes a tree, leaven that works through the whole loaf, treasure hidden in a field, a pearl of great price and a net full of every kind of fish. In the tares parable, Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7 explains it as a latter-day parable and has the wheat gathered first. A tare was a weed that looked like wheat until it was fully grown. In October 2022, Elder Neil L. Andersen used this parable to remind members who don’t feel like strong, mature wheat to be patient with themselves.

Luke 13 adds two tender pictures. A fig tree has produced nothing for three years, and the owner wants it cut down, but the dresser of the vineyard pleads for one more year so he can dig around it and fertilize it (Luke 13:6–9). And Jesus heals a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years and “could in no wise lift up herself” (13:11–13). Both point to a Savior who works patiently with people who aren’t yet where they want to be.

Only have 5 minutes?

Read Matthew 13:3–9, 18–23 and Luke 8:15. Ask the feed question, let Teach Mode carry the sower scene with the four soils as four corners of the room, then read four scenarios from the Soil Sort step and let the class walk to the soil each one describes and name one fix. Close with the Real Talk questions and your testimony of how the word grew in you over time.

What to bring5 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Tape the PATH, ROCKS, THORNS and GOOD GROUND signs on four different walls.
  2. Write these scenarios on slips: (1) You watch a great general conference clip, think “that’s good,” and forget it by lunch. (2) You felt on fire at youth camp; two weeks later you’ve stopped praying. (3) You want to do seminary, but between practice, a job and your phone there’s no time left. (4) Your friends joke about church, so you quietly stop mentioning it. (5) You read a verse every night, even when you’re tired, and ask God real questions. (6) You know every answer in Sunday School but never actually think about it. (7) You’re so worried about grades, college, looks and followers that there’s no room for anything else.
  3. Mark Matthew 13:3–9, 13:18–23 and Luke 8:15 in one set of scriptures (or have readers bookmark them in Gospel Library).
  4. Add your class in the My Class tab so you can hand out scene parts with one tap. Give the Birds, the Sun and the Thorns to your most dramatic youth.
  5. Think of how your own testimony grew: maybe a stony season, a thorny one, and what helped roots grow. You’ll share it briefly at the end.

If your class is wild

  • The sower scene is silly on purpose. Teens will commit to being birds and thorns if you commit first; be the Sower yourself if you need to break the ice.
  • Thorns and Birds never touch anyone. They surround and swoop; the seeds do the wilting and shrinking themselves.
  • In the Soil Sort, many scenarios fit more than one soil. That’s a feature: let them argue for it.
  • Some youth may feel like hopeless stony ground. Keep coming back to Luke 13:8: the dresser asked for one more year and got to work. That’s the Savior’s attitude toward them.
  • Phones are fine for Gospel Library. If they drift, try: “Scriptures open, everything else face down; you can check it the second class ends.”

The 25-minute plan25 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Your Feed Is a Field

3 min

A quick, honest look at attention sets up the parable: whatever gets our attention is what grows.

  1. SAY“Raise your hand if you’ve ever opened your phone to do one thing and forty minutes disappeared.” (Raise yours too.)
  2. SAY“No phones out. If your feed had to describe you in three words based on what you give attention to, what would it say?” Take a few answers; keep it light.
  3. SAY“Algorithms work like soil. Whatever you water grows, and whatever you ignore dies off. Jesus told a story about that two thousand years before phones.”
  4. Ask: “So what’s growing in your field right now?” Don’t answer it yet.
🌪️ If someone overshares something embarrassing about their feed, laugh with them and move on quickly.

Class screen: 📱 If your feed described you in three words, what would it say? · Whatever gets attention grows

2. Story

Scripture Scene: A Sower Went Forth to Sow

6 min

Youth physically become the four soils, so the parable sticks and they can recognize each soil in real life.

  1. Hand out parts (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Point out the four soil signs on the walls. As the Sower scatters, send each Seed to a sign, and make sure GOOD GROUND gets the most people.
  2. The Narrator reads each scene while the class watches the screen; pause for each action. No one voices the Savior; the Narrator reports His words.
  3. After scene 4, ask the rocky Seeds: “You grew the fastest. What went wrong?”
  4. After the last scene, have a volunteer read Matthew 13:19–23 and ask: “Which soil is the easiest to fall into at your age?”
🌪️ If the Birds and Thorns get carried away, make it a rule: whoever gets the biggest reaction without touching anyone wins the scene.

