10 Commandments Sunday School Lesson
Here is our awesome 10 Commandments Sunday School Lesson! This is a fun and exciting way to teach the kids in your Children's Ministry, Sunday School, or Kids Church all about the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments showed the Israelites right from wrong, and it can do the same for us. God freed the Israelites from Egypt and made them His people. He gave them the Ten Commandments so that they would know the difference between right and wrong. If we follow the Ten Commandments, we will honor God by loving him and loving others. After using this lesson, kids will be able to state what the 10 Commandments are and why God gave them to us. Once you use this lesson you are definitely going to want to check out our entire 10 Commandments 12-Week Children's Ministry Curriculum. And, if you like this lesson we have tons more freeTen Commandments Sunday School Lessons.
10 Commandments Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
The Ten Commandments teach us right from wrong.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids state what the Ten Commandments are and why God gave them to us.
KEY PASSAGE:
Exodus 20:1-21, The Ten Commandments
MEMORY VERSE:
“The law of the Lord is perfect. It gives us new strength. The laws of the Lord can be trusted. They make childish people wise.” Psalm 19:7 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
God freed the Israelites from Egypt and made them His people. He gave them the Ten Commandments so that they would know the difference between right and wrong. If we follow the Ten Commandments, we will honor God by loving him and loving others.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Ten Commandments.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.” Psalm 19:7 (NIV)
“The law of the Lord is perfect. It gives us new strength. The laws of the Lord can be trusted. They make childish people wise.” Psalm 19:7 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Read the verse in a normal speed with the kids. Then read it super slow. Then read it super fast!
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SKIT
WELCOME TO THE TEAM
ITEMS NEEDED:
A baseball uniform for Buddy
A gym bag for Jack
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2M
CHARACTERS:
Buddy - A baseball team manager
Jack - A new player
Buddy is on stage. Jack enters with his bag, having just come from the airport.
JACK: Excuse me, I’m looking for the manager.
BUDDY: That’s me. Buddy Scripture, I manage the team here. You must be the new guy. What’s your name again?
JACK: Jack Newbie.
BUDDY: Jack! We’re so glad to have you on board.
JACK: Oh, I’m glad to be here, coach. I’m ready to help you all win some ball games.
BUDDY: I’m sure you are, Jack. The team’s excited to have you as well. Of course before we get you your uniform and stuff, I need to get you a copy of the rules.
JACK: The rules?
BUDDY: That’s right, the rules of the game!
JACK: No disrespect, sir, but I’ve been playing baseball all my life. I think I know the rules.
BUDDY: Son, I’m not talking about baseball. I’m talking about the game of life.
JACK: The board game?
BUDDY: No, the real thing!
JACK: I don’t get it. What’s this all about?
BUDDY: Jack, I want my boys to play hard, to work together, and win a lot of games, but I’m less concerned with how many games we win than I am with how we win them.
JACK: And how do we do that?
BUDDY: God gave us some rules to live by. The Ten Commandments, he called them. These rules teach the difference between right and wrong. If we can learn and follow those rules, well, that’s far more important than winning games.
JACK: Ten Commandments, huh? That doesn’t sound too hard to learn.
BUDDY: It’s easier said than done. You may learn what the commandments are in a day, but following them? That takes a lifetime. My most veteran players break those rules every day. I break them all the time myself! I’m sure you broke a few just this morning.
JACK: Wow, thanks for the encouragement.
BUDDY: Now, don’t go getting discouraged, Jack. If we ask God for his help, we will get better and better at following the Ten Commandments and making the right choices. The better we become at making good choices, the more we spread the love of God.
JACK: Really?
BUDDY: That’s what it’s all about, Jack. Love God, love others.
JACK: Buddy, you’re the weirdest baseball manager I ever met. But if that’s what it takes to be a member of this team, count me in!
BUDDY: That’s the spirit, my boy! Come on, let’s get that rule book in your hands and get you fitted for a uniform.
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
The game of LIFE board game
How many of you have played the game of LIFE? Who has never played this game before?
Bring a few newbies up, let them see all the pieces.
This game has a lot of pieces, doesn’t it? How would you figure out how to play this game if you’d never played it before?
Pull out the instructions.
Every board game comes with a set of instructions. These instructions tell you what all these pieces and cards are for, and how to play every space on the board. A game like LIFE has a lot of instructions, way more than a game like Checkers. But if we learn and follow the rules we can play fair and have a lot of fun.
God has a set of rules for real life. We call them the Ten Commandments. These instructions teach us how to know right from wrong so that we can make wise choices. If we follow the Ten Commandments, we will learn how to love God and how to love others more and more every day.
The Ten Commandments teach us the best way to play fair every day of our lives. Let’s commit ourselves to learning these rules so we can live the life God has planned for us!
