Kids Lesson

“How To Honor Your Father” Bible Lesson
This Bible lesson plan about honoring your father follows our new hassle-free format. The basic version
makes it easy to teach with very little preparation or outside materials. We’ve also suggested more
activities so you can expand the lesson to best fit your ministry setting.
Lesson Title: How To Honor Your Father
Bible Reference: Exodus 20:12, The Fifth Commandment
Memory Verse: “Honor your father and mother.” Exodus 20:12a
Gospel Connection: Like all the commandments, only Jesus lived in perfect obedience. As children learn
about God’s standard of righteousness, the Holy Spirit will often convince them of their own sin. At
those moments the answer is not “obey better” but look to Jesus. We can trust in his righteousness to
cover our shortfall. Only his grace can transform our natural rebellious hearts to rightly honor our
earthly and heavenly Father.
Learning Aim: After this lesson, children will verbally identify one specific ways they can show honor to
their fathers (or primary caregiver.) Look for the Learning Outcome Test section in our Basic Teaching
Plan below.
Target Age: Our super simple lesson plans are broadly graded and easy to adapt for a variety of
children’s ministry settings. Look for specific adaptations within the Basic Teaching Plan below.
Basic Supply List:
A marker board or piece of paper attached to the wall to display the word “HONOR.” This is used in the
Lesson Introduction below.
(Optional) Collect a series of hats or props to be used in the Role Playing Honor activity below. The
children who volunteer to play each role will wear the hat as you explain the meaning of honor related
to their character. Suggested props: Soldier’s hat, pastor’s neck-tie & Bible, school teacher’s sweater-
vest & chalk, judge’s robe & gavel, a ball-cap for a school friend.
(Optional) Instead of the list above, you could simply write the words for each character (or print a
picture from the Internet) on a piece of paper and ask the child to hold it in the Role Playing Honor
activity below.
Think ahead a time when you did not honor your father as a child. You will need to briefly share this
story during the Gospel Application part of the lesson plan.
The optional activities at the end of this lesson may require additional supplies. Carefully read the
directions while preparing your lesson.
Other Notes: In the teaching plan below the words in italics are meant to be read aloud. The regular text
is simply directions for the teacher.
Be sensitive to children who do not have a father in their home. In such cases you can often substitute
grandfather during the activity Discerning Honor below. If this is a challenge in your ministry you could
simply refer to parents. We suggest your read our article about Father’s Day and Children who have lost
their Dad.
> > > > Basic Teaching Plan < < < <
Lesson Introduction: Display the word “HONOR” in your teaching area. Ask for several volunteers to
suggest what that word means. Listen to carefully to their ideas and affirm their efforts by saying,
“That’s a good suggestion, who else wants to try…”
Role Playing Honor: After a few minutes, explain to the kids that you will work together to discover what
the word “HONOR” means. Ask for several volunteers to act out the following roles. As each child comes
forward read the following text explain the meaning of honor. This is where the optional props are used.
(allow for response)
Soldier: When an army soldier comes into a room what hand signal do people sometimes make? (allow
for response) Let’s all stand and salute this soldier. This salute is a way to show honor and means that
we know that soldiers are important people who risk their lives to keep us safe.
Pastor: When a pastor begins to pray what do people normally do with their hands and eyes?(allow for
response) Let’s all close our eyes & fold our hands like this pastor is leading us in a prayer. Our folded
hands and bowed eyes show respect for the pastor & for God during prayer. This is like saying with our
body that our pastor is an important person who helps use to know God better.
Teacher: What are you supposed to do in your classroom to answer a question your teacher asks? (allow
for response) Let’s all raise our hands together like we have an answer for this teacher. When children
raise their hands this shows honor for the teacher because they have an important job helping you to
learn.
Judges: What do people in a courtroom do when a judge walks into the room? (allow for response) Let’s
all rise to show the importance of this judge. This standing up lets everyone know that judges have
important work helping the world to be a more fair place.
Friend School: What do you do with your hand when you see your friend across the park. (allow for
response) Let’s all wave to our friend together. When we wave our hand it shows that we’re happy to
see our friend. It means our friend is important because we like to be around them.
Thank the volunteers for helping act out the characters and allow them to return to their seats.
Defining Honor: Explain to the children in your own words how honor means acting out that someone
else is important. It starts with an attitude but it’s also something that comes out in the way we behave
around toward that person.
Reciting the Bible Verse: Read the following Bible verse to the children and ask them to repeat it as a
group afterward. “Honor your father and mother.” Exodus 20:12
(Optional) We have suggestions for memorizing this verse in the optional activities below.
Discerning Honor: Ask the children to respond to the following statements. If they sound like good ways
to show honor they should stand and salute the teacher. If they are not good ways to show honor the
children should remain seated. You may want to create a few of your own statements.
Giving your Father (or mother) a hug when he comes home from work. (YES)
Asking your Dad to play with you. (YES)
Getting upset if your Dad says he does not have time right now. (NO)
Asking your Father to pray with you at bedtime. (YES)
Pouting when your Father asks you to do your chores. (NO)
Arguing with your Dad when it’s time for you to do homework. (NO)
Say: In each of these, it’s important to act in ways that shows your Father is an important person. That’s
what it means to honor your Father.
Gospel Application: Share a personal story of a time when you did not show honor to your Father. Talk
about how that was breaking God’s law and you needed Jesus to forgive that sin. Explain that Jesus had
a father while he was on Earth too named Joseph. We know that Jesus was the only child to every
perfectly obey his father. So Jesus can forgive our sin and help us become better children to our father.
Learning Outcome Test: Ask each child to silently think of one specific way they can show more honor to
their father. As time allows, have them share their answer in smaller groups with your adult leaders.
Close this part of the lesson in prayer . . . .
We need your help! All the Bible materials on our website are open for improvement. Often our best
ideas come from readers just like you. Simply leave a comment below with any corrections to this lesson
or more suggestions that will help other readers.
> > > > Optional Activities < < < <
Coloring Pages: Our website hosts a variety of coloring pages for Father’s Day. These are all 100% free to
use in your church, home, or school. The children can complete these and offer them as gifts after the
church service.
Craft Ideas: We have listed and linked to several father’s day crafts. Any of these would be an
appropriate addition to this lesson plan.
Father Says Game: Instead of Simon Says, you could play Father Says. You could substitute acting out
realistic directions rather than the typical silly commands. Some examples would be:
Father says clean your room (pretend to clean)

Father says go to bed (lay down and pretend to fall asleep)
Father says do your homework (pretend to do homework)
Father says help your mother (act like they are helping mom with something)
Father says stand up straight (practice good posture)
Father says eat your pizza (pretend to eat)
Father says brush your teeth (pretend to brush teeth)
Dads Deserve Honor: Revisit the characters used in the Role Play Honor game above. For each one ask
the children to describe how their father plays a similar role in their family. For example, dad keeps the
home safe like a soldier keeps the country safe. Ask the children to act out different situations where the
father would be like these characters.
Bible Memory: Use any of our creative methods to help the children memorize the short Bible verse
from this lesson plan.
Poem Recital: Lead the children to rehearse and briefly perform this poem for the fathers in your church
during the worship service.
Prodigal Son Video: Watch this short video clip that tells the story of the prodigal son. Discuss with the
children how the boys behavior failed to show honor to the father. You could also explain how the
father continued to love his son, even when he was very wicked. This could lead into a whole new
Gospel application.
Father’s in the Bible: Ask the children to look up Bible stories about fathers in the the scriptures. For
each of these you could discuss the different ways the children showed honor to their Father. This
activity is better suited for older children. Know your students and use your best judgment.
Luke 15:11-32 “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”

Genesis 47:1-11 “Joseph provides for his aged Father”
Genesis 22:1-19 “Abraham almost sacrifices Isaac”
Jesus Gives Freedom from Sin (John 8:32) Lesson Plan
Posted By Tony Kummer On Jul 2nd @ 12:34 pm In Hassle-Free Lessons | 34 Comments
Boy praying in open field
This Bible lesson plan about freedom in Christ follows our new hassle-free format. The basic version
makes it easy to teach with very little preparation or outside materials. We’ve also suggested more
activities so you can expand the lesson to best fit your ministry setting.
Lesson Title: Following Jesus & Freedom from Sin

Bible Reference: John 8:31-32
Printer Friendly: this lesson.
Target Age Group: Age 4 – 12
Learning Context: Sunday School or Kids Church
Target Time Frame: 30 minutes
Memory Verse: Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know
the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31a-32 NIV
Gospel Connection: Jesus first spoke these words to Jewish leaders who claimed to believe him, but did
not continue believing what Jesus has said & walking in obedience to him. The surrounding verses clarify
that Christ is talking about freedom from the guilt and enslaving power of sinful patterns of behavior.
Without Jesus, we are unable to escape from the power of sin over our lives. Through faith in him and
following his teaching, we can have true freedom. This practical freedom from sin is one aspect of the
Good News. Be sure to emphasize that only Jesus’ power can set us free from these habits.
Learning Aim: After this lesson, children will identify specific habits (from a list) that trap them in sinful
patterns. Look for the Learning Outcome Test section in our Basic Teaching Plan below.
Target Age: Our no-hassle lesson plans are broadly graded and easy to adapt for a variety of children’s
ministry settings. Look for specific adaptations within the Basic Teaching Plan below.
Basic Supply List:
A marker board or poster board to display the memory verse. You should write it out in advance in the
translation of your preference. Underline the phrases similar to what I’ve done above. This will be used
in the activity Another Way to Say.
One large black trash bag cut into about 5 long strips. These will be used as pretend ties that represent
the bondage of sinful habits in our life. This is used in the activity called Bondage of Sin below.
One pair of safety scissors for the children to cut the plastic strips off the volunteer. This is used in the
activity Set You Free below.
A marker board (or single sheets of paper) to display the following words. Lies / Stealing / Mean Talk /
Anger / Prayer / Helping Others / Forgiveness / Sharing. This will be used in the Learning Outcome Test
below.
The optional activities at the end of this lesson may require additional supplies. Carefully read the
directions while preparing your lesson.
This lesson plan touches on several central themes of the Gospel message. We have a whole section of
our website to help you be more effective in sharing Jesus with children. You might want to review
those articles if you are new to children’s ministry.
Many American readers will use this Bible lesson as their Fourth of July Sunday School lesson. We have
kept more to the biblical concepts of freedom from sin. If you want a more patriotic connection browse
our links related to the 4th of July.
Introduce the Memory Verse: Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse aloud from the display. Say,
“Today we are going to learn about freedom from sin. Let’s practice this verse a few times before we
start the lesson.” Lead the group to repeat the verse aloud about three times. See the Optional Activities
section from more ways to practice the verse.
Bondage of Sin: Ask for one volunteer to come to the front of the class and sit in a chair. Explain to the
children that you are going to show that sinful habits can become traps in their lives.
Ask the children if they can explain what habits? Say, “A habit is something you do over-and-over and it
becomes hard to stop. It’s an action or thought you repeat many times and it becomes a pattern. Some
habits are good and some are bad.”
Show them the black trash bag strips and say that each one will represent those type of habits. Offer the
following examples and carefully use the plastic to tie up the volunteer’s feet and hands. Use caution to
not hurt the child. If safety is a concern, you can substitute an adult volunteer for this demonstration.
Making mean jokes about other children at school

Telling made up stories so other kids will like you better
Keeping secrets from your parents
Say, “These are not just bad things. They are habits that get easier each time you do them. Soon they
become traps and you find it hard to not do those things. This is how sin becomes more powerful and
takes charge of your life. The Bible says this is like becoming a slave with sin as your master.”
Allow the children to suggest other habits that do the same thing. For each add another tie to the
volunteer in the chair. Listen carefully to their ideas and affirm their efforts by saying, “That’s a good
suggestion, who else wants to try…” Use these extra examples if they are confused:
Arguing or yelling at your parents / Daydreaming in church / Stealing from a friend’s house / Eating more
food than you need / Doing lazy work for chores or school / Playing video games without a time limit /
etc
Set You Free: Explain to the class that you need their help to set this person free. Ask for volunteers who
can repeat the memory verse (or read from the display). Allow each child to say the verse and cut off
one strip of the black plastic tie. If you have younger or timid children, you could have the group say the
verse as they cut the tie.
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free.” John 8:31a-32
Another Way to Say: Direct the children to the phrases you underlined in the Bible verse display. Ask
them to think of other words that could get across the same meaning as those phrases. This exercise is
about clarifying vocabulary more than precise definitions. Here are some examples:
hold to my teaching = do what I say = obey

disciples = followers = learners = friends
know the truth = understand = learn =
set you free = break you out = untie you = off the chain
Learning Outcome Test: Display the following phrases on your marker board (or single sheets of paper).
Explain that some of these are good habits that follow Jesus teaching and some are sinful patterns than
will lead trap them. Ask for volunteers to come up and point to the habits that will bring bondage to sin.
After they point, allow them to erase (or crumple that piece of paper) as they recite the memory verse.
Leave the good habits on display.
Lies / Stealing / Mean Talk / Anger / Prayer / Helping Others / Forgiveness / Sharing
After a child removes these signs lead the group to repeat, “Jesus can set us free from _____ ” for each
habit they’ve removed.
Gospel Application: Ask the children to listen carefully because you want to tell them a secret. Say in a
whisper voice, “I have done each of those bad habits and sometimes still have to fight them now. Even
the good habits are hard sometimes. I am not strong enough to set myself free I need Jesus to save me
everyday. When he died on the cross, he defeated sin forever and lives to set me free.”
Close this part of the lesson in prayer . . .
We need your help! All the Bible materials on our website are open for improvement. Often our best
ideas come from readers just like you. Simply leave a comment below with any corrections to this lesson
or more suggestions that will help other readers.
> > > > Optional Activities < < < < <
The following suggestions will help you expand and customize our basic lessons. We always value your
opinion, so leave a comment and help make this resource better for other readers.
More Freedom Ideas: We’ve listed a variety of lesson plans & crafts about freedom. You can browse
them on our website if you want to expand this basic lesson. You might consider using the Wordless
Book to further teach the Gospel with this lesson.
Pray for Leaders: If you are using this lesson on the 4th of July in America, you might enjoy our coloring
pages with the theme pray for your leaders.
Resist Temptation Activity Sheet: This simple maze illustration could help spark discussion about what
habits and behaviors lead us away from Christ.
Prayer Coloring Page: You could have the children write a prayer of response asking Jesus to help them
overcome sin and giving thanks for his sacrifice.
Habits Object Lesson: Watch this video demonstration and recreate the same basketball object lesson
for your kids. It’s based on the concept of practicing sin or practicing righteousness.
Suggested Bible Stories: You could read the story of the Exodus or Jesus Overcoming Temptation. Either
of these could easily be related back this lesson plan’s theme.
Bible Memory: Use any of our creative methods to help the children memorize the Bible verse from this
lesson plan.
Prodigal Son Video: Watch this short video clip that tells the story of the prodigal son. Discuss how sinful
habits could have led the boy away from home.
More Bible Verses: Devotional Christian has a longer list of freedom Bible verses. For an older group of
children, you could have groups look up those verses and report back how they relate to this lesson
plan.
Bible Lesson: The Glory of the New Covenant
Posted By Kara Jenkins On Aug 11th @ 6:59 am In Hassle-Free Lessons,Older Elementary | No
Comments
entrance mosaic st marks basillica venice italy
This lesson follows our hassle-free format. The basic version makes it easy to teach with very little
preparation or outside materials. We’ve also suggested more activities so you can expand the lesson to
best fit your ministry setting.
This lesson is part one in a four-part series titled The Hardship and Glory of Service to Christ. (link to
series index coming soon) It is a study of 2 Corinthians 3 & 4 designed for older elementary children.
Lesson Title: The Glory of the New Covenant

Bible Reference: Corinthians 3:7-18
Target Age Group: 5th – 6th grade
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 3:9, “If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much
more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God!” (NLT)
Main Idea: Though the glory of the Old Covenant was very great, that glory is nothing in comparison to
the New Covenant, thus Paul boldly and openly proclaims the message of this new covenant.
Gospel Connection: Paul is encompassing much of the Gospel directly in this passage. Because Christ
came, died, and rose again, we have been cleansed from our sin and gained access to God.
Learning Aim: After this lesson, students will know and be able to communicate the awesome truth of
the New Covenant. Our service to Christ is about believing, sharing, and living out the New Covenant.
Look for the Learning Outcome Test section in our Basic Teaching Plan below.
Basic Supply List:
Bible (The NLT makes this passage very understandable.)

Window with curtain, thick enough to obstruct the view outside.
A marker board or poster board to display the memory verse. You should write it out in advance in the
translation of your preference. Also consider writing out the entire passage so the students can follow
along more easily as you discuss the passage.
Sheets of paper, writing/drawing supplies
Diagram of the Tabernacle and Holy of Holies (can be found using a simple Google image search).
Explain the passage background:

SAY: Together we are going to study chapters 3 and 4 of 2nd Corinthians. A man named Paul wrote this
book of the Bible to a church in the city of Corinth. The books of the New Testament reveal that great
persecution was faced daily for believers who shared the Gospel of Christ. We are going to imagine
together the world of Paul. Listen as I read 1 Corinthians 4:11-13. Imagine that you were insulted
(slandered) and despised, even hated by many on a daily basis! If you were in the midst of this world,
how would you be feeling? What would you be thinking? (Allow time for answers.)
SAY: Knowing what was going on then and there at the time Paul wrote this letter is essential in order
for us to truly understand his words in 2 Corinthians chapters 3 and 4. Paul spends chapter 3 of 2
Corinthians reminding them of the New Covenant in Christ. This lesson series is entitled “The Hardship
and Glory of Service to Christ.” Before we dive into the hardship and glory, we first have to understand
what service to Christ is. How do we live in service to Christ? (Allow time for response.) One essential
aspect of living in service to Christ is sharing the Gospel, which is also referred to as the New Covenant.
Let’s find out what this New Covenant is all about!
Read the Bible Passage: Have volunteers read 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 aloud. We have copied the text of
this passage at the end of the lesson in the New Living Translation. Pray together before beginning the
lesson.
Object lesson
Gather the students around the window with the curtain drawn.
SAY: Look again at verse 7 and 13. When God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, Moses was in His
glorious presence. This caused his face to shine with the glory of God, so much so that he had to veil his
face from the rest of God’s people (the Israelites; Exodus 34:29-35). The people could not handle the
glory of God because of their sin! The veil over Moses’ face prevented them from seeing and fully
experiencing the glory of God.
SAY: When we try to look through a window with the curtain drawn, we cannot see clearly or maybe not
at all. Have the students try to see through the curtain in your classroom. Even if we can see a little bit,
everything is darker. In the Old Covenant, the glory of God rested in the tabernacle, in the holy of holies,
but there was a clear separation of His glory from His people. In the Old Covenant, only the high priests
were allowed to enter into God’s presence in the holy of holies, only once a year, and only after a blood
sacrifice had been made for their sins and the sins of the people (Hebrews 9).
Pass around diagrams of the Tabernacle to your students. Briefly explain each part of the tabernacle.
SAY: Everyone else besides the priests could only enter into the outer courts of the tabernacle. Their sin
and God’s great holiness made it impossible for them to be near His presence. The veil surrounding the
holy of holies kept God’s glory hidden from the people.
Read verses 8-11 again for the children. Then ask a volunteer to read Exodus 19:18-19. SAY: This
Scripture gives an awesome view of the glory of God in the Old Testament. As great as God’s glory is
displayed in these two verses, Paul is telling us in verses 8-11 of 2 Corinthians 3 that the glory of the
New Covenant far surpasses it!
Ask a volunteer to read verse 14-18 again. SAY: In the New Covenant, the veil is gone (pull back the
curtains on the window). Do you see the great difference? Through the glass, everything we see is clear.
In the same way, the veil has been torn or pulled away between us and God. Every single person can
now have access to God through Christ. We can see and experience His glory clearly and fully. Nothing is
held back from us because Christ cleanses us completely from all of our sin, past, present, and future.
We can come to God anywhere and everywhere; we can have a relationship with Him. We do not have
to make sacrifices because Jesus was our ultimate sacrifice and is now our High Priest!
Our Service to Christ
SAY: This is the New Covenant, and this is what our service to Christ is all about! The suffering that took
place in Scripture was endured in order to tell the world that they can be freed from their sins through
Christ and experience the glory of God. If Christ had not taken on our sins and died as the ultimate
sacrifice, this veil would still be there.
Ask for a volunteer to read vv. 13-15 again. SAY: Many people continued to live under the Old Covenant,
even after Paul and others had spread the news about Christ. Until a person accepts Christ, there is a
veil over their hearts. They are unable to see and experience God for who He really is. They are unable
to have a relationship with Him and know Him personally. Our spreading the Gospel of the New
Covenant is essential to bringing others to know Christ, so God can remove the veil over their hearts,
allowing them to know and experience Him.
Learning Outcome Test:
Have your students write (or draw) what there lives would be like today if Christ had not come and we
were still under the Old Covenant. Then allow several children to share their response with the group.
Now have them write or draw what is possible because Christ came and allowed us to have access to (a
relationship with) God. Once again allow time for volunteers to share their response.
SAY: Now think of people you know or friends you have that still have this veil over their hearts. If you
have accepted Christ and your veil has been removed, you know our great God. Because we know Him,
we can have confidence to share the Truth of the New Covenant with everyone we know (v. 12). Pray
together for boldness in sharing the New Covenant, the Gospel.
Gospel Application:
SAY: Our sin completely separates us from God, placing a veil over our hearts (Ex. 19:18-25 would
probably be a really good display of this). When Christ died, the veil was torn (literally-Mark 15:38)
because He was the ultimate and final sacrifice for our sins. When we receive Christ as our Savior and
Lord, we are set free from our sins and made righteous. God removes this veil from our hearts. The
Spirit of God dwells within us, and we then are able to be in God’s presence, experiencing His glory,
every moment of every day.
> > > > Optional Activities < < < <
Memory verse: Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse aloud from the display. Work on
memorizing it together. Use any of our creative methods for memorizing Scripture.
Popcorn Object Lesson: You could use our aroma of Christ object lesson to add a multi-sensory element
to this Bible lesson.
Love God Coloring Page: When adapting this lesson for younger children, you could use our greatest
commandment coloring page to talk about how they might respond to the Glory of the New Covenant.
Suggest Your Activity: We depend on readers like you to help improve our lesson plans. Please leave a
comment below to share your optional activities to go along with this lesson plan.
> > > > Supporting Materials < < < <
2 Corinthians 3:7-18 from the New Living Translation:
7 The old way, with laws etched in stone, led to death, though it began with such glory that the people
of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the
brightness was already fading away. 8 Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way, now
that the Holy Spirit is giving life? 9 If the old way, which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much
more glorious is the new way, which makes us right with God! 10 In fact, that first glory was not glorious
at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way. 11 So if the old way, which has been
replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new, which remains forever!12 Since this new
way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. 13 We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his
face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. 14 But
the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same
veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by
believing in Christ. 15Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that
veil, and they do not understand. 16 But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 So all of us who
have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—
makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.
“Treasure in Jars of Clay” Sunday School Lesson
Posted By Kara Jenkins On Aug 25th @ 11:28 am In Hassle-Free Lessons,Older Elementary | 3 Comments
Three amphora clay pots with flowers growing inside.
This free Bible lesson follows our hassle-free format. The basic version makes it easy to teach with very
little preparation or outside materials. We’ve also suggested more activities so you can expand the
lesson to best fit your ministry setting.
This is part two of a four-part series titled The Hardship and Glory of Service to Christ. (link to series
index coming soon) It is a study of 2 Corinthians 3 & 4 designed for older elementary children. Use the
optional activities listed below to adapt it for other age groups or ministry settings.
Lesson Title: Treasure in Jars of Clay

Bible Reference: 2 Corinthians 4:1-7
Main Idea: God has given believers the magnificent treasure of the Gospel, and it is only through His
power that the Gospel transforms lives. He has chosen to use us, worthless vessels, to spread the
ministry of the New Covenant.
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (ESV)
Gospel Connection: The Gospel is the treasure we have received that allows us to have the knowledge of
the glory of God. A result of the Gospel is gaining this knowledge personally through a relationship with
God Himself. God has chosen His people to be vessels that proclaim this knowledge, though it is only
through His power that people are transformed, to His glory.
Learning Aim: After this lesson, students will know that when they accept Christ, they receive a
magnificent treasure, the knowledge of the glory of God. This knowledge has been granted to us
through Christ for God’s glory, that we may proclaim it to all peoples. Look for the Learning Outcome
Test section in our Basic Teaching Plan below.
crushed plastic water BottleBasic Supply List:
Bible
Find an old jar or vase that looks completely worthless. An empty milk carton or plastic bottle would also
work. Inside, place something of great worth, like jewelry, money, or even a beautiful bouquet of
flowers. If you choose to use a vase, one that leaks water would be perfect for the object lesson.
Marker board (or poster sheet) with the memory verse written out.
A copy of the Scripture passage for each student, they will be marking portions during the study.
Other supplies may be needed for the optional activities. Please read them carefully if you plan to add
them to the lesson plan.
Object Lesson Introduction
Display the ugly, worthless vase with a beautiful bouquet of flowers. SAY: What do you think of this
vase? (Allow time for thoughts) It is very ugly, dirty. It leaks water, making it worthless as a vase. What
would you think about placing this beautiful bouquet of flowers in such a worthless vase? (Allow time
for response) The vase does not deserve the beauty of the these flowers!
SAY: Today’s Scripture passage speaks of jars of clay or earthen vessels. These were valueless containers
in the Bible, just like this vase. Listen closely as we study it together to find out how we are like these
jars of clay.
Refresher of the New Covenant Conecpt
One essential aspect of living in service to Christ is sharing the Gospel, which is sometimes called “the
New Covenant.”In the New Covenant, the veil of separation has been torn between us and God. We are
able to know God personally and have a relationship with Him. Our ministry or service to Christ is about
sharing our knowledge of the New Covenant with all peoples! This is an awesome truth that is a treasure
and brings light to the hearts of those who accept Christ!
Introduce the Scripture Passage:
Ask for volunteers to read 2 Corinthians 4:1-7. This passage is written out at the end of the lesson to
make things easy, feel free to use the translation of your choice.
Verse by Verse Explanation & Discussion
Give each student a copy of the 7 verses. Ask them to look at each verse as you go through and discuss
them, highlighting/writing things they want to remember.
v. 1 “…having this ministry by the mercy of God…” SAY: This is the ministry of the New Covenant, the
Gospel of Christ. It is the ministry of Christians to spread the news of the freedom we have in Christ to
everyone. The truth of the New Covenant allows these believers who are in the midst of persecution to
not lose heart. Why would the truth of the New Covenant keep these believers from losing heart?
[God’s great mercy has given them the New Covenant. They know how great He is since their hearts
have been unveiled, and this pushes them on to be obedient in their service [ministry] to Him.]
vv. 2-3 SAY: They are not using cunning or changing God’s word in any way. Their consciences before
God are clear, and they speak only the truth. So, if their message of the Gospel is still veiled to anyone, it
is because they are unbelievers. Why do you think the truth of the Gospel would be veiled to
unbeliever? [Their sin deceives them; Satan deceives them; because it is impossible to see the light of
truth in the darkness of their hearts]
v.4 SAY: Verse 4 tells us that their minds are blinded, unable to see the light of glory of Christ, a glory
beyond comparison, the glory of the one and only God.
vv. 5-6 SAY: Paul states that the apostles are not proclaiming themselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord. They
are servants for Him as they speak His Word, for God has made the truth clear to them. It is not about
themselves, but all about Christ. He has shone in their hearts, giving them the light of the knowledge of
glory of God through Christ. Why does Paul emphasize that they are simply servants of Christ? [He
knows God is the One ultimately transforming people. He is humble, recognizing their smallness and
God’s greatness. Paul desires for God to receive all the glory. They are simply being obedient to God in
response to His great mercy.]
v.7 SAY: The knowledge of the New Covenant has shone light into their hearts, unveiling them to God’s
glory. This knowledge is through Christ, and it is their treasure. Paul recognizes their worthlessness
before God, but He has chosen to give them this valuable truth, to free them from their sins and bring
them to Him in order to show His surpassing greatness. As His servants, He has chosen them, jars of clay,
to spread this truth.
Gospel Application:
SAY: This treasure is for us if we accept Christ Jesus as our Savior and Lord. When we become followers
of Christ, the veil in our hearts is torn and our darkened hearts are filled with light. This light is the
knowledge of the glory of God that we have heard about through God’s Word and that we begin to
experience as believers through our worship and prayers.
Continuation of Object Lesson:
Bring out the vase once more. SAY: v. 7 Jars of clay were valueless containers, readily discarded, being
cheap and always available to people in Paul’s day. The difference between these worthless jars and the
treasure of Christ is huge! Paul’s main purpose in calling himself and the apostles jars of clay is to reveal
that human weakness presents no barrier to the purpose of God. The worthlessness of the vessels is
evidence that the magnificent power which occurs when the Gospel is preached, the change that takes
place in human lives, is God’s and not the apostles.
SAY: We are like this vase. Just as this vase is completely undeserving of this beautiful bouquet of
flowers, we are utterly undeserving of the treasure of Christ. But God has chosen us! He has chosen you
and me to share the awesome and amazing truth of His love and grace! As we realize how weak and
undeserving we are, I want you to see how great God’s love and grace is for you, that He would still
choose to use you to share His Word with all peoples. Let’s close our eyes and reflect on this truth
together now.
Allow them to sit for one full minute in reflection. It will seem to pass by slowly, but resist the
temptation to speak, even if the moment feels awkward. Times like this help teach students the beauty
of stillness before the Lord. At times it is only through disciplined stillness before Him that we can hear
Him speak. When the minute is up, close the time in prayer.
Learning Outcome Test: Have your students describe what this looks like in their lives day to day, really
stressing the application of it, what it would look like to humbly realize the greatness of God’s gift in
Christ and allow that to motivate us to boldly share our faith.
Memory verse: Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse aloud from the marker board. Work on
Craft: Make jars of clay for students to take home as a reminder of this Scripture. Write the Scripture
reference “2 Corinthians 4:7” on each jar.
Spreading the Gospel: Ask your students to think of ways they can share the great truth of the New
Covenant to others. Have them write their ideas on a marker board. Discuss fears in sharing the Gospel.
Ask: Why do you think we are so afraid to share this light of the knowledge of the glory of God? Remind
your students that unbelievers respond in negative ways because the veil has not been removed from
their hearts. They are blind to the truth. Because our hearts have been unveiled, we know God is the
One, true God and can have confidence in standing for Him as we spread His Word.
Dissect a Phrase: Write “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God” on a marker board. Have your
students dissect the meaning of this phrase. For example, ask, What is light? What does light do? What
is Paul saying provides light? [knowledge] Knowledge of what? How do we receive this knowledge?
[through Christ in the New Covenant] Why is the New Covenant so much more glorious that the Old?
[God’s glory was hidden in the Old Covenant. His people were not able to fully see Him and know Him.
In the New Covenant, we have full access to God. We can pray to Him anytime and all the time. We can
know Him deeply and have a relationship with Him. His glory is no longer hidden!]
Make the Connection: All of terms in this lesson can get confusing. Take time to define together New
Covenant and Gospel-they are interchangeable. Right it on a marker board. After making this
connection, ask how God’s glory is connected in both of these. Example:
New Covenant<Christ<veil is gone<access to God<know Him<experience His glory

