This lesson teaches children that God is like a potter who makes and remakes us, and that He is always able to shape something good out of what we give Him. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including a short story, a few questions and one simple activity.
Big Idea
God is the potter and we are the clay. When we let Him shape us, He can make something good, even when we have gone wrong, because He is always able to start again.
Memory Verse
Jeremiah 18:6
“House of Israel, can’t I do with you as this potter?” says the LORD. “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, house of Israel.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out like you are holding a lump of soft clay. Slowly turn your hands in a circle, as if a potter’s wheel is spinning, and say the verse together while you turn. Repeat it three times, speeding up a little each time.
The Story: Jeremiah 18 for Kids
God called a man named Jeremiah to go to a potter’s house. A potter is someone who makes bowls and jars out of wet clay. When Jeremiah got there, he saw the potter working at his spinning wheel. The clay was turning round and round under the potter’s hands.
Suddenly, the pot the potter was making got bent and squished. It was ruined. Did the potter throw it away? No! He squeezed the clay into a ball, put it back on the wheel, and made a brand new pot. It was just what he wanted to make.
God spoke to Jeremiah and said, “Can I not do with you what this potter does? You are like the clay in my hands, people of Israel.” God was showing His people that He is able to shape them and make them new. He wanted them to turn back from doing wrong.
But the people did not listen. They said, “We will do whatever we want, and we will not listen to Jeremiah.” They forgot God and worshipped false gods instead. They even tried to hurt Jeremiah with their words. God was sad about their choices, but He still held out His hands to them.
God loved His people, and He wanted them to come back to Him. He is a God who can still make something new out of a life that has been broken. The story reminds us that God is patient and willing to shape us again.
Read It Together
Jeremiah 18:3-4
3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he was making something on the wheels. 4 When the vessel that he made of the clay was marred in the hand of the potter, he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
(WEB)
Point out that the potter does not give up on a pot that gets marred. Ask children what they think the potter is making. Explain that the word “marred” means spoiled or damaged, and that God is the one who starts again.
Jeremiah 18:7-8
7 At the instant I speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to break down and to destroy it; 8 if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.
(WEB)
Show children that God is willing to change His plans when people turn away from wrong. Use a simple example like saying sorry to a friend and being forgiven. Help them see that turning back to God is always welcome.
Jeremiah 18:15
For my people have forgotten me. They have burned incense to false gods. They have been made to stumble in their ways, in the ancient paths, to walk in byways, in a way not built up…
(WEB)
Talk about what forgetting God looks like in everyday life, such as ignoring Him or choosing our own way instead. Let children name a few ways they might forget to pray, read the Bible, or trust God. Gently remind them that God never forgets them.
Talk About It
- What did the potter do when the pot got bent and squished?
- How is God like the potter, and how are we like the clay?
- What can you let God shape in your life this week?
- Why do you think God wanted His people to turn back from doing wrong?
- How does it feel to know God can make something new out of us?
Activity Ideas
Clay Pinch Pot
You will need modeling clay or play dough and a flat surface for each child. Have children press a thumb into a ball of clay to make a small bowl, then pinch the sides to shape it. Let them squish it and start again if they do not like it, and talk about how God gives us fresh starts.
Spin Like the Wheel
Gather the children in a circle and invite them to be clay. Have them crouch down small, then slowly rise and turn as you call out that the potter is shaping them. Finish by having them “stand up” as a new, good pot, and remind them of Jeremiah 18:6 while they move.
Fresh Start Jar
You will need a small empty jar, paper strips and a pencil. Ask each child to write one thing they want God to help them change on a strip, then fold it and place it in the jar. Take the jar home and pray together over the strips each evening for a week.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage shows that God is sovereign over His people and free to respond to their choices. He is the one who shapes, and He is patient when people turn back from their own plans. The chapter also shows that God grieves when His people forget Him, and that His call to return is an act of love.
Avoid overstating to children that every bad thing that happens will be fixed right away or that God punishes children for small mistakes. The lesson is about God’s power to make new and His invitation to turn back, not a formula for how life will always turn out. Keep the focus on His faithfulness and love.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, you are the potter and we are the clay. Please shape us into people who love you and help others. When we make mistakes, help us come back to you, and thank you for always giving us a fresh start. Amen.
