Kids’ lesson
Week 4: Strong for God!
This lesson goes with week 4 of the All for His Glory sermon series, so kids and parents learn the same truth on the same Sunday.
Leader notes for every lesson
- Never comment on a child’s body, size or weight, or on what they eat. Talk about God’s gifts and healthy habits, not “good” and “bad” kids.
- Check allergies before serving any snack, and have a nut-free option.
- Children do not fast from food. In week 3, kids give up a toy or screen time instead.
- Include every child in games. Offer a seated role for kids who can’t run.
1. Welcome game (10 minutes)
Verse Obstacle Course: Set up 5 stations with cones, tape lines or pillows: hop, crawl, spin, march and jump. At each station, tape one phrase of the memory verse. Kids go through the course and say the phrase at each stop. Offer a “walking” lane and a seated option so everyone can play.
2. Bible story (10 minutes)
Have you ever run a race? (Let kids answer.) In Bible times, people loved to watch races, just like we do.
The apostle Paul loved Jesus and traveled all over the world telling people about Him. Paul wrote letters to churches, and he said that following Jesus is like running a race.
Paul said runners practice every day so they can run their best. They eat good food, they rest, and they keep going even when it’s hard. And at the end, they win a prize. But their prize, a crown made of leaves, would wilt and fall apart. Paul said: we are running for a prize that lasts forever!
Paul took care of his body so he could keep going and keep telling people about Jesus. But he knew something even more important: being strong on the inside, loving God and loving others, matters most of all.
The Bible says, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus.” When we get tired, we look to Jesus. He gives us strength!
Talk about it
- What did Paul say following Jesus is like?
- How do runners get ready for a race?
- Why is it good to move and play? (It keeps the body God made strong.)
- What does it mean to be strong on the inside?
- Who helps us when we are tired? (Jesus!)
3. Memory verse (5 minutes)
“They shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
Walk, run, jump: Say the verse while acting it out: “They shall run” (run in place) “and not be weary” (shake head no) “they shall walk” (walk in place) “and not faint” (stand up tall). Repeat faster!
4. Craft or coloring (10 minutes)
“Strong for God” medal: Kids decorate a paper-plate medal with markers and write “Strong for God! Isaiah 40:31.” Punch a hole and add ribbon. Or use the coloring page.
5. Snack time (5 minutes)
Runner’s snack: Banana halves or orange slices, plus a cup of water. Talk about how water and fruit help our bodies when we play hard.
6. Pray together
Dear God, thank You for bodies that can move and play. Help us to grow strong on the outside and the inside. When we get tired, help us look to Jesus. Amen.
Take-home note for parents
Today your child learned that following Jesus is like running a race, and that God gives us strength (Isaiah 40:31; 1 Corinthians 9). Try this week: take a family walk or play outside together three times, and pray as you go. Memory verse: Isaiah 40:31.