Gospel<Christ<died and rose<our response<accept Christ<part of New Covenant
Light: Illustrate the light the knowledge of God brings to our hearts. Make your classroom completely
dark.
Ask: what do you see? [nothing]

State: Before Christ, our hearts are in darkness. We do not see clearly who God is, and His glory is
hidden from us.
Shine a flashlight on your face. Ask: What can you see? [Your face!] State: Just as you can now plainly
see my face, when we believe and trust in Christ for our salvation, the light of His truth allows us to see
God and His glory fully and clearly.
Real Life Application: Tell a story of a missionary or some individual who really was not anything special
but God used them in a mighty way to spread the gospel because they gave themselves fully to Him.
William Carey or Bill Wallace might be good example.
2 Corinthians 4:1-7 from the New Living Translation:
1Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2But we have renounced
disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the
open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4In their case the god of
this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as
Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of
darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ. 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to
God and not to us. (ESV)
“Persecuted But Not Abandoned” Sunday School Lesson
Kara JenkinsSep 26th

Bible and praying hands behind bars
This is part two of a four-part series titled The Hardship and Glory of Service to Christ. (link to series
Lesson Title: Persecuted, Not Abandoned

Main Idea: No matter what we go through for the sake of Christ, God will never abandon us. His death
can remind us daily of His great love and forgiveness, while His resurrection reminds us that we have
been made new. As Christians, we carry these truths within us, and they provide us with strength and
courage to fulfill God’s calling to bring the Gospel to all peoples.
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but
not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Gospel Connection: Because we know that Christ died, we have confidence in His forgiveness of our sins.
Because we know that God raised Him from the dead, we know that one day we will also be raised and
live with Him for all eternity. Christ died so that we may live. He gives us the strength to endure.
Learning Aim: Look for the Learning Outcome Test section in our Basic Teaching Plan below.
Basic Supply List:
Bible
Five notecards with the following words written on each one: I WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU.
A copy of the Scripture passage for each student; they will be marking portions during the study.
An equal number of black trash bags and white trash bags, one of each for every student.
Other supplies may be needed for the optional activities. Please read them carefully if you plan to add
them to the lesson plan.
Discover the Truth

One essential truth from today’s Scripture passage is that God will never abandon us. Write each of the
following words on 5 notecards and hide them throughout the room before your students arrive: I WILL
NEVER ABANDON YOU. After they arrive, gather them around you. SAY: I have hidden 5 notecards
around the room. Each notecard has one word on it. Together, these notecards will form an essential
truth from our lesson today. Your mission is to find all of the notecards, put them in the correct order,
and discover this truth! And…..you only have 5 minutes to do so! Ready…set…go!
ASK: Who do you think this promise is from? [God] Paul reveals to the believers this amazing truth
today. Let’s dive into the passage together and discover more of God’s awesome truth!
Ask for volunteers to read 2 Corinthians 4:8-12. Each verse is written out in the NASB to make things
easy; feel free to use the translation of your choice.
Verse by Verse Explanation & Discussion
Give each student a copy of the 7 verses. Ask them to look at each verse as you go through and discuss
them, highlighting/writing things they want to remember.
vv.8-9 “we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; 9 persecuted, but
not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…” SAY: These first two verses describe Paul’s personal
experience. He knew exactly what he was talking about! What are some of the contrasts he talks about
in this verse? What do you think he is getting at? He had been “afflicted in every way,” “perplexed,”
“persecuted,” and “struck down!” But Paul had never been crushed, driven to despair, abandoned, or
destroyed! The unbelievers were probably pointing fingers at him and the other disciples, saying, “See!
Look what following Christ has got you! You are foolish!” But Paul is pointing out to them that no matter
what they are put through, even the worst possible thing, God will always be there. He has never and
will never abandon them!
v.10 “always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be
manifested in our body.” SAY: When Paul says “carrying about in the body the death of Jesus” he is
referring to sharing in the death of Jesus through being persecuted for sharing the Gospel. Paul saw the
end-that to suffer for Christ meant to one day be glorified with Christ (Rom. 8:17). As Christ’s death is
the way to true and eternal life, we know that the resurrection will be to us the end of all sorrows. In
this world we die as He died. But one day we shall rise as He rose and live with Him forever. What affect
do you think this hope would have on Paul? (Endurance, joy despite the suffering, it gives him the
strength to continue sharing even in suffering.)
V. 11 “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of
Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” Activity: Have the students put on the white trash
bags and then the black trash bags over the white.
SAY: Paul and others with him were openly attacked by the anger of the unbelievers. They were being
“given over to death” in that they were constantly harassed with persecutions and exposed to dangers.
For us, we also have death constantly before us, for one day we will all die. We also experience the
death of loved ones and friends. We have to live in such a manner that our lives display Christ. When we
suffer, our minds should be set on the eternal, and our goal should be to glorify God.
The black trash bag represents our suffering. The white represents Christ. We wear the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may be revealed to everyone. [Repeat] We wear the death of Jesus, so that the
life of Jesus may be revealed to everyone. Say this with me! We wear the death of Jesus, so that the life
of Jesus may be revealed to everyone! Let’s say this again, and as we say it, I want you to rip open the
black trash bags. We wear the death of Jesus, so that…(rip the black bags, revealing the white)…the life
of Jesus may be revealed to everyone! When we suffer in order to glorify Him, He is displayed for
everyone to see.
V. 12 “So death works in us, but life in you.” SAY: The believers in the Corinthian church were not yet
suffering as severely as Paul and the apostles. In comparison to them, some Christians were even
thriving. Paul is telling them that the suffering he and other followers of Christ are facing each day is for
them, so that they may continue to worship Christ and have new life through following Him. Their
suffering promotes the glory of Christ and salvation, so that all people may know Him! Even though
suffering gives us an opportunity to glorify and share Christ, it is often really hard for us to do. Why do
you think this is? (A lot of times we love our comfort more than we love the glory of Christ. Also, we fail
to really believe that He is with us, even in suffering.)
Gospel Application:
SAY: Without the truth of the Gospel, we would be despairing. We would be destroyed. But because we
know that Christ died, we have confidence in His forgiveness of our sins. Because we know that God
raised Him from the dead, we know that one day we will also be raised and live with Him for all eternity.
Christ died so that we may live. Paul and the other Christians suffered so that many may have new life in
Christ. They carried within them the truth of the Gospel, the New Covenant. This truth gave them
strength, courage, and passion to press on despite their severe suffering. We too can press through any
and every trial so that Christ may be glorified in our lives, looking forward to the day we are glorified
with Him.
Conclusion
SAY: We do not know what it is like to be in danger on a daily basis. But we do go through very difficult
times. We do face the death of people we care about it. We do have to one day die. But, no matter what
we go through, God does not abandon us! He is there and He is in control. We can trust in Him to always
be faithful. He is our faithful, good, sovereign God who loves you immensely. We can also have
confidence that if we are in Christ, there is life after death. We will one day be glorified with Christ and
all the miseries of the world will be no more! This hope allows us to keep on keeping on when
everything seems to be crashing down around us.
Learning Outcome Test: Discuss difficulties (past or present) that your students have gone/are going
through. If you have a larger class, break into small groups of 4 or 5. Get to know your students. Many of
them may have gone through some very difficult times. They may be having trouble seeing God in their
situation. They have lost hope completely. They may feel abandoned. As they share, ask them how
today’s Scripture speaks to what they are going through. Allow them to think and speak truth to each
other first. Then bring out some truths, such as: Christ has suffered on our behalf; He knows what pain
and abandonment feel like, and He is always present. We are called to suffer in this life, and in our
suffering we are carrying about the death of Christ. But in our response and in our hope His life can be
manifested. When we are His, we have His light to push away all darkness. We have a hand always ready
to hold our own. We have His arms always waiting for us to fall into. We are never abandoned. See trials
as opportunities to glorify God, spread His name, and look forward to a day of no more tears.
Pray together.
Memory verse: Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse aloud from the marker board. Work on
Further Study: Consider reading specific descriptions of what Paul endured in II Corinthians 11:24-28.
Craft: Have the students trace each other on butcher paper. Then instruct them to draw pictures on
their bodies that remind them of the death and life of Jesus (based on verse 10, “always carrying about
in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body”). They could
also do this on a smaller scale by drawing themselves on a normal sheet of paper.
Spreading the Gospel: Ask your students to think of ways they can share the great truth of the New
Covenant to others. Have them write their ideas on a marker board. Discuss fears in sharing the Gospel.
Ask: Why do you think we are so afraid to share this light of the knowledge of the glory of God? Remind
your students that unbelievers respond in negative ways because the veil has not been removed from
their hearts. They are blind to the truth. Because our hearts have been unveiled, we know God is the
One, true God and can have confidence in standing for Him as we spread His Word.
Worship: Learn the song May Your Power Rest on Me, by Sojourn, written by Joel Gerdis and Neil
Robins:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AiJBDSeJOU
Declaring the Truth: Discuss a few specific scenarios the students may face in their lifetimes or have
already faced (divorce, a loved one dying, bullies in school, etc.) Have them describe their feelings in
each circumstance, focusing on the lies Satan would like them to believe. Then have them replace this
lie with truth from today’s lesson. Declare each lie out loud, saying together “I feel _____”. Then say
together the truth, “But the truth is _____!”
For example, in the case of divorce,
“I feel alone.”
“But the truth is…God never abandons me!”
Or in sharing the Gospel…
“I feel afraid to share the Gospel.”
“The truth is…glorifying Christ is all that matters; He will give me courage!”
SAY: When we respond to these situations with truth, it gives us the opportunity to display the life of
Christ! When others see you respond in obedience to Christ when you are at your lowest place in life, it
glorifies Him! It is living in obedience!
Real Life Application: Share a story of a missionary who died for the Gospel (Jim Elliot is a great example)
or who is in danger today in countries where it is illegal to share the Gospel. If you have someone at
your church who has been in real danger for their faith, have them speak to your class. This will help
them see that the persecution is still very real in other parts of the world. Pray for the missionaries
together, for their safety, continued courage, and steadfast hope in the truth that God will never
abandon them as they are spreading the Gospel of Christ.
“We Do Not Lose Heart” Bible Lesson
Print Friendly Version of this pagePrint Get a PDF version of this webpagePDF Oct 3rd by Kara Jenkins 2
Comments
Cute baby holding onto fingers.
This is part three of a four-part series titled The Hardship and Glory of Service to Christ. (link to series
Lesson Title: We Do Not Lose Heart

Main Idea: We can endure our suffering with joy and hope through the power of the resurrection of
Christ, knowing that this life is just a moment compared to eternity.
Memory Verse: 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is
decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (NASB)
Gospel Connection: Because Christ came, died, and rose again, as believers we have confidence of our
future resurrection with Him in glory. This confidence allows us not to lose heart in the midst of
suffering, to focus on the eternal rather than the temporal, and to encourage each other as we journey
together in our lives here on earth.
Learning Aim: Students will understand that there will be pain and suffering in their lives here on earth,
but they can persevere through believing in Christ and having confidence in the promise of the
resurrection, eternity with Christ. Look for the Learning Outcome Test section in our Basic Teaching Plan
below.
Basic Supply List:
Bible
Duct tape, rulers, pens or pencils for Eternity Activity
Paper, crayons, markers, colored pencils, or paint for creating a picture of heaven based on Revelation
Paint smocks or old, big t-shirts for students if you decide to paint.
Ask for volunteers to read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Eternity Activity
Have your students tape a line from one end of the room to the other. Then have them take a ruler and
mark one centimeter (starting point to ending point). Each student can mark a centimeter anywhere on
the line. SAY: This tape represents eternity. One centimeter represents your life. Like one tiny
centimeter on this long strip of tape, so is your life in comparison to eternity. It is short and brief!
But your life is full of worth, for what you live for now determines how you will spend eternity. And
eternity goes a lot farther than we can ever fathom in our minds! This strip of tape across the room does
not even come close to showing us how long forever is. Forever is forever! It is never-ending, lasting…it
is eternity! Paul knew that the suffering he was experiencing on earth, though it was horrible beyond
what we can imagine, was temporary and brief in comparison to spending eternity with God with no
pain, no tears, no suffering-only joy everlasting!
Seen versus the Unseen
ASK: What do you see around you? (Describe things in the room.) What is all around us every day that
we do not see? (Oxygen, wind, cells, molecules, gravity, etc.) Just as we believe these things to be real,
though we do not see them, so we have to believe that heaven is real and we will experience it one day
and forevermore. We trust that God’s Word is true. God does not lie. While Paul is suffering for Christ
here on earth, he is confident that when he dies, he will be glorified with Christ and will experience His
glory, a glory that is better and greater and worth all of the suffering he is going through now. Let’s read
together Revelation 21:1-4, 9-11, 22-27.
SAY: This is true! This is real! And it is your future if you are a believer!
Pass out paper and crayons, markers, colored pencils, or paint. Ask your students to draw what they
heard. Tell them to take their pictures home and put them somewhere where they can see it every day.
SAY: Each day, when you see this drawing, remind yourself that the suffering here on earth is only
temporary. You have eternity in glory to look forward to if you have trusted in Christ for your salvation
(this leads into the Gospel application).
Gospel Application
SAY: Paul has this confidence because he believes! Look at verse 13. He and the others suffering with
him believe-they believe that God raised Christ from the dead and will also one day raise them with Him.
They are able to endure and persevere because they truly believe! Before we can even hope to make it
through the suffering that will occur in our lives, we have to believe the truth of the Gospel. Christ came
to earth, lived a perfect life, became the perfect sacrifice for our sins, was crucified, buried, and three
days later, rose from the grave. He is our Redeemer. When we believe and trust in Him alone for our
salvation, we have confidence that we will one day spend eternity with Christ in glory.
Learning Outcome Test

ASK: What makes suffering so difficult? Why does it feel like it will never end? (Our lives seem long to us.
The thought of suffering for any length of time seems like forever to us. It is hard to believe in eternity
with God with no pain because it is something we cannot yet see. What we see now is people murdered,
people dying, disease, suffering, bombs, terrorists, war, famine, earthquakes, fires, floods, tornadoes,
hurricanes…it is very real and all around us. What we do not see is something that cannot even be fully
conceived in our minds, even though we can read about it in Scripture).
ASK: So how can you say with Paul, “Therefore, I do not lose heart?” What gives you the strength to say
this? (Utter belief in Christ and the promise of eternity with Him. Clinging to this promise when all else
seems to be falling apart around us.)
Conclusion
SAY: When times are hard, focus on the eternal. Remember that you will not suffer forever; the end of
life on earth is the beginning of eternity in joy with our great God. We have to tell ourselves each day
that what we see with our eyes now is temporary. It will end. What we do not see, it is eternal. Our
suffering will end, our joy will last forever. Be encouraged by this magnificent truth, and encourage
those around you.
Pray together.
Memory Verse: Ask for a volunteer to read the memory verse aloud from the marker board. Work on
Perspective of Suffering: Print off pictures of a view of earth from space. Go outside and look up at the
sky. SAY: The sky looks huge to us! It seems to go on for forever! There is nothing bigger than the sky
here on earth! (Then show the pictures of earth you printed.) But look at these pictures. Earth is tiny!
(Ask them to describe what they think of the pictures.)This is how we see suffering. It looks huge to us
now. But when we compare it to eternity with God, it is a tiny amount of time!
Compare Temporal Suffering with Eternal Glory: Find the adjectives that describe suffering or affliction.
Compare them to the adjectives that describe eternity. Make a table on a marker board and have
different volunteers write down the adjectives they find in each column.
Momentary (short), light, temporal, seen.

Eternal, glory beyond compare, not seen.
The contrasts that Paul sets up are very clear and intentional, all geared around showing just how
awesome the resurrection will be. Draw out these contrasts through discussion as they are doing this
activity.
Outward Versus Inward: Put a banana in your refrigerator for a few days. On the outside, it will get black
very quickly, but on the inside, it will stay fresh. Show the banana to your students (do not peel yet!).
Read the memory verse once more.
SAY: Outwardly Paul’s body was wasting away, decaying. He was battered and bruised, worn out, older,
just like this banana. We all grow old! Each second of your life you are growing older! And when we
experience suffering, our bodies may begin to feel weak, tired, and worn. But inwardly we are renewed
by Christ! (Peel the banana.) His truth strengthens us, gives us courage to face any suffering that comes
our way during our lives here on earth. Just like this banana stays fresh on the inside, our belief and
confidence in Christ and eternity keeps our hearts renewed day by day!
2 Corinthians 4:13-18 from the New American Standard Bible
13 But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,”
we also believe, therefore we also speak, 14 knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesuswill raise us also
with Jesus and will present us with you. 15 For all things are for your sakes, so that the grace which is
spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. 16
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man isbeing
renewed day by day. 17 For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far
beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Lesson One: What is Prayer?
Main idea: Prayer is talking to God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Son, by the power of the Holy
Spirit.
Teacher preparation:
Read Scripture references (below), Matthew 6:5-14, Ecclesiastes 5:2, 1 John 5:14, Philippians 4:6-7
Spend time in prayer. Pray for your students.
Gather: Bible, chart paper and markers or dry erase board and markers, 2 paper or plastic cups per child,
10 feet of cotton string per child, markers and stickers.
Scripture references:
Psalm 139:4
Luke 11:13
Romans 8:26
Game: Play a good old fashioned round of telephone. Have all the kids sit in a circle. The first player
thinks of a phrase and whispers it into their neighbor’s ear. This player then whispers what they heard
into the next person’s ear and so forth, until everyone has heard the phrase. The last person to have
something whispered into their ear, (the one right before the first player) says out loud to the group
what they heard, and the first player says the original phrase. You will find, in all likelihood, that the
phrase changed. Play a few rounds. For a variation, play music in the background, so it is harder to hear
what is being whispered. (You can then reinforce the idea that God never shouts at us, but whispers,
and we have to listen close through all the other noise in life.) You may consider writing phrases on slips
of paper, as coming up with what to say can sometimes be the trickiest part of the game. Encourage the
kids (especially older ones) to repeat the phrase they hear faithfully, without intentionally changing
things. Ensure them the phrases will still be funny in the end.
Message: Open in prayer…
Say, Today we are starting a new series. We are going to study the Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s prayer is
what we call the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him to teach them how to pray.
Before we learn about that prayer, first we need to discuss, what IS prayer? What does it mean to pray?
Prayer is talking to God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now I
know that’s quite a mouthful, but we’re going to spend the rest of class discussing what that means.
Let’s start by talking about that game we played. Why would we start a lesson on prayer by playing a
game of telephone? When we played this game, one person said something, and by the time it got
around to the last person, most of the phrases had changed. Does this happen when we talk to God?
NO! When we talk to God, we don’t have to talk to a bunch of people in between, and what we say
NEVER gets mixed up or garbled.
The Bible says; “You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord” (Psalm 139:4). God knows
what we are going to say even before we say it! Isn’t it great to know that God knows our every
thought? (If you have a dry erase board or chart paper, draw a small circle near the top and label it “God
the Father.”) God is like a father who takes good care of his kids. Good fathers know what their kids
need and gives it to them. God is the perfect father.
It says in Luke 11:13, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (Draw a small circle near the
bottom left of your board and label it “Holy Spirit.” Draw a line from the God circle to the Holy Spirit
circle.) According to Romans 8:26, “The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t
know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be
expressed in words.” What a wonderful Holy Father we have! God the Father gives us the Holy Spirit so
we can pray for hard things, even when we don’t know what words to use.
The last part of our triangle of prayer is Jesus Christ. (Add a small circle near the bottom right of your
board and label it “Jesus Christ.” Draw lines from this circle to the other two circles.) Jesus is the one
who makes it possible for us to talk to God. You see, God is perfectly perfect. He is so perfect and so
good, he cannot be in the presence of sin. We are all sinners. Without Jesus dying for our sins, we can’t
stand before God in prayer. We need the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins so we can stand perfectly
forgiven of our sins before God. So prayer is talking to God the Father, through Jesus Christ the Son, by
the power of the Holy Spirit.
Craft: Make string telephones. Have the children each decorate two paper or plastic cups using markers
and stickers. Poke a hole through the bottom of each cup, right through the center. Thread the string
through the bottom of the cup and tie a knot in the end of the string that is inside the cup. (You could
also tie a paperclip to the string inside the cup to ensure it does not get pulled through.) Thread the
other end of the string through the bottom of the other cup and tie a knot in the end of the string that is
inside the cup, or add a paperclip. Hand a friend one end of the completed telephone and stand far
enough apart for the string to become taught. Quietly talk into the cup while your friend holds the other
end up to his ear. Take turns talking and listening.
Tell the kids, with a string phone, we can talk directly to our friends without anything getting in the way.
We can talk directly to God without anyone or anything getting in the way too.
Lesson Two: Prayer Dos and Don’ts
Main idea: The Bible shows us not only how not to pray, but some helpful things to remember when
praying.
Read Scripture references (below), Matthew 6:5-14, Luke 18:1-14, Psalm 51

Gather: Bible, tape, scripture cards, washable markers, chart paper and markers or dry erase board and
markers, stickers, small composition notebooks (these can be found for three for a dollar in some dollar
stores or larger grocery store chains), glue sticks, paper
Make scripture cards by writing the bold scripture references below on white paper (half a sheet of
computer paper or large index cards work well) with white crayon. Make some fake cards by drawing
pictures or writing silly phrases on them. Mix these in with the scripture cards.
Take time to consider your prayer life. Do you make a habit of talking to the Father every day in every
situation, or only “when you have time” or in emergencies? Don’t feel guilty if your prayer life isn’t what
you want it to be. Instead, repent and revel in God’s grace. Come into his presence now with a child-like
wonder, and enjoy talking to your heavenly Father about the big things, the little things, and the in-
between things. Consider starting a prayer journal of your own, if you have not already done so.
Matthew 6:5-8
Proverbs 15:8
James 5:16
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Romans 12:12
1 John 5:14-15
James 5:15
Colossians 4:2
Philippians 4:6
2 Chronicles 7:14
Game: Bible verse scavenger hunt. Before class, set up the game by placing the scripture cards and fake
cards all around the room. Hide them as conspicuously or inconspicuously as your class can handle.
Remember, these look like blank pieces of paper, so you may want to place them in obvious locations or
attach them to brightly colored paper. You could also put them all in bright envelopes and have the kids
look for the envelopes. When your class comes in, explain that they will be hunting down secret
messages. Describe that the messages are hidden on plain white paper (or index cards, or in envelopes,
however you choose to do it.) They won’t be able to see the message right away, so they will have to
use a special decoder to discover if the message they find is a special message from God from the Bible,
or if it is a silly message from you. Pass out a washable marker to each child and have them go on the
hunt. When they find a message, they will color over it with their marker. The marker will color the
paper, but not the white crayon. Encourage them to help each other, so each student can decode at
least one message. Once all the messages are found and decoded, they return them to you. Special
messages from God go in one pile and silly messages from you go into another. The markers go back
where they belong and the class takes their seats. Tell them that you will go over the messages as a
group later on in the lesson.
Message: Open in prayer…

