Here is our FREE James 3 Sunday School Lesson! Teach kids with we need to use our tongues for good and not for evil. The tongue can be more dangerous than a fire-breathing dragon. Kids will see why we need to learn to tame our tongues. This lesson is great for every Children's Ministry, Kids Church, and Sunday School! Words hurt more than physical pain. They don’t hurt us on the outside. They hurt our feelings. They cut deep into our hearts, and they make us feel bad about ourselves. But words can also do good, can’t they? When your parents praise your hard work, it makes you feel good. When a friend thanks you for being there, it makes you feel good. When someone says something that makes you feel good about yourself, it can brighten your whole day. We can’t control the words that other people use, but we can take control of the words that come from our own mouths. It’s not easy, and James even says that the tongue is the one thing mankind has never successfully tamed. But with God’s help, we can take control of our tongues to do good, one day at a time.
And, if you like this lesson we have over 100 more free Sunday School Lessons for Kids! Take a look at our  How to Train Your Attitude 4-Week Children's Ministry Curriculum.

James 3 Sunday School Lesson For Kids:

BOTTOM LINE:

We need to use our tongues for good and not for evil.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn what it means to tame the tongue and use it only for good.

KEY PASSAGE:

James 3:1-13, Taming the Tongue

MEMORY VERSE:

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ”- Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

SUMMARY:

The tongue can be more dangerous than a fire-breathing dragon. Kids will see why we need to learn to tame our tongues.

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,

Teach us to tame our tongues so that only good will come from our words.

In Jesus’name,

Amen

 

MEMORY VERSE

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ”- Colossians 3:2 (NIV)

“Think about things that are in heaven. Don’t think about things that are only on earth.”- Colossians 3:2 (NIrV)

LARGE GROUP:

Put the verse on the big screen and read it aloud with the kids.

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

 

TRAIN YOUR DRAGON’S TONGUE

ITEM NEEDED:

A dragon mask or costume

CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

1M/1F

CHARACTERS:

Clancy- A dragon trainer

Fireball- A female dragon

Clancy enters.

CLANCY: Good morning, class! Today we're going to get our first lesson in how to train a dragon. Step one: get a dragon. Here, dragon, dragon! Come here, boy!

Fireball enters.

CLANCY: This is my dragon, Fireball. Good boy, Fireball.

FIREBALL: I'm a girl, bozo.

CLANCY: Fireball, it's not nice to call people names.

FIREBALL: It's not nice to call a girl a boy either, bozo.

CLANCY: It was a mistake.

FIREBALL: So was wearing those shoes with that outfit. The year 1266 called, they want their fashion back.

CLANCY: As you can see, dragons have a bit of trouble controlling their tongues.

FIREBALL: Whatever, bozo.

CLANCY: Wild dragons have bad attitudes.

FIREBALL: And your toenails are gross. Have you ever cut those things?

CLANCY: And truth be told, they can do more damage with their words than with fire!

FIREBALL: You wanna put those words to the test, bozo?

CLANCY: So we have to teach our dragons to tame their tongues.

FIREBALL: What are you gonna do with my tongue?

CLANCY: Fireball, tongues are for tasting food, and praising God.

FIREBALL: Big deal.

CLANCY: Big deal? Tell me, Fireball, do you really think you should use your tongue for praising God and calling me a bozo?

FIREBALL: No, I guess not.

CLANCY: Very good, Fireball.

FIREBALL: I think silly head is a better name.

CLANCY: That's not what I meant!

FIREBALL: I know what you mean, human. And you're right, I shouldn't praise God with this tongue if I'm going to call you silly head. Or bozo. Or stinky boy. Or ding dong.

CLANCY: So what should we do with our tongue?

FIREBALL: Well, since God made me the beautiful, wonderful dragon that I am, I need to praise God. And instead of using my tongue to call you a bozo, I should use it to say nice things and encourage people.

CLANCY: Very good, Fireball!

