This lesson teaches children that God makes us grow, and that the people who help us grow are working for God together, not for themselves. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
God is the one who makes things grow. Our job is to help each other and to build our lives on Jesus, who is the strong foundation.
Memory Verse
1 Corinthians 3:6
I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
(WEB)
Have the children plant their hands in front of them like tiny seeds, then slowly stretch them up toward the ceiling as if a plant is growing tall. Say the verse together while you stretch, and let the stretch end with arms wide open for “God gave the increase.”
The Story: 1 Corinthians 3 for Kids
Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, a busy city full of people who were excited about the good news of Jesus. But some of the Christians there were acting like little babies. They argued and fought, and they split into groups. One group said, “I follow Paul!” Another group said, “I follow Apollos!” Paul had to remind them that they were not supposed to be fighting like that.
Paul told them that he and Apollos were just helpers. Paul was like a farmer who planted a seed, and Apollos was like a farmer who watered it. But only God could make the plant grow. Nobody can make a seed sprout by themselves, no matter how hard they try. God is the one who gives the growth.
Then Paul used another picture. He said the church was like a building, and Jesus is the foundation under it. Every builder has to be careful how they build on top of that foundation, because the building needs to be strong. Paul said, “Let each one be careful how he builds on it.” Some work will last, and some work will not last when the fire comes to test it.
Paul also told them something amazing. He said, “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple?” God’s Spirit lives inside His people. Because God’s temple is holy, the Corinthians should not destroy it with fighting and pride. Paul wanted them to be humble and to remember that they belong to Christ.
Read It Together
1 Corinthians 3:7-8
7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are the same, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
(WEB)
Point out that the planter and the waterer are on the same team, and both are doing good work. Ask the children why it matters that God, not people, is the one who gives the growth. Help them see that no helper should be proud or jealous.
1 Corinthians 3:11
For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(WEB)
Show the children that Jesus is the only foundation we need to build on. Explain that a house with a strong foundation can stand through storms, and a life built on Jesus can stand strong too. Ask them what they think it means to build on Jesus.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you are a temple of God, and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
(WEB)
Talk about how God’s Spirit lives in every believer. Help the children understand that because God lives in them, they can treat themselves and others with kindness and care. Point out that this is a special and precious gift.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you could do this week to help someone else grow in their faith?
- Why do you think Paul said that God is the one who makes things grow?
- How can we show that we are all working on the same team in God’s family?
- What does it mean that Jesus is the foundation of our lives?
- How does it make you feel to know that God’s Spirit lives inside you?
Activity Ideas
Plant a Bean Cup
You will need a clear plastic cup, a few cotton balls, a dry bean, and a little water. Help each child put wet cotton balls in the cup, press a bean between the cup and the side, and set it on a sunny windowsill. Let the children watch the bean sprout over several days and remind them that God made it grow, just as He makes our faith grow.
Stack the Foundation Game
You will need blocks or sturdy cardboard boxes. Divide the children into two teams and have each team build a tower on a single base block, which represents Jesus. Let them take turns adding blocks carefully, and then gently shake the table to see which tower stands strongest. Talk about how a strong foundation keeps everything standing.
Temple Reminder Card
You will need paper, crayons, and a small piece of tape or a sticker. Ask each child to draw a small house or temple on the paper and write or draw a heart inside it to show God’s Spirit living in them. Let them take the card home and tape it somewhere they will see it each morning, like on a bedroom door or a bathroom mirror.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter is about the danger of making ministry about personalities instead of about Christ. Paul uses the pictures of planting, watering, and building to show that every servant depends on God, who alone gives growth. It also reminds the church that the community itself is God’s temple, so unity and humility are serious matters.
With children, avoid overstating the fire imagery or the idea of loss in verses 12 to 15. Those verses are about how each person’s work will be tested, and they are complex for young minds. Keep the focus on the joy of growing with God and on being part of His family.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You for making us grow. Help us be kind helpers who work together and do not fight. Thank You that Jesus is our strong foundation and that Your Spirit lives in us. Help us build our lives on You each day. Amen.