Say, Last week we started a new lesson together. Who can remind the class what we are learning about?
That’s right, we are learning about prayer. Starting next week, we will study the Lord’s prayer. The Lord’s
prayer is an example prayer Jesus taught to his disciples. Before we look at that prayer, first we must
learn a few things about prayer. Last we week learned that prayer is talking to God the Father, through
Jesus Christ the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This week we are going to learn some dos and
don’ts to prayer. Pretty much everything in life has ways to do things that work really well, and ways
that don’t. Think of riding a bicycle. It works well when you wear your protective gear, pedal, hold onto
the handle bars and look where you are going. It does not work when you close your eyes, sit on it
backwards and wave your arms in the air. Just like riding a bike has do’s and don’ts, prayer has do’s and
don’ts. We find these in the Bible. First we will look at some don’ts.
Let’s read together from our Bibles. Let’s have a sword drill. Everyone hold your Bible above your head.
No bookmarks and no keeping a finger in your Bible! When I say go, look up the scripture reference I
say. The first one to find it wins. The scripture reference is Matthew 6:5-8. Go! (Continue after everyone
has turned to the right passage. Read it out loud or have a student read it.)
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the
synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.
But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.
Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as
people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words
again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask
him!”
This is what Jesus said right before teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer. What are the two ways Jesus
tells us DON’T pray in this passage? (Allow time for students to answer. Remind them to refer to their
Bibles.) The first don’t is don’t be like the hypocrites. A hypocrite is a person who says they believe one
thing, but then they do another. Here it’s talking specifically about prayer. Prayer is talking to God.
When you have a conversation with a friend, do you like to stand on a street corner or in the middle of
the hallway at school so everyone can see and hear you? Of course not! People who want to have their
conversations overheard are usually just trying to show off. The hypocrites in this passage are showing
off how good they pray, and God doesn’t want us to do that. He wants our prayers to be special
conversations with him. The second don’t is don’t babble. Babble is a word we usually use when we are
talking about babies. When babies are just learning to talk, the make a bunch of funny noises and repeat
the same sounds over and over again because they like how it sounds. Babbling is a good thing to do
when you are a baby, but not when you are talking to God. God doesn’t need us to repeat ourselves. He
knows what we’re going to say before we say it! Think about when you go to your Mom or Dad to ask
for something. If we say, “Dad, can I cookie?” Dad will say “yes,” “no,” or “later.” If we say, “Dad can I
have a cookie? Dad can I have a cookie? Dad can I have a cookie? Dad can I have a cookie? Dad can I
have a cookie? Dad can I have a cookie?” The issue here is trust– we must trust that God knows what is
best and be willing to wait for his timing. It’s not wrong to “pray without ceasing” but we must not think
we can badger God into obeying us!
Now let’s look as some things the Bible says to DO when we pray. For our game today, you found secret
messages hidden all around the room. Some were from me, and some are Bible verses. Let’s read
through these and see what the Bible tells us to DO when we pray. Each verse will fall into one of these
categories: pray righteously, pray without ceasing, pray in faith, pray with thanksgiving, and pray
humbly. (Write these categories along the top of your board or chart paper. As you go through the
messages one by one, have the class vote on which category the verse belongs in. Tape each verse
under the appropriate heading. As you go through the verses, sprinkle in a few of your silly messages
just for giggles.) Great work, class! Now we can see that there are five helpful things we can do when we
pray. We pray with a right heart (righteously,) we pray all the time without stopping, we pray
confidently knowing God hears us (in faith,) we pray thanking God for all he does and has done for us,
and we pray with a humble heart, remembering we are sinners, talking to a perfectly perfect God who
loves us no matter what. Before we do our craft, let’s take a moment to put some of these DO’S of
prayer into practice. (Pray with your class before moving on to the craft.)
Craft: Decorate prayer journals. Give each child a small composition notebook. Explain that it sometimes
helps to write some of your prayers, so you can look back over time and see how God has answered
your prayers. Prayers in your journal can take any form. You can make lists, write prayers like letters to a
pen pal, compose songs or poetry, or even draw pictures. This is a little book to express your thoughts
and feelings to our heavenly Father. To decorate them, glue on paper to the cover, color it, and add
stickers. There really is no limit to how you can decorate your journal. When finished, wrap the covers in
clear packaging tape to make them sturdier and protect the artwork. Take your journal home and write
in it every day!
Main idea: Since we are children of God, we can talk to God like we talk to our Daddy: anytime,
anywhere.
Read Scripture references and Galatians 4:1-7, Romans 8:14-17, Matthew 13:24-52, Revelation 21-22
Gather: Bible, construction paper, scissors, strips of magnetic tape, markers or crayons, dry erase
markers or chart paper and markers.
Write “Our Father in heaven,” (Matthew 6:9) on a regular sheet of paper. Make sure it takes up the
whole page, so it can easily be read. Fold it up and place it in an envelope.
As you read the Scriptures describing heaven, take time to visualize and really imagine what it will be
like. Heaven has a bad rap these days. People seem to think in heaven we’ll turn into these chubby
babies with wings, and we’ll sit around on clouds and play little harps all day. Don’t get me wrong, I like
babies and harps and clouds, but this version of heaven seems boring, and has no Biblical evidence to
back it up. Read what Jesus tells us heaven is really like in Matthew 13 and Revelation 21-22. Doesn’t
this get you at least a little excited? We get to spend all of forever with our heavenly father! What could
possibly be better?
Matthew 6:9-13
Psalm 103:13
Proverbs 3:11-12
Philippians 3:20
Romans 10:13
Game:
Play a game of Mother May I (or Father May I.) Select one child to be the first Father/Mother. Have all
the other children stand, shoulder to shoulder, ten or twenty feet away from Father/Mother. They need
to be far enough away to allow the game to last a few minutes, but close enough for the Parent to hear
them make requests. The Children take turns asking Father/Mother if they may take steps toward
Father/Mother. The first one to reach the parent wins that round. Example requests include, “Mother,
may I take five giant steps?” “Father, may I take twelve karate steps?” To which the Parent will respond,
“yes, you may,” or “no, you may not.” Emphasize that it is important for the Parent to treat all the
Children equally, otherwise they may not receive fair treatment when they become a Child in the next
round. Grant some requests, but not all. Encourage the Children to make up silly sorts of steps, because
this makes it more fun. Chances are, the more creative the steps, the more likely Mother/Father is to
grant the request. Allow game play to continue for a few rounds.
Message:
Open in prayer.
Say,
Over the past two weeks we have learned some important things that the Bible has to say about prayer.
Today we are going to start looking at a very special prayer in the Bible. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus shares
what we now call the Lord’s Prayer. I could tell you about it, or we can go into our Bibles and see what it
has to say for ourselves. Let’s all turn to Matthew 6:9-13, and then I will have someone read the Lord’s
Prayer out loud. (The following is the New Living Translation.)
9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,

may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
The first thing we read in this section of Scripture is “pray like this.” Jesus does not tell us to pray this
prayer word for word every time we pray. He says pray like this. This prayer is an example of how we
should pray and some of the things we should pray for. It’s kind of like how-to draw books. A how-to
draw book can give us steps for drawing a monster truck, but our monster truck isn’t going to look
exactly like the one in the book, and that’s good. The Lord’s Prayer communicates with us how to pray,
and our prayers will look different than this. Let me be clear. Jesus gave us this prayer as an example of
how to pray. It doesn’t mean we have to pray like this every time, and it doesn’t mean that we can’t
pray this prayer word for word sometimes. In fact, we are going to work on memorizing this prayer as
we study it over the next few weeks.
Every week, we will receive special letters from God. (Pull out the envelope you prepared earlier.)
Letters are a way people communicate with one another, just like prayer is a way we communicate with
God. Let’s open this letter and see what special message God has for us today. (Either open the letter
yourself, or have a child open and read the letter. At the end of the lesson, hang this up somewhere in
the room so you can refer to it in weeks to come. “Our Father in heaven,” is the first part of the prayer
the students will memorize.) In the first part of a letter or email, you always start by addressing the
person with whom you are communicating. You say things like “Dear Grandma,” or in business letters,
“To Whom it May Concern.” Saying things like that let the readers know who the letter is for. So when
we communicate with God, we open our prayers by addressing who he is. We say things like “Dear
God,” or “Father,” The way the Lord’s Prayer opens is a great way to address God. It starts, “Our Father
in heaven.” That is exactly who God is. Let’s take this opening apart a little bit at a time.
(Write “Our Father in heaven” on the board or chart paper, near the top. Underline “Our Father.”) First
let’s look at “Our Father.” Let’s start by looking at other places in the Bible where it says God is like a
father to us. (Either have sword drill or read the following verses to the class.) Psalm 103:13 says, “The
Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.” When it says fear
here, it doesn’t mean we are scared of God. It means we show him respect. When we show God we
respect him, he is gentle and kind to us. Proverbs 3:11-12 says, “My child, don’t reject the Lord’s
discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father
corrects a child in whom he delights.” Sometimes it can be tough when we are disciplined by our
parents. Do you think, when we do something wrong, our parents punish us just to be mean? Of course
not! Our parents want what is best for us, and sometimes that means being disciplined for doing wrong,
so we don’t do it again in the future. Just like our parents, God wants what is best for us. So when we do
wrong, God will discipline us so we can do right in the future.
Now we are going to brainstorm some qualities that good daddies have. (In the middle of the board or
chart paper, write the word “father” and draw a circle around it. As children suggest qualities that good
fathers possess, write the qualities in a circle and draw a line connecting the quality to the word
“father.” Be very sensitive here. Remember that it is highly likely that not all children in your group have
a good father, or in fact any father, at home. You may need to remind the children that earthly fathers
sometimes make mistakes, but our heavenly Father is perfect and we can always trust in Him.) Now let’s
think of good qualities in fathers. Raise your hand if you can think of things that good daddies do, and I
will call on you and add your idea to our web up here. (Some characteristics to include are: loving, fun,
good at fixing things, help us learn new stuff, protect us, provide for our needs, and discipline us when
we need it, listen to us, we can talk to them whenever we need to, we can talk to them wherever we
are. Help guide the kids to these things, along with the other good qualities they come up with. Continue
until they run out of ideas or the board is full.) That’s a great list! God has all these qualities that good
fathers have, and even more that we can’t even imagine!
The next important part of today’s lesson is “in heaven.” God is our father in heaven. Philippians 3:20
says, “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for
him to return as our Savior.” This means that our home is in heaven, with Jesus. I did some reading in
the Bible on what heaven is going to be like. It gives us some ideas, but the Bible doesn’t tell us
everything about heaven. Why do you think it doesn’t tell us everything about heaven? I think it is
because heaven is going to be so awesome, we can’t even begin to imagine everything that waits for us
with Jesus in heaven! Let me share some of the things I learned about heaven while I was preparing for
this lesson. (Either read directly from Matthew 13 or summarize some of the things that stuck out to you
the most.)
So now we can understand that God is our Father in heaven and we can talk to him about anything,
anytime we want, just like we do with our parents. In our game of “Mother May I,” an important part of
the game was when we politely asked permission to move from the parent. If we don’t ask politely,
chances were, the parent wouldn’t let us move. God is a father who loves us no matter what, so we
should be polite and show him we respect him, by not whining or being repetitive when we talk to him.
Just think, do your parents appreciate it when you speak disrespectfully to them? Neither does God.
Before we do our craft, let’s talk to our heavenly father.
Close in prayer.
Craft:
Make cell phone book marks to remind us that we can talk to God at anytime, anywhere we go. To make
a flip phone, fold an 8” by 3” sheet of construction paper in half. Trim the corners to make them
rounded, like a phone. Decorate the front and inside to look like a phone using markers or crayons.
Place small strips of magnetic tape on the top and bottom inside of the phone, so when it closes, it is
kept shut by the magnets. If you don’t want to use magnet strips, have the kids make whatever type of
phone they want. For older children, have them write Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved.” On the screen area of their cell phone bookmark. Remind all the
children that we can call on our heavenly father anytime we want to.
Main idea: God is perfect, and as Christians, we must act in such a way that keeps his reputation good in
the minds of people who don’t know Him.
Read Scripture references and Amos 2:6-8, Micah 4:1-7, 2 Timothy 2:14-19, Psalm 113, Philippians 2:9-
11.
Gather: Bible, index cards, ribbon, hole punch, scissors, markers or crayons, dry erase markers or chart
paper and markers.
Write “may your name be kept holy,” (Matthew 6:9b, NLT) on a regular sheet of paper. Make sure it
takes up the whole page, so it can easily be read. Fold it up and place it in an envelope.
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life. How do you respect God’s
reputation? Do you think, speak, and act in ways that show you love God? As you consider hallowing
God’s name, be careful not to think that God somehow needs us to keep his reputation pure. God is
strong enough to keep his own name holy. Our role in hallowing his name is a matter of our own
sanctification. We say we follow God, so let’s act like it!
See http://christianity.about.com/od/biblestudyresources/qt/namesofgodjesus.htm for a list of many of
the names of God, along with Scripture references.
If you have the time and interest, do some research on the effect of names. Studies show that our
names affect how society views us and even the careers we choose.
Leviticus 22:31-32
Mark 12:30-31
Leviticus 20:7
1 Peter 1:14-19
Game:
Action Name. Have all the kids stand in a circle facing in. Each person says their name and comes up with
a simple action that they feel describes them well. After everyone has a chance to say their name with
their action, go around the circle and repeat them. Except his time, you have to repeat the names and
actions of everyone who went before you before you say your own. With younger kids, help remind
them of the actions of previous kids. For older kids, you could have them be out if they miss a name.
Message:
Open in prayer, then say,
Last week we started to learn about a very special prayer that Jesus used to teach his disciples how to
pray. Does anybody remember what we call this prayer? The Lord’s Prayer, that’s correct! Last week we
looked at the first part of this prayer. We are going to work over the next several weeks to memorize
this prayer. Who memorized the first part of the prayer, that we learned last week? “Our father in
heaven.” That’s right. Last week we learned that God is the King of heaven, and we are his children
whom he loves very much. So in the Lord’s prayer, we are talking to God. Let’s open up today’s special
message from God. (Pull out the envelope you prepared earlier. Either open and read it yourself or have
a student do so.) Today’s special message is “may your name be kept holy.” Whose name is to be kept
holy? God’s. God is holy, perfect, or set apart from everyone else. Today we will look at what it means
for God’s name to be kept holy in our own lives, and by next week, we will have this part of the prayer
memorized. First, let’s think about names. In today’s game, we had to memorize the names and actions
of everyone in our group. It was kind of tricky, wasn’t it? But didn’t it feel great when someone
remembered your name and the action that you chose to represent who you are? Our names are special
and important to us, and it feels good when people remember our name and use it often. Another way
to look at names is to think of the different names we have to different people. Some names represent
different roles we have. For example, I am your teacher and you are my students. You may also be
daughters, sons, brothers, sisters, baseball players, musicians, or artists. We may call our parents
Mommy or Daddy. This isn’t the name their parents gave them, but it’s still a very important name. I am
sure that your parents love it when you call them Mommy or Daddy. Mom or Dad is a job, a reputation
that they have. A reputation is a way people view you. I view you as students, so I expect that as
students, you will listen and learn something from me, your teacher.
Did you know that even God has different names in the Bible? It’s true! Back in Bible times, the Jewish
people chose names for their babies based on who they wanted their kids to be when they grew up or
what the babies looked like or acted like. Similarly, the different names of God in the Bible show his
different characteristics. Some names of God you may have heard are God Almighty, Father, Christ,
Deliverer, Beginning and the End, Good Shepherd, Lamb of God, Lion of the Tribe of Judah, Judge, and
Refuge. These are just some of the many, many names used for God in the Bible. All these names refer
to GOD, who came to earth as the perfect man JESUS CHRIST to save us all from our sins. He took our
punishment so we wouldn’t have to, and because of this, his name, his reputation should be kept holy or
set apart. In Leviticus 22:31-32, God says, “You must faithfully keep all my commands by putting them
into practice, for I am the Lord. Do not bring shame on my holy name, for I will display my holiness
among the people of Israel. I am the Lord who makes you holy.” Here, God is telling us that as Christians,
we are supposed to keep his name holy by following all the commands he gives us in the Bible. That’s a
whole lot of stuff! Jesus sums it up like this: “‘And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor
as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31) Basically, we can sum up
all the commands of the Bible by saying, love God first, and take care for others just like you take care of
yourself. When we do this, people who don’t believe in Jesus see us keep God’s name holy. They see
that God is set apart and different. It makes people want to get to know Jesus, which is exactly what we
want! As children of God, we want everyone we know to love Jesus as much as we do! So it is important
to follow the commandment of Leviticus 20:7. “So set yourselves apart to be holy, for I am the Lord your
God.” Our job in keeping God’s name holy is to be holy ourselves. Will we be perfect at this all the time?
Of course not. Sometimes, we will still sin. But God’s name will still be holy. Remember in Leviticus 22:32
it says God will display his own holiness. He doesn’t need our help to be holy. WE need HIS help to be
holy. Thankfully, he gives us this help every day, and he has covered our sins with the precious blood of
Jesus Christ. Before we start the craft, let’s have a sword drill to look up one more passage on holiness.
When I say go, open your Bibles to 1 Peter 1:14-19. GO! (Read it out loud, or have a student read it.) “So
you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own
desires. You didn’t know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God
who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.” And remember
that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to
what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time as “foreigners in the land.” For
you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors.
And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless,
spotless Lamb of God.” Jesus paid the ultimate price of his life so we could live holy and spotless lives for
God. When we live holy lives for God, we help fill the prayer “may your name be kept holy.”
End in prayer.
Craft:
As we study the Lord’s Prayer, all of our games and crafts will be related to communication, because
prayer is all about communicating. Today we are making I.D. Badges. Many jobs have identification
badges showing a picture of the employee, their name, job title and sometimes security clearances. Our
I.D. badges today will be very simple. Each child will get an index card with a hole punched out near the
top and a length or ribbon to make a necklace. After explaining what an I.D. badge is to the kids, take
them through the following steps to make a badge.
At the very top, write your name.

Along the left, draw a picture of your face.
Along the right, add your nickname, your favorite Bible verse, your favorite food… etc. Color the border
of the I.D. in your favorite color.
Main idea: God’s kingdom is where we go if we love God and follow him.
Read Scripture references, Matthew 13, and Revelation 21.

Gather: Bible, construction paper or cardstock (or generic “you’re invited!” cards, envelopes for the
cards, markers or crayons, stickers, , dry erase markers or chart paper and markers.
Write “May your kingdom come soon.” (Matthew 6:10a, NLT) on a regular sheet of paper. Make sure it
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life. Have you ever taken the
time to really think about what heaven is going to be like? The Bible doesn’t give away too much, but
Revelation does paint a few word pictures. In short, it comes down to this: heaven is going to be better
than anyone can imagine! Sometimes I get so caught up in all the little details of my life, that I forget to
remember that Jesus is my king, and endless joy awaits me in heaven.
Psalm 145:13a
John 18:28-37
Revelation 21:3-4
Revelation 22:17, 20
Romans 10:9-10
Game:
What Time is it, Mr. Wolf? This game is meant to build anticipation and excitement in the class. One
student starts as the wolf, and stands at one end of the playing area. All the other kids stand shoulder to
shoulder at the other end of the playing area. The wolf has their back to the kids. All the kids shout out,
“what time is it, Mr. Wolf?” The wolf, with his/her back to the kids, calls out a time, like 1:00, 2:00,
12:00. The kids all take that many steps forward. They then ask again, “what time is it, Mr. Wolf?” The
wolf answers, and the kids take that many steps. At any time, the wolf answer, “dinnertime!” The wolf
then turns around and chases after the players. The players try to run back to where they started.
Anyone who is tagged becomes a wolf and starts chasing others. The last kid to not become a wolf wins.
If more than one kid is untagged, play a second round, where all the kids who were tagged become
wolves with their backs turned, and take turns calling out times.
Message:
Over the past few weeks we have been learning about how important prayer is, and about a prayer
Jesus taught his disciples. Who remembers what that prayer is called? That’s right, it’s the Lord’s Prayer.
The Lord’s Prayer is a good example prayer, full of many things we should be praying for. That’s why we
are working to memorize it bit by bit. So far we have memorized “Our Father in heaven, may your name
be kept holy.” Today we will add on a little piece of the prayer, and have it memorized by next week.
Today’s special message from God is right here in this envelope. (Have a child open and read it, or do so
yourself.) The next part of the Lord’s Prayer we will memorize is “May your kingdom come soon. We will
spend the rest of our lesson discussing what “May your kingdom come soon” means. We will talk about
what God’s kingdom is like, and why we want it to come soon. Then we will talk about how we become
citizens of God’s kingdom. (On the board or chart paper, write the following column headings: God’s
kingdom, coming soon, and how to.)
The Bible has quite a bit to say about God’s kingdom. Psalm 145:13 (part a) says, “For your kingdom is an
everlasting kingdom.” What does everlasting mean? Everlasting means it will last forever. When you
study ancient history, you will find that many kingdoms have come and gone. There was a time when
the Roman Empire ruled the known world, and today Rome is just a city in Italy. Remember the story of
Daniel, the guy who got thrown into a lion’s den because he would not stop praying to God? He lived in
a place called Babylon. Babylon used to be the biggest city in the world, and now you can’t find it on any
modern day maps. Over time, every kingdom, or country, comes and goes, eventually just becoming a
story in a history book. But God’s kingdom isn’t like that. It has no beginning or end. Heaven will never
become just a story in a history book. Heaven will last forever! (Under the heading “God’s kingdom,”
write “forever.”)
Before Jesus was crucified, he was arrested and put on trial before a man named Pilate. Pilate asked
Jesus if Jesus was the king of the Jews, because some religious leaders of the time were saying Jesus was
trying to make himself a king when he shouldn’t be a king. Jesus answered in John 18:36, “My Kingdom
is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the
Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” You see, when Jesus was on earth serving others,
many people thought he had come to overthrow the unjust Roman empire and set up a Jewish kingdom.
But when Jesus came the first time, he came to save us from our sins. Jesus will come back again
someday, and that time, he will set up his kingdom of heaven. Jesus is the king of heaven, and when we
go to heaven, we will worship him there forever! (Under the heading “God’s kingdom,” write “Jesus is
heaven’s king.”)
Heaven is going to be an exciting place, where all the people who have ever loved Jesus will live together
and worship him forever. Revelation 21:3-4 says, “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look,
God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself
will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or
crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.’” Someday we will get to see God face to face. There
will be no more pain or bad things, because God will rule heaven! (Under the heading “God’s kingdom,”
write “see God face to face,” and “no more pain or sadness.” Add “no more pain or sadness” under the
heading “coming soon” as well.)
The kingdom of heaven is all about Jesus. I can’t wait to spend all of forever with him! The very last book
of the Bible, Revelation, ends by inviting people to come to Jesus. It says in Revelation 22:17, “The Spirit
and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let
anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life.” This means anyone can come and worship Jesus
in heaven. A few verses later, in verse 20, it says, “ He who is the faithful witness to all these things says,
“Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” Jesus says in this verse that he will come back
someday and welcome everyone who believes in him into his kingdom. As Christians, that’s exactly what
we want! We want the kingdom of Jesus to come soon so we can live forever worshiping him. That’s
why we say, in the Lord’s prayer, “May your kingdom come soon.” (Under the heading “coming soon,”
write, “We will live with Jesus forever.”)
The last thing we will cover today is HOW do we get to go to heaven? Does everyone get to go to
heaven? I mean God loves everyone, so doesn’t everyone deserve heaven? It is true that God loves
everyone, but this does NOT mean everyone gets to go to heaven. If you go to church every week and
never miss Sunday school, will you go to heaven? Not necessarily. We don’t get to go to heaven because
we have perfect attendance at church. What if I’m really good all the time, and I never say mean things,
and I clean my room when my parents ask, and I share my toys with my little brother? Is that how I get
to heaven? Nope. We don’t get to heaven by doing good things. We are still sinners. Even if we do our
best to do everything perfectly, we will always slip up and sin somewhere. Even if we sin one time, that
is enough to hurt our relationship with God. There is only one way to get to heaven: through Jesus.
Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that
God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made
right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.” The only way to go to
heaven is to believe that Jesus came to earth to die in our place, for our sins, and that God raised him
from the dead. We have to confess that we are sinners saved by Jesus, and not be embarrassed by that,
to live with him forever in his kingdom. (Under the column “how to,” write, “believe in Jesus.”)
God’s kingdom is going to be a place full of happiness and love. Think about a birthday party, or
Christmas, or Thanksgiving dinner. We get excited for and look forward to these things all year long.
These are all good things to look forward to, but we have something even better to look forward to:
spending forever with Jesus in heaven! Heaven is going to be like one big celebration. So, God, may your
kingdom come soon!
End in prayer.
Craft:
Invitations. Since heaven is going to be as exciting as one big celebration, we want to communicate that
to all of our friends! Today we will make invitations to give to our friends, inviting them to church. Fold
the construction paper or cardstock in half. On the front, write “you’re invited!” On the inside, write the
name of your church, the address and service time, along with a personal note to a particular friend,
inviting them to all the fun times you have in Sunday school! Decorate it however you wish, and then
place the invitation in an envelope with your friend’s name on the front.
Main idea: As we wait for Jesus Christ to return, we follow God’s will and tell others the Good News of
Jesus.
Read Scripture references, Psalm 143:10, Micah 6:8, Romans 12:2 and 1 Timothy 2:1-6
Gather: Bible, band aids (the cheap, colorful ones would be best), construction paper or cardstock,
markers or crayons, pictures of different road signs (like stop, no left turn, crosswalk, etc), dry erase
markers or chart paper and markers.
Write “May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven,” (Matthew 6:10b, NLT) on a regular sheet of
paper. Make sure it takes up the whole page, so it can easily be read. Fold it up and place it in an
envelope.
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life. As we grow and mature in
our walk with Christ, many Christians find themselves asking, “What is God’s will for my life?” We want
to know what we should be doing. The Bible makes it clear. In essence, we are to love. One simple way
we show God’s love to others is to love them and to tell them about Jesus.
Matthew 7:21
Romans 14:17-19
Mark 12:30-31
1 Timothy 2:3-4
Matthew 28:18-20
Game:
Band Aid Relay. Divide the class into two or three teams, depending on the size of your class. Line the
teams up along one side of the room. At the other side of the room, lay out band aids. (You may want to
unwrap them for younger kids.) The object of the game is to be the first team with band aids on every
team member. To play, the first child from each team will run across the room, grab a band aid, and
adhere it to the next person in line. Place the band aids on the back of hands only, to make them visible
and easy to remove later. After the first runner places a band aid on the hand of the second runner, the
second runner then runs and grabs a band aid and places it on the hand of the third team mate. Play
continues until the first team mate who ran has a band aid too. The first team to have a band aid on the
hand of every team mate wins.
Message:
Over the past few weeks, we have been learning about prayer, specifically the Lord’s Prayer. As we learn
more and more about this special prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, we have been memorizing it in
small parts. So far, we have memorized “Our father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your
kingdom come soon.” Last week we learned that since we have Jesus living in our hearts, we are super
excited to get to spend all of forever in heaven with him! So we want his kingdom to come soon.
The next part of the Lord’s prayer we are studying is in this envelope. This is a special letter from God.
(Have a student open and read the letter, or do so yourself.) It says, “May your will be done on earth, as
it is in heaven.” (At the top of the board, write three column headings: “God’s kingdom,” “God’s will,”
and “how to.”) God’s kingdom and God’s will are closely related. Matthew 7:21 says, “Not everyone who
calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my
Father in heaven will enter.” Here, Jesus makes it clear that it’s one thing to SAY we are a Christian, and
it is quite another thing to BE a Christian. Christians are supposed to do what God wants them to do. We
do nice things for the people we love, and we show God we love him by doing his will. Let’s have a
sword drill to see what the Bible has to say about the kingdom of God and doing God’s will. Remove all
bookmarks from your Bible and hold your Bible above your head. When I say go, turn to Romans 14:17-
19. Go! Have a student read the verses: “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink,
but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude,
you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church
and try to build each other up.” So following God’s will and living for the kingdom of heaven is not about
following a bunch of silly rules, but about living a life that shows God you love him, and loving others
with a good attitude. (Under the headings “God’s kingdom” and “God’s will,” write, “love God, love
others.”) That’s really what doing God’s will is all about. One time, someone asked Jesus what the most
important commandment is, and Jesus answered, “And you must love the Lord your God with all your
heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31). This sums up
what we are supposed to do. We are supposed to love God first, and love others second. One way we
show God how much we love him is by showing others we love them. Our special message today, and
the part of the prayer we will have memorized for next week is, “May your will be done on earth, as it is
in heaven.” In heaven, God’s will is always done. There is no temptation, there is no sin in heaven. God’s
will happens. This part of the prayer petitions, or asks God, that his will would be done here on earth,
just like his will is done on heaven. God’s will is that everyone on earth would know Jesus and be
forgiven of their sins. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants
everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” This is why Jesus gave us the Great Commission.
The Great Commission is a job Jesus gave to all Christians after he was resurrected from the dead. Right
before he ascended into heaven, Jesus said, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the
Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be
sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20). Think for a moment
about your favorite toy. Mine growing up was a Barbie car. It was a turquoise Corvette. (Share your own
favorite toy from childhood.) I loved that toy and loved to share it with my friends when they came over
to play, because it was the coolest toy I had. As a Christian, the coolest and the best thing we have is the
love of Jesus Christ, and the grace he gives us. Just like we want to share our favorite toys, we want to
share Jesus. That is exactly what the Great Commission tells us to do. (Under the column heading “how,”
write “tell others about Jesus.”) We want God’s will to be done on earth, just like it is in heaven, so we
do God’s will by loving him first and loving others. We show other people love by telling them how much
God loves them.
Before we move on to our craft, let’s pray for people who need to know Jesus. Let’s pray that we would
be faithful to do God’s will and that his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
End in prayer.
Craft: Road signs to Heaven. Road signs communicate to us how to get somewhere, and what road
conditions may exist. Before starting the craft, show the kids pictures of different road signs, like stop,
no u-turn, library this way, speed limit, etc. Tell the class that road signs show us the way to go when
driving, and the Bible shows us the way to go in life. We want to point people to Christ, so they can
follow his way of living. To help point people in the right direction, make “road signs for life.” Use paper
and coloring tools to create simple pictures that illustrate the Gospel. For example, write SIN in black
and put a red circle with a slash through it around it. Draw a cross with someone kneeling before it and
write “Free parking, anytime.” On a green background, write, in white, “Kingdom of God, population,
YOU!” Draw a river or a chasm with a cross going across it and write “crosswalk.” Draw a stop sign and
write “sinning” under the word “STOP.” These are just some examples. Let the kids get creative with
their own ideas. You may be surprised by their creativity and spiritual understanding!
Main idea: We rely on God to provide everything we need to live.
Read Scripture references, John 6:1-59 and Matthew 6:20-34

