This lesson teaches children that Abraham was made right with God because he trusted God, not because he did big things to earn it. It works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God makes us right with Him when we trust Him, and we cannot earn His love by ourselves. Trusting God is the gift that brings us close to Him.
Memory Verse
Romans 4:3
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
(WEB)
Hold both hands over your heart, then open them wide like a book, and say the verse together. Keep the motion going each time you repeat it so children link the words with the action.
The Story: Romans 4 for Kids
Long ago there was a man named Abraham. God told Abraham that his family would become a great nation, even though Abraham was very old and did not have any children yet. Abraham did not have all the answers, but he decided to believe God’s promise.
Some people thought that a person became right with God by doing lots of good works and following every rule perfectly. Paul, who wrote this letter to the church in Rome, pointed out that Abraham was made right with God before he was circumcised and long before the law was given. Abraham simply trusted God, and God counted that trust as righteousness.
Abraham’s body was worn out, and his wife Sarah could not have babies. Yet Abraham did not doubt God. He remembered that God keeps His word and can do what seems impossible. Paul says Abraham grew strong in his faith and gave glory to God.
God said to Abraham, in his own simple way, “Look at the stars. So will your family be.” Abraham believed Him, and that trust mattered more to God than anything else Abraham could have offered. Paul tells us that God counted Abraham’s faith as righteousness.
The story is not just about Abraham. Paul says God makes us right in the same way, when we believe in Jesus, who died for our sins and was raised to make us right with God. We can trust Him just as Abraham did.
Read It Together
Romans 4:5
But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
(WEB)
Point out that God makes people right when they believe, not when they work hard enough to earn it. Ask children to notice the words “believes” and “accounted,” and explain that accounted means counted or credited to us.
Romans 4:20-21
20 Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.
(WEB)
Show how Abraham did not waver but grew strong as he trusted God. Explain that trust grows the more we remember God’s faithfulness, just as Abraham remembered what God had promised him.
Romans 4:25
Who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
(WEB)
Point to Jesus as the reason we are made right with God. Help children see that Jesus was given up for our wrongs and raised so that we can stand right before God.
Talk About It
- What did God promise Abraham, and how do you think he felt when he heard it?
- Why do you think God cares more about trust than about how well we follow rules?
- When is it hard for you to trust God, and what helps you remember He is faithful?
- How did Abraham keep believing even when things looked impossible?
- What is one way you can trust God this week?
Activity Ideas
Star Count Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a dark sheet of construction paper if you have one. Ask children to draw a night sky and count stars as they draw, saying each number out loud. Explain that Abraham was told his family would be as many as the stars, and he trusted God even though he could not see how it would happen.
Trust Walk
Clear a safe space in a room or yard. One child closes their eyes while a partner gently guides them by the hand from one spot to another. Afterward, talk about how it felt to trust someone you could not see, and connect that to how Abraham trusted God.
Faith Pocket Card
You will need index cards, a pen, and a small envelope or pocket. Have each child write one promise of God on a card, such as “God keeps His word,” and tuck it into the pocket. Encourage them to read it aloud at breakfast or bedtime for the coming week.
Teacher Notes
Romans 4 teaches that Abraham was made right with God through faith, not through his own efforts or religious rituals. For adults, this means our standing before God rests on God’s grace received by trust in Jesus, which is a gift and not a wage we earn.
With children, avoid suggesting that faith is a feeling they must produce or that God rewards them only when they trust hard enough. Keep the focus on God’s faithfulness, which is the reason their trust rests on something solid.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank You for keeping Your promises, just as You kept Your word to Abraham. Help us trust You when we cannot see what You are doing, and remind us that You make us right through Jesus. Help us grow strong in faith every day. Amen.
