This lesson teaches children that God wants His people to stay close to Him and to care for one another by choosing what is good and true. It is best for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God wants us to be kind, honest, and good, and to help our friends turn back to Him when they make a mistake. Our choices matter because they can affect the people around us.
Memory Verse
1 Corinthians 5:7
Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold their hands together like a cupped loaf, then slowly pull them apart as they say “clean” and open their arms wide. Repeat it three times while you do the motion together, and the words will stick.
The Story: 1 Corinthians 5 for Kids
A long time ago, a man named Paul wrote a letter to the church in the city of Corinth. The people there were friends who loved Jesus, but some of them were not living in ways that pleased God. One man was doing something very wrong, and the people in the church were acting proud about it instead of feeling sad.
Paul told them that they should feel sad about this sin. He said that the church must not treat this behavior as if it were fine. He wanted the people to help this man see his mistake so that he might turn back to God and be saved on the day of the Lord Jesus.
Paul also used a picture from baking bread. He said that just a tiny bit of old yeast makes the whole lump of dough grow sour. So the church should get rid of the old, sinful ways, the way you would clean out a bowl before making fresh bread.
Paul reminded them that Jesus is like the special lamb sacrificed at Passover, the feast when God’s people remembered how He rescued them. Because Jesus gave Himself for us, we are made new. So we should celebrate with honest and true hearts, not with mean or wicked ones.
Paul told them that they should not spend time with people who keep on doing wrong and do not want to change. He explained that it was not about refusing to be with people who do not know God yet, but about the friends who call themselves believers and yet live in sin. The church should lovingly help them.
In the end, Paul said that God is the one who judges those outside the church, and the church should put away the wicked man from among them. It was a hard lesson, but it was a loving one, meant to help everyone grow closer to God.
Read It Together
1 Corinthians 5:1
It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles, that one has his father’s wife.
(WEB)
Point out that Paul was sad that the church had allowed something wrong to continue. Ask the children why it is important to tell the truth about sin, and why it matters to care for our friends when they make mistakes.
1 Corinthians 5:6
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?
(WEB)
Show the children how a small pinch of yeast spreads through dough. Explain that even a little bit of unkind or wrong behavior can grow and affect a whole group, so we should be careful about what we allow in our hearts and friendships.
1 Corinthians 5:11
But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.
(WEB)
Help the children see that Paul is talking about friends who call themselves believers but keep choosing sin. Explain that we can love everyone, but we also think carefully about who we spend our closest time with and how those friendships shape us.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you can do this week to show kindness to a friend who has made a mistake?
- Why do you think Paul compared a little yeast to sin spreading through a group?
- How does remembering that Jesus gave Himself for us help us want to live differently?
- What are some ways you can tell the truth even when it is hard?
- Who are some people who help you keep your heart close to God, and how do they do that?
Activity Ideas
Bread Dough Clean-Up Craft
You will need a sheet of construction paper, crayons or markers, and a small paper plate. Have each child draw a lump of dough on the plate, then add a small yellow dot labeled “old yeast” and a bright smile labeled “clean and new.” Talk about how God makes us new when we turn to Him, and let the children take their pictures home to remind them of that promise.
Yeast Spread Game
Gather a few balloons or soft balls and ask the children to stand in a circle. Pick one child to be the “yeast” and have them gently tag a friend, who then joins the spread until everyone is part of the chain. Then have the group pause, and explain that just as one wrong choice can spread, one good choice can spread kindness too.
Take-Home Kindness Card
Give each child an index card, a pencil, and an envelope. Ask them to write one way they can show kindness to a family member this week, then place the card in the envelope with a sticker. Encourage them to share the card at home so the whole family can talk about choosing good things together.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that the church is called to holiness and to loving discipline. Paul’s concern is for both the sinner and the community, and his goal is restoration, not punishment for its own sake. The passage also reminds us that the good news of Jesus shapes how we live, and that sin is serious because it affects others.
When teaching children, avoid overstating the idea that God rejects anyone who makes a mistake or that they must be shunned forever. Keep the focus on God’s love, the hope of forgiveness, and the call to grow in kindness and truth together.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for loving us and helping us stay close to You. Help us choose what is good and true, and help us be kind to our friends when they need help. Thank You that Jesus made us new. Amen.