Class screen: 🌾 Path, rocks, thorns or good ground: where did you land? · Birds swoop, Sun scorches, Thorns choke · Good ground grows

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Four sheets of paper labeled PATH, ROCKS, THORNS and GOOD GROUND, taped to four walls

  1. Hand out parts (tap Roles in Teach Mode). Name four corners of the room: PATH, ROCKS, THORNS and GOOD GROUND. As the Sower scatters, send each Seed to a corner, with the most in GOOD GROUND.
  2. The Narrator reads each scene while the class watches the screen; pause for each action. No one voices the Savior.
  3. After scene 4, ask the rocky Seeds: “You grew the fastest. What went wrong?”
  4. After the last scene, have a volunteer read Matthew 13:19–23 and ask: “Which soil is the easiest to fall into at your age?”
3. Wiggle break

Thirty, Sixty, a Hundred

2 min

A fast grouping game gets everyone moving and makes the point that good ground doesn’t all produce the same amount.

  1. Everyone walks slowly around the room. Call out a number (“Groups of three!”) and everyone scrambles into groups that size.
  2. Anyone left over answers a quick one before rejoining: “Name a thorn,” “Name a root,” “Name something that snatches the word away.” Nobody is out.
  3. Play four or five rounds, ending with “Groups of … everyone!”
  4. SAY“Some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty. Heavenly Father isn’t comparing your harvest to anyone else’s. He just wants you growing.”
🌪️ If they’re too cool to walk around, make it a speed challenge: you’re timing how fast the whole class can form the groups.

Class screen: 💯 Walk. Listen for the number. Group up fast. · Left over? Name a thorn or a root

4. Scripture

Scripture Spotlight: An Honest and Good Heart

4 min

Youth teach the parts of Luke 8:15 and discover what good ground actually does.

  1. Split into three groups. Assign each a phrase from Luke 8:15: “an honest and good heart,” “having heard the word, keep it,” “bring forth fruit with patience.”
  2. Give them 90 seconds to prepare a 30-second teach: what it means in normal words, and what it looks like for a fifteen-year-old.
  3. Each group teaches. Add one thought if needed: “honest” means bringing God your real questions and struggles, not a performance; “with patience” means good ground can still take a long time to show fruit.
  4. Say the verse together with the motions.

Class screen: 💚 An honest and good heart … keep it … with patience · Group 1: honest heart · Group 2: keep it · Group 3: with patience

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Scriptures for each pair (their own, a classroom set, or Gospel Library on their phones)

  1. Put Luke 8:15 on the screen and split into three groups: “an honest and good heart,” “having heard the word, keep it,” “bring forth fruit with patience.”
  2. Give them 60 seconds to decide what their phrase means for a fifteen-year-old.
  3. Each group teaches in 30 seconds. Add: “honest” means bringing God your real questions, not a performance; “with patience” means fruit can take a long time.
  4. Say the verse together with the motions.
5. Game

Soil Sort

5 min

Real teen situations show what each soil looks like today, and teams race to name one realistic fix.

  1. Split into two teams. A volunteer draws a slip and reads it out loud.
  2. Everyone walks to the soil sign they think fits best. Ask one person from each sign to defend their choice in one sentence.
  3. Then the teams race: first team to name one realistic fix that would turn this into good ground (a root to grow, a thorn to pull, a bird to block) scores a point. The other team can steal with a better fix.
  4. Play four or five slips.
🌪️ If a scenario sparks a real debate, let it run. Several of these fit two soils, and arguing about it is the whole point.

Class screen: 🧭 Which soil is this? Walk there. Then fix it. · Path · Rocks · Thorns · Good ground · One realistic fix = one point

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: Four sheets of paper labeled PATH, ROCKS, THORNS and GOOD GROUND, taped to four walls, Seven scenario slips (see prep), folded into a bowl, bag or hat

  1. Name four corners PATH, ROCKS, THORNS and GOOD GROUND, and split into two teams.
  2. Read a scenario: a great conference clip forgotten by lunch · on fire at camp, stopped praying two weeks later · no time for seminary between practice, work and phone · friends joke about church so you stop mentioning it · a verse every night with real questions · knowing every Sunday School answer but never thinking about it · so worried about grades, looks and followers there’s no room for anything else.
  3. Everyone walks to a corner; one person from each defends it. Then the teams race to name one realistic fix. First good fix scores a point.
  4. Play four or five scenarios.
6. Game

Forehead Guess: Parables Edition

4 minBONUS

A quick review of the parables and people in this week’s chapters.