FIREBALL: You know, human, you are a pretty decent fellow. You always feed me well. Always make sure I have nice straw in my barn.

CLANCY: Thank you, Fireball.

FIREBALL: And even though those shoes don't go with that outfit... you're a handsome guy. There, I said it. You look nice.

CLANCY: Thank you, Fireball. And always remember not to use the tongue that praises God to hurt other people's feelings.

FIREBALL: I will not use my tongue to hurt other people. That's what fire is for.

CLANCY: What?

FIREBALL: Just kidding!

CLANCY: Say goodbye, Fireball.

FIREBALL: Goodbye, Fireball.

OBJECT LESSON

 

ITEMS NEEDED:

Whipped cream

Pie tin

I need someone to help me. I have to make a pie later, and I don’t know if I have enough whipped cream in this can. Can someone spray whipped cream into this pie pan for me and see if we can fill it up?

Have one of the kids fill up the pie pan with whipped cream.

Looks like I have enough whipped cream after all. Now, can you help me by putting the whipped cream back in the can?

See if your volunteer, or any other kids, have suggestions on putting the cream back in the can.

You can’t put whipped cream back in the can. Once it’s out, it’s out. There’s no taking it back. It’s no good for anything, and I can’t use it on a pie later.

That’s the same problem with our tongues. Once words dance off our tongues and out of our mouths, there’s no taking them back. That’s why we must tame our tongues to only use good words.

It doesn’t matter if the words you use are good or bad. There’s no taking them back once they are spoken. So ask God to help you use your words only for good. Praise God with your words, and encourage others. Don’t use the same tongue you use to praise God to hurt other people.

 

LARGE GROUP GAME

 

FLOURIDE BREATHING DRAGONS

ITEMS NEEDED:

Three tubes of toothpaste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Choose three players for this game. Line up the three tubes of toothpaste, caps off, on a table. On the count of three, have the three kids smash their tube of toothpaste and launch the toothpaste out onto the table. Whoever shoots his toothpaste the furthest wins.

VARIATION:

An optional game is to have the kids empty their tubes of toothpaste into a bowl and see who can empty his first.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Like this toothpaste, once we use our words for harm, we can’t take them back. Destructive words are messy and worthless.

 

LARGE GROUP LESSON

BOTTOM LINE:

We need to use our tongues for good and not for evil.

OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn what it means to tame the tongue and use it only for good.

KEY PASSAGE:

James 3:1-13, Taming the Tongue

INTRO

When you think of dragons, what images come to mind? Dragons are usually depicted as giant, scaly creatures like reptiles or dinosaurs. Sometimes they are big and fat with long necks and tails. Sometimes they are more serpent-like, with long, snake bodies. Often times they have giant wings like bats. Some dragons live in caves. Others live in castles they have stolen, sleeping on great piles of gold. But nearly all dragons have one thing in common: they can breathe fire.

Dragons are always using that fire to wreak havoc on the countryside. They breathe fire on castles, on attacking knights, and on tiny villages. That fire gives them great power and a deadly weapon, but it doesn’t make them very popular. Dragons are always alone because no one wants to live around a dragon. They’re mean, they don’t have friends, and they don’t get invited to many parties.

Today we’re starting a new series called How to Train Your Attitude. If a certain series of books and movies are to be believed, those deadly creatures known as dragons can be trained to be friendly and helpful. That’s why we chose dragons to help us to tame ourselves and our attitudes, so we can be people who share God’s love with others. With God’s help, we can learn to have the right attitude in any situation.

That training has to start with the deadliest part of our body. No, we can’t breathe fire, but there’s a small part of our body that is just as deadly and dangerous as a fire. And just like the fire from a dragon, that tiny part of us can be found in our mouths.

Let’s read what the writer of James has to say about the untamed tongue.

