“Colossians 3:23-24 Explored: A Labor Day Sunday School Lesson on Working for the Lord”.

Use this Colossians 3:23-24 Labor Day lesson in Sunday school or children’s church. It explains what the verses mean for kids, gives a short object lesson, and ends with a craft and five discussion questions.

What Do Colossians 3:23-24 Mean for Kids?

Colossians 3:23-24 means that every job we do, big or small, can be done for Jesus. We work hard and honestly because the Lord Christ is the One we are really serving, not just the person who is watching us.

“Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men, because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” (Colossians 3:23-24, BSB)

Paul first wrote these words to Christians in the town of Colossae. In the verse before, he spoke to slaves (Colossians 3:22). He told them that their daily work mattered, because the person they were really serving was the Lord Christ.

What Is the Inheritance in Colossians 3:24?

An inheritance is a gift that a father gives to his children. It is not wages for a job. The Bible says the Father has “qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Colossians 1:12, BSB), and that in Jesus “we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14, BSB).

That means we do not work hard to earn God’s love. Salvation is “by grace,” “the gift of God,” “not by works” (Ephesians 2:8-9, BSB). Jesus did the work that saves us. Christ died for our sins and was raised on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). We work for the Lord because we already belong to Him.

Colossians 3:23 Object Lesson: Who Is It For?

You need a few sticky notes or paper tags, a marker, and two jobs to do, such as a basket of toys to put away and a table to wipe.

1. Show the basket of toys and the table. Ask, “Who are these jobs for?” Kids will usually say a teacher or a parent.
2. Say, “Sometimes we only work hard when someone is watching. Paul wrote that our work is really for Someone else.”
3. Write “For the Lord” on a sticky note and stick it on the basket. Read the first part of Colossians 3:23 together: “Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men” (Colossians 3:23, BSB).
4. Let a few kids put away the toys and wipe the table, doing their best “for the Lord.” Then ask, “How did it feel to do a job for Jesus?”
5. Say, “We do our best because Jesus did the greatest work for us. He died for our sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).”

Colossians 3:23 Craft: “For the Lord” Job Tags

Give each child a paper tag or a rectangle of cardstock, markers, a hole punch, and a piece of yarn.

1. On the front, have each child write “For the Lord” and “Colossians 3:23.”
2. On the back, have each child write or draw one job they do, like making the bed, feeding a pet, doing homework, or helping at church.
3. Punch a hole in the top and tie the yarn through it.
4. Hang the tag on a backpack or doorknob to remind the child who they are really working for.

Colossians 3:23-24 Discussion Questions for Kids

1. What jobs do you do at home, at school, or at church?
2. In Colossians 3:23-24, who does Paul say we are really serving? (The Lord Christ.)
3. Why is it hard to work well when nobody is watching?
4. What is the inheritance in Colossians 3:24, and who gives it? (A gift from the Father, Colossians 1:12.)
5. How can we thank Jesus for what He has done by the way we do our jobs this week?

Close by thanking Jesus together for the work He did for us and for the jobs He gives us. For another Labor Day lesson on work, see Working for the Lord on Labor Day on Ministry-to-Children.

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