They Body of Christ Sunday School Lesson
Take a look at our FREE Body of Christ Sunday School Lesson! Teach kids that God wants us to grow and mature in our faith. And by the end of this lesson kids will learn the importance of going deeper in their faith. This lesson is great for every Children's Ministry, Kids Church, and Sunday School!  God needs us to grow up as believers as well. He wants us to get to know him by reading the Bible and spending time with him in prayer. He wants us involved in our church, where we can worship together and serve the Lord together. God also wants to strengthen us so that we can stand up to temptation. He wants us to stand up for what’s right and speak the truth in love. Christian babies can’t do that, but strong, mature Christians can! And, if you like this lesson we have over 100 more free Sunday School Lessons for Kids! If you loved this lesson, you are going to want to check out our  At The Beach 8-Week Curriculum.

The Body of Christ Sunday School Lesson for Kids:

BOTTOM LINE:

God wants us to grow and mature in our faith.


OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn the importance of going deeper into their faith.

KEY PASSAGE:

Ephesians 4:1-16, One Body in Christ

MEMORY VERSE:

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” - Ephesians 4:14


SUMMARY:

It’s fun to let the waves rock us back and forth, but when it comes to our faith, we need to grow so we will no longer be tossed about.

SIMPLE PRAYER:

Dear God,


Help us to go deeper with you this summer, to grow in our faith, and to be more like you.


In Jesus’ name,

Amen




MEMORY VERSE


“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.” - Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)


“We will no longer be babies in the faith. We won’t be like ships tossed around by the waves. We won’t be blown here and there by every new teaching. We won’t be blown around by the cleverness and tricks of people who try to hide their evil plans.” - Ephesians 4:14 (NIrV)


LARGE GROUP:

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


SMALL GROUP:

Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.




SKIT

 

RIDING THE WAVES


ITEMS NEEDED:

Large blue sheet (to simulate the waves)


CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:

2M


CHARACTERS:

Spud and Mick - Beach bums



Have two stage hands hold out the sheet on stage, about chest height, and slowly wave it so it looks sort of like the waves of the ocean.

Spud is at center, standing still. Mick enters, drifting across the water in the waves. He enters from stage left and flows to stage right, then back to stage left. He continues to drift throughout the scene.

SPUD: Yo, buddy, what’s the deal?

MICK: Waves are really crazy today, bro!

SPUD: I hear you, man.

MICK: These waves are huge! I can’t believe how huge they are.

SPUD: Big waves, bro, big waves.

MICK: Weeee, this is fun!

SPUD: You sure you don’t want a boogie board?

MICK: Boogie board? Why? I can get tossed back and forth in these waves just fine on my own.

SPUD: I can see that.

MICK: There’s just one problem, bro.

SPUD: Yeah, man?

MICK: I’m startin’ to get sea sick.

SPUD: Oh man, you’re not gonna honk, are you?

MICK: I don’t know, man! The waves are really bad!

SPUD: Then do something, bro!

MICK: I can’t, dude! The waves are too strong! They won’t let me be still!

SPUD: Then drop anchor!

MICK: What?

SPUD: I said drop anchor!

MICK: What anchor?

SPUD: You feet, bro! You’re not a baby! Put your feet down!

Mick stops abruptly.

MICK: Whoa! Hey, check it out!

SPUD: Ha ha, I told you.

MICK: This is nice. I’m enjoying the waves, but I’m not getting tossed about any more.

SPUD: Like I said, dude, you’re not a baby any more. Time to stand strong, face up to those waves.

MICK: I guess we can’t keep riding the waves forever.

SPUD: Sure you could. But why do that when you can stand on your own?

End.



OBJECT LESSON

 

ITEMS NEEDED:

Wrist brace

Sling



Bring one of the kids up. Have them put on the wrist brace and sling, and see how well they can move their arm with both on.


There’s a reason that we need casts, braces, and slings when we have severe injuries. In order to heal our bones and joints, we have to immobilize them. It can be a challenge doing things without that arm or leg for a while, but it’s critical in order for our bodies to heal.


What happens after the braces, casts, and slings come off? That arm isn’t as strong as it once was. We need to use it, exercise it, and rebuild it so it will be strong.


We are the body of Christ. We are his hands, his arms, his feet. We are the parts that make up the whole. Just as we need every part of our body to be healthy and strong, God needs all of us to be spiritually healthy and strong.


God doesn’t need spiritual babies. He needs spiritually mature believers. We need to exercise our faith through prayer, through service to others, and through love so that we can be healthy and strong parts of Christ’s body.


LARGE GROUP GAME

 

WAVE THROUGH THE CROWD


ITEMS NEEDED:

None


INSTRUCTIONS:

Split the room in two. The two sides will race to see who can complete a wave, starting at one end and going to the other, or from front to back. Do this two or three times, and toss out candy to the side that wins.


VARIATION:

If your kids sit in rows, you can have them do a long wave that runs up each row and down the next.


WHAT’S THE POINT?

When we are mature in Christ, we are no longer blown back and forth in the waves of life.



LARGE GROUP LESSON


BOTTOM LINE:

God wants us to grow and mature in our faith.