Gather: Bible, dry erase markers or chart paper and markers, crayons or markers, paper.
Write “Give us today the food we need,” (Matthew 6:11, NLT) on a regular sheet of paper. Make sure it
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life.
Exodus 16:1-18
John 6:1-40
Matthew 6:31-34
Proverbs 30:8
Game:
Bread Basket Upset. (Also known as “Fruit Basket Upset.”) Set up chairs in a circle, facing out. (You could
also have all the chairs facing in, if you want to keep kids from running all around the room. Having the
chairs face out helps older children keep from running into each other in their excitement.) There should
be a chair for every child, minus one. Before the children sit in these seats, give them food names. There
should be at least two children with each food name. Have all the children sit in a chair, except for the
child who is “it” first. Have “it” stand in the middle of the chairs. They then call out a food name.
Everyone with that name must get up and find a new seat. “It” must try to find a seat, too. The child
who does not find a seat is the new “it.” At any point, “it” can say “bread basket upset!” All children
must get up and find a new seat. Play continues until everyone has had a turn to be “it” or it is time to
move on to the lesson.
Message:
We are now halfway through learning the Lord’s Prayer! So far we have memorized “Our father in
heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as
it is in heaven” Last week we learned that as we wait for Jesus Christ to return, we follow God’s will and
tell others the Good News of Jesus. The next part of the Lord’s prayer we are studying is in this
envelope. This is a special letter from God. (Have a student open and read the letter, or do so yourself.)
It says, “Give us today the food we need.” So far, all the parts of the prayer have been directed to God
and about God. We have asked that his name be kept holy, that his kingdom would come soon and that
his will would be done. Now the Lord’s prayer looks to our needs. The first need it covers is “give us
today the food we need.” Often, this verse is translated as “give us this day our daily bread.” This
petition, or request to the Lord, asks that God would give us the physical things we need to live. Why do
you think some verses would say bread? (Allow a few children to briefly speculate.) In Bible times,
people relied on bread to live. They had bread at almost every meal, as it was more plentiful than other
things, like meat. Bread fills you up quickly and helps you stay full. This part of the prayer shows us that
it is okay to ask God for the things we need. We need food to live healthy lives. These days, not many of
us ask God every day to provide the food we need. We can open up our refrigerator or our pantry and
grab a snack anytime we want to. But there are people in the world, even in our own city and maybe
even in our own church, that can’t do that. There are people who are hungry and can’t always afford to
buy the food they need. In Bible times, most people were hungry and could not buy all the food they
needed to feed their family. Can you see now why praying “give us today the food we need” is so
important? When we have a kitchen full of food, it can be really easy to forget where it all comes from.
EVERYTHING we have comes from God. God gives us the clothes we wear and the food we eat. He gives
us the family and friends we love. He gives us grace and mercy from our sins. When we ask God to give
us the food we need, we are acknowledging and telling God that we know that he is the only one from
whom we can get anything we need.
The Bible is full of stories about bread and food. One of my favorites from the Old Testament is the story
of God raining down manna from heaven. (Exodus 16) What is manna, you ask? Well, that’s exactly what
the Israelites asked Moses. They were wandering around the desert after leaving Egypt and they were
hungry. But they didn’t have any food! They starting complaining to Moses, and God said that he would
send them food from heaven. The Israelites woke up one morning to find manna all over on the ground.
It was unlike any food they had ever seen! Each family collected enough to feed themselves. So some
families took a lot, and some families took a little, but everyone had just enough to eat. No one had too
much food, and no one had too little. God provided food for his people when they had none.
In the New Testament, Jesus fed over 5,000 people with only five little loaves of bread and two fish. This
is about the amount of food you eat for lunch. In fact, the five bread loaves and two fish belong to a
little boy in the crowd. He gave it to Jesus, and then Jesus prayed and divided this little boy’s lunch
among the people who were with him. The Bible says there were 5,000 men in the crowd. Surely there
were more women and children, too. So we don’t know how many people Jesus fed that day with a little
kid’s lunch. It was at least 5,000. And they had leftovers! They filled up twelve baskets with scraps left
over after everyone ate as much as they could! God provided food for the people who were following
Jesus when they didn’t have any. The coolest part of the story is what happened the next day. Jesus and
the disciples had crossed over a lake to tell more people about God’s plan for salvation. The crowd Jesus
had fed the day before followed them! Jesus then has an interesting conversation with the people.
(Read John 6:26-40. You could either read it all yourself or read the part of Jesus and have a student of
group of students read the part of the crowd. It may help to print out the conversation, so students can
more easily follow along.) The crowd asked Jesus when Jesus had got to the other side of the lake, and
then this is conversation happened:
“26Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you
understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend
your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me
the seal of his approval.”
28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”
29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31
After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say,
‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he
offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from
heaven and gives life to the world.”
34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever
believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.
37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have
come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the
will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up
at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have
eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.””
Jesus tells us something very special in these verses. He is the Bread of Life! We all need food to keep
our bodies alive, but Jesus here tells us there is something we need even more than food. We need HIM.
We need Jesus to live good and healthy lives. And the best part is, you don’t have to keep coming to
Jesus. You have to eat every day, but once you confess your sins and choose to follow Jesus, you
become a child of God!
When we have Jesus living in our hearts, we don’t have to worry about anything. Today’s part of the
Lord’s Prayer says “Give us TODAY the food we need.” We are not supposed to store up lots and lots of
stuff, we are supposed to trust that God will provide everything we need every day. The Bible says in
Matthew 6:31-34, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink?
What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father
already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will
give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.
Today’s trouble is enough for today.” When we follow God and live right lives for him, he gives us
everything we need for the day, so we don’t have to worry.
It is easy for us to want more stuff. We want more food, more clothes, more toys. The Bible has
something to say about that. Let’s have a sword drill to find a good way of thinking about having stuff.
Take out any bookmarks from your Bible and hold it, closed, above your head. When I say go, look up
Proverbs 30:8. Go! (Have a student read it.) “First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither
poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.” It is okay to ask God for things we want,
but we have to remember the most important thing is for God to give us the things we need. We can
always come to God and ask for the things we need. Matthew 7:7-11 says, “Keep on asking, and you will
receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be
opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who
knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them
a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts
to those who ask him.” Your parents love you and want to give you good things. God, who is perfect,
loves you even more than your parents do, and these verses say he will give you good things when you
ask him. Isn’t it great to know that we can go to God, knowing he will give us the things we need?
Now we will end out message on a serious note. Earlier I said that there are some people in our city and
maybe in our own church that may not be able to open their fridge at any time and find food there.
What about them? Doesn’t God love them? OF COURSE he does! It is a sad truth that some kids go to
bed hungry because they don’t have enough food to eat. God loves them, and he want us, his children
to help feed them. God certainly could feed people without our help, (and often does,) but he likes to let
us help him. Today’s petition says “Give US today the food we need.” God wants everyone to have
enough. Sometimes we have more food than we need for a day. Sometimes we have more than just
enough. Instead of saving it up, maybe we could share our extra with those who don’t have any. What
do you think? What are some ways your family could help feed people who are hungry? (List ways on
the board, such as donate to a food bank, have people over for dinner, or volunteer at a soup kitchen.)
These are all great ways to help people in need! As we help give people get the daily food they need,
let’s keep in mind, and tell everyone we meet, that Jesus is the bread of life, and that while I tummies
may get rumbly sometimes, when we have Jesus in our lives, we will never be hungry for spiritual things
again!
End in prayer.
Craft: Menu. Show the children various take out menus for discuss what menus in restaurants look like.
Have the children create menus that include their favorite meals as well as Spiritual “food,” such as “The
Bread of Life” and the “Living Water.” “Sweet Salvation” could be a dessert. They could also list fruits of
the Spirit. Let them get creative in what they include. They can include prices for their favorite dishes.
The Spiritual dishes should not have monetary values, as we cannot pay for them. The prices could be
“The Blood of Jesus” or “Priceless” or similar ideas the kids come up with. Encourage them to name their
restaurant and come up with a good menu design. Young, non-literate children could make picture
menus, or alternatively use magazines and store ads to make a collage with two columns: “needs” and
“wants.”
Main idea: We forgive other people for the things they do that hurt us because God forgives us when we
sin.
Read Scripture references, 1 John 1:5-10, Ephesians 1:7 and Psalm 51.
Gather: Bible, dry erase markers or chart paper and markers; hacky sack, balloons, ping pong balls and
cups, (or other small toys. See game for more information); small chalkboards or dry erase boards, chalk
or dry erase markers, (one board and piece of chalk or marker per child. See craft for more information);
paint and brushes, permanent markers, stickers.
Write “and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (Matthew 6:12, NLT) on a
regular sheet of paper. Make sure it takes up the whole page, so it can easily be read. Fold it up and
place it in an envelope.
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life. We never think about
God’s forgiveness as being conditional. Matthew 6:14 makes it clear that in order to receive forgiveness
for our own wrongdoing, we must forgive others. I struggle with that. It’s so much easier to just ignore
them, to drive a wedge in my relationships with others just to “keep the peace.” But this is not God’s
desire. He desires right fellowship among his people. In order for this to happen, we must forgive those
who hurt us, even if they never apologize or realize their wrongdoing. Think about your own
relationships. Is there someone you need to forgive? Take time to pray to God and forgive them in your
own heart.
Matthew 6:9-12, 14
Romans 3:23
John 3:16
1 John 1:9
Matthew 18:21-35
Game:
How Many? The purpose of this game is to help demonstrate how much seventy times seven is. Ask the
kids, “how many jumping jacks can you do?” Have them answer. “Does anyone think they can do 490
jumping jacks?” Do jumping jacks together, counting how many you do. Do other challenges as well,
such as “How many times can you kick a hacky sack in the air without it touching the ground? How many
times can you tap a balloon with your hands to keep it in the air? How many times in a row can you land
a ping pong ball in a cup?” Continue with the challenges for about ten minutes, or until the kids have
most of their wiggles out. Sit them down for the message.
Message:
Today we are learning a very important part of the Lord’s Prayer. Before we find out what it is, let’s
repeat all the parts of the Lord’s Prayer we have memorized so far. “Our Father in heaven, may your
name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need.” Great job memorizing, everyone! Now let’s open the special letter
from God. (Either open and read the note yourself, or have a student do so.) It says, “and forgive us our
sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” There are two parts of this petition, or special
request to God. The first one is “forgive us our sins.” We must confess our sins to God. Sins are the
wrong things we do, say, and even think. It can sometimes be easy for us to say, “Well I’m a pretty good
person, maybe I don’t have any sins I need to confess.” The Bible is clear on this. In Romans 3:23 it says,
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” The real problem with this is that
since we have sinned, we cannot be with God. God is perfectly perfect, and he cannot be around sin and
wrongdoing. Instead of being with Jesus in heaven for all of forever, if we live our whole lives ignoring
God and continue to do sinful things that hurt him, we will have to spend all of forever in hell, away
from God. What are we to do then? Can we just stop sinning and then be okay with God? Nope. Even if
we really wanted to, we can never stop sinning and make things okay with God. We all need help.
Thankfully, God loves us so much that he sent his one and only son, Jesus, to die for us! Whoever
believes in Jesus will get to spend eternity in heaven! (John 3:16). Let’s have a sword drill to show us
how we can be cleaned of all our sins. Remove all bookmarks from your Bible and hold it above your
head. When I say go, look up 1 John 1:9. Go! (Have a student read the verse.) “But if we confess our sins
to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” So all we have
to do to be right with God to tell him our sins and ask that he would forgive us for doing wrong, and he
will forgive us. That is great news! There is one more part to this petition. The first part says, “forgive us
our sins.” We just found out that he does! The second part is a bit trickier. It says, “as we have forgiven
those who sin against us.” This is an easy statement to say without thinking much about it. In fact, this is
the only part of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus explains a little more after sharing the prayer. In Matthew
6:14, Jesus says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. “ But if
you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Uh oh. Now that seems tough. It
does sound tough, but that is because it matters so much to God. If we expect God to forgive us for the
wrong things we do that hurt him, it is only right for us to forgive the wrong things that other people do
that hurt us.
Get nice and cozy, because it’s story time! I am going to share with you a parable, or a story, that Jesus
told about forgiveness. (Read Matthew 18:21-35 with good expression.)
Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me?
Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “Therefore, the Kingdom
of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who
had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him
millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his
children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and
begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for
him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow
servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant
payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with
me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in
prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very
upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the
man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you
pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then
the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my
heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
You see, forgiveness is a big deal to God. If we are hurt by someone, it is easy to just ignore them or be
angry. Neither of these options make God happy. God wants all of his children to get along. When we
choose to ignore or be angry with someone instead of forgiving them, we are not getting along with
them like God wants us to. At the beginning of this story, when Peter asked how many times he ought to
forgive the person who sins against him, he thought seven times would be a whole lot, but Jesus had a
different amount in mind. Jesus said we must forgive those who sin against us 70 times 7 times! If you
do the math, that equals 490 times! Remember that game we played? Was it possible for anyone to do
any of those challenges 490 times? Doing anything 490 times seems impossible. That is what Jesus is
getting at here. He does not want us to keep a notebook and put tally marks in it every time we forgive
someone. (Demonstrate this by putting tally marks on the board as you make the following comments.)
My little brother blamed me for something I didn’t do. I’ll forgive him. Tally mark. He broke my favorite
toy. Tally mark. He read my diary. Tally mark. He licked all the cookies so I can’t eat any. Tally mark.
Doesn’t that seem silly? For one thing, I sure don’t want to count all those tally marks. For another,
Jesus does not want us to keep track of all the sins people commit against us. He says seventy times
seven as a way to demonstrate that we have to keep forgiving people for their sins against us, all the
time, no matter what. On our own, that would be impossible, but we have God helping us! Nothing is
impossible with God! Even when it is hard to forgive, we can remember that Jesus DIED so we could be
forgiven of the many, many sins we commit against him, and he does not keep track of all the things we
do wrong. That helps make it easier to forgive, doesn’t it?
One last important thing before we end in prayer. It is important to forgive everyone, no matter what
mean things they say or do. This does NOT mean we have to stay in situations where people keep
hurting us. If a friend continues to be mean, you do not have to spend time with them. Continue to pray
that they would repent to God and turn away from their sins, but you do not have to let yourself
continue to be hurt. This is especially important if someone is physically hurting you or bullying you in
any way. If someone is hurting you or making you uncomfortable, TELL A GROWN UP YOU TRUST. If you
want, you can talk to me, pastor, or your parents. We all love you very much and want to protect you
from getting hurt. Let us know if there is any way we can help you in an unsafe, uncomfortable, or scary
situation.
Today when we close in prayer, I want each of you to think about three things. (Write these on the
board.) Think about your own sins to God, and confess them, think about any ways you may have hurt
someone recently, and confess that, and lastly, think of a way someone may have hurt you recently. Ask
God for the strength to forgive them in your heart. Remember, people may not always say they are
sorry. When you forgive, it is not because they feel sorry, but because God told you to forgive them,
even if they are never sorry. You do not have to tell them they are forgiven if they do not say sorry, but
you need to tell God in your heart that you forgive them. This will help you be kind to these people and
continue to get along with them. Now, let’s pray that God with forgive our sins and help us to forgive
others for the ways they have sinned against us.
End in prayer.
Craft: Chalkboards/ dry erase boards. There are so many ways you can do this craft, so choose the
option that best suits your budget and your kids. Chalkboards can be purchased for about a dollar a
piece at craft stores or online. Be sure to get the kind with an unfinished border for kids to paint. You
could also purchase small clipboards and paint them with chalkboard paint. (Practically any surface can
be painted with chalkboard paint. For best results, prime the surface with black primer. After applying a
few coats of chalkboard paint, rub a piece of chalk all along the surface. The will help the boards erase
better in the future.) If you want to make dry erase boards, place white contact paper (sticky shelf liner)
over a clip board or other hard surface. Kids can use acrylic paint, stickers or permanent markers to
decorate the border of these. The whole point of this craft is to give the kids a surface they can scribble
on and dirty up, then wipe completely clean, just like Jesus completely wipes us clean of our sins. Any
hurt that any person tries to mark us with, can be wiped away by us when we forgive. Don’t forget to
give kids chalk or a marker to go along with their boards! Tissues clean these perfectly well, or you could
give each kid a piece of felt or soft cloth to keep as an eraser.
Main idea: God gives us the strength and ability to run away from temptation. He saves us from Satan’s
evil plans.
Read Scripture references, Psalm 19:13, Isaiah 45:5-7, Job, specifically chapters 38-41.
Gather: Bible; dry erase markers or chart paper and markers; cardboard tubes, cut in half lengthwise,
then into smaller, C shaped pieces; a marble or small bouncy ball; picture of a yield sign;
Write “and And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13, NLT)
on a regular sheet of paper. Make sure it takes up the whole page, so it can easily be read. Fold it up and
place it in an envelope.
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life. In what ways are you
tempted to sin? How do you try to justify giving in to your temptations? As you read through Scripture,
think about the ways you can stand strong through your temptations.
Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew 4:1-11
James 1:12-14
1 Corinthians 10:12-13
Game:
Marble Rescue. The goal of this game is to have your class work together to move a marble from one
point to another, across the room. Place a marble on a shelf or table. Put it low enough that the
students can reach it, but high enough to make it challenging. Arrange an obstacle course that the
children will have to go through with the marble. Cut cardboard tubes, such as those from toilet paper
or paper towels, in half, creating two half pipes. Cut the half circles into smaller lengths. Give each child
a length of cardboard tube. Give the older children shorter pieces and the younger children longer
pieces. The class must move the marble from the high scary place and into a cup that is on the floor
across the room. They may not touch the marble with any part of their hands. They can only transport
the marble in their tubes. They may not pinch the ends of the tube to make a boat, this takes away from
the tricky part! Each child must take at least three and no more than five steps with the marble before
passing it into another child’s cardboard tube. Have the children move through a maze of chairs, step
over a stack of books, etc. If the marble drops on the floor, they must start over. Everyone must get a
turn with the marble once before anyone can get it for the second time. The game ends when the
marble is safely in the cup without having touched the floor.
Message:
We are almost done learning the whole Lord’s Prayer! Before we learn what today’s special message
from God it, let’s first repeat all the parts of the Lord’s Prayer we have memorized so far. “Our Father in
heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as
it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who
sin against us.” Great job memorizing, everyone! Now let’s open the special letter from God. (Either
open and read the note yourself, or have a student do so.) It says, “And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.” I hope you are all wearing your thinking caps and listening ears,
because there are a lot of big, important things to learn in this petition, or request to God. I want to start
by defining a word. (Hold up a picture of a yield sign.) Have any of you ever seen one of these? Who can
tell me what it is? Correct, it is a yield sign. What does a yield sign tell drivers to do? (Accept an answer
or two, and then explain.) When a driver comes to a yield sign, they have to slow down and let other
drivers into the flow of traffic. This sign helps drivers be polite and make sure all drivers on the road can
get to where they are going. Yielding in traffic can be a very good thing to do. What about in our walks
with Jesus? Are we supposed to yield to temptation, and let it into our walk with Jesus? NO! In this part
of the Lord’s prayer, we ask God to help us NOT yield to temptation. Temptation should never get a
chance to drive on our roads.
Let’s think for a little bit about what temptation is. How many of you like to ride a bicycle? (Or scooter,
or skateboard?) When I was a little kid, my parents had a very important rule when I rode my bike. It
was that I could ride my bike only in my driveway. I was not allowed to go into the street, because that
would not be safe. When I was older, I was allowed to ride further. But when I was little, my parents
wanted to keep me safe by only letting me play in the driveway. Can you guess where I wanted to ride
the most, when I was only allowed to ride in the driveway? You guessed it, I wanted to go ride up and
down the street, like the big kids. Sometimes I would ride my bike right along the edge of the driveway,
as close to the street as I could. You see, even though my parents had told me to stay in the driveway, I
was tempted to ride in the street. I knew it was wrong, but I wanted to do it anyway. That is what
temptation is. Temptation is thinking about doing the wrong thing. Temptation is not a sin. Everyone is
tempted sometimes. But when we are tempted, we sometimes do decide to do the wrong thing. This is
called sin. So that is why we ask God for us to not yield to temptation, because that means we are letting
sin into our lives.
Like I said, temptation on its own is not a bad thing. Even Jesus was tempted. Listen this story from the
Matthew, 4:1-11. “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and
said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that
comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you
are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they
will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the
world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
“Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.”
How was Jesus able to stand up to all of Satan’s tricks? Every time the devil tried to tempt Jesus, Jesus
quoted the Bible to him. Jesus knew what the Bible said, and it helped him stay on the right path, the
path of righteousness.
Let’s have a sword drill to learn another important thing about temptation. Take out all the bookmarks
from your Bible and hold it above your head. When I say go, look up James 1:12-14. Go! (Either have a
student read the verse or read it yourself.) “ God blesses those who patiently endure testing and
temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted
to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice
us and drag us away.” This Bible verse tells us that God will never tempt us. He does not want us to do
wrong. We, all on our own, are tempted by our own wants.
What are some temptations you may face? (Write these on the board. Prompt them as necessary with
stories such as stealing a toy from a friend’s house, drawing on the walls and blaming your little brother,
etc.)
That seems like a kind of depressing list, doesn’t it? There are a lot of ways we can be tempted to do the
wrong thing. But there is good news! Whenever we are tempted to do wrong, God provides a way out. 1
Corinthians 10:12-13 says, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. The temptations
in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the
temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that
you can endure.” This is a very good verse to remember! No matter how much we may want to yield to
temptation, we know that God will never let us face more temptation than we can handle. God makes
us strong enough to say NO to any wrong thing we may be tempted to do.
Wow, we sure did learn a lot today! Sometimes we are tempted to do wrong things. But God makes us
strong enough to do the right thing. I have one more passage of scripture to read to you now. Matthew
7:13-14 says, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad,
and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the
road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Since we are Christians, we want to follow Jesus and spend
all of forever with him. To do that, we have to avoid giving in to sin. We have to stay on the narrow road.
We can do that by asking God to help us stay strong and avoid being tempted. We can read the Bible
and learn what Jesus wants us to do to.
End in prayer.
Craft: Road map to righteousness. Pass out paper, pencils, and markers. Lay out road maps for the kids
to use as examples. Have students draw out a map with many different twists and turns. Tell them to
label different locations on the map. Some of these places should be righteous things, like helping to do
dishes after dinner, and others should be temptations like the ones discussed earlier. At one end of the
map, have them draw their home. Label this “you are here.” At the other end of the map, have kids
write “narrow gate” and draw a gate. After the kids have designed and colored their map, have them
use a highlighter to highlight a path that will lead them to the narrow gate. The line should only follow
righteous paths, and avoid any places of temptation.
Main idea: God is worthy of all praise.
Read Scripture references, Exodus 15:1-20, and Job 36:22-24.

Gather: Bible; dry erase markers or chart paper and markers; paper cups, one for each student; markers;
crayons; paint; stickers; all eight “special messages” from this lesson and previous lessons. (The verses
written on paper.) You will need at least one copy of each of these for the game.
Write “and For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” on a regular sheet of
paper. Make sure it takes up the whole page, so it can easily be read. Fold it up and place it in an
envelope.
Take time to meditate on this week’s Scripture and think about your own life. It is so easy to forget this
part of the Lord’s prayer. We have to remember that God is worthy of all praise. The all authority,
power and glory belongs to God. Are there any ways that you try to take the authority, or the power or
the glory away from God? What can you do to change that?
Revelation 4:11
Job 36:22-24
Game:
Lord’s Prayer match up. Pick eight children from your class. Hand them each a puzzle piece with a
section of the Lord’s Prayer written on it. They hold these out for everyone else in the class to see. The
class helps the eight students stand in the right order. If you have a large class, have two or more teams
try to put their own copies of the prayer in the right order, in a race.
Message:
Today we finish learning the whole Lord’s Prayer! Before we learn what today’s special message from
God it, let’s first repeat all the parts of the Lord’s Prayer we have memorized so far. “Our Father in
heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as
it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who
sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” Great job
memorizing, everyone! Now let’s open the special letter from God. (Either open and read the note
yourself, or have a student do so.) It says, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen.” This is the very last part of the Lord’s Prayer! This part is not included in most Bibles,
but it is used by most churches to end the Lord’s
Prayer.
Everybody likes a story with a good ending, a happily ever after. This part of the Lord’s prayer called the
doxology. It is the happily ever after of the prayer. It reminds us that God is in charge. The Bible is full of
verses that talk about how powerful and glorious God is. We have already looked at verses that talk
about how the kingdom belongs to God. Let’s have a few Sword drills looking at where the Bible talks
about God’s glory and power. Take any bookmarks out of your Bible and hold it above your head. When
I say go, look up Revelation 4:ll. Go! (Read, or have a student read, the verse.) “You are worthy, O Lord
our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you
created what you pleased.” This verse tells us exactly the same thing as the doxology of the Lord’s
prayer. God is worthy, he deserves to receive all of our praises and honor and all of the glory for
everything because he created everything. Now let’s look up one last verse. Take any bookmarks out of
your Bible and hold it above your head. When I say go, look up Job 36:22-24. Go! (Read, or have a
student read, the verse.) “Look, God is all-powerful. Who is a teacher like him? No one can tell him what
to do, or say to him, ‘You have done wrong.’ Instead, glorify his mighty works, singing songs of praise.”
As we have studied the Lord’s prayer over the past several weeks, we have learned that God is our holy,
heavenly father. He is in charge of everything and provides everything we need, from food to
forgiveness. He protects of temptation and saves us from Satan’s plans. All we need to do is talk to God
about these things, and he will be there for us. God does all these things for us, so he deserves our
praises. The Lord’s prayer ends with a reminder that everything belongs to God, even our praise and
worship. We are going to make a craft that will help remind us to always shout our praises to God. After
that, we will practice saying the whole Lord’s Prayer, all the verses we have learned, including today’s.
End in prayer.
Craft: Megaphones. Megaphones are used to shout out loudly and to share a message with others. We
want to share the message of Jesus with everyone, and we want to shout our praises to God. To make
these megaphones, use a knife to cut out the bottom of a paper cup for each student. The bottom part
is the mouthpiece of these megaphones. Have the kids decorate the megaphone using markers,
crayons, paints, stickers, etc. Before they leave class, they can repeat the Lord’s prayer through their
megaphone.
Prayer: Talking to God with Your Hands
This children’s message was originally written for a Christian School chapel of 1st – 6th graders. It
teaches the basic elements of prayer and encourages children to establish prayer as a habit in their own
lives. What I’ve written below would be a 15-20 minute presentation, but you can extract the main
points for a children’s sermon on Sunday morning. You could also add some additional content for a
children’s church lesson.
We’ve also posted some prayer coloring pages for kids. That might be a good activity to add to this Bible
lesson.
(Ask the following questions):
Does anyone here like to talk on the phone?

Do any of you talk on the computer with emails, IM, or Skype?
Who do you like to talk to and what about?
How many of you have cell phones?
How many of your parents have cell phones? Do they get upset if they lose their phones?
Talking with people is important to us! We make sure that we can call others whenever we want. We
also make sure people can reach us wherever we are.
So if talking to people is easy and we do it all the time, why is it so hard to spend time talking with God?
(Invite responses such as: We get busy. We don’t see Him all the time so we forget. We don’t know
how. We might question whether God is really listening. We might think our problems are too small.)
Why is it important to talk with God?
God wants us to know Him.

God really does answer prayer.
God loves us through prayer.
We love God through prayer.
Today we’re going to learn how to pray. Remember that it’s as simple as talking to someone you love.
(Write out the word TALK as an acrostic on a whiteboard/chalkboard.)
T: TAKE the TIME: (Have children point to a pretend watch on their wrist.)
Find time in your day to talk to God. Pray at the same time each day. Make it a habit, like brushing your
teeth. Ya’ll brush your teeth, right?
A: AHHHHHH…. Quiet: (Have children take a deep breath with you.)

