This lesson teaches children that because of Jesus, God has made them his own family, so they are no longer slaves but children he loves. It works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, the verses, and the activity.
Big Idea
God adopted us into his family through Jesus, so we are his children and he is our loving Father. We do not have to earn his love, because we already belong to him.
Memory Verse
Galatians 4:6
And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”
(WEB)
Ask children to cup both hands over their heart as they say the words slowly, then open their arms wide on the word “Father.” Repeat it three times together, speeding up a little each time, until everyone can say it with the motions.
The Story: Galatians 4 for Kids
Long ago, Paul wrote a letter to friends in a city called Galatia. He wanted them to remember something very important. Before they knew Jesus, many of them felt like they had to follow lots of rules to make God happy. It was a little like being a servant who had to obey every order all day long.
Paul explained that a child who belongs to a rich family is still a child, even though everything in the house will one day be his. Until he grows up, he has teachers and helpers who guide him. Paul said that people were once like this, held by rules they could not keep. But then God did something wonderful. He sent his own Son, Jesus, to be born as a baby and to live as one of us.
Jesus came to set people free, so that God could adopt them as his own children. Paul said that God also sent his Spirit into our hearts, so we can call out to God as our loving Father. Paul told his friends, in simple words, “You are not a servant anymore. You are a son or daughter, and God has made you his heir.” An heir is someone who gets to share in everything the Father has.
Paul also reminded the Galatians that they had once turned to things that could not really help them. He was worried they were going back to old habits instead of trusting Jesus. He wanted them to know that God’s love was already theirs, and they did not need to earn it.
Paul even told a story about two sons in the Bible, Isaac and Ishmael. One was born to a servant, and one was born to a free woman, and the child of promise was Isaac. Paul pointed out that the children of God are like Isaac, children of promise, not children of a servant. Ending his story, Paul said, “We are children of the free woman.” That means we are free in Jesus.
Read It Together
Galatians 4:4-5
4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, 5 that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children.
(WEB)
Point out that God sent Jesus at exactly the right time, and that Jesus came under the law so he could set us free from it. Ask children to notice the two reasons: to redeem us and to make us his children.
Galatians 4:7
So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
(WEB)
Show children the word “son” and the word “heir” in this verse. Explain that because we belong to Jesus, we are not slaves anymore but family, and we share in everything God has.
Galatians 4:28-31
28 Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are children of promise. 29 But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30 However what does the Scripture say? “Throw out the servant and her son, for the son of the servant will not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31 So then, brothers, we are not children of a servant, but of the free woman.
(WEB)
Tell children that Paul is comparing two kinds of children to show that God’s family belongs to those who trust his promise. Help them see that freedom comes through God’s promise, not through trying to earn his love.
Talk About It
- What do you think it feels like to be treated like a child in God’s family instead of a servant?
- Why did God send Jesus to be born as a baby, and what did Jesus do for us?
- Where can you see that God is your loving Father in your everyday life?
- What are some ways a child in a family shows that they belong to that family?
- How can you remember that you are free in Jesus when you feel afraid or worried?
Activity Ideas
Family Crown Craft
You will need paper strips, crayons or markers, tape or a stapler, and some stickers. Have each child write “God’s Child” on a strip and decorate it. Tape the strip into a crown that fits around their head. Talk about how a child of a king would wear a crown, and how we are God’s children and heirs.
Servant to Child Movement Game
Ask children to act out being a servant by walking slowly, bowing, and pretending to carry heavy buckets. Then call out “Child of God!” and have them jump up, spin around, and run to the teacher with arms wide like a happy child. Repeat a few times and talk about how Jesus set us free to run to our Father.
Take-Home Prayer Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and a marker. Write the words “Abba, Father” on one side and draw a simple heart on the other. Encourage children to take the card home and place it by their bed or on the kitchen table. Each day, they can read it aloud and say a short thank you to God for making them his child.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Galatians 4 shows that the gospel is not about earning God’s approval through rules or rituals. Believers are adopted as God’s children through Christ, and the Spirit gives us the confidence to call God “Father.” Paul’s use of the Abraham story also reminds us that God’s promise, not human effort, creates his family.
With children, avoid overstating the Hagar and Sarah allegory or the details of Paul’s comparison to Mount Sinai and Jerusalem. Keep the focus on the simple truth that we are God’s children and free in Jesus, and save the deeper questions for older students.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Father, thank you for making us your children through Jesus. Thank you that we do not have to earn your love, because you already love us. Help us to remember that we are free and that you are always with us. Amen.
