2025-11-09 All People Are Born Sinners

Introduction

Today's lesson helps children understand that all people are born sinners because of Adam and Eve's disobedience. This is a difficult but essential truth that prepares children's hearts for the glorious good news of the gospel. We will help children see that even though they are young, they were born with sinful hearts, are guilty before a holy God, and deserve His punishment. However, we will also emphasize God's patience and mercy, and that He has a wonderful plan to save us.

Main Ideas:

Because all people are descendants of Adam and Eve, they are born sinful and separated from God.
All people are deserving of God's punishment of death (hell).
God is patient with sinners and has a plan to save us.

Praise and Worship (15 mins)

Parents: The parent and child scheduled for this week will lead us in singing on Sunday. Please take time to practice the songs together at home, helping your child feel confident and joyful as they prepare to lead.

Suggested Songs:

Awesome God (Kids Version)
My God is So Big
God is So Good
Jesus Loves Me

Prayer and Offering (5 mins)

Parents: Please encourage your children to bring an offering to church. You may help your child prepare by setting aside a coin for them to bring on Sunday. This is a great opportunity to teach them about giving to God with a thankful heart and trusting Him to provide.

What is Offering?

Offering is when we give something to God to show our love and thankfulness. In church, we often give money as an offering, but we can also give our time, talents, and kindness to God and others.

Why Do We Make an Offering?

To Thank God – Everything we have comes from God! Giving back is a way to say, "Thank You, God!"
To Trust God – When we give, we show that we trust God to take care of us.
To Help Others – Offerings help the church teach about Jesus, help people in need, and share God's love.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7,
"God loves a cheerful giver!" That means God is happy when we give with a joyful heart!

Prayer for Offering

Dear God, thank You for giving us everything we need. We want to give back to You with joyful hearts. Please use our offering to help others and share Your love. Help us to always trust You. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Review Verse from Last Week

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death,"

Teacher:

"Good morning, everyone! Let's start by remembering what we learned last week. Can anyone tell me last week's memory verse?"

(Give children time to respond. If they struggle, help them by saying the first few words.)

"Great job! Let's say it together with our hand motions."

"For the wages" - Hold out both hands palm up, like receiving payment

"of sin" - Cover your heart with both hands, showing sadness

"is death," - Make an X with your arms in front of your chest

"Romans 6:23" - Hold up 6 fingers, then 2 fingers, then 3 fingers

(Lead children in saying the verse with motions 2-3 times. Be enthusiastic and encouraging!)

"Wonderful! Last week we learned that sin deserves punishment. The punishment is death, which means being separated from God forever in a place called hell. That's very serious, isn't it? Today we're going to learn MORE about sin and how it affects ALL people. Are you ready to learn? Let's begin!"

Bible Story (10 min)

Introduction (1 min)

Props Needed:

6 Animal pictures (cow, dog, horse, lizard, bird, frog)
Animal name signs
Paper clips

(Before children arrive, place or tape the six animal pictures where children can see them - on a table or wall.)

Teacher:
"We're going to play a matching game! I'll ask you a question, and you'll try to guess the answer by choosing one of these animal pictures."

(Point enthusiastically to the animal pictures.)

Teacher:
"Ready? Here's the first question: Pretend you visit a farm and see a father horse and a mother horse. What do you think their baby would look like?"

(Hold up the signs that say "Father Horse" and "Mother Horse." Choose one child to come find the correct picture.)

Expected Response: Child will likely point to or bring the horse picture.

Teacher:
"That's right! A baby horse! Horse parents have horse babies."

(Use a paper clip to attach the "Father Horse" and "Mother Horse" signs to the horse picture.)

(Continue with all animals: cow, dog, lizard, bird, frog. Each time, hold up the parent labels, choose a child, have them find the correct baby animal, and attach the labels with paper clips. Make it fun and engaging!)

Teacher:
"You're all so smart! Cows have cow babies, dogs have dog babies, frogs have frog babies. Parents and babies are the SAME kind!"

Story Telling (5 min)

Scripture: Genesis 4:1b-2a, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:19a

Props / Visuals Suggested:

"Adam" and "Eve" signs
Paper doll with shiny heart
2 paper dolls with darkened hearts (from previous lesson)
Bible

What Would Adam and Eve's Children Look Like? (Genesis 4:1b-2a)

(Hold up the "Adam" and "Eve" signs.)