OBJECTIVE:

Kids will learn the importance of going deeper in their faith.

KEY PASSAGE:

Ephesians 4:1-16, One Body in Christ


INTRO

How many of you are heading to the beach this summer? If you’re not going to make it to an actual beach, I hope you at least get to enjoy some time at the pool or better yet, a water park. There’s no better way to cool off in the summer time than to play in the water, whether it’s the beach, the pool, the water park, or even a sprinkler in the back yard.


For many people there’s no substitute for the beach. They love the sand, they love the quiet, but most of all, they love the waves. If the wind’s blowing, you can get some pretty big waves, even in the shallow end of the beach. It’s fun to play in the waves, but waves can be a bit tricky. It can be a real challenge to stand your ground in those waves when you’re little, and sometimes you find yourself getting knocked around by the big ones.


But what happens when you grow bigger? You get stronger. You’re able to stand your ground. You’re not as easily knocked around by the waves.


Today as we start our Beach series, we want to challenge you to go deeper with Jesus. We want you to grow in Christ, and we want you to strengthen your faith. As we will read in today’s scripture, God has a very good reason for wanting us to grow in our faith and become strong believers.


READ EPHESIANS 4:1-16


MAIN POINT

This isn’t the only time Paul describes the church as the body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians, Paul describes us as one body with many parts, saying we all have a role to play in the church. Here in Ephesians, Paul takes that a step further. We need to grow strong in our faith so that we can do that work.


Sadly, many people think that accepting Jesus as their Savior is enough. They ask Jesus into their hearts, but they don’t do anything more. They are, as Paul might say, Christian babies who can’t stand up to the waves that knock us around. They are unable to fill the part that God wants them to play in the body of Christ.


There are many roles to play in God’s church, including evangelists, pastors, and teachers. It’s important that the people who fill those roles know what they believe and how to defend it. We need to build our relationship with God, and grow stronger in our faith!


DRIVE IT HOME

How many of you have seen a little baby? Babies are cute, but they start out completely helpless. They have to be fed, dressed, rocked, and held. They can’t even hold a bottle to feed themselves at the start.


As babies grow, their muscles grow stronger. They learn to sit up and roll over. They are able to grasp things, and then they learn how to manipulate them. They go from helpless babes to being able to feed themselves. They learn how to crawl, and then how to walk. The more they grow and mature, the more things they are able to do.


All of you are still in that growing process. You’re all doing things now that you couldn’t do a year or two ago. Two years from now, you’ll be doing even more, trying new things and taking on new responsibilities. It’s part of growing up.


God needs us to grow up as believers as well. He wants us to get to know him by reading the Bible and spending time with him in prayer. He wants us involved in our church, where we can worship together and serve the Lord together.


God also wants to strengthen us so that we can stand up to temptation. He wants us to stand up for what’s right and speak the truth in love. Christian babies can’t do that, but strong, mature Christians can!


This summer, commit yourself to growing up in Jesus. Set aside time to pray, to read the Bible, and go to church. Get involved serving, and look for opportunities to show God’s love to others.


Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by the waves. We will stand strong and do our part in the body of Christ.


CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER

Dear God,


Help us to go deeper with you this summer, to grow in our faith, and to be more like you.


In Jesus’ name,

Amen




SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)


ICEBREAKER

What’s your favorite thing to do at the beach, or something you plan to do when you go to the beach?


MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY

Ephesians 4:14

Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.


SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY

See if you can get a mini-wave going around your small group circle. How long can you keep it going?


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read Ephesians 4:1-16


How does Paul describe the church?


What are some of the jobs people have in the body of Christ?


Why does Paul say we need to grow up spiritually?


What are some things Paul says we will do when we are no longer infants?  


How can reading the Bible and going to church help us to grow?

SIMPLE PRAYER

Dear God,


Thank you for Jesus, and thank you for including us in your church. Help us to grow so that we can do our part in your body.


In Jesus’ name,

Amen







SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)


ICEBREAKER

What’s your favorite thing to do at the beach, or something you plan to do when you go to the beach?


MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY

Ephesians 4:14

Give all the kids a Bible. Then after you read the verse, give them the reference and see who can find it first in their Bible.


SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY

See if you can get a mini-wave going around your small group circle. How long can you keep it going?


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Read Ephesians 4:1-16


How is the church like a body?


What are some of the jobs people have in the body of Christ?


Why does Paul say we need to grow up spiritually?


What are some things we can do to grow stronger in Christ?


Do you think you can commit to reading the Bible and praying a little every day this week?

SIMPLE PRAYER

Dear God,


Thank you for Jesus, and thank you for including us in your church. Help us to grow so that we can do our part in your body.


In Jesus’ name,

Amen

 

 

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

Take a look at the links below for other ideas for teaching a Body of Christ Sunday School Lesson: 

 

Body of Christ Lesson: Ankle, Eye, or Pinkie Toe? 

 

 

4 activities for kids about Body of Christ | Lesson Activities 

 

 

The Body of Christ - Sunday School Center

 

 

"The Body of Christ" Bible lesson - Danielle's Place

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