Find a quiet place in your home. Turn the TV off, your music off, and find a way to escape from your
little brother. Sit under a table, go in your closet if it’s big enough, make a fort, whatever!
L: LEARN from God’s Word. (Have children place hands palm side up as if holding a Bible.)
Read one verse a day. If you’re up for the challenge, read one chapter a day. Try to understand what
God is saying to you. Ask a grown-up who knows Jesus for help if you need it.
K: KEEP a Prayer Plan. (Have children pretend like they are writing.)
Write down how to pray. Pray that way. Write down praises, prayer requests, and verses that mean a
lot to you. Keep it simple or else you won’t keep doing it.
(Repeat each component at least once, if not twice to ensure retention.)
Do any of you like to talk with your hands? (Mimic people who talk with their hands: chefs, airline
stewardesses, tour guides, photographers, pastors, etc.)
Today our hands are going to help us learn how to pray. As long as your hands go home with you today
(please tell me they will!) you should remember our lesson. You’ve got five fingers and we’ve got five
parts of prayer. You ready?
1. PRAISE: Praise is saying what you love about someone. It’s saying, “God, I love that you are good. I
love how you made the ocean. I love that you sent Jesus for our sins.” (As you list each example,
number them with your fingers and invite the children to do the same.)
2. CONFESS: Confession is a big word for spit up. It means to get the junk out of your life. It’s when you
ask for forgiveness of your sins. It’s saying, “I’m sorry that I lied. Forgive me for getting in a fight with
my brother. I’m sorry for not loving you like I should.” (As you list each, use your hands to mimic
throwing up.)
3. READ: Reading God’s word helps us see ourselves as in a mirror. It helps us understand who God is
and who we are. It helps us to pray because we know who we’re praying to. (Mimic turning pages or
holding up a mirror.)
4. ASK: God says in Matthew 21:22 that, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
Pray for others. Pray for yourself. Ask for people to be saved, for God to provide, for wisdom to
understand, for help in temptation, for people to be healed. (Invite children to fold their hands as in
prayer.)
5. THANKS: God has done so much for us. What can you be thankful for today? (Invite children to list
items. Lead the children in a lively worship song of praise/thanksgiving such as “He has made me glad.”
Have them clap their hands in thanks.)
(Review each of the parts of the Prayer Plan with the hand motions to cue the students’ memory.
Review a second time with only the bolded words. Have students demonstrate the hand motions for
each. Close the lesson in prayer. Follow the prayer plan, keeping it brief to hold students’ attention.)
Bible Topic: Spiritual Disciplines
Scripture: 1 Timothy 4:7-8
Target Age Group: Elementary (1st -5th grade)
Learning Context: Any small group setting like Sunday School
You Can Help: Please share your feedback and suggestions to improve this children’s Bible lesson. Click
here to respond
Lesson Objective: Children will learn what spiritual disciplines are, and focus on the discipline of prayer.
Introduction: Begin the lesson by reading the key verse to the children. For older elementary, encourage
a volunteer to read this verse to the group.
1 Timothy 4:7 “Train yourself for godliness.” ESV

or in another translation … “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” NASB
Explain: This verse means we have to work at being more like Christ. There are things we must do in
order to be like Jesus. These are called Spiritual Disciplines. There are many Spiritual disciplines, but we
will focus on:
Prayer
Reading your Bible
Worship
Serving
Telling Others
Stewardship
Godliness
Why do we need them?
The Bible tells us to do these things

Promotes spiritual growth & helps us to become more Christlike
These are like physical exercises for the body – exercising helps our bodies to be healthy and strong.
Spiritual disciplines help our minds and spirits to become strong in Christ. They are like exercises for our
minds and hearts.
Spiritual Disciplines are an important part of our relationship with Christ. Each week we will focus on a
different discipline as we try to understand how to live better lives for Christ.
1. Prayer
Tonight we will focus on prayer.
Illustration: newspaper, telephone, notebook paper/pen, radio
Ask children what those things have in common. Answer: They are different ways to communicate with
each other.
Who can tell me what prayer is? Answer: Prayer is a way that we communicate with God. The simple
definition of prayer is talking to God.
Ask the children the following questions: (give them time to answer before telling the appropriate
answer)
Who can talk to God? Is it only adults that can talk to God? Answer: No. Everyone can talk to God.
When can we talk to God? Answer: Anytime
Why should we talk with God? Answer: because it makes our relationship with him stronger & because
the Bible tells us we should pray. We should also pray because God wants to hear from us.
Read (or have a student read) James 5:13-16
From these verses, we can see the different times to pray. List the times we can pray, based on what
the scripture said.
Times to Pray:
When we are sick

When we are in trouble
To confess sin
To show faith
For others
When we are happy
At all times
The Way to Pray: (references can be found at
http://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?type=getTopic&topic=Prayer)
With sincerity (with honesty) – Hebrews 10:22

With reverence (with respect and love)
In faith – Matthew 21:22
Not only is important to understand when we can pray, it is important to understand that our hearts
must be pure before God in order to pray. We should always pray in faith, with the utmost reverence
and sincerity to God.
Now, let’s review all that we have talked about today.
Review: Why should we pray? How should we pray? When can we pray? – Allow children time to
answer the questions.
Craft: Prayer chains
Supplies:
strips of colored construction paper

markers, crayons, pencils
stapler
Kids will write prayer requests on strips of paper and staple them together to form chains. They tear one
off each day and pray for the request.
Teaching Kids the Five Finger Prayer
Thumb (people who are close to you) These are your close friends and family, often the first you think
about when you pray. Give thanks to God and ask his protection on your parents, siblings, friends, and
classmates.
Pointer (people who point the way) These are leaders in your life, such as teachers and pastors. Offer
God your thanksgiving for them and ask him to help them in their important work.
Tall Finger (people in authority) The big people in the world need prayer too. Ask God to give wisdom to
our government, military, and police.
Ring Finger (people who are weak) This is your weakest finger. We should remember others who are
sick, live in poverty, or are treated badly. Pray that Jesus would give them new strength.
Little Finger (your own needs) God wants to hear your needs too, especially when you put others first.
Pray for your own growth in mind, body, and spirit.
Target age group: 1st-3rd grade
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-26; Matthew 22:37-39; 1 Corinthians 13; Colossians 3:12-14; 1 John 3:16-18,
4:7-21 (all of these will not be read during the lesson, but study the passages beforehand and be ready
to explain some aspects of love more fully and answer questions.)
Exegetical Idea: Love is a fruit of the Spirit and a command from God.
Pedagogical Idea: If we are believers, we are now walking in the Spirit, and one fruit of the Spirit is love.
God commands us to love Him and one another as He has loved us.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know they have the ability to love as God loves when His Spirit lives within
them and as they abide in Him.
Affective Aim: Children will feel love for God as they hear about His great love for them in dying for their
sins.
Behavioral Aim: Children will write down ways they can show love to particular people throughout the
week (and hopefully do it!) and memorize Galatians 5:22-23.
Memory Verse: Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
Lesson Overview
Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Eat fruit, discuss how certain trees produce certain fruits.
Introduce lesson topic. Supplies: Bible, fruit (check for allergies), napkins for potential sticky fingers
God Revealed (15 minutes) Description: Read different Scriptures; discuss how love is a command and
how we know what love is. Supplies: Bibles (extras for children who forget to bring one)
Personal Pursuit (10 minutes) Description: Learn specific ways of what love looks like through 1
Corinthians 13, hear a story and act out different responses. Supplies: Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a, 13
written out for each child (if you have pre-readers, you will not need these, but have a chalkboard/dry
erase board handy), pencils for each child
Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Write out ways to show love this week, memorize Galatians
5:22-23. Supplies: Notecards for each child, notecards for each parent with Galatians 5:22-23 written on
them
**For the fruit of the Spirit lessons, you could make a tree for the wall labeled “believer” or “Christian.”
Each week you can add the particular attribute you are teaching about. This week, you would add
“love”, allowing a child to place it on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only use one type
of fruit (if you are writing each virtue on a fruit), for though there are several virtues produced by the
Spirit, they are all one type of fruit: the fruit of the Spirit. There are also several object lessons and
activities on the website that would compliment this lesson if you have more time with your children.
Coloring pages are available as well.
1. Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes)

(Check for allergies and adapt the fruit as necessary.) Pass around slices of apples to each child. Tell
them to go ahead and eat their slice. Ask: What if I told you this apple came from an orange tree? What
would you say? (Provide time for their responses.) It would be impossible for an orange tree to produce
an apple! Only apple trees produce apples and only orange trees can produce oranges. God made
different kinds of plants and trees to produce certain fruits and only those fruits.
State: In the Bible, God teaches us that people produce fruit as well. Before we know God, what kind of
fruit do you think we produce? We are only able to produce bad fruit. We constantly produce fruit like
anger, hatred, jealousy, and greediness. After we become followers of God, He gives us His Spirit.
Because we have His Spirit living inside of us, we are able to produce good fruit, fruit that comes directly
from Him. Sometimes we will still continue to produce bad fruit because it is impossible for us not to sin,
but just as sunshine, rain, and good soil cause an apple tree to produce apples, as we seek to know God,
learn from Him, and listen to Him, the fruit of the Spirit is produced in us.
2. God Revealed (15 minutes)
State: First, I want us to look at Galatians chapter 5, verses 22-26. Would two of you like to read this for
us? (Give them each a couple of verses to read. This depends on the age range and reading abilities of
your particular group of children. Adjust the lesson accordingly. Take time to explain this verse a little so
they are able to understand exactly what it means.)
State: After we believe and trust in Jesus Christ, He gives us the Holy Spirit, who lives within us. It is the
Spirit who produces this fruit in us as we abide in Him, and apart from Him, these things would be
impossible for us to have in their purest form. This does not mean it is always easy to show these
characteristics in our lives, but it does mean we are now able to respond in love or self-control or
patience in difficult situations because we have the Spirit within us.
State: So today we are going to learn about love. Let’s see what God can show us through His Word! We
want to discover together what love looks like for those who have God’s Spirit within them.
State: Turn to Matthew chapter 22 verses 37-39. (Help each child find the passage.) Jesus says, “‘Love
the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and
greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus calls these
two commands the greatest commandments! So love is not just a fruit of the Spirit, it is a command
from God!
Ask: So how do we know what love looks like? (Allow time for response.) We know what love is by
looking to God. First John 4:7-11 says this, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from
God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know
God because God is love. This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into
the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and
sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends since God so loved us, we also ought to love
one another.” Chapter 3 verses 16 and 18 state, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid
down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers…let us not love with words or
tongue but with actions and in truth.”
State: So we know that love comes from God, God is love, and God showed His love to all of us by
sending Jesus Christ to die for us so that we may know Him. We also know from 1 John that love is not
just something we say, it is what we do. Jesus showed His great love for us by dying for us. We can show
love to one another by putting others first and thinking of them more than ourselves, loving them like
Christ loves us.
3. Personal Pursuit (10 minutes)
State: Before we can truly love others, we must know and love God. How do we keep the greatest
commandment, to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind? (Discuss.) One major way to love God
is to come to know Him more and more through His Word and through prayer. You know through His
Word that God died for you and for me! This should cause us to overflow with love towards Him! As we
come to know Him, learn from Him, and listen to His voice, we are abiding in Him. As we abide in Him
and He in us, the fruit of love is produced in our lives.
State: After we learn that love is from God, His love for us and our love for Him can overflow into the
people around us. (Pass out 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a, 13.) I want you to circle each description of what
love is. You can get into groups of 2 or 3 and work on this together. Make sure you are paying attention
or you won’t be able to do what comes next! (If your class is mainly pre-readers, read this passage aloud
and have them raise their hands every time they hear a description of what love is. Write each one
down as you come to it on a chalkboard or dry erase board.)
After each group has finished, you are going to give a scenario where a choice has to be made by the
children. (For example, a boy at school has no friends, but he is mean to everyone. He even pushed you
one day at school and told you to get out of his way!) Then continue to the next section.
State: I want each group to think of one way an unbeliever would respond to this situation. Remember
an unbeliever (non-Christian) does not have God’s Spirit within them. Then I want you to think of how a
believer (Christian) would respond. Each group will act out both responses and the rest of the class will
guess if it is the believer or the non-believer.
As they are doing this activity, be sure to ask questions about why the response/actions they
demonstrated are or are not those of a believer and how they are or are not displaying love.
4. Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes)
State: Great job everyone! There are many ways we can show love to people all around us. Love is a
command from God, a choice we make daily, and a fruit produced by the Holy Spirit as we seek to know
and abide in Him.
State: I want you to take time now to write down how you can show love this week to the people in your
life, whether it is your parents, your brothers and sisters, a friend, or kids at school you do not even
know but who may need a friend. (Pass out a notecard to each child.) I want you to place this
somewhere at home or school where you will see it everyday, and I want you to do these things!
Remember, 1 John told us to not just love in words, but with our actions!
Spend time in prayer together, asking God to help each of you produce the fruit of love each day,
particularly this week in the ways that each child has written down.
Work with them on memorizing Galatians 5:22-23. Remind the parents how important it is for them to
help their children review their verses all throughout the week. Provide each parent with a notecard
that has Galatians 5:22-23 written on it.
Target Age group: 1rst-3rd
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-26; Psalm 43:4, 21:6, 119:111; Proverbs 10:28; Isaiah 51:11, 55:12, Nehemiah
8:10, Habakkuk 3:18-19, John 15:11, 16:20, Hebrews 12:2, James 1:2
Exegetical Idea: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, available to all believers as they abide in Christ.
Pedagogical Idea: If the Holy Spirit is within us, we can experience joy even in times of sorrow as we
abide in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know joy is a fruit of the Spirit, God is our joy, from His Word comes joy, and
our hope for eternity gives us joy.
Affective Aim: Children will feel joy as they praise God and discover joy together.
Behavioral Aim: Children will praise God through song, pray, and memorize Habakkuk 3:18.
Memory Verse: Habakkuk 3:18, ““Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.”
(ESV)
Lesson Overview
Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Learn and sing together Blessed be the Name of the Lord by
Matt Redman. Supplies: Song Blessed be the Name of the Lord by Matt Redman (link to YouTube video
below).
God Revealed (15 minutes) Description: Explore God’s Word, learn about the fruit of joy. Supplies: Bible
Personal Pursuit (10 minutes) Description: Have an expectant or new mother come and talk to the
children (or feel free to have a missionary come in who has suffered for the Gospel or share your own
personal story of when you experience joy in the midst of suffering). Compare times of happiness and
times of sorrow through drawing. Praise God through song. Supplies: blank paper, crayons/markers,
song Blessed be the Name of the Lord
Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Pray together, memorize Habakkuk 3:18. Supplies: Notecards
with Habakkuk 3:18 written on them for the parents. On the back, write down the Scripture references
found at the beginning of the lesson pertaining to joy. Ask the parents to read and discuss these verses
with their children during the week.
Each week you can add the particular attribute you are teaching about. This week, you would add “joy”,
allowing a child to place it on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only use one type of fruit
(if you are writing each virtue on a fruit), for though there are several virtues produced by the Spirit,
they are all one type of fruit: the fruit of the Spirit. There are also several object lessons and activities on
the website that would compliment this lesson if you have more time with your children. Many activities
over the fruit of the Spirit would work well as the children are arriving.

After all of the children have arrived, sit together and ask: Can anyone tell me what joy is? (Allow time
for discussion, but it is okay if they do not yet completely understand what joy is.)
State: Today I want us to learn a song together that expresses joy. In our lives here on earth, we will
always have sorrow and tears. Because of sin, we will never be able to experience a life without sadness.
But when we repent from our sin and turn to Christ for our salvation, we receive the Holy Spirit. The
Holy Spirit allows us to produce the fruit of joy. This song is called Blessed be the Name of the Lord. It is
a song about praising God through the wonderful times and the sorrowful times of our lives. Even in our
sadness, we can choose to have joy and praise God, saying “Blessed be Your name, O Lord”. Let’s learn
this song together!
Blessed be the Name of the Lord by Matt Redman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL3NFhmxQxs
Bring the children back around you on the floor or at a table. State: So because we have the Holy Spirit,
we can have joy. Let’s read together Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law”
If joy is a fruit of the Spirit, what do we already know about joy? (If we have the Spirit, we can have joy,
no matter what.) Remember that after we believe and trust in Jesus Christ, He gives us the Holy Spirit,
who lives within us. It is the Spirit who produces this fruit in us as we abide in Him. (Choose a child to
add joy to the Fruit of the Spirit Tree as described at the beginning of the lesson.)
State: Where can we look to discover what joy truly is? (God’s Word!). There are many verses that talk
about joy in the Bible. Since His Word is our truth, it is the first place we should turn to learn more about
this fruit of the Spirit.
State: Let’s turn together to Psalm 43:4. (Help the children find this verse.) Would someone like to read
this for us? “Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the
lyre, O God, my God.” What can we discover about joy from this verse? (God is our joy!). Not only did
the psalmist say that God is his joy, but his exceeding joy, joy that goes above and beyond even regular
joy!
State: Now let’s turn to Psalm 119:111. Would someone like to read this verse for us? “Your testimonies
are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.” The psalmist is talking about God’s Word. He
is saying that God’s Word is his forever, and it is joy of his heart. Why do you think God’s Word is the joy
of his heart? (Discuss.) As we read God’s Word, we discover more and more of who He is. We learn
about His promises to us and all that He has done. We can experience joy when we read and know God’s
Word, just like the writer of this psalm!
State: We know that we can have joy through the Holy Spirit producing His fruit within us. We also know
that God is our joy and that we experience joy through His Word. James tells believers to consider it joy
when they go through difficult times in their lives. How is it possible to have joy, to praise God, in
difficult times? (Allow them time to think and offer explanations.) Joy is very different from happiness.
Happiness cannot be present when someone is sad. But joy can always be present, even at the same
time as sadness.
State: Now let’s look at another verse to find out how joy can be present at the same time as sadness!
Turn to Proverbs chapter ten verse 28 (help them find the passage). Would anyone like to read this
verse for us? “The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked brings will perish.”
If we are Christians, we have something the rest of the world does not: the hope of eternal life with
God. After we die, we know we will live forever with God. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes
and there will be no more sorrow. When we understand that we have this to look forward to, it gives us
joy! We know that the hard times we experience on earth will not last forever because of Christ.
Knowing this truth allows us to have joy even in the midst of sadness and sorrow.
**Note-The parents will be given a notecard with all of the Scripture listed at the beginning of the lesson
to go over with their children throughout the week in order for them to have a greater understanding of
joy from God’s Word. If you have more time with your children, I encourage you to go over more of the
Scripture with them.
State: Have an expectant or new mother come and talk to the class, describing the pain and difficulties
experienced in pregnancy, but the joy she has at the same time, knowing that she is suffering for her
baby and that it will not last forever. At the end of her short period of suffering, she will have a precious
baby to hold in her arms and spend each day with.
The mother herself can draw the connection or you can after she shares her story. In a similar way, we
can have joy when we go through suffering in our lives because we know who we are suffering for,
Christ, and He is worth it! We also know that one day we will be with Him for eternity and never
experience suffering again.
Pass out blank sheets of paper to each child. Explain that you would like them to listen to the song
Blessed be the Name of Lord again. The song states, “Blessed be your name in the land that is plentiful…
Blessed be your name when I’m found in the desert place…” Have them draw what they think this
means. Discuss it as you go along, since this concept may be too abstract for the younger children. The
“land that is plentiful” is a time of happiness, like making a new friend or going on a family vacation. The
“desert place” is a time of sadness and/or suffering, like losing a pet or a family member, moving away
from your home, divorce, etc. If you have time, you can go into a deeper discussion of why the song
writer chose these descriptions. You could let them list the differences between each place. For
example, a land that is plentiful has water, food, growth, and everything you would ever need.
State: The Bible tells us that the joy of the Lord is our strength in sadness (Nehemiah 8:9). When we go
through these desert places, the joy we have within us through the Holy Spirit is our strength. He holds
our hands and walks with us every step of the way. Psalm 56:8 says that God holds our tears in His
bottle. He is never far when we suffer, but right by our sides.
Praise God together again with the song Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Allow them to move around
freely, maybe making up motions to go with the song.
State: So we can experience joy when we know God. He is our joy, and the more we know Him, the
greater our joy becomes. We can experience joy when we read God’s Word. In His Word we discover His
truth, His promise, and who He is. We can experience joy when we remember how much Christ suffered
for us and how He is worth suffering for now. And we can experience joy when we remember the hope
we have of spending all of eternity with God without suffering or sadness. However, if we are not
abiding in God (coming to know Him more each day and living for Him), we cannot expect to have the
fruit of joy produced within us. It would be like taking away the water and sunlight from a fruit tree. The
fruit will die and no more will be able to grow.
State: If we are abiding in Christ, we will have the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and we can say, “I am going
through suffering, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation” (Habakkuk 3:18,
ESV). This is our memory verse for this week, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of
my salvation.” Let’s work together to memorize this verse!
Spend time in prayer together. Remember the specific situations your children are going through. Invite
them to share if they haven’t already. Praise God for the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the joy we are able to
have because He lives within us.
Encourage the parents to work on this verse with their children. Send a notecard home with each parent
with the verse written on it. On the back, list the Scriptures found at the beginning of the lesson for the
teacher. Ask the parents to go through each of these verses in order for them to learn more about joy
from God’s Word.
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, John 14:27, John 16:33, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:6, Romans 12:18, Romans
15:13, Romans 15:33, Philippians 4:4-7, 2 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Ephesians 2:14,
Ephesians 4:2-3, Philippians 4:9, Colossians 3:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Hebrews 12:14, 2 John 1:3
Exegetical Idea: Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, available to all believers as they abide in Christ.
Pedagogical Idea: As believers, we have the fruit of peace available to us as we abide and trust in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know peace comes from God, is made possible through Christ, and is a fruit
of the Holy Spirit. They will also know we are to pursue peace with everyone.
Affective Aim: Children will feel peace as they experience the truth of God’s Word through song.
Behavioral Aim: Children will praise God through song, pray together, and memorize John 12:27.
Memory Verse: John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the
world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (NIV).
Lesson Overview
Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Discuss the peace the world offers. Supplies: Bible, pictures of
peace signs, a spa or beach, a person meditating-basically anything that the world offers to grant us
“peace.”
God Revealed (15 minutes) Description: Read and discuss Scripture about peace. Supplies: Bible, dry
erase or chalk board.
Personal Pursuit (10 minutes) Description: Share a personal story, discuss what peace looks like in our
lives, praise God through song. Supplies: Bible, dry erase or chalk board, (optional: blank pieces of paper,
writing/drawing utensils-see below), song Still by Hillsong: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=O6Fw8DgvTQA&feature=related
Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Memorize John 14:27, pray together. Supplies: Notecards for
parents with John 14:27 written on them.
“peace”, allowing a child to place it on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only use one
type of fruit (if you are writing each virtue on a fruit), for though there are several virtues produced by
the Spirit, they are all one type of fruit: the fruit of the Spirit. There are also several object lessons and
activities on the website that would compliment this lesson if you have more time with your children.
Many activities over the fruit of the Spirit would work well as the children are arriving.
Begin by reading together Galatians 5:22-23.

Hold up a picture of the peace sign. Ask: What does this mean? Allow them to answer and discuss.
Continue holding up the pictures and lead it into a discussion about the world’s view of peace.
State: The world’s view of peace includes an end to war or conflict, inner peace with yourself, and/or a
state of complete relaxation (being at a beach or spa). All people long for peace in one way or another,
whether it is just to experience a break from the worry of life or to end all wars. But the peace the world
offers only lasts for a short while. War will never end on earth (until the peaceful reign of Christ) no
matter how hard people try. A spa will never take all of the stress away forever. Meditation does not
grant real peace.
State: But Christians have God’s peace available to them, a peace that is greater than anything the world
offers. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit, and as we abide in Christ, we can experience the perfect peace that
comes only from God.
You may want to write down each aspect of peace in bold on the board you are reading in Scripture as
you are teaching them.
Ask: In order to understand true peace, what do we need to do? (Look in the Bible!) God’s Word is our
ultimate source of truth. We are first going to look at some verses that will define what peace is. Let’s
turn together to Philippians 4:4-7. Would anyone like to read these verses? (If they are new readers,
pick several children to take one verse each so it is not too much for one child, or read it aloud
together.) The following is combined NASB and ESV. This may be helpful for you to read aloud if your
children cannot yet read:
Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to
all men. The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Andthe peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
State: What can we define about peace based on these verses? (It comes from God, it comes as a result
of prayer, it is the opposite of anxiousness, and it goes beyond our understanding. List out their answers
on the board.)
It is definitely clear from Scripture that peace comes directly from God! Many of the books in the New
Testament are actually letters written to different churches. In many of the letters, the writer begins and
ends the letter with a blessing of peace. For example, 2 Corinthians 1:2, “Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Second Thessalonians 3:16 states, “Now may the Lord of
peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.” (See also Romans
15:33, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Philippians 4:9, Romans 15:13, 2 John 1:3.)
Ask: So why should we have peace as Christians? (Allow time for thoughts.) Let’s turn to Romans 5:1.
Would someone like to read this for us? “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” A huge part of biblical peace is the fact that because of
Christ we have been declared righteous before God and no longer have to pay the penalty for our sin
(justification). Our relationship with God is one of peace and not of wrath. (See also Ephesians 2:14,
Colossians 3:15).
State: Peace ultimately comes from God, has been made through Christ, and is available to us daily
through the Holy Spirit’s work inside of us (John 14:27, 16:33; Romans 8:6, Galatians 5:22).
State: We are also called to live in peace with others. Romans 12:18 states it simply, “If possible, so far
as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (See also Hebrews 12:14, Ephesians 4:2-3, 2 Corinthians
13:11.) This is part of the fruit the Holy Spirit is producing in us as we abide in Christ. We have the ability
through Him to live in peace with everyone.
State: Let’s go back and focus on Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I want to share with you a story
from my life that really displays the truth of this verse. (Share story that demonstrates how a believer
can experience God’s peace in such a way that goes beyond our understanding.)
State: Peace is such an amazing result of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives! Our days can often be
filled with worry and stress and fear. Biblical peace is completely opposite of all of these feelings! It is
the absence of stress, worry, fear, and chaos. It is the resting and quieting of our souls before God as we
remember who He is and trust in Him completely.
State: How is biblical peace different from the peace the world offers us? (It never ends, it is real, it
comes from our God of peace, it is always available to us as we trust in Christ, it is expected of us as
believers, etc. List their answers on the board.) There is nothing in the world that could ever compare to
the perfect peace of God!
Option: If you have time, have them draw or write out situations in their own lives where they want to
experience the peace of God. They could also draw two contrasting pictures: a picture of chaos verses a
picture of stillness and peace that comes when we trust in God.)
State: We are also commanded to live in peace with one another. What does the verse mean when it
says “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18)? (Doing everything in our
power to live at peace with the people around us. This could mean putting aside your own feelings and
opinions for the sake of promoting peace.) Are you a peace-maker in your home? Why or why not?
What are ways you can change?
State: We can experience the peace of God through the storms of life when we remember who He is,
that He keeps His promises, He is in control over every part of our lives, and we have His Spirit within us
who is producing the fruit of peace. I am going to start a beautiful song called Still that declares trust
and stillness (peace) in God through the storms of life. Sing along as you learn the lyrics or just listen to
the truth and beauty of their words.
Still by Hillsong, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Fw8DgvTQA&feature=related
State: I want us to memorize together John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not
give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (NIV). These are
the very words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We know we can trust and believe His Words are
true. Let’s memorize this together now. (Use hand motions or write it on the board, erasing one word at
a time until everyone is able to say it together without seeing it.)
State: When you are going through worry, stress, fear, or just a chaotic day, I want you to remember
these words of Christ, be still, and remember who your God is. Trust in Him, and you will experience His
peace that surpasses all understanding.
them to share if they haven’t already. Praise God for the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the peace we are able to
have because He lives within us.
with the verse written on it.
As each child leaves, bless them with the words of 2 Thessalonians 3:16, “Now may the Lord of peace
himself give you peace at all times in every way.”
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Timothy 1:16, Colossians 1:11, Proverbs 19:11, 2 Peter 3:15
Exegetical Idea: Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, available to all believers as they abide in Christ.
Pedagogical Idea: As believers, we have the fruit of patience available to us as we abide and trust in
Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know patience is modeled most greatly by our God, is made possible
through Christ, and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Affective Aim: Children will feel joy in the discovery of God’s patience with us as sinners.
Behavioral Aim: Children will praise God through song, pray together, and memorize 1 Timothy 1:16.
Memory Verse: 1 Timothy 1:16, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of
sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in
him and receive eternal life.” (NIV).
Optional Puppet Skit: A reader from Canada named Joelle Belletrutti sent us a puppet skit she used with
her preschool class to introduce this lesson plan. Click here to download it.
Lesson Overview
Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Test the children’s patience. Supplies: Oranges or other type of
snack-see section below for details and other possible supplies.
God Revealed (15 minutes) Description: Read and discuss Scripture about patience. Supplies: Bible, dry
Personal Pursuit (10 minutes) Description: Have someone come tell your class a story about waiting for
the Lord. Perhaps a couple who struggled with having children or who adopted a child, waiting for the
salvation of a family member, waiting for healing from an illness, etc., discuss what patience looks like in
our lives. Supplies: Bible, dry erase or chalk board, (optional: blank pieces of paper, writing/drawing
utensils-see below).
Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Memorize, pray together. Supplies: Notecards for parents
with 1 Timothy 1:16 written on them.
“patience”, allowing a child to place it on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only use one
type of fruit (if you are writing each virtue on a fruit), for though there are several virtues produced by
the Spirit, they are all one type of fruit: the fruit of the Spirit. There are also several object lessons and
activities on the website that would complement this lesson if you have more time with your children.
Many activities over the fruit of the Spirit would work well as the children are arriving.
***For this lesson, before your children arrive, write on the board the following four verses in a column:
Proverbs 19:11, “A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” (NIV)
Colossians 1:11, “We pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so that you may
have great endurance and patience.” (NLT, NIV)
1 Timothy 1:16, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ
Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive
eternal life.” (NIV)
2 Peter 3:15, “ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience (in reference to His second coming, read in context)
means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.”
(NIV)
On the opposite side write the following descriptions (make sure they are not matched up with the
verses, see activity description below):
Through God’s power, we can be patient

A wise person is patient
Christ is patient so more people can be saved; He is our example.
Please note, there are four verses and three descriptions, so two verses will match the same description.
Have a few oranges to pass out to the class (or whatever fruit you would like, or another type of snack.
You can shape this idea to fit your class). Take out a knife and slowly, slowly begin to slice up the
oranges. Take your time! Lots of time! When you notice them becoming impatient, ask:
ASK: Can anyone tell me what patience is? (Allow time for response and different ideas.) The dictionary
tells us patience is the bearing of pain, misfortune, or annoyance without anger, irritation, or complaint.
Bearing is like holding something very heavy. When you are going through something difficult, it can feel
like you are carrying something very heavy everywhere you go. So patience is going through something
very hard, or just something very annoying, without getting angry or complaining.
ASK: What is the opposite of patience? (Impatience!) Did it make you irritated when I was taking so
much time to pass out the orange slices to you? What are some things you go through each day that
make you impatient? (Write their thoughts on the board.)
Begin by reading together Galatians 5:22-23.

