Scripture is God Breathed Sunday School Lesson
Scripture is God Breathed Sunday School Lesson for Kids:
BOTTOM LINE:
God wants us to know the Bible.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that the Bible has answers for any question they face in life.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Timothy 3:14-17
MEMORY VERSE:
“Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” Psalm 119:105 (NIrV)
SUMMARY:
Why would anyone snorkel or scuba dive? It’s so much easier to just wade in the ankle deep water near the shore and then go back to your comfy beach chair. People choose to put in the effort to dive beneath the surface because of all the beautiful sights they can see there! Why should we study the Bible? As Paul says in his letter to Timothy, the Scripture is valuable and has many uses. The primary reason to study God's word is to know Jesus better. We can learn a little from sitting in our chair at church and listening to someone talk about Jesus, but we learn so much more when we dive in ourselves!
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Teach us how to read Your Word.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105 (NIV)
“Your word is like a lamp that shows me the way. It is like a light that guides me.” Psalm 119:105 (NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Divide the room into girls and boys. Have the girls and boys read the verse aloud together, alternating every other word, so girls say the first word, boys say the second word, girls third, etc.
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 lesson.
SKIT
ARE YOU READY TO DIVE?
ITEMS NEEDED:
Scuba gear for Kristin
A floaty, swimsuit, and sunscreen for Jake
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
1 M, 1 F
CHARACTERS:
Kristin - An experienced “diver”
Jake - A guy who likes the shallows
Jake enters in swim trunks. He is wearing a giant inflatable ring around his waist, and he has a ridiculous amount of sunscreen on his nose.
JAKE: Ahh, Sunday morning. Another chance to wade in the shallow water, drifting lazily above the deep blue sea. Time to bask in the light of the sun and remember that God loves me.
Kristin enters. She is in a scuba suit and has a mask and snorkel.
KRISTIN: Good morning!
JAKE: Good morning! Happy Sunday to you!
KRISTIN: Happy Sunday to you as well.
JAKE: Where’s your floaty?
KRISTIN: My what?
JAKE: You don’t have a floaty! How are you going to float on the water without a floaty?
KRISTIN: I’m not.
JAKE: What?
KRISTIN: It’s Sunday morning. It’s time to get into God’s Word, and this girl is going deep!
Kristin starts to run off. Jake grabs her arm.
JAKE: What are you doing? You don’t want to go deep! Grab a floaty and stay in the shallows with me. It’s nice here.
KRISTIN: Sorry, pal, I drifted in the shallow end long enough. I want to dive in and dive deep.
JAKE: You do?
KRISTIN: I’m not satisfied knowing John 3:16 and that Jesus loves me. This girl has questions, and there’s only one place she can find the answers.
JAKE: Wikipedia.
KRISTIN: No! The Bible! The Bible has all the answers we will ever need in life. Who we are. Who God is. How we can be saved.
JAKE: I know all that.
KRISTIN: How do I fight temptation? What gifts has God given me? How can I use those gifts? How do I find strength in hard times?
JAKE: That’s in the Bible?
KRISTIN: It’s all there, deep beneath the surface. But if you never get out of that floaty, you’ll never find it.
JAKE: I had no idea there was so much beneath the surface.
KRISTIN: More than you can imagine.
JAKE: You know, I really like it in the shallows. But now I’m curious what I’m missing. I don’t suppose you have an extra set of scuba gear.
KRISTIN: Come on, I’ll help you find some.
JAKE: Okay!
KRISTIN: And lose the floaty. We’re going diving, and we’re going in deep!
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
A starfish
Has anyone ever looked for shells on a beach? Have you ever come across a starfish, like this one? The shells and starfish we find on the beach are all clues to what lies beneath the ocean. We know that there are tiny creatures like these deep, deep below the waves. They are clues that there is much more to discover in the deep. But if all we ever do is stay on the beach and in the shallows, we will never see the wonders of the ocean.
The Bible is like the ocean. It is a book filled with wisdom and knowledge that can completely transform our lives. It is the living Word of God. But if all we do is stay in the shallows, we will never know God or His plan for our lives as fully as we could. God wants us to go deep. He wants us to read the scripture, to ask questions, to memorize verses, and to pray for understanding. The deeper we go into the Bible, the more we will take away – and the more God can use us to turn others to Jesus.
God wants us to dive deep. He wants us to get rid of the floaties and grab a snorkel. The Bible has all the answers to life. God is waiting for us to dive in and discover them.
LARGE GROUP GAME
FLOAT RING TOSS
ITEMS NEEDED:
Six kids floaty rings
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose two teams of two for this game. Have the teammates stand 10 feet apart. One player will try to throw three rings from where they stand over the head of their teammate. The first team to get three rings wins.
VARIATION:
You can also have kids throw at a cone as a target instead of other kids.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
God wants us to get off the beach, lose the floaties, and go deep in the Bible.
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
God wants us to know the Bible.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will learn that the Bible has answers for any question they face in life.