Teacher:
"Now I have a different question. What if Adam and Eve had a child? What would their child look like?"

(Pause. Let children think.)

Teacher:
"Would their child look like this?"

(Display the paper doll with the shiny heart.)

Teacher Question: "Is this what their child would look like?"

(Allow children to give responses. Some might say yes, some might say no.)

Teacher:
"Let's think about this carefully. Does this figure look different from Adam and Eve?"

(Display the 2 paper dolls from last week with darkened hearts. Hold them up next to the shiny-heart doll.)

Teacher Question: "What part is different between these dolls?"

Expected Response: "The heart!" or "One is shiny, one is dark!"

Teacher:
"Yes! The hearts are different. So which one shows what Adam and Eve's children would be like?"

(Hold up the doll with the darkened heart.)

Why Do We Darken Hearts?

Teacher:
"Let's remember. Does anyone remember why we darkened Adam and Eve's hearts?"

(Wait for responses. Help them if needed.)

Expected Response: "They sinned!" or "They disobeyed God!"

Teacher:
"That's right! Let's remember the story together:

God made Adam and Eve in a special way to reflect to God how special He is.

But while they were in the garden, they sinned against God.

Their hearts became dark and dirty because of sin.

Teacher Question: "Do you remember how God feels about sin? How does God act toward sin?"

Expected Response: "He's angry!" or "He doesn't like it!"

Teacher:
"Yes! God is very angry with sin. What is the right punishment for sin?"

(Point to the memory verse poster from last week if you still have it visible.)

Expected Response: "Death!" Some might say "For the wages of sin is death!"

Teacher:
"Exactly! For the wages of sin is death. Remember, the word 'death' here means experiencing God's anger forever in a place called hell."

God is Patient (Genesis 4:1b-2a)

Teacher Question: "Did God make Adam and Eve die and go to hell right away? Did they die and go to hell as soon as they left the garden?"

(Pause. Some children might say "no" or look uncertain.)

Teacher:
"Let's find out what happened next in the story. Where will we find the answer?"

(Hold up your Bible.)

Expected Response: "In the Bible!"

Teacher:
"That's right! Let's read from Genesis chapter 4."

(Open Bible to Genesis 4. Read or paraphrase verses 1b-2a.)

Scripture Reading:
"…[Eve] conceived and bore Cain, saying, 'I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.' And again, she bore his brother Abel."

(Demonstrate using the Adam and Eve signs, the Adam and Eve paper doll figures, and the other paper dolls with darkened hearts.)

Teacher:
"Adam and Eve did not die right away! Even though God was very angry because of their sin, God was also PATIENT with them. God was very GOOD to them. God helped Adam and Eve start a family."

(Hold up the two paper dolls with darkened hearts.)

Teacher:
"However, because Adam and Eve were now sinners, their children Cain and Abel were also born sinners, just like them."

(Point back to the animal pictures.)

Teacher:
"Remember our matching game? Horses have horse babies. Dogs have dog babies. And sinful humans have sinful human babies!"

Sin Passes to Everyone (Romans 5:19a)

Teacher:
"So when Cain grew up and got married and had babies, what do you think his babies were like?"

Expected Response: "Sinners!" or "They had dark hearts too!"

Teacher:
"Yes! His babies were sinful too. And when those babies grew up and got married and had babies, those babies were sinful too!"

(Use the paper dolls as examples, pointing to each one as you mention different people.)

Teacher:
"That means Noah was a sinner. That means Abraham was a sinner. The Bible shows us this is really true! For example, Abraham lied and said his wife Sarah was his sister. Jacob dressed up like his brother to trick his father. Moses murdered a man because he was angry."

Teacher:
"And we could go on and on. Your grandparents were born sinners. When they had your mom and dad, your parents were also born sinners. And when you were born..."

(Pause dramatically, making eye contact with children.)

Teacher:
"...you were born a sinner too!"

(Say this gently but clearly. Don't make children feel ashamed, but help them understand the truth.)