SAY: The Bible tells us in this passage that patience is a fruit of the Spirit. If we are saved, the Holy Spirit
is living inside of us, and we can be patient people. This does not mean that we will be patient all the
time! But as we come to know God more and more, we change! Patience becomes part of the kind of
person we are. With the Spirit living inside of us, He gives the power to be patient!
Ask: In order to know all about patience, what do we need to do? (Look in the Bible!) God’s Word is our
ultimate source of truth!
SAY: There are four different parts of patience we are going to read about today. I am going to read the
verse aloud, and I want you to match the verse with the description of patience written on the board.
(As they guess correctly, draw a line from the description to the verse, or ask for four different children
to come up and draw a line to match the verse with the corresponding description.)
ASK: What do we learn about patience based on these verses? (Discuss each verse individually. Use the
paragraph below as a guide, but let them give their thoughts on each verse.)
Proverbs 19:11 reminds us that a wise is patient. When someone wrongs them, they patiently forgive
that person. Also, it is really tough to be patient sometimes, but Colossians 1:11 tells us that God’s
glorious power gives us strength to be patient. Not only does God give us strength to be patient, but He
also shows us how to be patient. Second Peter 3:15 explains that Jesus is patiently waiting to come back
to earth so that all people will have a chance to know Him and be saved (in context). So, God is patient
in a general way with all people, but also in a very specific way with each of us. In I Timothy 1:16 Paul
says that he was shown mercy so that God’s perfect patience would be put on display. Paul, like all of us,
did not deserve to be saved. He had offended God badly over and over again, but God was patient with
him and still saved him.
SAY: Each day we will face situations that test our patience. These can be small things, like someone
taking their time when you are in a hurry or very big things, like waiting on God to heal a family member.
As we learn to be patient in the small things, God will prepare us to go through the bigger things. Today
we have ___________ here to share with us a story from their life when they had to wait on God and be
patient.
Activity: Use the Fruit of the Spirit coloring page for patience. Act out the scene depicted in the picture
or the scenarios you discussed as a group. Emphasize ways you can control your irritation in different
situations to show patience (prayer, leaving the room, remembering Scripture, etc.).
Say: When we are struggling to be patient with another person, we should remember God’s patience
toward us. As sinners, we have offended God. The Bible says that we have even hated Him. So, God had
every right to be angry with us, but instead He showed just how awesome His patience is by saving us! If
someone hurts you and you really just want to explode back at them, think of all the things you have
done against God. Think of how He could have punished you, but instead in His patience poured out His
mercy and love. This is not just when we are saved either. Every day we still wrong God and He still is
patient with us. So, may that truth sink deep into our hearts and motivate us to be patient with others!
SAY: I want us to memorize together 1 Timothy 1:16, “But for that very reason I was shown mercy so
that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for
those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.” (Use hand motions or write it on the board,
erasing one word at a time until everyone is able to say it together without seeing it.)
them to share their needs and praises. Praise God for the fruit of the Holy Spirit, the patience we are
able to have because He lives within us.
with the verse written on it.
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Proverbs 3:3, Micah
6:8, Ephesians 4:32, Titus 3:3-5a
Exegetical Idea: Kindness is a fruit of the Spirit, available
to all believers as they abide in Christ.
Pedagogical Idea: As believers, we are able to display the
fruit of kindness as we abide and trust in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know kindness is modeled most
greatly by our God, is made possible through Christ, and is a
fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Affective Aim: Children will feel thankful for God’s great
kindness towards them.
Behavioral Aim: Children will do five acts of kindness this
week and pray for God to help them produce the fruit of
kindness.
Memory Verse: Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another,
tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ
forgave you.” (ESV)
Lesson Overview
1. Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Find the
letters to discover the topic of today’s lesson. Supplies:
Bible, marker/chalk board with Galatians 5:22-23
written out, eight pieces of paper with one letter written
on each: K, I, N, D, N, E, S, S.
2. God Revealed (15 minutes) Description: Read and
discuss Scripture about kindness. Supplies: Bible, dry
3. Personal Pursuit (10 minutes) Description: Discuss
five ways to show kindness this week, make necklaces,
color Fruit of the Spirit sheet. Supplies: Bible, dry erase
or chalk board, cardstock or poster board, yarn or twine,
crayons, Fruit of the Spirit coloring sheet: Fruit of the
Spirit ; Kindness coloring pages
4. Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Memorize
Ephesians 4:32, pray together. Supplies: Notecards for
parents with Ephesians 4:32 written on one side. On the
other, instruct parents to ask their children what 5 acts
of kindness they are going to do this week.
**For the fruit of the Spirit lessons, you could make a tree
for the wall labeled “believer” or “Christian.” Each week you
can add the particular attribute you are teaching about. This
week, you would add “kindness,” allowing a child to place it
on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only use
one type of fruit (if you are writing each virtue on a fruit), for
though there are several virtues produced by the Spirit, they
are all one type of fruit: the fruit of the Spirit. There are also
several object lessons and activities on the website that
would complement this lesson if you have more time with
your children. Many activities over the fruit of the Spirit
would work well as the children are arriving.
Preparation:
 Write Galatians 5:22-23 on the board for the first
activity.
 You need eight pieces of paper with one letter written on
each: K, I, N, D, N, E, S, S.
 Prepare the necklace craft found in Personal Pursuit.
 DO: Hide each letter of KINDNESS around the room.
After the children arrive, explain to them that there are
eight letters hidden around the room that spell the fruit
of the Spirit you will be learning about today. After they
find all of the letters, see if they can discover which fruit
it is on their own by looking at the verse on the board.
Give them clues if they are unable to figure it out. Then
have them spell out KINDNESS by looking at the board
and arranging the letters in the right order on the floor
or tape them to the board underneath the verse.
 ASK: Can anyone tell me what kindness is? (Allow them
to respond.)
 SAY: Kindness can be shown with our thoughts, our
actions, and our words. How many of you are kind all of
the time? (Allow time for response.) None of us are kind
all of the time! It is very easy to be unkind to our family
and our friends because we are sinners. How can we
discover more about kindness? (By reading God’s
Word!) Let’s go to His Word now!
 DO: Begin by reading together Galatians 5:22-23.
 SAY: The Bible tells us in this passage that kindness is a
fruit of the Spirit. If we are saved, the Holy Spirit is
living inside of us, and we can be people who overflow
with kindness! This does not mean that we will be kind
all the time. But as we come to know God more and
more, we change. Kindness becomes part of who we
are. With the Spirit living inside of us, He gives the
power to be kind! This is only possible if you have
believed and trusted in Christ for you salvation.
 Read Titus 3:3-5a. SAY: This verse helps us to discover
one of the most important things about kindness-God is
our example! He is a God of great kindness, and one of
the main ways we see His kindness is through His
forgiveness. What picture can we draw to help us
remember where kindness comes from? (Cross)
 Read Ephesians 4:32. SAY: This verse commands us to
be kind! It tells us to be kind as God is kind to us
through His forgiveness! What could we draw a picture
of to help remind us to be kind to one another? (Hands
for doing)
 Read Proverbs 3:3 (NASB). SAY: We are supposed to
bind kindness around our necks and write it on our
hearts! This means kindness is supposed to be part of
who we are! It is with us wherever we go. What can we
draw to help us remember this verse? (Heart for being)
 Read Micah 6:8. SAY: We are not supposed to be kind
just because we are commanded to, but we are
to love kindness, to think of it with joy! We are
to wantto be kind! What could we draw to help us
remember this verse? (Brain for knowing-having a
cognitive desire for kindness)
 ASK: What do we learn about kindness based on these
verses? (Allow them to give their thoughts.) Kindness is
what we do, what we say, and what we think. We are to
be kind, to love kindness, and to learn kindness from
our only perfect example, our God!
 SAY: We are going to come up with five kind things we
can do this week! They can be things to do at home, at
school, or at church. (As the children come up with real
ideas they can do this week, write them on the board.
Encourage them to think of things they can do in secret,
so that only they and God know. This is the ultimate
display of humble kindness, when we do not seek a
reward for it.)
 Do: Use the Fruit of the Spirit coloring page for
kindness. Act out the scene depicted in the picture or
the acts you discussed as a group. Emphasize that as
God produces kindness in our hearts, we begin to see
other people as more important than ourselves. Remind
them of Christ, who humbled Himself, coming down
from the throne, making Himself a weak human in order
to save all of mankind. We are to emulate Him!
 Say: When we are struggling to be kind to another
person, we should remember God’s great kindness
toward us. As sinners, we have offended God. The Bible
says that we have even hated Him. So, God had every
right to be angry with us, but instead He showed just
how great His kindness is by saving us! When you really
want to respond to someone with unkindness, think of
how God could have punished you for your sin. But
instead, in His kindness, He offers everyone here
complete forgiveness! Every day we still sin against
God, and He continues to be kind to us. Let’s show the
kindness to others that God has shown to us! This is
possible only if we abide in Him, if we get to know Him
more and more through praying, learning His Word, and
following Him.
 SAY: I want us to memorize together Ephesians 4:32,
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Use hand
motions to help them memorize or write it on the
board, erasing one word at a time until everyone is able
to say it together without seeing it.)
 Spend time in prayer together. Remember the specific
situations your children are going through. Invite them
to share their needs and praises. Praise God for the fruit
of the Holy Spirit, the kindness we are able to have
because He lives within us.
 Encourage the parents to work on this verse with their
children. Send a notecard home with each parent with
the verse written on it and instructions to ask them
about the five acts of kindness they will do this week.
Craft: Make Kindness Necklaces
This idea is based on Proverbs 3:3. Draw a heart on a piece
of cardstock or poster board like the example below. You can
make them as big as you want! Write Proverbs 3:3 and
Kindness on the inside. Punch a hole and loop twine or yarn
through. Tie a knot to make a necklace. Let your children
decorate their necklaces.
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 25:7, Psalm 31:19,
Zechariah 9:16-17a, Ephesians 2:10, Philemon 1:13-14,
Galatians 6:9
Exegetical Idea: Goodness is a fruit of the Spirit, available to

all believers as they abide in Christ.

fruit of goodness as we abide and trust in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know goodness is modeled most

greatly by our God, is made possible through Christ, and is a
fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Affective Aim: Children will feel confident that God is good all
of the time.
Behavioral Aim: Children will begin a Food Drive project and

will memorize Galatians 6:9.
Memory Verse: Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of

doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give
up.”
Lesson Overview
Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Build with canned

goods. Discover what Fruit of the Spirit today’s lesson is
about. Supplies: 15-20 canned goods (on 8 of them, spell out
“Goodness”, one letter per can), chalk/marker board with
Galatians 5:22-23 written out
God Revealed (15 minutes) Description: Look to God’s Word
to discover what He says about goodness. Supplies: Bible,
chalk/marker board
Personal Pursuit (10 minutes) Description: Challenge class
with food drive, decorate food drive box. Supplies: Large,
sturdy box for canned goods for food drive, decorating tools
(paint, markers), goodness coloring sheets found here: Fruit
of the Spirit
Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Memorize
Galatians 6:9, pray together. Supplies: Notecards with
memory verse written out for parents.
**For the fruit of the Spirit lessons, you could make a tree
week, you would add “goodness,” allowing a child to place it
are all one type of fruit: the fruit of the Spirit. There are also
your children. Many activities over the fruit of the Spirit
**For this particular lesson, you will need to discuss the Food
Drive with the leadership at your church before challenging
your class. It should be a church-wide drive, and you need
the support of your church leadership.
DO: Build a pyramid of canned goods. After building, let

them know that some of the cans have letters on the bottom.
Instruct them to find all of the letters and see which fruit of
the Spirit it spells. They can look to the verse for help
(Galatians 5:22-23) . After they spell “goodness,” read the
verse aloud.
ASK: What is goodness? Is it different from kindness? (Allow
time for them to give their thoughts). In this verse, goodness
does not just mean being good, but doing good and pushing
others to do good. What kinds of things do we do that are
good?
SAY: These cans of food are a hint to something good that
we can do. All around us are people who do not have enough
money for food. One simple way to do good is to donate food
to people who have none. Churches and schools do
something called “Food Drives.” This is when you bring lots
of canned food or boxes of food and they give them away to
people who are in need. Can you think of other ways we can
do good for people in our community and around the world?
(Picking up trash, clothing drives, buying gifts for children at
Christmas, volunteering at homeless shelters, etc.)
ASK: How can we discover more about goodness-what it is
and where it comes from? By looking in God’s Word! Let’s go
to His Word now and see what He will reveal to us about
goodness.
DO: Begin by reading together Galatians 5:22-23.

SAY: The Bible tells us in this passage that goodness is a
Fruit of the Spirit. If we are saved, the Holy Spirit is living
inside of us, and we can be people who overflow with
goodness! This does not mean that we will be good and do
good all the time. But as we come to know God more and
more, we change! Goodness becomes part of who we are.
With the Spirit living inside of us, He gives the power to do
good!
Read Psalm 25:7, “Remember not the sins of my youth or my
transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember
me, for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!”
SAY: God is good. It is a key part of who He is that we have
to believe and cling to. We see His goodness displayed to us
in many ways. What aspect of God’s goodness does this
verse tell us about? (Forgiveness, forgetting our sins). God
does not have to forgive us of the many sins we commit, but
in His great love and goodness, He does.
Read Psalm 31:19, “Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked
for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children
of mankind!” and read Zechariah 9:16-17a, “On that day the
Lord their God will save them, as the flock of his people; for
like the jewels of a crown they shall shine on his land. For
how great is his goodness, and how great his beauty!”
ASK: What do we learn about God’s goodness from these two
verses? (It is great towards those who follow Him.) If we are
believers, God has promised His goodness to us. This means
that whatever happens in our lives, however horrible or bad
it may seem, God ultimately intends it for our good. And
because He is completely good, it is impossible for Him to do
anything not good. When you see and go through terrible
times, you have to learn to cling to this truth. Our God is
good, all of the time, and the things we think are intended
for our harm, He intends for our good.
Read Philemon 1:13-14, “I would have been glad to keep him
with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf
during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do
nothing without your consent in order that your goodness
might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.”
SAY: I wanted us to read this verse because it reveals to us
an important thing about the Fruit of the Spirit. This is a
letter from Paul to a church. He wants them to free a slave
from punishment, but he says he does not want them to do
this out of “compulsion.” This means he does not want them
to do it because he is making them do it. He wants them to
do it because they want to do it. When we abide in Jesus
Christ, come to know Him more and more, the Fruit of the
Spirit become part of who we are. We begin to want show
the fruit in our lives, like goodness and kindness. Your
parents will not have to tell you to be good or to be kind, but
you will do it on your own. This is what happens when we
allow Jesus Christ to completely change us from the inside
out!
Read Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing

good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
And read Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand, that we should walk in them.
ASK: What do we learn about goodness based on these two
verses? (Allow them to give their thoughts. God has created
us to do good. Doing good may be difficult and challenging,
but it is also rewarding. We grow more like Christ, we learn
how to be compassionate and loving to the poor and needy.
We experience the love of people we may have never talked
to before.)
SAY: I have a challenge for our class. I want us to show this

Fruit of the Spirit, goodness, by organizing a Food Drive at
our church (or anything else that would fit your church
family). Our class will be responsible for spreading the word
through making posters and telling everyone about it. We will
pick a date that we want all the food to be here by and
encourage all of our church family to do good by bringing as
much food as they can. We will set a goal of how many items
we want them to bring and see if we can reach that goal!
Now this is all up to you. Do you think you can do good and
get others to do good with this Food Drive?
Do: Decorate a Food Drive box. Ideas: Place handprints all
over the box using paint (symbolize doing), write verse
references with markers, draw pictures of fruit tree to
symbolize Fruit of the Spirit, etc. Let them use their
creativity!
Do: Make fliers for the Food Drive. For the sake of time, put
the children in three groups. Each group makes one flier
together, and one teacher can make copies to hang around
the church. If you do have time, you may want to go ahead
and allow the children to hang them around the building.
Another option is to make the fliers beforehand and use your
time for the children to hang them up around the church.
Do: Use the Fruit of the Spirit coloring page for goodness.
Act out the scene depicted in the picture or the acts you
discussed as a group. Emphasize that as God produces
goodness in our hearts, we will begin to have a great desire
to do good and teach others to do good.
SAY: I want us to memorize together Galatians 6:9, “And let

us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will
reap, if we do not give up.” (Use hand motions to help them
memorize or write it on the board, erasing one word at a
time until everyone is able to say it together without seeing
it.)
Spend time in prayer together. Remember the specific
situations your children are going through. Invite them to
share their needs and praises. Praise God for the fruit of the
Holy Spirit, the goodness we are able to do because He lives
within us.
Encourage the parents to work on this verse with their
children. Send a notecard home with each parent with the
verse written on it.
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 100:5,
Psalm 89:1, 1 Samuel 12:24, Psalm 37:3, Romans 3:3-4
Exegetical Idea: Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit, available


fruit of faithfulness as we abide and trust in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know faithfulness is modeled

most greatly by our God, is made possible through Christ,
and is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Affective Aim: Children will feel confident of God’s

faithfulness to them, even when they are faithless.
Behavioral Aim: Children will memorize 1 Samuel 12:24.
Memory Verse: 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the LORD and

serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what
great things he has done for you.” (ESV)
Lesson Overview
Kindle Curiosity (5 minutes) Description: Discover what Fruit

of the Spirit today’s lesson is about. Supplies: chalk/marker
board with Galatians 5:22-23 written out, sports
paraphernalia from your town’s favorite team (or the school
team your students play on/support.)
to discover what He says about faithfulness. Supplies: Bible,
chalk/marker board (write out verse references on board)
Personal Pursuit (10-15 minutes) Description: Discover more
about faithfulness through activities. Supplies: Adjectives and
actions that describe a faithful person and an unfaithful
person written out on rectangles of paper (10-15, for
example: keeps their word, breaks a promise, worships God
daily, never prays, etc); a large sign that say “Faithful” and
one that says “Unfaithful” taped to the wall; tape;
faithfulness coloring sheets found here: Fruit of the Spirit
Daily Knowing (7-10 minutes) Description: Memorize 1
Samuel 12:24, pray together. Supplies: Notecards with
**For the Fruit of the Spirit lessons, you could make a tree
week, you would add “faithfulness,” allowing a child to place
it on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only
use one type of fruit (if you are writing each virtue on a
fruit), for though there are several virtues produced by the
Spirit, they are all one type of fruit: the Fruit of the Spirit.
There are also several object lessons and activities on the
website that would complement this lesson if you have more
time with your children. Many activities over the fruit of the
Spirit would work well as the children are arriving.
DO: Set out all of the sports paraphernalia before your

students arrive.
ASK: How many of you have a favorite sports team? How do
you support your team? How do we support [Your students’
team]? What happens when our team loses? Do we start
cheering for the other side? Why not? (We are loyal to our
team.)
SAY: No matter what, we will always support [ ]! They
are our team. We are loyal to them. We believe in them. We
cheer for them when they win and when they lose!
ASK: Can you find a Fruit of the Spirit listed on the board
that describes our loyalty to our team? (Point it out if they do
not make the connection.) Can anyone describe faithfulness
to me?
SAY: Faithfulness is a lot like loyalty…but goes much deeper.
If the Bible tells us we are to be faithful, we should search to
discover what that means! How can we discover more about
faithfulness? By looking in God’s Word! Let’s go to His Word
now and see what He will reveal to us about faithfulness.

SAY: The Bible tells us in this passage that faithfulness is a
faithfulness! This does not mean that we will be faithful all
the time. But as we come to know God more and more, we
change! Faithfulness becomes part of who we are. With the
Spirit living inside of us, He gives us the power to be faithful!
Read Psalm 86:15, “But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and
gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness.” (ESV)
SAY: This verse is said over and over again in the Bible!
What does it tell us about God? (He is merciful, gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness.) God
abounds with faithfulness! This means it overflows from Him.
(Possible demonstration here of pouring water into a glass
and allowing it to overflow.) This is who our God is and why
this verse is repeated so many times in the Bible. God is
showing us how important it is that we believe in who He is.
Our God is a faithful God! It is only from Him that we learn
how to be faithful people.
Read Psalm 100:5, “For the LORD is good; his steadfast love
endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”
(ESV)
SAY: God’s faithfulness endures to all generations. This
means it is not just for grandparents or your parents. God
was faithful to your great, great grandparents, your great
grandparents, and is faithful to you, your children, your
grandchildren, your great, great grandchildren, and even
your great, great, great, great, great grandchildren! God’s
faithfulness is for all generations, past, present, and future!
Read Psalm 89:1, “I will sing of the steadfast love of the
LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your
faithfulness to all generations.” (ESV)
SAY: We know that God’s faithfulness is to all generations,
but what does this verse tell us to do? (Tell all generations
about His faithfulness!) As God’s people, we should be using
our mouths to tell everyone about who God is, about His
faithfulness!
Read 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only fear the LORD and serve him
faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things
he has done for you.” (ESV)
SAY: The Bible tells us in many, many verses to be faithful to
our God. One of the main ways the Fruit of faithfulness is
displayed in our lives as believers is by our faithfulness to
Him. So how do we show faithfulness to God? (Worshipping
Him, obeying His Word, knowing His Word, praying to Him,
etc.)
Read Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in
the land and befriend faithfulness.” (ESV)
SAY: So the Bible tells us that faithfulness is part of who we
are as we abide in Christ. What does this verse tell us about
faithfulness? What do you think it means to “befriend”
faithfulness? (Allow time for their thoughts.) When you make
a new friend, you have to spend time and energy making the
friendship grow. You have to cultivate a friendship, like you
would grow a plant. We are to cultivate faithfulness within
ourselves. This means intentionally being faithful to your
family, your friends, and to our God. This also means praying
for faithfulness to overflow in your heart, studying
faithfulness in Scripture, and getting to know our faithful God
who is our only perfect example of faithfulness!
3. Personal Pursuit (10-15 minutes)
Do: Choose a volunteer to read the following scenario: A

young girl stops talking to her friend. She stops spending
time with her entirely. At school, she talks badly and lies
about her friend whom she used to love. She ignores her,
betrays her, and is completely unfaithful to her. What would
you do if this were your friend? (Allow time for response and
Discussion.)
DO: Choose another volunteer. Have them read Romans 3:3-
4, “What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness
nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true
though every one were a liar…”
ASK: What is God’s response to us when we are unfaithful?
(He is still faithful!) No matter what we do, our God will
always be faithful to us as His people, just as we would never
stop supporting our home team. He will always keep His
Word; His promises will never be broken. If we are to follow
God’s example of faithfulness, how should we respond to an
unfaithful friend? (Continue to be faithful to them.)
SAY: Now that we have talked a little more about
faithfulness, let’s get specific! We are going to do an activity
that helps us understand what a faithful person does and
does not do.
DO: Scatter out the descriptive words and actions on a table
or the floor. Have the children decide which characteristics go
under faithful and which go under unfaithful. Once they
decide, they need to run and tape it under the correct
column (faithful and unfaithful). After they are done, read all
of the characteristics out loud under each label.
SAY: I want everyone to close their eyes for a moment and
think about the words we just read aloud. Which column
describes you? If we were to know everything you did and
said this last week, would your life show that you are faithful
to our God? Are you faithful to your family, your friends? Or
are you unfaithful? (Be silent for 20 seconds or more.) Okay.
Open your eyes. Even if your life is now showing you to be
an unfaithful person, you have great hope! Christ died so
that we may know God. As we know God more and more, we
are able to become more like Him. We begin to display the
Fruit of the Spirit in our lives. If you are not displaying
faithfulness yet, keep spending time with our faithful God! He
will change you and form you into a person of great
faithfulness, faithfulness to Him and faithfulness to others!
And no matter how unfaithful we are to God, His faithfulness
towards you will never ever change. He is always faithful!
Everything He says, He will do. Every promise He makes, He
will keep.
SAY: I want us to memorize together 1 Samuel 12:24, “Only

fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart.
For consider what great things he has done for you.” (ESV)
(Use hand motions to help them memorize or write it on the
board, erasing one word at a time until everyone is able to
say it together without seeing it.)
share their needs and praises. Praise God for the Fruit of the
Holy Spirit, the faithfulness we are able to have because He
lives within us and for His great faithfulness to us.
Scripture: Deuteronomy 32:2, Galatians 5:22-23, Matthew
11:28-29, 2 Samuel 22:36, 1 Peter 3:15, Galatians 6:1
Exegetical Idea: Gentleness is a Fruit of the Spirit, available


fruit of gentleness as we abide and trust in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know gentleness is modeled

most greatly by our God, is made possible through Christ,
and is a Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Affective Aim: Children will feel comforted by the gentle

nature of our God.
Behavioral Aim: Children will memorize Proverbs 15:4.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 15:4, “A gentle tongue is a tree of

life, but perverseness (viciousness, from Strong’s) in it
breaks the spirit.” (ESV)
Lesson Overview

of the Spirit today’s lesson is about. Supplies: chalk/marker
board with Galatians 5:22-23 written out, pictures of
newborns OR actual new parents with their baby (or pictures
of their baby to show). Have them talk about how they had
to learn to handle a newborn gently.
to discover what He says about gentleness. Supplies: Bible,
chalk/marker board (write out verse references on board).
Personal Pursuit (10-15 minutes) Description: Learning
activity, coloring sheets, pray together. Supplies: A bowl or
jar, slips of paper with different scenarios a 1st -3rd grader
might find themselves in that requires a gentle response (ex.
Telling a younger sibling their pet died, confronting a friend
about sin, responding to a friend who had a family member
die, defending your faith to someone who says it’s not true,
etc.), gentleness coloring sheets found here: Fruit of the
Spirit.
Proverbs 15:4. Supplies: Notecards with memory verse
written out for parents.
week, you would add “gentleness,” allowing a child to place it
are all one type of fruit: the Fruit of the Spirit. There are also
your children. Many activities over the Fruit of the Spirit
This activity depends on your resources. If you have new

parents who can come and talk to your class about how they
had to learn to handle a baby gently, that would be great! If
not, do the following:
DO: Show pictures of newborn babies with their parents and
siblings.
ASK: Do any of you have a baby brother or sister? (Allow
time for them to respond.) How do we handle babies? (Allow
time for response.) Babies are fragile. We have to be careful
with them. We are never rough with babies because it will
hurt them. We treat them with gentleness.
SAY: Can you guess what Fruit of the Spirit we are talking
about today from look at our verses on the board? (Allow
them to guess.) Gentleness! Today we will discover that
gentleness is not just about how we care for a baby. God
desires for us to be gentle in our actions, our words, and our
attitudes! Where do we go to discover God’s truth about
gentleness? (His Word! The Bible!)
Read Deuteronomy 32:2 to your students as a prayer over

your teaching time:
“May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the
dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers
upon the herb.”
SAY: This is my prayer as I teach you this morning. Now let’s
read some verses together and discover God’s truth about
gentleness!
DO: Make a column on the board entitled Gentleness. Explain
that together you will make a list of words that describe
gentleness as you read different verses from the Bible. Begin
by reading together Galatians 5:22-23.
SAY: The Bible tells us in this passage that gentleness is a
gentleness! This does not mean that we will be gentle all the
time. But as we come to know God more and more, we
change! Gentleness becomes part of who we are. With the
Spirit living inside of us, He gives us the power to be gentle!
So what would be the first thing we write on the board to
describe gentleness? (Fruit of the Spirit).
Read Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all who labor and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.” (ESV)
SAY: Jesus models gentleness to us by calling all of those
who are tired and suffering to find rest in Himself. He gently
leads us, like a Shepherd with His sheep. What can we write
on the board about gentleness from this verse? (Jesus is our
example of gentleness.)
Read 2 Samuel 22:36, “You have given me the shield of your
salvation, and your gentleness made me great.”
SAY: This verse is from a song David sang after God
delivered Him from his enemies. Earlier in the verse we see
how powerful our God is in defeating David’s enemies.
Describing God as gentle does not mean He is not powerful.
David faced a lot of dangers in his life, but God was always
there, caring, protecting, and guiding him. When David’s
says God’s gentleness made him great, he is referring to His
constant care over his life. What can we write on the board
for this verse? (God is our example of gentleness. Words to
describe it for us: listener, protector, safe place)
Read 1 Peter 3:15, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord
as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone
who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do
it with gentleness and respect…”
SAY: So gentleness is not keeping your faith to yourself, but
proclaiming the Gospel with gentle words, in a respectful
way. If someone asks you why you believe or even attacks
your reasons for believing, you have to be ready to defend
your faith in a gentle and respectful way. What do learn
about gentleness from this verse? (Share truth with
gentleness).
Read: Galatians 6:1, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any
transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a
spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be
tempted.”
SAY: As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to correct and
confront each other when we see sin. This verse shows us
that we are to do it with a spirit of gentleness. Instead of
saying “You are such a sinner! You are horrible”, we should
say, “I have seen this sin in your life. It hurts me to see you
in this sin because I care about you. God loves you and
desires for you to repent.” What do we learn about
gentleness from this verse? (Correct sin with gentle spirit,
gentle words.)
Do: Set out the jar full of scenarios. Split your children into
two or three groups, depending on your class size. Have each
group pull out a scenario.
SAY: Each group has pulled out a description of a situation
you might find yourself in one day. Your job is to act out this
situation two times. The first time, you will show us how to
handle it without gentleness. The second time you will show
us how you could handle it with gentleness based on the
verses we just talked about. If you need any help, let us
know! You have 5-7 minutes to plan your skits! Ready…set…
go!
Adapt their time based on your schedule.
After they are finished, have everyone sit down and discuss
what they have learned. While you are talking, pass out the
gentleness coloring sheet.
DO: Have a time of silence. Ask the following questions
rhetorically: Is gentleness a part of who you are right now?
Do your words show gentleness or are they harsh and mean?
Do you show gentleness with your actions? Are you a
protector, a listener, a comforter to your friends and your
family? Let’s ask God together to grow the fruit of gentleness
in our hearts this week. (Pray together. During your prayer,
thank God for His gentle way with us and for Christ, for it is
only through Him that we can be changed and produce the
Fruit of the Spirit.)
SAY: I want us to memorize together Proverbs 15:4, “A

gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness (viciousness)
in it breaks the spirit.” (Use hand motions to help them
memorize or write it on the board, erasing one word at a
time until everyone is able to say it together without seeing
it.)
Holy Spirit, the gentleness we are able to have because He
lives within us and for His great gentleness to us.
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, Matthew 4:1-11, Proverbs
25:28
Exegetical Idea: Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit, available


fruit of self-control as we abide and trust in Christ.
Cognitive Aim: Children will know self-control is modeled

perfectly in Christ, is made possible through Him, and is a
Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Affective Aim: Children will feel confident in Christ’s perfect,

sinless life, which made it possible for them to experience His
forgiveness and redemption.
Behavioral Aim: Children will memorize Proverbs 25:28.
Memory Verse: Proverbs 25:28, “A man without self-control

is like a city broken into and left without walls.” (ESV)
Lesson Overview

of the Spirit today’s lesson is about. Supplies: Chalk/marker
board with Galatians 5:22-23 written out, jumbo
marshmallows or other fun, desirable snack (allergy alert).
to discover truth about self-control. Supplies: Bible
Personal Pursuit (10-15 minutes) Description: Learning
activity, apply the Scripture truth. Supplies: Blocks, army
men (optional), self-control coloring sheets found here: Fruit
of the Spirit.
Proverbs 25:28, pray together. Supplies: Notecards with
week, you would add “self-control,” allowing a child to place
it on the branch of the tree. I would encourage you to only
use one type of fruit (if you are writing each virtue on a
fruit), for though there are several virtues produced by the
Spirit, they are all one type of fruit: the Fruit of the Spirit.
There are also several object lessons and activities on the
website that would complement this lesson if you have more
time with your children. Many activities over the fruit of the
Spirit would work well as the children are arriving.
DO: Set out a try of marshmallows or another yummy snack

after all your children have arrived. When they ask about it,
SAY: Each of you can have a marshmallow right now if you
want it…but…if you wait until the end of class, you can have
two marshmallows! I am going to put the tray down over
here. If you decide to eat the one marshmallow now, please
grab one soon. At the end of class, I will pass out two
marshmallows to everyone who decides to wait. (Allow them
to think for a few moments and then put the marshmallows
out of reach, but not our of sight.)
SAY: Today we will be discovering God’s truth about the very
last Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5. Can you tell me
what that Fruit of the Spirit is? (Point them to the verse on
the board. Self-control!)

