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We began memorizing Matthew 5:14-16 today. I wrote the scripture on the chalkboard then all the students drew pictures to replace certain words. We read the background information on the back of the scripture mastery card. Since we only have four days of seminary this week, we probably won't finish memorizing it, but we'll try.
To begin our lesson, I asked the students to compare an ordinary pencil to repentance. They came up with some interesting analogies. One said that repentance helps us sharpen our lives when they get dull and break. Another said, we write and make a mess and then need to erase our mistakes. Another said we go through ordinary, daily life and forget about the spiritual things. Jesus used parables to compare ordinary things with gospel truths.

In Matthew 13:13 we learn those who are spiritually in tune and who understand gospel principles will understand the parables. Those who are unwilling to accept the teachings only hear the analogy or story.

We watched the seminary New Testament DVD presentation about parables where a teen learns the three steps that help us understand them. These are 1) Outline the parable, 2) Look for clues to the interpretation, and 3) Make a comparison. Then I passed out a chart that helps explain the eight parables found in Matthew 13.