Books of the Bible Sunday School Lesson: A First Lesson for a Small Class

Use this free books of the Bible Sunday school lesson for kids as a first lesson on how God’s Word is put together. It is for one small class of mixed ages, about 4 to 12, all in one room, with fewer than 25 kids. In 30 to 45 minutes, kids learn that the Bible is 66 books in two testaments. Then the whole class walks through a Bible together from the first verse to the last, says a memory verse and prays. You need Bibles, a marker and paper strips for bookmarks. A 5-minute children’s sermon version is below, too.

Why kids need to know their way around the Bible

Most kids hear the Bible read in church. Few know where those words come from, or how to find them on their own. A child who can open a Bible and find a verse is more likely to listen when it is read.

Every week in church, many children are only learning to check out mentally while God’s Word is read. Don’t give up. I believe that all of this can be overcome, and children can learn to appreciate the public reading of the scriptures.

Tony Kummer, founder of Ministry-to-Children, writing in 2008

So this first lesson starts with the shape of the Bible. Kids see the 66 books, learn the two testaments and follow along as you turn from the first page to the last. Memorizing the names in order can wait for later weeks.

Books of the Bible lesson for kids at a glance

• Big idea: The Bible is one book made of 66 books. God gave every one of them, and together they point to Jesus.
• Bible passages: Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4, John 20:31, Revelation 22:21, with Nehemiah 8:3 and 2 Peter 1:21 for the teacher
• Memory verse: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, BSB)
• Ages: mixed ages, about 4 to 12, in one room
• Class size: 1 to 24 kids
• Time: about 45 minutes, or 30 with the short version below
• Supplies: full Bibles (one for every two kids is enough), paper strips for bookmarks, a marker
• Saturday night prep: mark the five stops of the Bible walk in your own Bible with sticky notes: Genesis 1:1, Revelation 22:21, Matthew 4:4, Deuteronomy 8:3 and John 20:31. Practice turning from one to the next once.

45-minute books of the Bible lesson plan

Follow the six steps in order. The minutes add up to about 45. If kids arrive late, start at step 2 and let early kids help hand out Bibles and bookmarks.

1. Opening: is the Bible one book or many? (5 minutes)

Hold up a Bible. Ask, “Is this one book or a lot of books?” Let kids vote with one finger for one book or all ten fingers for many books.

Then open to the contents page near the front. Show the list of names. Say, “This looks like one book. But inside are 66 books, all in one cover. It is like a whole library you can carry.”

2. What the 66 books are: two testaments (10 minutes)

Teach three short points. Hold the Bible open as you talk, so kids can see the pages.

1. God gave all 66 books. He used many different writers over a very long time. The Bible says they “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
2. The Old Testament has 39 books. It comes first. It was written before Jesus was born. It starts with Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). It ends with Malachi.
3. The New Testament has 27 books. It tells about Jesus and the first churches. It starts with Matthew and ends with Revelation.

Older kids can add 39 and 27 to get 66. Tell everyone that “testament” is an old word for a promise God makes with His people.

Now give each child a paper strip. Help them slip it in at Matthew, the first book of the New Testament. Say, “Everything before your bookmark is the Old Testament. Everything after it is the New Testament.” The youngest kids can say “big side” and “little side.”

3. Finding the books of the Bible: a walk from the first verse to the last (15 minutes)

The whole class moves through one Bible story from front to back, all together. Nobody races and nobody reads alone. You read each verse, and the class echoes it back one phrase at a time. Every child keeps a finger in their own Bible, or in the one they share.

1. Show how a verse address works. Write Genesis 1:1 on the board or a card. The name is the book. The big number is the chapter. The small number after the two dots is the verse. Genesis 1:1 is your first stop.
2. Stop 1, the very front. Everyone turns past the contents page to Genesis 1:1. Echo it together. Ask the youngest kids, “Big side or little side of your bookmark?” (Big side: Old Testament.)
3. Stop 2, the very back. Everyone flips to the last page, Revelation 22:21. Echo it. “Big side or little side?” (Little side: New Testament.) Say, “Everything in between is the rest of God’s library.”
4. Stop 3, the bookmark. Older kids find Matthew in the contents page and call out the page number for everyone. Turn to Matthew 4:4. Read Jesus’ words: “It is written.” Ask, “Where was it written?”
5. Stop 4, back to the big side. Turn back to Deuteronomy, the fifth book of the Bible, chapter 8, verse 3. Read it. Kids will hear almost the same words Jesus said. Jesus knew the Old Testament, and the two testaments tell one story.
6. Stop 5, why it was written. Turn to John 20:31. John is the fourth book of the New Testament. Read why John wrote his book: so that you may believe in Jesus.

Before the reading starts, tell kids about Nehemiah 8:3. When Ezra read God’s Word out loud, “all the people listened attentively.” Ask the class to listen the same way at each stop.

Teacher key for the five stops:

• Genesis 1:1 (Old): the very first verse of the Bible.
• Revelation 22:21 (New): the very last verse of the Bible.
• Matthew 4:4 (New): Jesus answers with words from Deuteronomy 8:3. This is the memory verse.
• Deuteronomy 8:3 (Old): the words Jesus quoted, written long before He was born.
• John 20:31 (New): why the book of John was written, so that people may believe in Jesus.