SAY: The Bible tells us in this passage that self-control is a
inside of us, and we can be people who are self-controlled in
every area of life! This does not mean that we will have self-
control all the time. But as we come to know God more and
more, we change! Through Jesus and Him alone, we have the
power to be self-controlled!
SAY: Before we get too far into our lesson though we need to
talk about what self-control is exactly. Can anyone tell me
what self-control is? (Allow time for response.) Self-control is
being in charge of your feelings, actions, and thoughts. So,
basically, having self-control is making yourself do something
that is not easy or doing something you really do not want to
do. It is showing kindness to someone who has just hurt your
feelings. It is obeying your mom right away when she asks
you to clean your room instead of arguing. It is waiting for
something patiently even when you want it really bad
because you know something greater will happen (here tie in
with the marshmallows). Some of you decided to eat a
marshmallow right away. The temptation of a yummy
marshmallows was too great to wait until the end of the
class! We have to realize that self-control is almost always
very hard!
ASK: Who do you think would be our perfect example of self-
control? (God, Jesus!) As a person who never sinned, Jesus
practiced self-control perfectly! Just like with every other
Fruit of the Spirit, He is our model. A lot of times self-control
goes beyond just making ourselves do what is right and
good. It also involves fighting against a desire or temptation
to sin. We can find an example of this in the Bible, our source
of truth! Let’s read together Matthew 4:1-11.
SAY: In this passage, Satan himself comes to Jesus and
tempts Him three different times. Each time, Jesus practices
self-control and does not sin.
ASK: What is Jesus tempted with in verse 2? (Food) Matthew
tells us that Jesus had been fasting (not eating) for 40 days
and 40 nights and was hungry. Can you imagine how hungry
Jesus would be after not eating for 40 days and nights?! I get
hungry if I just skip breakfast! Satan knew this and so He
tempts Jesus to use His power as God to make some food.
However, even though Jesus must have been extremely
hungry, through Scripture He used self-control to resist the
temptation to do what was easy.
SAY: With the third temptation, Satan tells Jesus, “All you
have to do is worship me and all the kingdoms of the world
will be yours.” Well, Jesus is the king of all the kingdoms of
the world, and one day all kingdoms will worship Him. But as
a human, he was not recognized as King. He came to earth
to die for our sins and gain victory over Satan once and for
all. So Satan was offering Him a short cut if Jesus would only
worship him. But this would be extreme disobedience to our
God! ASK: What did Jesus do? (Jesus was obedient and had
self-control rather than disobeying God the Father.) Jesus
never sinned, and not only during this time, but during His
entire life. He is our perfect example! Because He lived a
perfect life, we do not have to. Through His sacrifice, His
death on the cross, we are forgiven and set free from our sin.
As we come to know Him more and more, we can begin to be
like Him! We can begin to show self-control through His
power!
DO: Instruct your children to build two small cities out of

blocks. Each city needs a wall around it to protect them from
enemies. As they start, read Proverbs 25:28, “A man without
self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
ASK: What would happen if enemies came to this city and
knocked the walls down? (They could get in-the people would
be unprotected from another attack.)
SAY: Let’s pretend an army came and attacked this city.
(Have them knock down all the walls using the army men.)
They defeated them and left. Now the city has no walls. What
will happen to them if they never rebuild their walls? (Their
enemies can always get in. They will constantly be attacked.
They will always be unprotected.) What about this other city,
whose walls are still standing? (They are protected. Their
enemies cannot come in.) If enemies continue to come in
and out of this city whenever they want, what will it
eventually look like? Can you show me using the army men?
(Have them take the army men into the city and destroy all
of it.) The city will never know peace and will be destroyed
completely!
SAY: The verse I read to you says that when we have no
self-control, we are like this city with no walls. This means
we have no protection against temptation. When it comes to
us, like an enemy, it overpowers us, and we give in to all
types of sin, like anger, disobedience, meanness, selfishness,
unkindness, and many, many more! We are not able to say
“No!” to temptation like Jesus, but always say “Yes.” Our
lives become a mess of sin and chaos. We have no peace,
just like this city that is a pile of rubble after enemies have
constantly invaded and destroyed it.
DO: Pass out the coloring sheets. As they are coloring, SAY:
What we see in this picture has probably happened to you at
least one time. We have all given into our feelings and sinned
in situations when we really, really want something we are
told we cannot have. Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit.
Remember-this means it does not come to us right when we
begin to follow after God. We will lose the battle many
times! But as we come to know God more and more, as we
abide in Him, the Fruit of the Spirit begins to grow in our
hearts.
ASK: How can we come to know God more and more so that
the fruit of self-control is produced in our hearts? (Through
reading His Word, worshipping Him, talking to our moms and
dads, going to church, praying to Him).
SAY: I want us to memorize together Proverbs 25:28, “A

man without self-control is like a city broken into and left
without walls.” (Use hand motions to help them memorize or
write it on the board, erasing one word at a time until
everyone is able to say it together without seeing it.)
Holy Spirit, the self-control we are able to have because He
lives within us. It is only through Christ, who lived a perfect
life, that we are able to have self-control and the other Fruit
of the Spirit. He has redeemed us, and though we will never
be perfect, we can become more and more like Him as we
follow Him during our lives on earth.
verse written on it. Encourage them to daily remind their
children about the Fruit of the Spirit and to demonstrate the
Fruit in their own daily lives.
How to Win Against Sin
Lesson One: Our Enemy, Our Hero
Scripture References:
 Ephesians 6:11, 12
 Psalm 121
Teacher Preparation:
Read the lesson beforehand and familiarize yourself with it.
You do not have to read it
word for word. Feel free to make it your own, just be sure to
get the theme across. Pray for your
class. Gather the following supplies:
 A picture of a Roman centurion. (Look online and print
one.)
 Plastic cups. You will need six cups for every three to six
kids. You will also need a
small ball, bean bag, or crumpled paper for ever three to six
kids.
 Bible.
 This lesson and enough of the coloring pages for each
child. (The armor of God paper
dolls from the Ministry-To-Children website.)
 Coloring tools, scissors and glue sticks for each child.
 Poster, pieces and glue stick or tape.
 “Our Enemy, Our Hero” activity page.
For further information on spiritual warfare and the armor of
God, study the following
passages. As you study these, allow the Holy Spirit to work
these truths into your life so you can
share them with the students.
 Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28 (Describing Satan and his
fall)
 Genesis 3 (the temptation and fall of man- Satan’s first act
to destroy humanity.)
 Job (Satan gets permission to tempt him)
 2 Kings 6 (Elisha and God’s army)
 Matt 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13 (Temptation of Christ)
 Acts 5 (Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit)
 James 4:6-8 (resist the devil)
 1 Peter 5:8-9 (resist the devil)
 “The devil made me do it” is never a valid excuse. (James
1:13-14)
 We have all the tools we need to resist the devil if we are
in Christ. We put on the same
armor as our Lord and we literally put on Christ. (Is. 59:16-
20, Rom 13:11-14)
Theme:
Satan hates God and wants us to hate God too. He tries to
get us to turn against God by
getting us to sin. God loves us and gives us the tools (the
armor of God) we need to fight against
Satan and WIN AGAINST SIN.
Memory Verse:
Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) “Put on the whole armor of God, that
you may be able to stand
against the schemes of the devil.” Game:
Set up pyramids out of plastic cups. (Three on the bottom,
use 6 cups in all.) Set up as
many pyramids as you would like. This game should not take
more than ten minutes, so have
enough pyramids set up for the kids to move through them
rather quickly.
Explain to the kids that they have to use a ball or beanbag
(or crumpled paper) to knock
over the pyramid. Let them each have a couple of turns, so
everyone has a chance to knock over
the pyramid. Let them stand from whatever distance works
for them.
Discuss. Say that it was pretty easy to know it over. Now
have one volunteer to stand in
front of each pyramid. (Or cover the pyramid with a box.) Let
children try to knock down the
pyramid. Once everyone has tried and failed, explain that we
are like that little pyramid. Satan is
always trying to knock us down, but God is our Protector,
and we will not less us get knocked
down by sin.
Lesson:
Open in prayer.
Ask who has seen the Incredibles. (Or any other movies with
a clear hero and villain, like
Kung Fu Panda.) Who was the good guy? Who was the bad
guy? Discuss the movie for a few
minutes with the kids. Define that a good guy is the hero and
the bad guy is the enemy. Do we
have an enemy in real life? In real life, our enemy is Satan. If
our enemy is Satan, who is our
hero? Our hero is God, Jesus. Satan hates God and is always
fighting him and trying to ruin
things, just like the bad guys in movies. God and Satan are
at war. Do you know what they are
fighting for? They are fighting for us! Satan hates God and
wants us to hate God too. Satan tries
to get us to turn away from God by tempting us to sin. But
God doesn’t want that! He loves us
and wants us to be with him. If we love God and want to be
with him too, then we are in a fight,
too. We are in a fight against sin, because takes us away
from God. Does it sound scary to be in
a war? But we don’t have to worry, because God is on our
side. God is fighting for us. The Bible
says that God is our Protector and that he won’t let any harm
come to us (Psalm 121). All we
have to do is trust that God is in control. God is our hero in
our war against sin, and when we
turn to Jesus and ask for forgiveness from the things that we
have done wrong, then we can
begin to win against sin. Say this with me: With Jesus, I can
win against sin! Since God is our
Protector, he has given us something very special to protect
us. The Bible tells us to put on the
armor of God. Have any of you seen pictures of a Roman
soldier? (Show picture of a Roman
centurion in armor.) Why do they wear all that armor? It
keeps them from getting hurt when they
are attacked by their enemy. The armor of God will protect
us when we are tempted to sin.
Over the next few weeks, we will all work together to
memorize a verse from the Bible. If
you have a Bible, please turn to Ephesians 6:11. You turn
there too. Wait for everyone to look
up at you, so you know they found it. Ask a student to read
the verse or read it to them. Spend a
few moments discussing what it means. Explain that a
scheme is a plan, usually an evil one.)
We will work on memorizing that more together next week.

Now, we are going to learn a
song to help us remember all six pieces of the armor of God.
This song is to the tune of “head,
shoulders, knees and toes.” Have the kids stand with you.
Demonstrate the song once, then have
them join you in singing and motions. Pretend to put on each
piece of armor as you sing it. Hold
the sword up high. When you sing “this is the armor of our
Lord,” march in place.
Belt, breastplate, shoes and shield,
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword,
This is the armor of our Lord,
Helmet and sword.
We will sing this song at the beginning of class every week to
help us remember all the
pieces of armor. Next week, we will start to learn what each
piece of armor means. To help us
remember everything we learn, we are going to make a
poster.
Poster
Display the poster board. Right now, it is just a blank
landscape. Explain to the class that
you will add a new piece to the poster every week. Today,
you will add a few pieces. Start with
the angels, as a reminder that there is an invisible war going
on all around us. Next add the boy
and girl in their shorts and t-shirts. (In the following weeks,
you will add their armor.) Last, add
the sign, “With Jesus, I can WIN AGAINST SIN!” Explain each
piece to the kids as you go. If
you want, have the kids put the pieces on the poster.
Pray with the kids now, and then pass out the Armor of God
coloring pages (found on
this website.) As the children color and glue on the pieces of
armor, you can briefly introduce
each piece if you desire. Work on the “Our Enemy, Our Hero”
activity page, or send it home as
homework to reinforce the lesson.
How to Win Against Sin
Lesson Two: The Belt of Truth
 Ephesians 6:11-14a
 John 14:6
You do not have to read it word for
word. Feel free to make it your own, just be sure to get the
theme across. Pray for your class.
Gather the following supplies:
 Bible.
 Poster and pieces.
 Belt of Truth activity page for each child.
 Two large (12X18) sheets of construction paper per child.
(For younger kids, precut these
into parts of a belt of truth. Follow steps one through three in
the directions.)
 Ribbon or yarn.
 Handheld hole punch.
 Crayons, scissors.
For further information on spiritual Truth, study the following
passages. As you study these,
allow the Holy Spirit to work these truths into your life so you
can share them with the students.
 John 14:6
 Psalm 26:3
 2 Corinthians 13:8
Theme:
The first piece of armor we read about is the belt of truth.
The belt of truth is like a tool belt, it is
where we store all of our knowledge of God.
Memory Verse:
you may be able to stand against
the schemes of the devil.”
Game:
 Tell the students that you will ask them a series of true or
false questions. For each
question they get right, they take one giant leap towards the
finish line. (The end of the
room.) If they miss a question, they stay where they are.
The first one to cross the finish
line wins.
 Have them line up at the starting line.
 All the children answer every question, all at the same
time. Those who get it right move
forward. Those who do not get it right stay put.
 Continue in game play until every child has crossed the
finish line. (Or reached the other
end of the room.)
 Feel free to make up your own questions. You know your
students and their interests, so
make up questions they would like!
How to Win Against Sin, Lesson Three: The Breastplate of
Righteousness
Ephesians 6:11-14
Psalm 119:9-11
Teacher Preparation: Read the lesson beforehand and
familiarize yourself with it. You do not have to read it word
for word. Feel free to make it your own, just be sure to get
the theme across. Pray for your class. Gather the following
supplies:
Bible.
Poster and pieces.
Breastplate of Righteousness activity page for each child.
(page )
One large (12X18) sheets of construction paper per child.
(For younger kids, precut the breastplate.)
Ribbon.
Buttons with two holes. (Heart shaped ones would be great.)
Handheld hole punch.
Crayons, scissors, glue sticks
Scrap paper, other collage materials
For further information on righteousness, study the following
these truths into your life so you can share them with the
students.
Psalm 119:9-11
Deuteronomy 6:25
Romans 3:21-22
Theme: The second piece of armor we read about is the
breastplate of righteousness. We put on the breastplate of
righteousness when we do what God wants us to do instead
of sinning.
Memory Verse: Ephesians 6:11 (ESV) “Put on the whole

armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil.”
Game: Read a series of tricky situations that children might

find themselves in. Have them run to one corner of the room
or the other to show what they would do in a given situation.
For example, say, “Your friends want you to stay out later
than your parents say you can. Do you (a) stay out with your
friends for just a few more minutes or do you (b) tell your
friends that you have to go home because your parents told
you to.” When you say go, have the children run to corner a
or b. Have a few children explain their reasons. Make the
questions appropriate for the age and situations your
students may find themselves in. After a couple or rounds,
you can have children come up with situations, too.
Lesson:
Pray with your class.
Who remembers what we have been learning about? That’s

right, we are learning about the armor of God and how to
WIN AGAINST SIN! Say this with me: With Jesus, I can win
against sin! Just like knights and soldiers wear armor to
protect themselves from being attacked, we wear the armor
of God to protect us from being attacked by Satan. Last week
we learned a song to help us remember all the pieces of
armor. Let’s sing that song together now.
Pretend to put on each piece of armor as you sing it. Hold the
sword up high. When you sing “this is the armor of our Lord,”
march in place.
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword.
Satan tries to get us to sin, but since we love God, we don’t
want to sin. We want to live righteous lives. Who can tell me
what righteous means? Righteous means being right with
God. We are righteous when we follow God and don’t let any
sin into our hearts. What piece of armor protects the heart?
Point to the knight’s breastplate. That’s right, the
breastplate. The breastplate on a knight protects his heart.
Our armor from God comes with a breastplate too. The
breastplate we get from God is called the breastplate of
righteousness. This means that when we put on the
breastplate of righteousness, we are protecting our hearts
from sin and learning to be righteous- right before God. Now,
is the breastplate of righteousness something we actually
wear, like we might wear a jacket? Do we keep our
breastplates of righteousness hanging up in our closets? No!
So how do we put on the breastplate of righteousness? Let a
few children answer. That’s right. We pray that God would
make us right before him by forgiving us of our sins, we read
our Bibles, and we do our best to do what we know is right. o
a sword drill with the following verses. You tell them the
verse to look up, they do. Have a student read the verse and
discuss it briefly. Let’s have a sword drill. Look up Psalm
119:9-11. What do these verses have to do with
righteousness? Verse 9 talks about keeping our way pure.
That means righteous. What do the following verses tell us to
do to stay righteous? That’s right, we seek the Lord with our
whole heart, we keep his commandments, and we store up
his word in our heart. We memorize Bible verses to remind
us how to be righteous.
When we do what is right before God, we are putting on the
breastplate of righteousness. Now let’s all practice our
memory verse together. I will say it once, and then we will
practice our motions to help us remember it. “Put on the
whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against
the schemes of the devil.” Now stand up and we will learn a
few motions to help us learn this Bible verse. “Put on the
whole armor” As you say this, pretend to get dressed. Put on
your pants and a jacket. “of God” Sign God. (with right hand,
thumb facing you, bring your flattened palm downward from
your forehead to your chest.) “So that you may be able to
stand against” Stand with your feet slightly more than
shoulder width apart with your hands on your hips, like a
super hero. “against the schemes” Rub your hands together
like an evil villain. “Of the devil.” Sign devil. (Put your
thumbs to your temples, and your forefingers and middle
fingers straight in the air. Bend them twice, like air quoting.)
Repeat the entire verse with the children, leading them in
doing the motions.
I don’t want you to answer out loud, but can any of you think
of a time when you sinned? Think to yourself how you felt
after you sinned. (Give time for students to think.) At first it
may have felt really good, but after a while, you probably felt
pretty bad, huh? That’s because when we sin, we aren’t
wearing the Breastplate of Righteousness. This makes it even
easier for Satan to come in and help us to sin more.
Remember, we make the choice to let Satan lead us to sin. If
we work to put on the Breastplate of Righteousness every
day, then it will be really hard for him to lead us into sin
because we will be focused on following the commandments
God gives us.
Make a list of some of the commandments that God wants us
to follow. Discuss that righteousness is not based on what we
do, but on God’s gift of the crucifixion to us. We follow his
commandments because we love Him.
Poster: Review the pieces from last week. Add (or have the
children add) a breastplate to the boy and girl on the poster.
Craft: Make breastplates of righteousness with the children.
Cut out a breastplate shape. (Make an inward curve at the

neck, the armpits, and the stomach.)
Punch a hole in each shoulder.
Decorate with scraps of paper. Include a heart on the center.
Add the words “Right with God” to the breastplate.
Measure a piece of ribbon to about a yard per child. String a
button through it, then tie each end of the string through a
hole in the shoulder. This makes an apron-like breastplate.
Pray with the class. Then pass out the Breastplate of
Righteousness activity page. (Circle the things that belong in
a righteous heart and cross out the things that do not belong
in a righteous heart.) Work on it until parents come, or send
it home as homework to reinforce the lesson.
How to Win Against Sin, Lesson Four: The Shoes of the
Gospel of Peace
Ephesians 6:11-15
1 Peter 3:15
the theme across. Pray for your class.
Bible.
Poster and pieces (download & print) activity page for each
child.
One large (12X18) sheets of construction paper per child.
Tape.
Crayons, scissors, glue sticks
For further information on peace, study the following
students.
Ephesians 6:11-15
1 Peter 3:15
John 16:33
Theme: The third piece of armor are the Shoes of the Gospel
of Peace. When we put on these shoes and remember the
gospel every day, we are able to follow Jesus instead of
Satan and tell everyone we meet about God’s love.
Game: Shoe Soup
Have all the kids take off their shoes and place them in a pile
on one side of the room, then have them all stand on the
opposite side. When you say go, they all have to run to the
shoes, grab a pair that does not belong to them, find the
person they belong to and put their shoes on them. As you
help them put on their shoes, ask them questions until you
find out something you did not know about them. You must
take turns putting on shoes and having someone put your
shoes on you. This is not a race with just one winner. All the
students need to work together and make sure everyone has
their shoes on right and makes it back safely. Just like in the
Christian race, they are not supposed to run on their own,
only looking out for themselves. Encourage the older
students to help the younger ones. When everyone gets back
with their shoes on, discuss what you learned about each
other.
Present the Bible Lesson
So far we have learned that we are in a war with Satan, but

God gives us armor to protect us. We know that with Jesus
we can WIN AGAINST SIN! We know how to put on the belt
of truth and the breastplate of righteousness. Let’s sing our
song to help us remember which piece of armor comes next.
Pretend to put on each piece of armor as you sing it. Hold the
sword up high. When you sing “this is the armor of our Lord,”
march in place.
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword.
Now let’s all practice our memory verse together. I will say it
once, and then we will practice our motions to help us
remember it. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Now
stand up and we will learn a few motions to help us learn this
Bible verse. “Put on the whole armor” As you say this,
pretend to get dressed. Put on your pants and a jacket. “of
God” Sign God. (with right hand, thumb facing you, bring
your flattened palm downward from your forehead to your
chest.) “So that you may be able to stand against” Stand
with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart with
your hands on your hips, like a super hero. “against the
schemes” Rub your hands together like an evil villain. “Of
the devil.” Sign devil. (Put your thumbs to your temples, and
your forefingers and middle fingers straight in the air. Bend
them twice, like air quoting. Repeat the entire verse with the
children, leading them in doing the motions.Raise your hand
if you are wearing shoes today. Well, why? Of course you
wore shoes today so you would be able to run around and
not hurt your feet. Why do you think shoes are included in
the Armor of God? We are told to prepare our feet with the
preparation that comes with the Gospel of Peace. What is the
Gospel of Peace? Allow a few students to answer. The
Gospel of Peace is that Jesus came and died on the cross for
our sins and then rose from the dead and ascended into
Heaven. This means that if we believe in Jesus Christ and ask
Him to forgive us of our sins, then we can live a peaceful life
without worry. We don’t have to worry because we know we
are going to Heaven. Why do you think we have to prepare
our feet with this? Let a few students answer briefly. Our job
as warriors for God is to let as many people as we can know
about the Gospel. One way we can do this is to tell them
about the ABC’s of salvation. What are the ABC’s of
salvation? “ A” means you accept that you’re a sinner and
need somebody to help you out of your sins. “B” means you
believe that Jesus Christ has already died for all of your sins
and wants you to follow Him for the rest of your life and
someday go to Heaven. “C” means you confess your sins to
Jesus and ask Him to come into your heart and forgive you of
your sins. If you haven’t already done this in your own life,
then how can you show other people how to do this? If we
say that we love Jesus, we need to act like we love Jesus.
We need to walk the walk. Picture this: if you were playing
basketball with someone and they said they could slam dunk,
you would want to see it, right? What if they kept bragging
that they could slam dunk but then never did? Would you
still believe that they can slam dunk? Probably not. If they
showed you a slam dunk, then you would believe them.
Being a Christian is kind of the same way. When we say we
love Jesus, but then we don’t act like it, we are not walking
the walk. The shoes of the Gospel of Peace help us to
remember to follow Jesus. When we are following Jesus and
doing what he wants us to do, we cannot follow Satan, and
we cannot do what Satan wants us to do. It is important to
put on the shoes of the Gospel of Peace every day, so we can
tell others about Jesus, and keep ourselves from following
Satan. How do we put on the shoes of the Gospel of Peace?
Ephesians 6:15 says that we “put on the readiness that
comes with the gospel of peace.” This means we have to be
ready to tell others about Jesus. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us how to
do this. Read the verse for them.
Poster Review the pieces from previous weeks and add the
shoes to the children on the poster.
Craft: Make shoes of the gospel of peace.
Have children trace both their feet.

Cut them out and decorate.
Cut out strips of paper to go over the top of the shoe. The
strip should be long enough to tuck under the cut out of the
foot. Tape the strip to the bottom, after the kids write PEACE
across it.
Remember, theses shoes are for decoration, and not really
for real use. Wear them to take a picture and then leave
them with the rest of your armor.
Pray with your class, then pass out the Shoes of Peace
activity sheet. Go through the maze. Along the way, you
must cross over every person without crossing over your
tracks. As we go about our lives, we tell people about Jesus.
Give the younger children the Shoes of Peace 2 activity
sheet. These can be done in class or taken home to reinforce
the lesson.
How to Win Against Sin, Lesson Five: The Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:11-16
Hebrews 11
1 John 5:4-5

You do not have to read it word for word. Feel free to make it
your own, just be sure to get the theme across. Pray for your
class.
Bible.
Poster and pieces.
Shield of Faith activity page for each child.
One piece of poster board for each child. (Use either a half
piece or full, depending on the size or the children.)
Masking tape.
Paper Plates.
Crayons, scissors, glue sticks.
For further information on faith, study the following
students.
Ephesians 6:11-16
Hebrews 11
1 John 5:4-5
1 Timothy 6:12
Theme: The fourth piece of armor is the shield of faith. The
shield of faith moves to cover our doubts and struggles. The
more faith we have in our Lord, the less likely we are to be
hurt when Satan attacks. It is also important to remember
that our God is always faithful to us. When we take up the
shield of faith, we don’t do it through our own strength, but
through God’s strength.

