In this lesson, children learn that Jesus shows us how to treat others with kindness, and that the people who listen to Him and do what He says are like a house built on solid rock. This lesson suits children aged 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
Jesus wants us to be kind, to love everyone, and to do what He says, because that is what makes our lives strong like a house built on rock.
Memory Verse
Luke 6:31
“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.
(WEB)
Teach the children to cup one hand and hold it out to a friend, then pull it gently back toward their heart. Say the verse together while you make the motion each time you reach the word “you.”
The Story: Luke 6 for Kids
One day Jesus and His friends were walking through fields of grain. His disciples were hungry, so they picked some heads of grain and rubbed them in their hands to eat. Some Pharisees, who were very strict about the rules, saw this and asked why they were doing something they thought was not allowed on the Sabbath day. Jesus reminded them of a time when King David and his friends were hungry, and they ate bread from God’s house. Then Jesus said, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
On another Sabbath, Jesus went into the synagogue to teach. A man was there whose right hand was withered and weak. The religious leaders watched Jesus closely, hoping to catch Him doing something wrong. Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked the man to stand in the middle of the room. Then Jesus asked them a question: “Is it right to do good on the Sabbath, or to do harm?”
Jesus looked around at everyone and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did, and his hand was made whole again, just like his other hand. The leaders were very angry, and they began talking about what they might do to Jesus. Before any of this happened, Jesus had gone up on a mountain to pray all night to God.
When morning came, Jesus called His followers and chose twelve of them to be His special friends, called apostles. He came down with them to a flat place, where a big crowd had gathered to hear Him and be healed. Many people were sick, and Jesus healed them all. The people wanted to touch Him, because power came out of Him to heal them.
Jesus then taught the crowd about being happy in God’s kingdom. He said, “Blessed are you who are poor, God’s Kingdom is yours.” He told them to love their enemies, to do good, and to be merciful, just as their Father in heaven is merciful. At the end, He told a story about two men building houses. One built his house on rock, and when the flood came, it stood strong. The other built on the ground with no foundation, and it fell down.
Read It Together
Luke 6:36-37
36 “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful. 37 Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.
(WEB)
Point out that Jesus asks us to be merciful, the way God is merciful to us. Ask the children what it might look like to forgive a friend who hurt them, and remind them that God is always ready to forgive us too.
Luke 6:27-28
27 “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
(WEB)
Show the children that Jesus wants us to love people who are hard to love. Explain that loving our enemies does not mean we agree with what they did, but it means we choose to pray for them and treat them kindly.
Luke 6:46-48
46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? 47 Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.
(WEB)
Help the children see that Jesus is not just asking us to say that we love Him. He wants us to listen to His words and do them, because that is what makes our lives strong and steady, like a house built on rock.
Talk About It
- What is one way you could show kindness to someone this week?
- Why do you think Jesus said it was good to help people on the Sabbath?
- How does it feel when someone forgives you after you have made a mistake?
- What is something Jesus asks us to do that might be hard for us?
- How can building our lives on what Jesus teaches help us when storms come?
Activity Ideas
Rock House Craft
Give each child a sheet of paper, crayons or markers, and a few small gray stones or pieces of cardboard. Ask them to draw a house on the paper and glue the stones along the bottom as a foundation. As they work, talk about how Jesus is our solid rock, and how His words help us stand strong. Let them take their drawings home to remind them of the lesson.
Stretch Out Your Hand Game
Gather the children in a circle and have them stand up. Call out simple actions like “stretch out your hand,” “reach toward the sky,” or “wiggle your fingers.” Each time you call an action, the children do it together, then sit back down. This game helps children feel the story of the healed hand and remember that Jesus asks us to do good. Keep the pace lively and let the children take turns leading the actions.
Kindness Cup Reminder
Provide a paper cup, a marker, and a small slip of paper for each child. Have them write one kind thing they can do for someone in their family on the paper, fold it, and place it inside the cup. Encourage them to keep the cup on their dresser or in the kitchen, and to pull out one slip each day to do that kind act. This simple item helps the Golden Rule stay close to them through the week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that Jesus fulfills the true purpose of the Sabbath, which is to do good, to rest in God, and to care for people. He calls His followers to a love that reaches even to enemies and that gives freely without expecting anything back. The chapter ends with the picture of a life built on hearing and doing His words, which is the foundation that holds firm when storms come.
Avoid suggesting to children that God will always make their lives easy if they are good, or that being kind will always stop bad things from happening. Focus instead on the steady faithfulness of Jesus and the joy of building our lives on Him, even when life is difficult.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank You for teaching us how to love and be kind to everyone. Help us to listen to Your words and to do them each day. Make us merciful like our Father in heaven, and help us build our lives on You, our solid rock. Amen.