  1. Split into two teams. Tap Forehead Guess. The guesser holds your phone or tablet on their forehead facing their team.
  2. Teammates give clues without saying the word. Tilt down for got it, up to pass. Turns are 45 seconds.
  3. Bonus point if the team can say what the word stands for in the parable.

Class screen: 🤔 Forehead Guess: Parables Edition · No saying the word · Bonus: what does it stand for?

7. Game

Scripture Showdown

5 minBONUS

A fast team quiz reviews the whole lesson.

  1. Split into two teams and pick captains. Tap Scripture Showdown.
  2. Teams huddle for ten seconds; only the captain answers.
  3. Steal rule: if a team misses, the other team can steal the point by naming the chapter.

Class screen: 🏆 Scripture Showdown!

8. Talk it over

Real Talk

3 min

Honest questions help youth look at their own soil without shame.

  1. Sit wherever they’re comfortable. One question per screen; pick the ones that fit your class.
  2. Let silence sit for ten seconds before you rescue anyone. Answer one yourself, briefly and honestly.
  3. Share Elder Neil L. Andersen’s words from “Drawing Closer to the Savior” (see Conference quotes) before the last question.
💬 Ask the class
  • Why do spiritual highs, like camp or an FSY conference, fade so fast? What would it take to grow roots afterward?
  • Most thorns aren’t bad things, just too many things. What are the thorns for people our age?
  • What’s one small root that has actually helped your testimony grow: a habit, a person, a class?
  • In Luke 13, the gardener asks for one more year and gets to work. How does it feel to know the Savior is that patient with you?

Class screen: 💬 Real talk: what’s growing in your field?

9. Testimony

Testimony & Pull One Thorn

2 min

End quietly with one thorn to pull and one root to grow this week.

  1. Lower your voice. Share briefly how your own testimony grew: a rocky or thorny season, and what helped roots grow. Testify that the Lord is patient with growing things.
  2. Hand out cards. On one side, each person writes one thorn they’ll pull back this week. On the other, one root they’ll water every day. It stays private.
  3. Show the challenge on the screen and invite someone to say the closing prayer.

Class screen: 🌱 One thorn to pull. One root to grow. · Write both (private) · Water that root every day

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: One index card or sticky note per person, and a few pens

  1. Lower your voice. Share briefly how your own testimony grew: a rocky or thorny season, and what helped roots grow. Testify that the Lord is patient with growing things.
  2. Invite everyone to silently choose one thorn to pull back this week and one root to water every day, or type them in their phone notes.
  3. Show the challenge on the screen and invite someone to say the closing prayer.

Story drama

A Sower Went Forth to Sow

Matthew 13:1–23 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • NarratorReads each scene and reports what Jesus said (no one voices the Savior).
  • The SowerA character in the parable: walks through the room scattering invisible seed everywhere.
  • The BirdsTwo youth who swoop in and carry off the seeds on the path (no touching).
  • The SunRises slowly over the rocky ground until the quick sprouts wilt.
  • The ThornsTwo or three youth who grow up around the seeds until they shrink.
  • The SeedsEveryone else: each lands on a soil (path, rocks, thorns, good ground) and grows or doesn’t.
  • A DiscipleReads Matthew 13:10: “Why speakest thou unto them in parables?”

Scenes

  1. ⛵🏖️ Jesus teaches from a boat

    The crowd by the Sea of Galilee got so big that Jesus climbed into a boat and sat down to teach while everyone stood on the shore. Then He started telling stories, which He called parables.

    🎬 The Seeds stand together as the crowd on the shore. The Narrator stands a few steps away on the “boat.”

  2. 🧑‍🌾🌰 A sower scatters seed everywhere

    A farmer went out to plant. He threw seed by the handful across the whole field, even onto places that looked hopeless: the hard path, the rocky patch, the weedy corner.

    🎬 The Sower walks through the room flinging invisible seed. Each Seed crouches down at the soil sign you point them to: path, rocks, thorns or good ground.

  3. 🛤️🐦 Seeds on the path get snatched

    Some seed landed on the hard path where people walked. It just sat on top. The birds came and ate it before it ever had a chance.