READ JAMES 3:1-13

MAIN POINT

Of all the parts of our body, the tongue is the one that reveals the most about our attitude. Our tongue reveals if we are in a good mood or a bad mood. It’s the part of the body we use to praise God, and it’s the part of the body we use to hurt other people.

Why do we use the same part of ourselves to praise God and hurt others? It’s not right, and it’s not what God intended. Our tongues make us different from any other creature. Our tongues allow us to communicate with God and with other people. We can use our tongues to do good or to do evil. But we can’t do both. That’s why James says we need to tame our tongues to only speak good.

DRIVE IT HOME

Think about the last time someone said something that hurt your feelings. When someone called you a name, when someone mistreated you, when someone used words to put you down…it hurt, didn’t it? It hurt worse than being struck in the face, or being kicked in the gut.

Words hurt more than physical pain. They don’t hurt us on the outside. They hurt our feelings. They cut deep into our hearts, and they make us feel bad about ourselves.

But words can also do good, can’t they? When your parents praise your hard work, it makes you feel good. When a friend thanks you for being there, it makes you feel good. When someone says something that makes you feel good about yourself, it can brighten your whole day.

We can’t control the words that other people use, but we can take control of the words that come from our own mouths. It’s not easy, and James even says that the tongue is the one thing mankind has never successfully tamed. But with God’s help, we can take control of our tongues to do good, one day at a time.

The first step to taming the tongue is to make time to praise God every day. The more we praise God and thank him for his blessings, the more mindful we will be of all God has given us. Remembering God’s blessings can help us keep a good attitude, and it can help us to be mindful that our tongues must be used for good.

The second step is to look for ways we can encourage others with our words. Tell others you love them. Tell them why you love them. Compliment something they have done. Encourage them if they are down. And remind them that Jesus loves them.

The third step is to repeat steps one and two, every day. Taming the tongue is a daily practice. We have to commit ourselves every day to keeping a reign on our tongue. Don’t gossip. Don’t call people names. And don’t hurt people who hurt you. Pray for them, and ask God to make you someone who builds others up.

Taming our attitude starts with taming our tongues. It’s not easy, especially when you want to strike back at another untamed tongue. With God’s help, we can use our tongues to praise God and encourage others.

CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER

Dear God,

Teach us to tame our tongues so that only good will come from our words.

In Jesus’name,

Amen

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)

ICEBREAKER

If you could have any mythological creature for a pet, what would it be?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY

Colossians 3:2

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

Have the kids create their own skit about training a dragon to not breathe fire on people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read James 3:1-13

What are some animals that people have tamed and trained?

Why does James say that the tongue is “untamed”?

What are some ways we hurt people with our tongues?

What should we use our words to do instead of cut other people down?

How can we train our tongues every day to do good and not hurt others?

SIMPLE PRAYER

Dear God,

Forgive us for using our tongues to hurt others. Teach us to use our tongues for good and for encouraging others.

In Jesus’name,

Amen

 

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)

ICEBREAKER

If you could have any mythological creature for a pet, what would it be?

MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY

Colossians 3:2

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

Have the kids create their own skit about training a dragon to not breathe fire on people.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read James 3:1-13

Why does James say that the tongue is “untamed?”

How can our tongues be as destructive as a fire?

How does God want us to use our tongues?

How can we train our tongues every day to do good and not hurt others?

What should we do when people use their tongues to hurt us?

SIMPLE PRAYER

Dear God,

Forgive us for using our tongues to hurt others. Teach us to use our tongues for good and to encourage others.

In Jesus’name,

Amen

For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this James 3 Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link). 

Here's a video from ShareFaith Kids that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on the James 3.

Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a James 3 Sunday School Lesson:  

Lesson: Strong and Kindly Spoken (The Book of James – Part 3)

Taming the Tongue Sunday School Lesson for children 

Lesson 12: Taming the Terrible Tongue (James 3:1-12) | Bible.org

 

'How to Train Your Tongue' Childrens Lesson on James • MinistryArk