Download this free Sunday School lesson plan for children based on 2 Corinthians 4:5-18. The lesson emphasizes the importance of recognizing God as the source of all strength and power, and understanding that individuals are merely vessels for His work. The lesson includes various activities and crafts designed to engage children and reinforce the key message.
The lesson is designed for Kindergarten through 6th-grade students and aims to teach them that their strength comes from God and that they are vessels for sharing His love and the Gospel with others.
- Bible Lesson: This section focuses on 2 Corinthians 4:5-18, emphasizing the importance of proclaiming Jesus Christ, not oneself, and understanding that Christians are jars of clay carrying God’s treasure (the Gospel). It also discusses Paul’s hardships and how he found strength in God despite challenges.
- Craft: As Christians, we know that all of our power and strength come from God. All that we do and have are only possible through His strength, and we are called to proclaim His glory and share the Gospel with others. In 2 Corinthians, Paul tells us that we have “treasure in jars of clay.” We are His humble vessels to tell the good news and share His love with those around us. These crafts reflect on the “jars of clay” concept. An “Inside-Out Treasure Box” reminds us that great things can be found even in simple containers. And a literal “Jar of Clay” uses modeling clay to recall the verse. Let’s get crafty!
Jars of Clay: Sunday School Lesson on 2 Corinthians 4
Sometimes our human nature tempts us to emphasize our own role in sharing God’s love or working with others. It’s important to remind children that we can do nothing apart from God’s power. He is the one who makes anything (and everything) possible, and His strength is what we should glorify and share with others. This lesson begins with a lamp to illustrate how essential it is to remain connected and “plugged in” to the Lord. Just as the lamp is a vessel for electricity that must be connected to a power source, we are vessels of the Gospel who must remain close to our power source, Jesus Christ!
All of our strength comes from God, and through Him all things are possible. Jesus empowers us to do all things and gives us life and blessing. The Gospel of His good news is the “treasure” that we have. As Paul describes treasure in jars of clay, we are the vessels (clay jars) that carry His love to others. The spirit of Jesus lives and works in our lives when we allow Him to!
Passage: 2 Corinthians 4:5-18
Target Audience: Kindergarten-6th grade
Materials Needed: Modeling clay or playdoh, shoeboxes, bricks, rocks, tissue paper, glow sticks, construction paper, decorative materials, scissors, tape, lanterns or lights, aluminum foil, Bible.
- Compare this free Sunday School lesson from Ministry-To-Children
- Download the 2 Corinthians Bible Coloring Page
- Compare the Youth Ministry Lesson on 2 Corinthians
Lesson Opening: There are a few important themes within this passage. It reminds us that we are to give God glory and proclaim His power, rather than our own. We also see how He uses us to share the Gospel with others, and can strengthen us no matter what we face. Start things off with an activity or game that reflects the themes. Consider one of the following:
- Jars (or other items) of clay: provide students with air drying clay or modeling clay. Invite them to create a jar of some sort, or another shaped item with the clay. If time allows, decorate or paint the item later. For younger students, have some fun making shapes and jars out of play-doh.
- Indestructible items: compare things that are easy to destroy with those that are more difficult. Examples include fragile things like tissue paper or crumbly cookies, compared with rocks or bricks. Discuss how the Apostle Paul describes how we cannot be destroyed when the Holy Spirit lives within us.
- Let your light shine: this passage describes how we are called to shine the light of Christ in our lives. If you can somewhat darken a room, have some fun with glow sticks to demonstrate how we shine in darkness. You might play “tic-tac-glow” (use tape to mark space on the floor and toss glow items), glow bracelet ring toss, or glow stick hunt.
- Clay jar relay: Divide students into teams and encourage them to race to fill bowls or buckets with water, using small jars. On a hot day, pass the jars over heads or use a cup with holes to get a refreshing splash!
- What’s inside? Show students various bags with different outward appearances, or even natural items that seem “boring” on the outside, but have beauty within. Invite them to compare and consider what might be held inside, emphasizing how even the most humble containers can house treasure!
Explain that the passage today describes how we are called to proclaim the glory of God with our lives. We rely on Him for strength and power, and can share His love and good news with other people. It’s a treasure to tell the world about!
Bible Lesson for kids
This passage, from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, features important notes about Christian living. It doesn’t lend itself as much to interactive elements, but reminds us of valuable truths and can be shared with a variety of audiences. Older students can help take turns reading, and you can read aloud and describe for younger students.
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
-2 Corinthians 4:5-7
Explain, if necessary, that this is an epistle passage, a letter written to a church that needed some encouragement and instruction in the faith. The author is Paul. Paul emphasizes here that we should not be “tooting our own horn” or focusing on ourselves when we teach and encourage others. It’s important to proclaim the good news and let the light shine, but we need to remember that it is God’s light, and not our own. We are called to share the Gospel of HIS love, and not what we do or who we are as individuals. Sometimes it’s tempting to tell our own stories, but we ought to be ready to listen to others and to share God’s story. The “treasure” that we have is the good news of the Gospel. We carry that in the “clay jars” (humble vessels) of our bodies, simple methods that God still uses to do His work and tell of His love.
Ask: How can we shine the light of Jesus to others? What does it mean to “proclaim Him” rather than ourselves?
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you. -2 Corinthians 4:8-12
Paul endured a lot of hardship in his life as a Christ servant. He was hunted, imprisoned, beaten, threatened, stoned, and more. Yet Paul did not lose hope. He could still tell others about God’s love because he knew that his power did not come from himself. Nothing could destroy his passion for sharing the Gospel. Paul knew that his sufferings would make him more like Jesus and draw him closer to his savior. Even when things are tough, we can still have “victorious” and meaningful ministry.
Ask: Have you ever known someone who went through a difficult situation? (Or maybe you have.) How did they/you get through it?
Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, 14 knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 15 For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
-2 Corinthians 4:13-15
Paul knew there was purpose in his sufferings. This was not an easy thing to truly believe and live out. It’s one thing to say we trust God and believe in the power of Jesus. It’s another thing to really be tested in our faith. Paul encountered trials and difficulties but knew that God was still in control and could do anything. His strength was fully in the Lord.
Ask: How can God use painful situations to make us better?
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:16-18
In our lives now (and especially for younger children), it can be hard to look at a long-term bigger picture or to imagine that somehow our current lives are brief or temporary. But this is encouraging to us. Even when things don’t go as we’d hope and our earthly bodies suffer, we know that something much greater awaits us. We can put our hope in the eternal things, that will never fade or lose strength. Ultimately, Heaven is our home, and someday we’ll be there with God.
Ask: What kinds of things do you look forward to? Are there times when you can endure a hard situation because you know something fun or special was coming later?
God is with us always, and has plans for us even when we don’t understand. We can trust in His will and stay connected to His strength. God allows us to be part of His plan to spread the good news of Jesus to others, and shine His light for all!
Close with prayer, thanking God for His Spirit and asking for help to share the Gospel with others.