    🎬 The Birds swoop over the path Seeds and point; each path Seed follows a Bird off to the side.

  4. 🪨☀️ Quick sprouts on rocky ground

    Some seed fell where there was only a thin layer of soil over rock. It sprang up fast, faster than anything else. But when the sun came up hot, it had no roots, so it scorched and withered.

    🎬 The rocky Seeds shoot up fast with arms high. The Sun rises slowly. The rocky Seeds wilt dramatically to the floor.

  5. 🌵🌱 Choked out by thorns

    Some seed fell among thorns. It grew, but the thorns grew too, and faster. They crowded in and choked it until it couldn’t produce anything.

    🎬 The thorny Seeds start to grow. The Thorns slowly surround them without touching, and the Seeds shrink smaller and smaller.

  6. 🌾💯 Good ground: thirty, sixty, a hundred

    But some seed fell on good ground. It grew slowly, rooted deep, and produced a harvest: some thirty times what was planted, some sixty, some a hundred.

    🎬 The good-ground Seeds grow slowly to full height, then hold up 3, 6 or 10 fingers for their harvest.

  7. 👂❓ “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear”

    Jesus ended with: whoever has ears, listen. His disciples asked why He taught in parables. He said many people see without seeing and hear without hearing, but blessed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear. Then He explained the parable to them.

    🎬 A Disciple reads Matthew 13:10. The Narrator reads Matthew 13:16. Everyone cups a hand behind one ear.

Key verse

Luke 8:15 ↗
“But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
In plain words: Good ground is an honest, good heart: people who hear the Lord’s word, hold on to it and keep growing, patiently.
🙌 On “honest and good heart,” hand over your heart; on “having heard the word,” cup an ear; on “keep it,” close your fist; on “bring forth fruit,” open your hands upward; on “with patience,” slowly raise them. Say it twice, then once with the screen covered.

More verses

Matthew 13:21 ↗
“Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
In plain words: Without roots, faith lasts only a while. When things get hard or people mock it, it quits.
Matthew 13:22 ↗
“He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.”
In plain words: Thorny ground hears the word, but worries and wanting stuff crowd it out until nothing grows.
Luke 13:8–9 ↗
“Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well”
In plain words: Give it one more year. Let me dig around it and fertilize it, and see if it grows.
Matthew 13:44 ↗
“the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
In plain words: The kingdom of heaven is like finding buried treasure: you’re so happy you sell everything to get it.

Forehead Guess words18 words

  • 🧑‍🌾 Sower
  • 🌰 Seed
  • 🛤️ Wayside
  • 🐦 Birds
  • 🪨 Stony Ground
  • 🌱 Roots
  • 🌵 Thorns
  • 🌾 Good Ground
  • 💯 Hundredfold
  • 🌿 Tares
  • 🍞 Wheat
  • 🟤 Mustard Seed
  • 🥖 Leaven
  • 💰 Hidden Treasure
  • 🦪 Pearl of Great Price
  • 🎣 Net
  • 🌳 Fig Tree
  • ⛵ Boat
Clues for each word
  • Sower: Scattered seed on every kind of ground
  • Seed: Stands for the word of God
  • Wayside: The hard path where birds ate the seed
  • Birds: Snatched the seed before it could grow
  • Stony Ground: Sprang up fast, withered faster
  • Roots: What the rocky-ground plants didn’t have
  • Thorns: Cares of the world that choke the word
  • Good Ground: An honest and good heart
  • Hundredfold: The biggest harvest in the parable
  • Tares: Weeds that look like wheat until harvest
  • Wheat: Grows alongside the tares until harvest
  • Mustard Seed: Tiny seed that becomes a tree
  • Leaven: Yeast that works through the whole loaf
  • Hidden Treasure: A man sold everything to buy the field
  • Pearl of Great Price: A merchant sold all he had for it
  • Net: Gathered every kind of fish
  • Fig Tree: Got one more year to bear fruit
  • Boat: Where Jesus sat to teach the crowd on shore
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown10 questions

  1. Why did Jesus teach from a boat in Matthew 13?
    • A. The crowd was huge
    • B. It was raining
    • C. He was hiding
    Show answer

    ✅ A. The crowd was huge Matthew 13:2. He sat in a ship while the whole crowd stood on the shore.