We Have a BIG Problem

Teacher:
"Let's think about this carefully:

Because Adam and Eve were sinners, ALL their children and everyone else naturally born was born just like them. They were sinners with hearts that fail to reflect to God how special He is.

Because everyone is born a sinner, everyone deserves God's anger.

Everyone in our class deserves death and hell.

So our sinful hearts are a BIG PROBLEM for all of us.

Wrap-up & Discussion (4 min)

(Gather children close for reflection.)

Discussion Questions:

Question 1: "Do you think that you or I could solve such a big problem like our sinful hearts?"

(Wait for responses.)

Expected Response: "No!"

Teacher Follow-up: "That's right! We can't fix it ourselves because we are all helpless sinners."

Question 2: "But could God fix a big problem like our sinful hearts?"

(Wait for responses. Encourage children to think about God's power.)

Expected Response: "Yes!" or "God can do anything!"

Teacher Follow-up: "Yes! Is there anything too hard for God to do?"

Expected Response: "No! Nothing is too hard for God!"

Question 3: "Can you think of a time when you sinned? What did you do?"

(Give children time to think. This is personal, so be gentle. Some children might share, others might not. That's okay.)

Expected Response: Answers like "I was mean to my brother," "I didn't listen to my mom," "I took something that wasn't mine," etc.

Teacher Follow-up: "Thank you for sharing. We ALL sin. Even teachers sin. Even your parents sin. That's why we ALL need God's help."

Question 4: "If God is angry at our sin, can we be truly happy?"

(This is a harder question. Help children understand.)

Expected Response: "No" or confused looks

Teacher Follow-up: "You're right. We can't be truly happy if God is angry at us. That's why we need God to solve this problem for us!"

Closing Thought

Teacher:
"The story is just beginning!"

(Hold up your Bible and open it to Genesis 4, showing it to the children with enthusiasm.)

Teacher:
"God has many more words to tell us about His GREAT PLAN to solve such a big problem. God didn't leave us hopeless. He has a wonderful plan to save us from our sin!"

(Smile warmly. Let this hope sink in.)

Closing Prayer for Bible Story

(Invite children to bow their heads and fold their hands.)

Teacher leads prayer:

"Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for teaching us the truth today. Thank You for showing us that we are all sinners, born with sinful hearts. We know this is serious, God. We know that sin makes You angry, and we deserve Your punishment.

But God, we also thank You for being PATIENT with us. Thank You for not punishing Adam and Eve right away. Thank You for Your kindness.

We can't fix our sinful hearts by ourselves. We need You, God. We're so glad that You have a plan to save us!

Help us to understand more about Your great plan. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Memorizing Verse: Romans 3:23 & Romans 5:19a

Romans 3:23
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"

Romans 5:19a
"For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners..."

Introduce the Verses

Teacher:
"These are our memory verses for today! Let's learn what they mean before we memorize them."

Teacher: "Let's look at Romans 3:23 first."

"All have sinned" - This means EVERY person has done wrong things. Not just grown-ups, but children too. Everyone!

"Fall short" - Think about trying to jump across a big river. You jump and jump, but you can't make it to the other side. You "fall short." It means we can't reach something, no matter how hard we try.

"Glory of God" - This means showing how wonderful and special God is. Remember when we talked about mirrors? Our hearts are supposed to be like mirrors that reflect God's glory, showing everyone how amazing He is. But our sinful hearts are like dirty mirrors. They "fall short" - they can't reflect God's glory the way they should.

Teacher: "So this verse means: Everyone has sinned, and nobody can show God's glory the way we should."

(Pause. Let this sink in.)

Teacher: "Now let's look at Romans 5:19a."

"One man's disobedience" - This is talking about Adam! Remember, Adam disobeyed God by eating the fruit.

"The many were made sinners" - "The many" means all of Adam's children, and their children, and their children - all the way down to us! Because Adam sinned, we are all born as sinners.

Teacher: "So this verse means: Because Adam disobeyed God, all his children (including us!) were made sinners. This is exactly what we learned in our story today!"

Teach Hand Motions

Teacher: "Now let's learn hand motions to help us remember these verses. We'll do Romans 3:23 first. Watch me, then we'll do it together."

