This lesson teaches children that God’s Good News is about Jesus, and that it is true and never changes. It suits children aged about 5 to 11 and takes 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the verses and the activity.
Big Idea
God’s Good News is about Jesus, and it is true no matter who tells it to us. Paul loved God’s Good News so much that he could not stop sharing it.
Memory Verse
Galatians 1:3
Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ…
(WEB)
Teach the children to hold both hands out in front of them, palms up, like they are receiving a gift. Then say “Grace” and “peace” as they lift their arms gently up and down together. Repeat the verse three times with the motion.
The Story: Galatians 1 for Kids
Paul wrote a letter to friends in a group of churches called Galatia. He was an apostle, which means a person sent out by Jesus to tell people about Him. Paul wanted his friends to remember that the Good News came from Jesus, and no one else.
Some people were telling the Galatians a different story. They were trying to change the Good News so it sounded different. Paul was upset. He said that even if an angel from heaven brought a different message, it would not be true. Only the Good News about Jesus is true.
Before Paul knew Jesus, he worked hard to stop the church. He was very zealous for the old traditions of his family. But God chose Paul before he was even born, and God called him by His kindness. God showed Paul His Son Jesus, so Paul could tell the people about Him.
Paul did not get his message from other people. He did not learn it from a teacher. Jesus Himself showed it to him. Paul went away to a quiet place for a while, and then he went back to the city of Damascus. Years later he went to Jerusalem and spent time with Peter. He saw James, the Lord’s brother, too.
The people who had once been scared of Paul heard about the change in his life. They said, “The man who used to hurt us now tells people about the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of what He had done in Paul.
Read It Together
Galatians 1:6-7
6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”; 7 and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
(WEB)
Point out that Paul was surprised people were turning away from the true Good News so quickly. Ask the children to listen for the word “different,” and explain that God’s Good News does not need changing.
Galatians 1:15-16
15 But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace, 16 to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood…
(WEB)
Show the children that God chose Paul before he was born and called him by grace. Explain that God does not wait for us to be good enough before He loves us and uses us.
Galatians 1:23-24
23 But they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God in me.
(WEB)
Point out that the people who had been afraid of Paul praised God for what He had done. Explain that when God changes a person, the change can make others glad and help them see how good He is.
Talk About It
- What is the Good News that Paul wanted his friends to remember?
- Why did Paul say that God’s Good News was not something people made up?
- How do you think Paul felt when he learned that God loved him even when he had done wrong?
- What is one way you can share the Good News about Jesus with a friend this week?
- Why do you think the people who used to be afraid of Paul began to praise God?
Activity Ideas
Good News Banner Craft
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and tape or glue. Have each child write the words “Good News” in big letters across a piece of paper, then draw something that reminds them of Jesus, such as a cross, a heart or a sunny sky. Tape the finished pictures to a wall or door so the whole class can see them together.
Messenger Race
You will need two or more teams, a small paper note for each team, and a chair at the far end of the room. Each team lines up, and the first child carries the note to the chair and back without dropping it. Afterward, talk about how a message must be delivered exactly as it was given, just as Paul wanted the Good News kept true.
Take-Home Good News Card
You will need index cards, a pen, and a rubber band for each child. Have each child write one sentence on the card that begins with “Jesus is good news because…” and finish it in their own words. They can keep the card in a pocket or tie it to a backpack zipper, so they remember to share the Good News with someone during the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Galatians 1 shows that the Gospel is a message received from God and not invented by people. Paul’s own story, from persecutor to preacher, shows that God’s call comes by grace and not by merit. Adults can take this as a reminder to guard the truth of the Gospel and to rest in the grace that called them.
Avoid suggesting to children that God only loves people after they change or that Paul’s past mistakes are something to copy. Keep the focus on God’s grace and the truth of the Good News about Jesus.
A Prayer to Close
Lord Jesus, thank You that the Good News is true and never changes. Help us to hold onto it and share it with our friends. Thank You for loving us and calling us by Your grace, just as You did for Paul. Amen.
