Light of the World Sunday School Lesson for Kids

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Use this children’s Sunday School lesson on Christians being the light of the world to show kids how they can lead other people to Heaven.

Needed: Bibles, flashlight, blindfolds, obstacles

Intro Game: Jesus Our Light 

Play a game of Red Light, Green Light with the change of turning the light on and off. Students run from one side of the room to the other when the lights are on. But when you turn the lights off, they have to stumble around and pretend to be afraid. If they keep running when the light is off, they‘re out. The winner is the first one who makes it to the other side of the room.

Lesson

Take your students and a flashlight to a dark room, or make your classroom as dark as possible, and sit or stand there with your students for a few moments in order to allow them to experience the dark. Then, turn on your flashlight and ask, Was anyone afraid of the dark?

What happened when I turned my flashlight on? You could see because it wasn’t so dark now. We had some light.

(If any of your students are still afraid of the darkened room, go ahead and turn all the lights on at this point.)

Can you see very well in the dark?

You can’t see in the dark very well, can you? Sometimes, you can’t find your way around in the dark, or you bump into things or trip over things. The dark’s kind of dangerous if you don’t know where you’re going.

But what about when you turn on the light? Can you see things then? (Yes.)

When the light is on, you can see exactly where you’re going and not bump into things.

Well, being in the dark is kind of like people in the world who don’t know Jesus. If they don’t know Jesus, then they don’t know the way to Heaven. It’s like they’re trying to find their way to Heaven, but the lights are all turned off, and they don’t know how to get there, so they’re just stumbling around in the dark.

But do you know what? We can help people find their way to Heaven!

(Read Matthew 5:14-16.)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

Jesus said that you are the light of the world. What do you think that means?

If someone doesn’t know Jesus or doesn’t believe in Jesus, what can you do to help that person believe in Jesus? (You can do nice things for them, you can tell them about Jesus, you can invite them to church, etc.)

So, if you help someone to believe in Jesus, that means you’re helping them find their way to Heaven. Instead of them bumping around and being lost in the dark, you’re showing them the way to go. It’s like you’re the light for them, showing them the way.

(Turn the lights or your flashlight back off and then, on again, saying, “You are the light of the world.” Do it again and lead your students in saying, “We are the light of the world!”)

So, let’s all try to be the light for people this week and show them how they can believe in Jesus and go to Heaven!

Game: Blindfold Challenge 

Set up an obstacle course before class. Then, have the students pair up. One of the students will put on a blindfold. The other will give them verbal directions of where to go. When I used this game, I had the children lead each other to another room in the church. You could also take the kids outside to walk a path around your property, or set up a course for them to follow in your classroom.

Once they get to the ending location, have them switch. The one giving directions will now take their blindfolded partner to a third location or back to the classroom via a different route.

When the second student reaches their location, remind them that people who don’t believe in Jesus don’t know the way to Heaven. It’s like they’re in the dark, so we have to help them find their way.

Game: Disciple Tag

Choose one student to be It. When they tag someone, that person links hands with them and joins their team. They continue adding people to their team, linking hands with each one until all but one student is part of their chain. That remaining student becomes It for the next round.

Play two or three rounds and then, explain that when we tell people about Jesus, we want them to believe in Jesus too. If they do, they become a Christian and join our team. Then, they help us tell more people about Jesus.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, thank You for giving us people who showed us the way to Heaven. Now, we pray that You’ll help us to be the light and show the way to someone else. Amen.

Recommended Extras

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The Beginner’s Bible: Timeless Stories for Children – for telling the stories to younger children

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Manga Comic Book: Messiah – for your classroom or church library

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My Big Book of Bible Heroes Devotional – a devotional to recommend for families or older students

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Jesus in the Spotlight (Discover 4 Yourself series) – an in-depth Bible study book for older children based on John 1-10

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Be Sure Your Light is Shining – a free object lesson showing how Jesus’ light shines in and out of our hearts

The Pumpkin – a free object lesson (good to use in the fall) that illustrates the light inside us

Plugged in and Turned on for Jesus – a free object lesson about where we get the source of our light, along with free coloring and activity pages

Let Your Light Shine – a free object lesson using a relighting candle to show that nothing can take our light away, along with free coloring and activity pages