Game: Faith Ball
Give every child a paper plate shield. (A paper plate with a

handle made of masking tape on the back.) Have them all
line up along the wall. Gently toss crumpled balls of paper at
the children. (Not towards their heads, of course.) The kids
have to use their shields to block the “arrows” flying toward
them. Once they are hit, they are out. They can help throw
things, if you want. Play until everyone is out. Once the
game is over, have them all sit down on the floor for the
lesson. They can hold on to the shields. They will use them
later, so they can’t tear them up!
Variation: Use a variety of sizes of paper plates. Give some

kids dessert plates and others serving plates, for example.
Consider giving a couple of kids no shields at all. This helps
to demonstrate that the bigger our faith is, the harder it is to
be attacked.
Lesson Presentation
So for the past few weeks we have been learning about our
battle with Satan. God has given us special armor to put on
to help us fight. We know that with Jesus, we can WIN
AGAINST SIN! Today we are going to talk about a special
piece of armor. Let’s sing our song together to figure out
which piece we are learning about today.
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword.
Knights wear a lot of armor, don’t they? It doesn’t seem like

there is any weakness in all that metal, but they still need to
carry a shield. No matter how well protected a warrior may
seem, there is always a weakness somewhere. All the enemy
has to do is find the weakness and they will be able to take
the knight down. That’s why warriors have shields. What
makes the shield different from the other pieces of armor?
Have a few students answer. Unlike the other pieces of
armor, the shield isn’t strapped on to a certain part of your
body. The shield can move to cover weaknesses in a
warrior’s armor and keep arrows from piercing through.
Great warriors know how to use their shield to protect them
from danger. We need to do the same thing with the Shield
of Faith. Why do you think God uses a shield to represent
faith? Let children answer. Faith covers areas of our lives
where we struggle with sins or where we just don’t know the
answer to a question. Hebrews 11 tells us of people in the
Old Testament who had faith to get through difficult
situations, like when Abraham and Sarah trusted that God
would provide them with a child. Then when God fulfilled this
promise, He asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Now
think about how you would feel if you got something you
really really wanted from God, and then you were told to give
it back, you couldn’t have it anymore? That’s exactly what
God asked Abraham to do. But Abraham knew that God
wouldn’t break His promise. He had faith that God would pull
through. That’s because GOD IS ALWAYS FAITHFUL. The
shield of faith is not only our faithfulness to God, but it is also
God’s faithfulness to us. When we are faithful, it means we
completely trust that God will protect us in our war against
Satan. The problem is, when we doubt these things, we are
not being faithful. That’s why God is faithful to us. He will
never leave us. Even when we sin and doubt God, he is still
there to protect us. When we believe that, we are picking up
the shield of faith. Let’s have a sword drill. Look up 1 John
5:4-5. Once everyone has turned to it, have a student read it
out loud. These two verses are telling us that when we have
faith in Jesus Christ and follow him, we can WIN AGAINST
SIN! Shout it out with me, everyone. With Jesus, I can WIN
AGAINST SIN!
Now let’s all practice our memory verse together. I will say it
once, and then we will practice our motions to help us
remember it. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may
be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” Now
stand up and we will learn a few motions to help us learn this
Bible verse. “Put on the whole armor” As you say this,
pretend to get dressed. Put on your pants and a jacket. “of
God” Sign God. (with right hand, thumb facing you, bring
your flattened palm downward from your forehead to your
chest.) “So that you may be able to stand against” Stand
with your feet slightly more than shoulder width apart with
your hands on your hips, like a super hero. “against the
schemes” Rub your hands together like an evil villain. “Of the
devil.” Sign devil. (Put your thumbs to your temples, and
your forefingers and middle fingers straight in the air. Bend
them twice, like air quoting. Repeat the entire verse with the
children, leading them in doing the motions.
shield to the children on the poster.
Craft: Make shields of faith.
Pass out the poster board to the children.

On the board, draw a few examples of shield outlines to help
get the kids started. Or you can pre-draw the outlines on the
poster board. Make sure they take up most of the page.
Allow the children to design their shields however they want,
as long as they put the word FAITH on it, somewhere visible.
Use masking tape to make handles on the back.
Pray with your class, then pass out the Shield activity sheet.
On the arrows, write some things that can challenge your
faith. (Hard questions, being teased for your faith, etc.) With
nonreaders, have them draw the challenges, or simply
discuss them together. Color the shield. These can be done in
class or taken home to reinforce the lesson.
How to Win Against Sin, Lesson Six: The Helmet of Salvation
1 Thessalonians 5:8-9
Romans 8:37-39
supplies:
Bible.
Poster and pieces.
Helmet of Salvation (download here) activity pages for each
child.
Winner tickets (download here)
One sheet of 18” X 12” construction paper, cut into six 2”
wide strips.
Masking tape.
Stapler.
Feathers.
Crayons, scissors, glue.
“Winner!” tickets.
Candy or other small prizes.
For further information on salvation, study the following
students.
Isaiah 12:2
1 Thessalonians 5:8-9
Romans 8:37-39
1 Samuel 2:1-3
Psalm 3
Theme: The fifth piece of armor is the helmet of salvation. As
the helmet protects the head, our hope in salvation protects
our minds from Satan’s lies. We have to think about and be
confident in the hope he gives us.
Memory Verse:

you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
Game: Knock out Temptation
Set up plastic cups along the wall. From about ten or fifteen
feet away, the children have to bounce a ping pong ball off of
the floor once and into the cup. They have to do this three
times in a row. Tell the kids that whoever accomplishes this
task will receive candy or some other small prize. (It is
important that this game is too hard to win. It needs to seem
possible, but make sure no one can actually win.) After
everyone fails a round, tell them that you can offer them
something so that no matter what they do, whether they
make the shots or not, they will still win the prize. Pass out
WINNER! tickets to the kids. Be sure that you don’t force the
ticket on any kid. (You could ask a volunteer, such as
another adult or classroom helper, to deny taking a ticket, to
help demonstrate the point.) Give everyone the option to
take it or leave it. Play the game again, only this time, all
those with a WINNER! ticket get a prize, even if they don’t
complete the task successfully. Ask if the children understand
the point of the game. What spiritual theme were you trying
to get across? Strongly emphasize that there is nothing we
can do to win our salvation. It may seem possible for us to
live right, but in the sight of God, we are still sinners. The
only way to win the game, to reach Heaven, is to accept
God’s free gift of salvation.
Bible Lesson Presentation
Today, let’s start by singing our marching song, then you can
let me know which piece of the armor we are learning about
today.
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword.
Today we are learning about the helmet of salvation. How

many of you ride a bicycle, scooter, skateboard, or other fast
things with wheels? Do you wear your helmet when you do
these things? Why? That’s right, you have to wear a helmet
so you don’t hurt your head. That’s why soldiers wear
helmets too. They have to wear helmets to keep themselves
from getting hurt in battle. As we have been learning, we are
in a spiritual battle against the devil, and God has given us
armor to protect ourselves. One of our most important body
parts is the head, and one of the most important pieces of
spiritual armor is the helmet of salvation. Who can explain to
me what salvation is? Allow a couple of students to respond.
This is a good way to figure out what your students know
about this important topic. Salvation is when Jesus comes in
our lives and takes away our sins. He saves us from an
eternity in Hell. Salvation is the greatest gift we could ever
receive because it took Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us
to get to go to Heaven. God is so holy that He can’t be in the
presence of sin. All it takes is one little sin and then we
deserve to be in Hell, away from the presence of God. Jesus
is the only way to get to Heaven. All we have to do is
ACCEPT that we are sinners, BELIEVE Jesus Christ died for
our sins, and CONFESS our sins to Him, then we get to spend
eternity with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 tells us “But let us
who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor
of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence
of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord
Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.” Salvation is
represented as a helmet because it protects our thinking. We
are confident that we will spend forever in heaven because
God has saved us through Jesus Christ. Sometimes when we
sin, Satan tries to convince us that God will no longer love us
and that we are no longer saved. When Satan tries to make
us feel like we have lost, we need to remember what Romans
8:37-39 says. (Have the class turn there, and a student read
these verses.) “No, despite all these things, overwhelming
victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.And I am
convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.
Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither
our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not
even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No
power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed,
nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from
the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
These verses make it very clear that no matter what we do,
after we put on the helmet of salvation, we are winners
through Christ! Because with Jesus, we can WIN AGAINST
SIN! Let’s practice our memory verse with the motions now.
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
stand against the schemes of the devil.” “Put on the whole
armor” As you say this, pretend to get dressed. Put on your
pants and a jacket. “of God” Sign God. (with right hand,
thumb facing you, bring your flattened palm downward from
your forehead to your chest.) “So that you may be able to
stand against” Stand with your feet slightly more than
shoulder width apart with your hands on your hips, like a
super hero. “against the schemes” Rub your hands together
like an evil villain. “Of the devil.” Sign devil. (Put your
thumbs to your temples, and your forefingers and middle
fingers straight in the air. Bend them twice, like air quoting.
Repeat the entire verse with the children, leading them in
doing the motions.
helmets to the children on the poster.
Craft: Make helmets of salvation.
Pass out the six strips of paper to the children.

Allow the children to decorate the strips. Have them
designate one piece to be the headband.
Use a piece or two to wrap around the child’s head. It should
comfortably be able to slip on and off. Staple the pieces
together into a headband. Use tape to cover the staples on
the inside so they don’t scratch the child.
Use the remaining pieces to make cover the head. Staple one
end of a strip to the front end of the headband, and the other
end of the strip to the back end of the headband. Continue to
do this with all the remaining strips, going side to side as
well, so the whole head is pretty much covered.
Tape over all the staples.
If time allows, let the kids glue feathers to the top strip of
their helmets.
Pray with your class, then pass out the Helmet activity
sheets. These can be done in class or sent home to reinforce
the lesson. The page for the older children is a decoder page
that spells out “Accept that you are a sinner. Believe that
Jesus died for your sins. Confess your sins to God. Commit to
following him. Do it today!” The activity page for emergent or
nonreaders requires that they color the ABCs of salvation, cut
them out, and glue them in the correct order.
How to Win Against Sin, Lesson Seven: The Sword of the
Spirit
Hebrews 4:12
Ephesians 6:17
Matthew 6:33
Matthew 4:1-11

You do not have to read it word for word. Feel free to make
it your own, just be sure to get the theme across. Pray for
your class. Gather the following supplies:
Bible.
Poster and pieces.
Sword of the Spirit activity page for each child. (Sword
Search download & coloring sheet )
five sheets 8 ½ X 11 white computer paper
two sheets construction paper
Stapler.
Crayons, scissors.
For further information on the word of God, study the
following passages. As you study these, allow the Holy Spirit
to work these truths into your life so you can share them
with the students.
Matthew 4:1-11
Hebrews 4:12
Psalm 119:105
John 17:17
Theme: The last piece of armor is the Sword of the Spirit.
The Sword is the word of God, the Bible. This is not a piece
of armor we put on and wear, but one we must keep sharp
and use daily. We must be “expert swordsmen!”

Game: This game has many variations. The purpose is for

children to see that we use God’s Word to “cut through” the
lies and see the Truth. To play, you will need a stick of some
sort (or a few, depending on how many kids you have. The
game shouldn’t take more than ten or fifteen minutes.) The
stick could be a bat, a stick, a pool noodle, or rolled up
newspaper. The stick represents the sword, the Bible. Kids
will swing at objects that have lies written on them. When
they knock over the object, the truth will be revealed. For
example: set up a number of cereal boxes with lies written
on them. (Such as, “God won’t forgive you for that,” “you
won’t really get in trouble for stealing,” etc.) Inside the box,
have a card with a Biblical truth that refutes that lie. You
could also write lies on balloons and have the truth inside.
Kids pop the balloons to find the truths. Or you could make
piñatas out of paper lunch bags. Use your imagination and
the supplies you have on hand for this game. To make this
harder, have some truths mixed in with the lies, and the kids
have to decide which is which. They knock down only the
boxes with lies.
Lesson: Pray with your class.
Today, let’s start by singing our marching song. (To the tune
of “head, shoulders, knees and toes.)

Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword,
Helmet and sword.
Today we will discuss the last piece of armor in the Armor of

God. So far, we have put on truth like a belt, righteousness
like a breastplate, readiness like shoes, faith like a shield,
and salvation like a helmet. What is the last piece of armor?
That’s right, the sword. Who can tell me how a sword is
different from the other pieces of armor we have been
learning about? A sword is not a piece of armor that we put
on and wear. A sword is a weapon that we use in battle. We
use the sword in battle against Satan. What does the Bible
say the sword is? Let’s look at Ephesians 6:17. This verse
shows us that the sword we use is the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God. What is the word of God? That’s
right, the word of God is the Bible. Why do you think Paul
uses a sword to represent to the Bible? Let’s read a Bible
verse to find out! To make this a little more fun, we’re going
to have a sword drill. A sword drill is a race to see who can
find the Bible verse first. Everybody close your Bible and hold
it in one hand above your head. When I say go, start looking
for the verse I say. Give me a thumbs up when you find it.
Have the kids hold their Bibles above their heads. Look up
Hebrews 4:12. Go! After the kids all find the verse, have a
volunteer read it.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “ For the word of God is alive and
powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,
cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It
exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” A sharp sword
can cut through just about anything. When we use the Bible
as a sword, we are able to “cut through” the things the world
tells us and get to the truth. Sometimes TV shows, music,
billboards and people can tell us things that may sound really
good, but when we compare it with the Bible, these things
aren’t really any good at all! For example, sometimes we
hear the message that the best thing in life is having lots of
things and lots of money. Satan tries to convince us that we
need to work hard to get lots of money, but the Bible says,
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live
righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matt
6:33, NLT). This verses shows us that the most important
thing in the world isn’t money or stuff, but following God. Did
you know that even Jesus used the word of God as a sword
against Satan? Can anybody remember when? Allow children
to answer. After Jesus was baptized, he went into the
wilderness and was tempted by Satan. Whenever Satan
tempted Jesus to sin, Jesus fought back by quoting from the
word of God. Jesus is the perfect example of a good
swordsman. A good swordsman spends time practicing with
his sword every day. He takes care to be sure his sword is
always sharp. How do we keep our sword of the Spirit sharp?
By reading the Bible every day, and memorizing Scripture.
With the help of Jesus, we can become expert swordsmen
and we can WIN AGAINST SIN! Let’s practice keeping our
swords sharp by saying our memory verse with the motions
now. “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able
to stand against the schemes of the devil.” “Put on the whole
armor”
As you say this, pretend to get dressed. Put on your pants
and a jacket. “of God” Sign God. (with right hand, thumb
facing you, bring your flattened palm downward from your
forehead to your chest.) “So that you may be able to stand
against” Stand with your feet slightly more than shoulder
width apart with your hands on your hips, like a super hero.
“against the schemes” Rub your hands together like an evil
villain. “Of the devil.” Sign devil. (Put your thumbs to your
temples, and your forefingers and middle fingers straight in
the air. Bend them twice, like air quoting. Repeat the entire
verse with the children, leading them in doing the motions.
swords to the children on the poster.
Craft: Make swords of the Spirit. These are booklets the

children can use to record their memory verses in.
Pass out five sheets of computer paper to the children. Cut

all the sheets in half, so you end up with ten sheets of paper
each 4 ¼ X 11 inches.
Stack the papers together and staple them on a short end.
Cut the other end into a triangle. You now have a booklet
shaped like the blade of a sword.
Trace the blade onto construction paper twice, and cut it out
into a front and back cover. Use another sheet of
construction paper, folded in have, to design and cut out a
handle for the sword. Staple the whole thing together and
decorate.
On the first blank page, write Ephesians 6:11. Younger
children can draw what it means, and you can write it for
them.
Pray with your class, then pass out the Sword activity sheets.
These can be done in class or sent home to reinforce the
lesson. The page for the older children is a word search with
some of the books of the Bible in it. The books can be found
forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. The page for
younger children is to help them see the importance of
knowing the truth. Fold the page in half, so only one picture
is exposed. Give the children a set amount of time to study
the picture. (30 seconds, a minute or two minutes.) Then
have them look at the bottom picture and see how many
differences they can spot from memory.
Ephesians 6:18
Philippians 4:6
Romans 8:26-28
Matthew 7:7
supplies:
Bible.
Poster and pieces.
Battle Plan: Prayer activity page for each child.
Download – prayer 2
Download – prayer
One sheet of computer paper per child.
Crayons, scissors.
For further information on prayer, study the following
students.
James 5:16
Hebrews 13:3
Matthew 6:9-15
Luke 18:1-17
Theme: Now that we have put on all the armor of God, we
have to learn how to fight this spiritual battle. We have to
communicate with our the Leader of the battle, Jesus Christ.
We communicate with God through prayer. Prayer helps us
fight and win the spiritual battle.
Game: For today’s game, play a good old-fashioned round

of telephone. Have all the kids sit in a circle or straight line
on the floor. Whisper a phrase into the first child’s ear, then
have them whisper it to the next child, on and on until it
reaches the last child. Have the last child say out loud what
they heard. Tell them the original phrase, and share a laugh
at how it changed. Use tricky phrases to throw the kids off.
(Say things like, “Sandy sells sandy shells on the slushy
slopes,” or, “a bare naked bear bearing boring berries on a
board.”) After a few rounds, discuss how the message got
muddled from one person to the next, but when we talk with
God, he always understands exactly everything we say, even
when we don’t say things out loud.
Lesson: Begin by praying with your class.
Over the past several weeks, we have discovered that we are

at war with Satan. We have also learned that God has given
us the tools we need to stand firm in this war. But what we
have yet to learn is how exactly we are to fight. Raise your
hand if you have ever played on a sports team. Now when
you compete, does your coach let you go out and do
whatever you want? No, your coach will give you
instructions, a game plan. He will tell you what you need to
do in order to win. Jesus Christ does the same this with us.
Like any good commander will do for his troops, Christ has
given us a battle plan. Can anybody guess what that is?
Right, the way we can fight in this war against Satan is
through prayer. So, what is prayer? Prayer is talking to God.
What are some things to pray for? The Bible tells us that it’s
okay to pray for everything. In Philippians 4:6 it says, “Don’t
worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell
God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
How do we pray? We pray through the Holy Spirit. In
Romans 8:26-27 the Bible says, “ And the Holy Spirit helps
us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God
wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with
groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father
who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the
Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own
will.” This means that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray. If you
have asked Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sins and live
in your heart, then his Holy Spirit will guide your prayers.
When should we pray? Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray all the
time. Does that seem like hard work to you? If we are
praying all the time, we wouldn’t be able to go to school or
eat or anything, would we? When we are told to pray all the
time, this does not mean we stop doing things. It means we
should always be thinking about God and talking to Him. We
can pray for anything, at any time. Can you think of some
things to pray for, and places to pray? Make a chart on the
board with the students. Include places to pray and things to
pray for. Make sure the list covers topics such as friends,
family, the church, missionaries, countries in need, those
who are sick, the lost, personal needs, etc. Include random
places to pray, like the shower, the drive thru line at
McDonald’s, in bed, on the bus. So now we know that we can
pray at any time about anything. But how do we know that
God hears us? Let’s do a sword drill to find out. Find Matthew
7:7. Go! Matthew 7:7 says, “Keep on asking, and you will
receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.” God
hears your prayers and answers them. When we humbly pray
to God, we can WIN AGAINST SIN! Let’s end by saying our
memory verse with the motions. “Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of
the devil.” “Put on the whole armor” As you say this, pretend
to get dressed. Put on your pants and a jacket. “of God”
Sign God. (with right hand, thumb facing you, bring your
flattened palm downward from your forehead to your chest.)
“So that you may be able to stand against” Stand with your
feet slightly more than shoulder width apart with your hands
on your hips, like a super hero. “against the schemes” Rub
your hands together like an evil villain. “Of the devil.” Sign
devil. (Put your thumbs to your temples, and your forefingers
and middle fingers straight in the air. Bend them twice, like
air quoting. Repeat the entire verse with the children, leading
them in doing the motions.
Pray! dialogue bubble to the poster.
Craft – Make prayer booklets. These booklets can help the

children remember what to pray for and serve as a place to
record their prayers. You may want to pre-make the booklets
for younger children, and just have the kids decorate them.
Pass out a sheet of computer paper to each child.

Fold the paper short side to short side. Crease and leave
folded.
Fold the paper short side to short side again. Leave folded.
Fold in have in the other direction. Crease.
Unfold the paper twice, so it only has one fold in it.
Cut along the folded side, up the crease, until you reach the
center crease. Do not pass this line.
Unfold the paper all the way. You now should have eight
sections, with a cut in the center of the page.
Fold in half, long side to long side. (Along the cut.)
Fold the paper so the cut opens up and you see a plus sign
when you look straight down at your paper.
Smoosh it together, until you have flaps. Press your flaps
together into a book.
For more help, visit this website with pictures:
http://library.thinkquest.org/J001156/makingbooks/minibook
/index.htm
Or look up “One page mini book.”
Decorate the cover. On each page inside, write a different
area to pray for. For example, on one page, write
“Missionaries” to remind you to pray for missionaries. Other
ideas are: family, the persecuted church, the government,
church leadership, friends, those who are in prison or
hurting, and lastly, yourself.
Make as many of these books as you would like!
Pray with your class, then pass out the Prayer activity
sheets. These can be done in class or sent home to reinforce
the lesson. The page for the older children is an illustration of
the five-finger prayer. First you pray to those close to you.
(As the thumb is close to the body when you hold up your
hands in prayer.) Second you pray for those who point to
God, like teachers and missionaries. (As the first finger is the
pointer finger.) Third you pray for authority, like the
president. (As the middle finger is the tallest.) Fourth you
pray for the oppress and weak, like orphans, widows,
prisoners and the sick. (The ring finger is the weakest.) Fifth,
you pray for yourself. (The pinky is last. You are last to
remind yourself to consider others as more important than
yourself.) The older children write who they will commit to
pray for in each of these categories. The page for younger
children is an accordion book that can be folded and kept in
their pocket, so they have a close reminder of who/what to
pray for. They can draw a picture in each box to remind
them. After folding the book, they can add more prayers to
the boxes made from the creases on the back of the page.
Ephesians 6:19-20
1 Corinthians 2:12
Luke 12:8, 11-12
1 Peter 3:15
2 Corinthians 5:20

You do not have to read it word for word. Feel free to make
it your own, just be sure to get the theme across. Pray for
your class. Gather the following supplies:
Bible.
Poster and pieces (download)
Declare it Boldly activity pages for each child (student page
and answer key)
Gospel flap books printouts. (download here)
Crayons, scissors.
For further information on sharing your faith, study the
following passages. As you study these, allow the Holy Spirit
to work these truths into your life so you can share them
with the students.
Acts 4:23-31
Exodus 4:10-12
Colossians 4:3
2 Corinthians 3:12
Theme: Now we are wearing all of our armor, and we know
how to speak with our Commander, Jesus Christ. The last
thing we need to do in our battle against sin is declare our
faith boldly.
Game: Play Tongue Twisters. Write the following tongue

twisters (or your own tongue twisters) on the board. Give the
students a few minutes to practice saying them. After
everyone has had a chance to practice the tongue twisters,
give anyone who wants to a chance to say the tongue
twisters from memory. If anyone gets them all right (three
times fast), then they win candy.
A box of mixed biscuits, a mixed biscuit box

An Ape hates grape cakes.
Freshly-fried fat flying fish
Toy boat
Bible Lesson Plan:
Today is the last day we will be discussing How to Win

Against Sin. We have learned that we are at war with Satan,
and that God has given us spiritual armor to help us fight.
We also know that we communicate with Jesus, our
Commander, through prayer. Today we will learn how to
declare our faith boldly. Before we get into what that means,
let’s see how many people have committed our memory
verse to heart. Have the children take turns reciting
Ephesians 6:10 form memory, doing the motions if they
want. If desired, reward each child who has memorized the
verse with a small prize or candy. “Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of
the devil.” “Put on the whole armor” As you say this, pretend
to get dressed. Put on your pants and a jacket. “of God”
Sign God. (with right hand, thumb facing you, bring your
flattened palm downward from your forehead to your chest.)
“So that you may be able to stand against” Stand with your
feet slightly more than shoulder width apart with your hands
on your hips, like a super hero. “against the schemes” Rub
your hands together like an evil villain. “Of the devil.” Sign
devil. (Put your thumbs to your temples, and your forefingers
and middle fingers straight in the air. Bend them twice, like
air quoting. You all did a great job learning our memory
verse! Now, who thinks the tongue twisters at the beginning
of class were tough? What do you think tongue twisters could
have to do with today’s lesson? After accepting a few
guesses from students, read Ephesians 6:19-20, then define
tricky words like “declare,” “boldly” and “ambassador.” You
see, I wrote these tongue twisters on the board for you and
gave you time to practice them before saying them to me. Is
that what Paul is asking for in this passage? Is he asking for
time to practice a speech before sharing the “mystery of the
Gospel?” Where is he expecting these words to come from?
Paul is not looking for a speech to be given to him to practice
before he shares the good news of Jesus with everyone.
What he is asking for is that when a situation comes where
he needs to share about God, the Holy Spirit would tell him
what to say in that moment. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of
God, and it says in 1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have
received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from
God, that we might understand the things freely given us by
God.” This means the Holy Spirit helps us understand the
Bible and to share what it says with others. Does it sound
scary to start talking to someone about Jesus without
knowing exactly what you are going to say? What are some
of the reasons that someone might be afraid to share their
faith? Make a list of student responses on the board. Include
things like, “I don’t know what to say” and “I’m afraid they
will laugh at me.” These all seem like good reasons to be
afraid. But we don’t have to be afraid, because Jesus is with
us whenever we speak! Jesus says in Luke 12:8, “I tell you
the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on
earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence
of God’s angels.” When we are happy to tell others about
Jesus, Jesus is happy to tell the angels about us. Jesus goes
on in Luke 12:11-12 to say, “And when you are brought to
trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities,
don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, for
the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be
said.”These verses are NOT saying that we should not be
prepared to share the gospel. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to always
be ready to explain our Christian hope to others. (New Living
Translation.)What Jesus is telling us is that no matter where
we are or who we are talking to, he will be there to help us
talk about him. We want to tell others the good news of
Jesus so they can learn to WIN AGAINST SIN just like we
have learned to WIN AGAINST SIN with Jesus! Ephesians
6:20 calls us ambassadors. Let’s have a sword drill to help us
understand what this means. When I say go, look up 2
Corinthians 5:20. Go! This verse tells us that we are
ambassadors, or messengers from a foreign country,
(Heaven,) for God. Our message is the gospel. We are to ask
people to turn to God, so they can WIN AGAINST SIN!
Jesus Rules! dialogue bubble to the poster.
Craft: Make Gospel flap books. Pass out one template to each
student. First, fold the paper in half long side to long side, so
the text is on the inside. With it still folded, fold it again short
side to short side. Bring the top down to meet the bottom so
when your book is closed, the title page is now facing you.
When you open the flap book, you should lift the top so it is a
sheet folded long side to long side, with flaps that open to
the left, like a book. Unfold one time and cut along the lines,
up to the crease in the middle. Fold the flaps closed. On the
outside of each flap, draw a picture to remind you of the
verses and idea inside that flap. Remind the students that
this is just an example, an idea of what to say when you
share the Gospel. The Holy Spirit will provide the exact words
they need when the time comes.
Pray with your class, then pass out the Declare it Boldly
activity sheets. These can be done in class or sent home to
reinforce the lesson. The page for the older children is a
crossword that reviews the lessons. For the younger children,
have them use Mandy Groce’s armor of God coloring pages
also found on this site. This will help them remember all the
pieces of armor.

Kids Lesson

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Kids Lesson

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

“How To Honor Your Father” Bible Lesson

Basic Supply List:

Close this part of the lesson in prayer . . . .

Father says clean your room (pretend to clean)

Luke 15:11-32 “The Parable of the Prodigal Son”

Boy praying in open field

Lesson Title: Following Jesus & Freedom from Sin

Basic Supply List:

Making mean jokes about other children at school

hold to my teaching = do what I say = obey

Close this part of the lesson in prayer . . .

entrance mosaic st marks basillica venice italy

Lesson Title: The Glory of the New Covenant

Basic Supply List:

Bible (The NLT makes this passage very understandable.)

Explain the passage background:

Three amphora clay pots with flowers growing inside.

Lesson Title: Treasure in Jars of Clay

crushed plastic water BottleBasic Supply List:

Object Lesson Introduction

Refresher of the New Covenant Conecpt

Introduce the Scripture Passage:

Verse by Verse Explanation & Discussion

Continuation of Object Lesson:

New Covenant<Christ<veil is gone<access to God<know Him<experience His glory

Ask: what do you see? [nothing]

2 Corinthians 4:1-7 from the New Living Translation:

Kara JenkinsSep 26th

Lesson Title: Persecuted, Not Abandoned

Basic Supply List:

Discover the Truth

Introduce the Scripture Passage:

Verse by Verse Explanation & Discussion

For example, in the case of divorce,

Cute baby holding onto fingers.

Lesson Title: We Do Not Lose Heart

Basic Supply List:

Ask for volunteers to read 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

Seen versus the Unseen

Learning Outcome Test

Momentary (short), light, temporal, seen.

2 Corinthians 4:13-18 from the New American Standard Bible

Message: Open in prayer…

Read Scripture references (below), Matthew 6:5-14, Luke 18:1-14, Psalm 51

Message: Open in prayer…

9 Pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,

Open in prayer, then say,

At the very top, write your name.

Read Scripture references, Matthew 13, and Revelation 21.

Open in prayer, then say,

Open in prayer, then say,

Read Scripture references, John 6:1-59 and Matthew 6:20-34

Open in prayer, then say,

34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

Open in prayer, then say,

Open in prayer, then say,

Read Scripture references, Exodus 15:1-20, and Job 36:22-24.

Open in prayer, then say,

(Ask the following questions):

Does anyone here like to talk on the phone?

Why is it important to talk with God?