Ephesians 3 teaches children that God’s love is bigger than anything we can measure, and that God gives us strength through his Spirit to live it out. This lesson works well for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
God’s love is bigger than we can ever measure, and he gives us his strength to know it and share it with everyone.
Memory Verse
Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…
(WEB)
Hold both hands out wide, then stretch them even wider as you say the verse together. Each time you say “abundantly,” push your arms out a little more, so children feel how big God’s power is.
The Story: Ephesians 3 for Kids
Paul was a missionary who told people about Jesus. Some people put him in prison for doing this, but he did not stop loving the people he taught. Paul was writing to friends in the city of Ephesus, and most of them were not Jewish. Many of them had grown up knowing other gods.
Paul wanted his friends to know a special secret. God had always planned to include everyone, not just one group of people. God’s family is made up of people from every place and every background. Everyone is welcome to share in God’s promise through Jesus.
Paul called himself “the least of all God’s people.” That was a humble way to say that he felt small, yet God still chose him to share this good news. Paul said, “I am so thankful God gave me this job.” He wanted everyone to see how wonderful Jesus is.
Then Paul prayed for his friends. He asked the Father to make them strong inside through his Spirit. He prayed that Christ would live in their hearts because of their faith. Paul wanted them to be rooted and grounded in love, like a tree with deep roots that stands firm in a storm.
At the end of his prayer, Paul said that God can do far more than we could ever ask or imagine. Everything good that happens comes from God’s power working inside us. Paul gave God all the glory, forever and ever.
Read It Together
Ephesians 3:16-17
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love…
(WEB)
Point out that Paul prayed for strength to come from God’s Spirit inside us. Ask children where they think they could feel strong on the inside, and remind them that God is the one who gives that strength.
Ephesians 3:18-19
18 May be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, 19 and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
(WEB)
Show children how “width, length, height, and depth” describe something very big. Explain that Paul is saying God’s love is too big for us to fully measure, but we can still come to know it more and more.
Ephesians 3:14-15
14 For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named…
(WEB)
Explain that Paul knelt to pray, which shows respect and humility. Point out that every family, in heaven and on earth, belongs to God, and that includes your class and your own family.
Talk About It
- What is one thing you think God’s love is like, and why?
- Who did Paul say God’s family includes, and how does that make you feel?
- When do you feel strong on the inside, and what helps you feel that way?
- How can we show someone that God’s love is wide enough for them too?
- What is one thing you could thank God for today, big or small?
Activity Ideas
Measure the Big Love Drawing
You will need large paper, crayons or markers, and a ruler or piece of string. Ask each child to draw a big heart on the paper, then label its width, length, height, and depth in the margins. Talk together about how each word describes something God’s love is bigger than. Let children add small words or pictures that show what God’s love covers.
Strong Like a Tree Movement Game
Clear a space in the room and have children stand with feet apart like tree trunks. Call out “Storm!” and let them sway and bend, then “Roots down!” so they stand firm again. You can read a line from the memory verse each time a child stays steady. This helps children picture being rooted and strong in God’s love.
Take-Home Prayer Jar
You will need a clean jar, paper slips, and a pen. Give each child a few slips to write or draw things they want God to do in their lives or the lives of others. Place the slips in the jar and ask families to pull one out each day to pray over at dinner or bedtime. This reminds children that God can do far more than they could ask or imagine.
Teacher Notes
For adults, Ephesians 3 shows that the gospel brings Jews and Gentiles together into one body, and that Paul received this calling as a gift of grace. The chapter also reveals a prayer for believers to be strengthened by the Spirit, rooted in love, and filled with God’s fullness. Paul’s words about God’s power working in us remind us that our growth comes from God, not from our own effort.
With children, avoid overstating the idea of measuring God’s love or claiming that God’s power will always give us what we ask for in exactly the way we want. Keep the focus on God’s love being very large and on God giving us strength, without making promises about outcomes.
A Prayer to Close
Father, thank you that your love is bigger than we can measure. Please make us strong inside through your Spirit, and help us stay rooted in your love every day. Help us share your good news with everyone we meet. Amen.
