Use this children’s sermon to teach kids about the Trinity from John 16:12-15 in your Sunday School, Kids Church, or Children’s Ministry groups. Download the printable lesson plan below, gather your object lesson supplies, and watch our video teaching demonstration as you prepare to share this powerful message in your congregation.
Lesson Objective: This message tackles one of the great challenges of Christian faith: the Trinity. The Trinity can be tough to wrap our heads around, even as adults. To describe, there are many potential illustrations that we might use to explain how God can be one person with three components. There are a few object lesson ideas featured in this message. Ultimately, however, the emphasis is on the mystery of the Trinity. We might never fully grasp what it means, but we trust that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we follow Him as loving provider and savior.
Law/Gospel Theme: Contemplating the Trinity reminds us of what God does for us. As Father, he created all things and provides for us. As Son, He lived with us and died for us. As Spirit, He continues to work and reign in our lives. These three are not divided, however, but always were and will be one. There are things in our lives, and especially in our Christian faith, that we just don’t completely understand. We can put our best efforts into comprehending the Trinity, but ultimately we put our trust in the God that knows and does all things. Because He is bigger than our understanding, we know He is bigger than our problems, too!
Three in One! Children’s Sermon Lesson: The Mystery of the Trinity from John 16:12-15 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Trinity Object Lesson Materials: Eggs, apples, triangles, car keys, books, Bible
Bible Passage: John 16:12-15
More Teaching Ideas on the Trinity for Kids:
- Watch the Trinity Children’s sermon teaching example and Bible craft ideas for Sunday School
- Compare the Father’s Day Sermon based on the Trinity and John 16:12-22 Sunday School Lesson
- Compare another Sunday School Lesson on the Trinity and Bible Lesson on the Trinity for Kids
- Read more Bible verses about the Trinity.
Message Tips for Teachers: As with most object lesson messages, the details of how you choose to communicate this are adaptable and should cater to timing as well as to your audience and student needs. In this example, a few common analogies of the Trinity are mentioned. Choose one or two to discuss, if desired.
Children’s Sermon (John 16:12-15)The Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Object Lesson
Greet children, and discuss mysteries that are hard to grasp…
Hello, children of God! Are there things in life that confuse you? Maybe things that you don’t quite understand or don’t know how to do? For instance, do you know how to drive a car (hold up car keys)? Probably not just yet, but you will one day. Meanwhile, you trust that your parents know how to drive and can get you where you need to go. Or maybe you don’t know how the inside of a computer works (I sure don’t!), but you trust the people that work on them for you. Then there are other things that I don’t think I’ll ever understand…like, why did God make mosquitoes? Or why do we park in a driveway and drive on a parkway? Mysteries to ponder…
Well, today we are talking about something that can also be tough to understand, even or adults. It’s called…the Trinity! Have you ever heard of the Trinity? It comes from a word that means “three” (“tri”), like tricycle, triceratops, triangle… The Trinity tells us how God is three persons in one. That can sound confusing right away. He is one God, but there are three parts to Him—but He’s always all of the parts all of the time. There’s God the Father, who is the creator of all things, and provides for us and cares for us. Then, there’s Jesus the Son. Jesus is God in human form, the image of the God we don’t see with our eyes. Jesus is God on Earth, but while He was on Earth, He was still God (that’s the kind of confusing part!). Then there’s the Holy Spirit. Sometimes He is a little tougher to describe, but the Holy Spirit is God’s presence with us, working to continue God’s work and helping us to believe in Him. All of these existed from the beginning, and always will be together.
There are some things that people use to try explaining this concept. Unfortunately, it’s hard to get one just right, but maybe it will help (select one or two of the following). Sometimes people talk about water: there’s liquid water, and then there’s solid frozen ice, and then steam or vapor. All three of them are water, but in different forms. However, they can’t be ice and water and steam at the same time…then there’s an apple: we have the outer skin, the inner flesh, and the core or seeds. That’s sort of three in one, BUT it’s also three parts that aren’t the exact same thing. Then, similarly, we have an egg: shell, yolk, and egg white. It’s a little closer, but not quite there.
Actually, one of my favorite explanations has to do with the roles that we have. For instance, I often act as a teacher. But sometimes I am a runner, and sometimes I’m a friend or sister or even a baker. I am still me, no matter what else I’m doing. I don’t change in who I am, but I do different things. God is always God, whether he’s Father, Son, or Holy Spirit.
Here’s the key thing to remember, though: the Trinity is difficult to understand. It’s important, because through it we see how God loves us and takes care of us. But at the end of the day, we might not fully comprehend what it means…and that’s okay! In fact, having some elements of mystery can actually make God even more awesome and amazing. There are things about God that we will never fully understand this side of Heaven. Sometimes He calls us to trust Him and rest assured that He loves us and has our best interest in mind, no matter what else comes our way. Someday we might be able to grasp how God can truly and fully be three persons, but one, always and all the time. If we don’t get that though, we can still have confidence that the Lord will provide for and take care of us, now and always!
Why don’t we say a prayer and ask God to help us trust in Him?
Children’s Prayer Moment:
(Have kids repeat each line)
Dear God,
You are bigger than anything we can imagine
Thank you for your might and power.
Help us to trust in you
Even with things we don’t understand.
Thank you for your love
We love you, God!
In Jesus name, Amen!
Scripture Verses & Bible Story for Kids: John 16:12-15, Psalm 8:3-4
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you. -John 16:12-15 ESV
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? -Psalm 8:3-4 ESV
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