KEY PASSAGE:
2 Timothy 3:14-17
INTRO:
How many of you have made a trip to the ocean? If you ever go to the ocean, you’ll find there are two types of people who visit. The first type is the beach bum. These are the people who are there to watch the waves, to smell the salt water, collect a few seashells, and soak up some rays in the sand. They might go splash around in the shallows and let the little ripples knock them around a bit, but they aren’t there to spend time in the water. They want to enjoy the view, soak up some rays, and relax!
There are many Christians who treat their faith like a day at the beach. They like to stay in the shallows. They love coming to church, hearing some happy praise songs, and being reminded that Jesus loves them. They like to stick their toes in the water, but they have no desire to get in deep.
There’s a second type of person who goes to see the ocean. These visitors are not satisfied looking at the ocean from a beach chair or collecting seashells on the shore. They want to go deep beneath the waves and see where those shells come from. They know that the true wonders of the ocean can’t be seen from the beach, from the surface, or even the shallows. If you want to experience the depths of the ocean, you have to dive in!
Only by scuba diving can you discover the world beneath the waves. Scuba divers are willing to go the extra mile to explore the coral reefs, to swim with fish and rays, and to see what lives on the ocean floor. It’s one thing to see the remnants of ocean life washed up on the beach. It’s quite another to see it firsthand.
Today we start a series where we will not only encourage you to go deeper in the Bible, but show you how to do it. The Bible is a book filled with wisdom and knowledge. It holds the answers to life’s biggest questions. It is the living Word of God, and it has much to teach us, as today’s scripture will tell us.
READ 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17
MAIN POINT:
The book of 2 Timothy is a letter from the missionary Paul to his student, Timothy. Timothy was now a pastor at a church of his own, and Paul wanted to make sure Timothy was well-prepared to teach and instruct his church on following God. Timothy had been brought up by a godly mother and grandmother in the scriptures, and in this passage, Paul reminds him to stay true to the scriptures he has known since he was a child.
Paul says the Bible is "God-breathed," meaning it is the very Word of God. He says it is useful for "teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" so that God’s followers can be well-equipped to serve Him. If we only stay on the surface, we will never experience the depth of learning the Bible has to offer.
God wants us to put on our scuba gear. He wants us to dive in to the Bible and discover the wealth of knowledge beneath the surface!
DRIVE IT HOME:
The Bible is many things. It is a history book that tells the story of the nation of Israel. It is a love story, telling how a great and loving God sent His only son to die for a rebellious and sinful people. It is a how-to book, explaining how we can be saved from sin and live a godly life. The Bible includes historical narratives, genealogical records, songs, poems, proverbs of wisdom, parables, prophecies, and first-hand accounts of the life of Jesus. It is a book we can never read enough because there is so much to discover!
Every part of the Bible has something to teach us. The stories of the real men and women who loved God, and even those who did not, have lessons to teach us. The Psalms teach us how to praise the Lord. The Proverbs give us practical wisdom on everything from saving money to avoiding sin. The gospels teach us what Jesus did to save us from sin. The letter of Paul, like 2 Timothy, shows us how to live like Christ. And the book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of eternal life in Heaven. Whatever questions you may have about life, you can find answers in the Bible!
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to give you practical tools for reading and studying the Bible. We’re going to talk about making a schedule to read the Bible, taking notes on what we read, and asking questions. We’ll talk about the importance of memorizing verses. We will see how we can not only learn the stories of the Bible, but how we can find the meaning and apply it to our lives. The more you use these strategies to study and learn the Bible, the deeper your faith will grow. The deeper your faith grows, the more God can use you to spread His love to a world that needs it.
God wants us to be bold believers who aren’t satisfied treading water in the shallows. He invites us to go deeper into an understanding of the Bible and a relationship with Him. I hope you’re ready to toss aside your floaties and grab a snorkel. We want you to go deep so you can find the answers to life in the Word of God.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Teach us how to read Your Word.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
Have you ever been to the ocean?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 119:105
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 lesson.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Play a game of Hot Potato. Use a beach ball to keep with the theme.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Who was Timothy?
What advice did Paul give Timothy?
What did Paul say the Bible is good for?
Are your kids too young to start reading the Bible?
Are you ready to start studying the Bible at home as well as church?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Bible.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
Have you ever been to the ocean?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Psalm 119:105
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 lesson.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Play a game of Hot Potato. Use a beach ball to keep with the theme. The winner gets to read today’s scripture before the discussion begins.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Why was Paul giving Timothy advice?
What did Paul say the Bible is good for?
What kinds of things can we learn from the Bible?
How many of you regularly read the Bible at home, and not just church?
Are you ready to start studying the Bible every day?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for giving us the Bible.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of this Scripture is God Breathed Children's Ministry Lesson (just click the link).
Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Scripture is God Breathed Sunday School Lesson:
3 Lessons about Scripture from 2 Timothy 3:16–17 | Crossway Articles
An Object Lesson Using Your Bible & GPS - Creative Bible Study
Free Sunday School Lessons: The Bible (Lesson 1)