This lesson teaches children that Jesus wants us to be kind and to do what he says, because that is how we build a life that stays strong. It is for ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes.
Big Idea
Jesus wants us to be kind, even to people who are not kind to us. When we listen to Jesus and do what he says, we are building our lives on a strong rock.
Memory Verse
Luke 6:31
“As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.
(WEB)
Hold both hands out in front of you, palms up, like you are receiving a gift. Then slowly turn them over and gently pat your own chest as you say the verse together. Do this three times so the children learn it by heart.
The Story: Luke 6 for Kids
One Sabbath day, Jesus and his friends were walking through a field of grain. His disciples were hungry, so they picked some heads of grain and rubbed them in their hands to eat them. Some Pharisees, who were religious leaders, saw this and said it was not allowed on the Sabbath, the special day of rest. Jesus answered them by reminding them of a time when King David and his men were hungry and ate bread from God’s house. Then Jesus said, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
On another Sabbath, Jesus went into a synagogue to teach. A man was there whose right hand was withered and could not work well. The Pharisees watched Jesus closely, hoping he would heal the man so they could accuse him of breaking the rules. Jesus knew what they were thinking. He asked the man to stand up in front of everyone.
Then Jesus asked the crowd a simple question: “Is it right to do good on the Sabbath, or to do harm?” Nobody answered him. Jesus looked around at all of them, and then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did, and his hand was made whole, just like his other hand. The religious leaders were very angry and began talking about what they could do to Jesus.
Before he chose his twelve friends to be his closest followers, Jesus went up on a mountain and prayed all night long to God. In the morning, he called his disciples and picked twelve of them. Then he came down and stood on level ground with a big crowd of people who had come to hear him and be healed.
Jesus looked at his disciples and told them who would be truly blessed. He said that the poor, the hungry, and those who weep are blessed by God. Then he gave them a hard lesson: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who hurt you.” He told them to treat others the way they would want to be treated.
At the end of his teaching, Jesus told a story about a wise man who built his house on a rock. When a flood came, the house stood strong. But a foolish man built his house on sand with no foundation, and when the flood came, that house fell down. Jesus said that people who hear his words and do them are like the wise builder.
Read It Together
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)
Point out that Jesus says to love and bless people even when they are unkind. Ask the children to name a person who sometimes makes them feel sad or angry, and talk about one kind thing they could do for that person this week.
Luke 6:37
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)
Show the children that Jesus is teaching us not to be quick to judge others. Explain that when we are kind and forgiving, we act more like God, who is patient with all of us.
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)
Read these verses slowly and point out the picture of a house built on a rock. Explain that doing what Jesus says is like building a strong foundation, so that when hard times come, our lives stay firm.
Talk About It
- What is one thing Jesus asked the man with the withered hand to do, and what do you think he felt when he could move his hand again?
- Why do you think Jesus said we should do good to people who are mean to us?
- What is something kind you could do this week for someone who is hard to like?
- How can judging others make us feel and make others feel?
- What does it look like to build your life on the rock of Jesus’ words?
Activity Ideas
Rock Foundation House Drawing
You will need paper, crayons or markers, and a few small pebbles or stones. Ask each child to draw a simple house on the paper, then glue or draw a large rock underneath it as a foundation. Talk together about how Jesus’ words are the rock that keeps our lives strong. Let the children add a small kind action or word on their house to show something they can do.
Stretch Out Your Hand Game
You will need an open space and a timer or a clock with a second hand. Invite the children to stand in a circle and copy your movements as you slowly stretch out a hand, wiggle the fingers, and bring it back. Then have them practice a kind action, like giving a high five or helping someone up. End by reading Luke 6:31 together and asking each child to name a way to treat others the way they want to be treated.
Kindness Jar at Home
You will need an empty jar, paper, and a pen or pencil. Write Luke 6:31 at the top of a sheet of paper and tape it to the jar. Each time someone in the family does something kind, they write it on a slip of paper and drop it into the jar. At the end of the week, read the notes together and thank God for the ways we can show his love to each other.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this chapter shows that Jesus is Lord even over the Sabbath, and that his way of love, mercy, and obedience is the true foundation for life. The passage challenges us to love our enemies, to be merciful rather than judgmental, and to build our lives on Jesus’ teaching rather than on our own opinions or the approval of others.
Be careful not to suggest to children that doing good will always make others like us or that God will protect us from all bad things. Jesus’ teaching is about the strength and character that come from following him, and children should understand that he loves them even when others do not.
A Prayer to Close
Dear Jesus, thank you for teaching us how to be kind and how to live. Help us to love others, to be patient, and to do what you say. Help us to build our lives on your words, like a house built on a strong rock. Amen.