LARGE GROUP GAME
THE TEN
ITEMS NEEDED:
Ten large posters or cards, each with one of the Ten Commandments written on it
Ten stands, or a board the cards can stick to
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose one or two players for this game. Give the kids the ten cards, and start the clock. The player or players will have 60 seconds to put the Ten Commandments in order. If they can arrange them in the correct order in 60 seconds or less, they win a prize.
VARIATION:
For younger players, give them 90 seconds to work with.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
The Ten Commandments are God’s rules for living.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
The Ten Commandments teach us right from wrong.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids state what the Ten Commandments are and why God gave them to us.
KEY PASSAGE:
Exodus 20:1-21, The Ten Commandments
INTRO:
When you go to class on the first day of school, what’s the first thing the teacher does? She lays out the rules for the class. Teachers spend most of the first day introducing themselves and laying out their expectations. Teachers tell you what the rules are for homework and classwork. They lay the ground rules for behavior in the classroom. And they let you know what the consequences will be for breaking those rules.
Teachers aren’t the only people with rules and expectations. When you sign up for a sports team, the first thing coaches go over are the rules. There are rules of the game to be followed, but coaches also have their own rules for practice. There are rules for being on time to games, rules for keeping your uniforms tidy, and rules for taking care of your equipment.
Board games have rules. Video games have rules. Playgrounds have rules. And parents have rules. Parents probably have the most rules of anybody, and they’re constantly making new ones, everything from, “Make your bed in the morning,” to, “No slime on the couch!”
Rules may seem restrictive but rules are created for a reason. The rules of the house are to teach you how to take care of your things and help with the chores, as well as how to respect other people. No hitting, no slime on the couch, clean your own dishes, put your toys away - all these rules have a purpose and a reason.
Classroom rules have a purpose too. They keep order in the class so everyone can learn. Board games, video games, and sports rules help us to play fair. We may not always like rules, but rules would not be made if there wasn’t a good reason.
Today we’re starting a series where we will look at a set of rules that God gave his people Israel. After setting them free from slavery, God gave the Israelites 10 simple rules that taught them the difference between right and wrong. These rules are called the Ten Commandments, and they are the foundation for living a good life.
READ EXODUS 20:1-21
MAIN POINT:
God wanted to set his people on the right path. Never before had he given specific directions on how to live a good life, but here, for the first time, we see God giving his people Ten Commandments that will help them know the difference between right and wrong.
God gave us these commands to teach us how to make wise choices, but there’s a bigger reason for these rules. They teach us how to love God and how to love other people. When we learn the Ten Commandments, not only will we learn to make good choices, we’ll learn how we can spread God’s love to the whole world.
DRIVE IT HOME:
What happens when a team doesn’t play by the rules on the baseball diamond, on the football field, or on the basketball court? Things get frustrating. The game grinds to a halt because of all the penalties. The fans get upset. The same thing happens when someone gets caught cheating in Monopoly. Nobody wants to play with a cheater, and soon, it’s game over.
God set these rules in stone to teach us how we should love him and how we should respect other people. The first five commands all have to do with loving God. We need to keep him first, honor his name, and respect our day of worship. And the last six commands all have to do with loving others - first our parents, and then everyone else.
When we follow the Ten Commandments, we will show respect to other people and their things. We will honor God with our words and actions. We will honor our parents. And yes, we will keep ourselves out of trouble. More importantly, following the Ten Commandments shows we love God and we love other people. And when we love other people, we show them that God loves them as well.
Every game has rules. Every home has rules. Every classroom has rules. The Ten Commandments are the rules for life. They teach us right and wrong. They guide us in making choices. And they show us how to love God and our neighbor. Let’s commit to learning the Ten Commandments so that we can play fair, do the right thing, and share God’s love with everyone.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Ten Commandments.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
What are some rules around your house?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 19:7
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Without looking up the verse, see how many of the Ten Commandments the kids can name.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Exodus 20:1-21
To whom did God give the commandments?
What do the commandments teach us about right and wrong?
How do the commandments teach us to love God?
How do the commandments teach us to love others?
Why did God give us the Ten Commandments?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us to learn the Ten Commandments.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
What are some rules around your house?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 19:7
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Without looking up the verse, see how many of the Ten Commandments the kids can name.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Exodus 20:1-21
Why did God give us the Ten Commandments?
How do the commandments teach us to love God?
How do the commandments teach us to love others?
How can the Ten Commandments help us make choices about what’s right and what’s wrong?
Why are the Ten Commandments still important today?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help us to learn the Ten Commandments.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this 10 Commandments Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).
Here's a video from Children's Ministry Deals that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on the 10 Commandments.
Here are some other 10 Commandments Sunday School Lessons:
The Ten Commandments - Kids Sunday School
The Ten Commandments for Kids - Ministry-To-Children
Sunday School Lesson Plan -God Saves His People
Moses & the Ten Commandments: Sunday School Lessons