4. Talk it over: questions by age (5 minutes)

Ask the youngest kids first, so they answer before the big kids jump in.

• Ages 4 to 5: How many books are in the Bible? Who gave us the Bible?
• Ages 6 to 8: What is the first book of the Bible? What is the last? Which testament tells about Jesus being born?
• Ages 9 to 12: John 20:31 tells why John wrote his book. What reason does it give? In Matthew 4:4, Jesus used words from the Old Testament. What does that tell you about the Old Testament?

5. Memory verse: Matthew 4:4 with motions (5 minutes)

Say the verse three times with these motions. Get a little louder each time.

• “Man shall not live on bread alone”: pretend to take a bite of bread, then shake your head.
• “but on every word”: hold your hands open like a book.
• “that comes from the mouth of God”: touch your lips, then point up.

For the youngest kids, a short version works: “We live on every word from God.” This short line is a help for little ones, not the Bible’s exact words.

6. Closing prayer (5 minutes)

Have kids hold their Bibles on their laps. Go around the circle and let each child name one book they found or heard today. No one has to speak. Then pray a short prayer, one line at a time, and let kids repeat it:

“Dear God, thank You for the Bible. Thank You for all 66 books. Help us listen when Your Word is read. Help us know Jesus better. Amen.”

30-minute version of the lesson

• Opening (3 minutes): the one book or many vote, and the contents page.
• Two testaments (7 minutes): the three points and the bookmark at Matthew.
• Bible walk (10 minutes): three stops only, Genesis 1:1, Revelation 22:21 and Matthew 4:4. First verse, last verse, then the memory verse.
• Memory verse (5 minutes): Matthew 4:4 with motions.
• Prayer (5 minutes).

Teaching kids the books of the Bible in a small, mixed-age class

• Two or three kids: give each child a Bible of their own and let them take turns asking “Big side or little side?” You can walk three stops this week and two next week.
• Kids who can’t read yet: they hold the bookmark, show the big side or little side, and echo each verse after you.
• Not enough Bibles: one Bible for every pair is plenty. If your church has pew Bibles that match, the youngest kids can find a page number instead.
• Use full Bibles: a picture story Bible does not have all 66 books or the chapter and verse numbers. Keep story Bibles for story time.
• Shy kids: echo reading lets a shy child join in without ever speaking alone. Calling out a page number is offered, never required.
• Early finishers: they can color the page for a book from the walk, from the free 66-book coloring pages above.

5-minute children’s sermon: a library in one book

Use this short version for a children’s moment in the main service or to open children’s church. It takes about 5 minutes.

Object: a Bible and three books from home: a storybook, a songbook or hymnal, and a letter or card.

1. Hold up each book. Say, “This one tells a story. This one is full of songs. This one is a letter.”
2. Hold up the Bible. Say, “Is this one book? It looks like one. But inside are 66 books. Some tell true stories about God’s people. Some are songs, like the Psalms. Some are letters, written to churches.”
3. Open near the middle. Say, “The Old Testament tells what happened before Jesus was born. The New Testament tells about Jesus and His church. Sixty-six books, and one big story.”
4. Read John 20:31: “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Say, “God gave us all these books so we can know Jesus.”
5. Pray: “Thank You, God, for the Bible. Help us know Jesus. Amen.”

Teacher questions about the books of the Bible

How many books are in the Bible?

There are 66 books in the Bible: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.

How do you teach the books of the Bible to kids for the first time?

Start with the big picture. Show kids that the Bible is 66 books in two testaments. Then walk through a Bible together, from the first verse to the last. Save memorizing the names for later weeks, a few books at a time.

Should kids memorize all 66 books in the first lesson?

No. One Sunday is enough to learn what the books are and how to find one. For memorizing at home, send parents to Ministry-to-Children’s simple plan for learning the books of the Bible at home, a few books each week.

What are the first and last books of the Bible?

Genesis is the first book, and Revelation is the last. Malachi ends the Old Testament, and Matthew starts the New Testament.

How do you print this books of the Bible lesson?

Print this page from your browser (Ctrl+P on a computer, or Share and then Print on a phone) and take it to class. The five stops are in the prep line, ready to mark in your Bible.

More help for teaching the books of the Bible

• Ready for more books of the Bible lessons for kids? The Sunday School Store’s Books of the Bible series gives ages 6 to 12 four weeks, one part of the Bible each week. See the full Books of the Bible 4-week series.
• Want a printable to go with this lesson? Kids Bible Lessons has a books of the Bible worksheet activity, a 20-minute find-it race.
• Teaching older kids? Kids Bible Lessons has free Sunday school lessons on the books of the Bible for ages 10 to 14: three lessons on how the Bible is laid out.
• Want a way to review next week? Try Ministry-to-Children’s eight group review ideas for the books of the Bible.
• For readers who want more, print a summary card for each book of the Bible.