  2. What happened to the seed that fell by the wayside?
    • A. It rotted
    • B. Birds ate it
    • C. It grew slowly
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Birds ate it Matthew 13:4, 19. The wicked one snatches away what isn’t understood.

  3. Why did the seed on stony places wither?
    • A. Too much rain
    • B. Birds ate it
    • C. It had no root
    Show answer

    ✅ C. It had no root Matthew 13:6. It grew fast but had nothing underneath.

  4. In Matthew 13:21, what makes the rootless hearer quit?
    • A. Tribulation or persecution
    • B. Too much homework
    • C. Bad weather
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Tribulation or persecution When following the word gets hard or people mock it, shallow faith gives up.

  5. What two things choke the word among the thorns?
    • A. Sun and wind
    • B. Cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches
    • C. Birds and rocks
    Show answer

    ✅ B. Cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches Matthew 13:22. Worry and wanting stuff crowd out growth.

  6. Luke 8:15 says good ground bears fruit with what?
    • A. Speed
    • B. Perfection
    • C. Patience
    Show answer

    ✅ C. Patience Real growth usually takes time.

  7. What looks just like wheat until it’s fully grown?
    • A. Tares
    • B. Barley
    • C. Mustard
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Tares That’s why the householder let them grow together until the harvest.

  8. What did the merchant sell everything to buy?
    • A. A field
    • B. A pearl of great price
    • C. A fishing net
    Show answer

    ✅ B. A pearl of great price Matthew 13:45–46. The kingdom of heaven is worth everything.

  9. In Luke 13, what did the dresser ask for the fruitless fig tree?
    • A. Cut it down now
    • B. Move it
    • C. One more year
    Show answer

    ✅ C. One more year Luke 13:8. He’d dig around it and fertilize it and give it a chance.

  10. How long had the woman in Luke 13 been bent over?
    • A. Eighteen years
    • B. Twelve years
    • C. Forty years
    Show answer

    ✅ A. Eighteen years Luke 13:11. Jesus loosed her, and she stood up straight and glorified God.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

From general conference

“You may at times not feel like a strong, mature strand of wheat. Be patient with yourself! The Lord said that the wheat would include tender blades springing up.”

— Elder Neil L. Andersen, “Drawing Closer to the Savior,” October 2022

Share in Real Talk, before the last question about the fig tree.

Read the talk ↗

Songs

  • Come, Follow Me Hymns, no. 116

    Following Him is how the seed keeps growing after the first burst of joy. Find it ↗

  • Search, Ponder, and Pray Children’s Songbook, p. 109

    A simple picture of good ground: search the word, think about it and pray, every day. Find it ↗

  • How Firm a Foundation Hymns, no. 85

    Roots and foundations: faith that holds when the sun gets hot. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Thirty Days of Roots

Pick one root to water every day for the next thirty days: five minutes of scriptures before your phone, a real prayer at night, or actually engaging in seminary. Pull one thorn back this week, like an app you limit or a commitment you trim. Then notice what starts to grow.

Text the parents

Today in class we acted out the parable of the sower, with youth playing birds, a scorching sun and thorns, and then sorted real teen situations into the four soils (Matthew 13:3–23). Our key verse was Luke 8:15: good ground is “an honest and good heart” that keeps the word and bears fruit “with patience.” Ask your teen: what are the biggest “thorns” for people your age, and what root could our family help you grow?

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

✍️ Write a Modern Parable · 6 min

  1. Read Matthew 13:31–33 and 44–46. Point out that each parable starts “The kingdom of heaven is like …”
  2. In pairs, write a modern one-sentence parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a phone charger …” or “… like a group chat …” Then explain what it teaches.
  3. Share a few. Ask: “Why do you think Jesus taught with everyday things?”

🌾 Wheat and Tares Together · 5 min

  1. Read Matthew 13:24–30 and summarize Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7, where the Lord explains the parable for the last days and has the wheat gathered first.
  2. Ask: “Why would the Lord let good and evil grow side by side instead of pulling the tares right away?”
  3. Ask: “What helps you grow as wheat when there are a lot of tares around you at school or online?”

🧍 Loosed from Eighteen Years · 4 min

  1. Read Luke 13:10–17.
  2. Ask: “What has kept people your age ‘bowed together,’ unable to lift themselves up?”
  3. Ask: “What does it tell you about the Savior that He noticed her, called her over and healed her on the spot?”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

All Youth 14–16 lessons