FREE 4th of July Sunday School Lesson
This is a complete 4th of July Sunday School Lesson that you can use at your church this Independence Day. If you're looking for additional activity pages to use around July 4th then be sure to check out all of our FREE 4th of July Children's Ministry resources. The 4th of July is a great opportunity to teach your kids about freedom, and what true freedom is. Jesus is the only one who can set us free. Use this completely FREE Sunday School lesson in your Kid's Church or Children's Ministry this summer!
4th of July Sunday School Lesson For Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
True freedom only comes from knowing Jesus.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will be able to state what Jesus sets us free from.
KEY PASSAGE:
Acts 16:16-34, Paul & Silas In Prison
MEMORY VERSE:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” -2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
“Now the Lord is the Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is also there.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
July 4th is American Independence Day, when we celebrate the freedom that we have in this country. True spiritual freedom, which comes only from God, can be experienced wherever we are: in another country, in prison, in school, and in our homes.
OBJECT LESSON:
American Flag
Who can tell me what the fifty stars on the American flag represent?
Who can tell me why there are thirteen stripes on the American flag?
Now, who can tell me what the red stripes represent?
The freedom we celebrate was bought with blood. The citizens of America’s thirteen colonies fought a long, hard war to win that freedom. Many men gave their lives and shed their blood so that we could live in a land of freedom.
Jesus paid for our freedom from sin with his blood. He died on a cross so that he could set us free from sin. The freedoms we enjoy in America are great, but they are nothing compared to freedom in Christ. When Jesus sets you free, you are no longer a slave to sin. You have a new life, and you can have eternal life with Jesus.
As we celebrate our freedom as Americans this Independence Day, let us also celebrate our freedom in Christ. Even if we lose the freedoms we have in America, nothing can separate us from the freedom we have in Jesus.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
INTRO:
The Fourth of July is just another day to most of the world, but here in America, the Fourth of July is all about freedom. It’s a day when kids are free from school, thanks to summer vacation. It’s a day most of your parents are free from work, thanks to it being a national holiday. But more importantly, it’s a day we celebrate our freedom as Americans.
The Fourth of July, 1776, is the date marked on the Declaration of Independence, a radical document drafted by Thomas Jefferson to tell the King of England, “You are no longer our ruler!” It was a bold statement made by the American colonies that led to the birth of our nation.
The Declaration of Independence was only the start of our quest for freedom. Freedom is rarely bought with words, and the price of America’s freedom was the blood of its citizens. Many men gave their lives for the cause of freedom, and many more shed their blood in that long fight. The Revolutionary War lasted five years before England finally gave up. The English went home, and America became a free country.
This week we will celebrate the freedoms we enjoy with barbecues and watermelon and fireworks, but we should never forget that the freedoms we enjoy were bought with a price. The price of American freedom should also remind us of an even greater sacrifice: the one Jesus made for us on the cross.
God made the ultimate sacrifice when he sent Jesus to die for us, and when Jesus rose from the dead, he won us a greater freedom than any government could ever grant its citizens. Jesus set us free from sin, and that’s a freedom no power on Earth can ever take away from us!
Today’s scripture shows us just how free we are when we believe in Jesus. It’s the story of two men who loved Jesus with all their hearts, and even when their love for Jesus landed them in jail, they knew they were still free!
READ ACTS 16:16-34
MAIN POINT:
Can you imagine the look on the jailer’s face when he saw all those prisoners still sitting in that wide-open jail? Paul and Silas were still there, chains broken, sitting where he had left them, but so were all the other prisoners. I don’t know what kind of crimes had been committed, but I can imagine there were thieves and murderers and all kinds of bad men sitting there with Paul and Silas.
No one ran because no one needed to run. They were right where God wanted them to be, and even in jail, they were free men. The jailer knew then that no one could take the freedom these men knew in Jesus, and so the jailer gave his life to Christ.
Jesus can set all of us free too. He can give us a freedom that no one can ever take away from us. All we need to do is believe that Jesus came to die for our sins.
DRIVE IT HOME:
The death and resurrection of Jesus was a greater revolution than any war ever waged on Earth. The Bible tells us that the punishment for sin is death, but when Jesus rose from the grave, he defeated death once and for all. Jesus offers us eternal life, but he also offers us freedom that no one can take from us, not even the mightiest governments on Earth.
As free as we are here in America, other believers around the world are not so fortunate. Every day there are Christians who must fight for their freedoms. Believers in Christ are put in jail, put on trial, and even put to death for believing in Jesus.
Try as they might, no man and no government will ever stop Christians from believing in Jesus. They cannot take away what Jesus has given them. No matter what happens, no one can take away your faith and your freedom either. Jesus has given you a greater freedom than any in the Constitution. He has saved you from sin. If Jesus is in your heart, then you are free anywhere you go - at home, at school, even in the depths of a prison!
If you’re already a believer, Independence Day is a great time to celebrate not only America, but Jesus. Thank God for the freedom he has given you through his son, and thank him for sending Jesus. If you’ve never made Jesus your Savior, today can be you Independence Day. Come talk to one of our adult leaders, and let us tell you how you can come to know Jesus as your Savior. Jesus gave his life for your eternal freedom, and he’s waiting for you to receive that free gift.
God has blessed us with a free country, but he blessed us even more through Jesus. Jesus has given us freedom from sin, and that’s a freedom no one can ever take away from us!
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for setting us free from sin.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE:
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” -2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV)
“Now the Lord is the Holy Spirit. And where the Spirit of the Lord is, freedom is also there.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Split the room in half. Have half the room read the verse as loud as they can, then let the other half take a turn. Who can read it the loudest?
SMALL GROUP MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
As a group, try to sing the memory verse to the tune of a patriotic song.
CRAFT IDEA:
Using construction paper, scissors, and glue, have the kids make a Christian flag to take home. Use a white piece of construction paper or cardboard as the background. Cut out a smaller rectangle of blue and then a red cross. Or use an America/Freedom themed coloring sheet as the take home.
LARGE GROUP GAME:
DON’T FORGET THE PATRIOTIC LYRICS
ITEMS NEEDED:
A CD with patriotic songs, or a keyboard
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose one player for this game. This is a “Don’t forget the lyrics” type game, where the player will hear part of a patriotic song and then have to sing the next line of that song. Using a CD or a keyboard player and vocalist, play the beginning of songs like “America the Beautiful,” “My Country Tis of Thee,” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” Give the player the first few lines, then have him sing the third or fourth line. The player gets up to five chances, and if he gets three right, he wins a prize.
VARIATION:
Instead of one player, pick two players. Each player gets three chances, and the one who gets the most lyrics correct wins.
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
What are your plans for Independence Day?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Acts 16:16-34
Why were Paul and Silas in jail?
What were Paul and Silas doing before the earthquake?
Why didn’t Paul and Silas run away?
What did the jailer do when he saw no one had run away?
What does Jesus set us free from?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to set us free from sin.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
What are your plans for Independence Day?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Acts 16:16-34
Why were Paul and Silas in jail?
Why didn’t Paul and Silas run away?
Why did the jailer ask to be baptized?
What does Jesus set us free from?
Can anything take away the freedom we have in Jesus?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for sending Jesus to set us free from sin.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this 4th of July Children's Church Lesson (just click the link).