(Demonstrate each motion slowly and clearly. Then have children do it with you.)

Romans 3:23 - Hand Motions

"...for all" - Spread arms wide, gesturing to everyone in the room

"have sinned" - Cover your heart with both hands, head bowed slightly

"and fall short" - Jump forward slightly, then shake your head "no" to show you didn't make it

"of the glory of God," - Point up to heaven with both index fingers

"Romans 3:23" - Hold up 3 fingers, then 2 fingers (pause), then 3 fingers

(Practice this verse with motions 3-4 times. Go slowly at first, then speed up. Make it fun!)

Teacher: "Great job! Now let's learn the motions for Romans 5:19a. This one is a little longer, but you can do it!"

Romans 5:19a - Hand Motions

"For as by the one man's" - Hold up one finger (for "one man")

"disobedience" - Shake your finger side to side, like saying "no, no"

"the many" - Spread arms wide again, showing lots of people

"were made sinners..." - Cover your heart with both hands again

"Romans 5:19a" - Hold up 5 fingers, then 1 finger, then 9 fingers (both hands), then say "A"

(Practice this verse with motions 3-4 times. Be patient! It's okay if children don't get it perfect.)

Teacher: "You're doing wonderful! Let's try saying both verses together now, with all the motions!"

(Lead children through both verses 2-3 times. Be encouraging! Celebrate their effort!)

Summary

Teacher: "Let's say together in one sentence what these verses mean:"

"All people are born sinners because of Adam, and we all fail to show God's glory."

(Have children repeat this summary sentence after you.)

Teacher: "This connects to what we learned today about God! Remember:

God is JUST: He sees our sin and must punish it. That's what we deserve.

God is PATIENT: He didn't punish Adam and Eve right away. He has been patient with all sinners, including us.

God has a PLAN: Even though we can't fix our sin problem, God can! He has a wonderful plan to save us.

Teacher: "Before we move on, let's say our verses one more time - as loud as we can! Ready?"

(Lead children enthusiastically through both verses with motions one final time. Celebrate their effort with applause!)

Craft & Game (10 mins)

Craft: Paper Doll Chain (5 minutes)

Materials Needed:

Paper doll chain printout (one 5-person chain per child)
Crayons or markers (various colors)
Small heart stickers or stamps (optional)

Teacher: "Now we're going to make something special to help us remember today's lesson! I'm giving each of you a paper doll chain."

(Distribute one paper doll chain to each child.)

Instructions:

Fold the paper: Help children fold the paper along the dashed lines like an accordion, so the doll on the far left is facing them on top.
(Walk around and help children who are struggling. Younger children will need more help.)

Color the dolls: Have children color the paper dolls using crayons or markers. They can give each doll different colors for clothes, hair, etc.
(Encourage creativity! Let them have fun with this.)

Write your name: Have each child write their name on ONE of the doll figures (they choose which one represents them).
(Help children who can't write yet by writing their name for them.)

Optional - Heart stickers: If you have heart stickers, let children place one small heart on each doll's chest area.

Teacher says while children are working:

"This paper doll chain shows how all people are connected - from Adam and Eve, to their children, to their grandchildren, all the way down to us! Each doll represents a person, and they're all holding hands because they're all part of the same family."

"Remember, just like horses have horse babies and dogs have dog babies, sinful human parents have sinful human children. That's why one of these dolls has YOUR name on it! We are ALL sinners, born with dark hearts."

"But God is patient with us, and He has a wonderful plan!"

Connection to Lesson: The paper doll chain visually represents how sin has been passed down from Adam and Eve to all their descendants, including us. It helps children see that we are all connected in this problem of sin.

Game: Sin Pass-Around (5 minutes)

Materials Needed:

Soft ball or beanbag
Open space for children to sit in a circle

Setup:

Have all children sit in a circle on the floor

Make sure there's enough space for the ball to be passed around

Teacher stands or sits as part of the circle

Teacher: "We're going to play a game that helps us remember how sin gets passed from parents to children. This ball represents sin."

(Hold up the ball.)

Teacher: "Here's how we play:"

How to Play:

Start with "Adam": Teacher holds the ball and says, "I am Adam. I sinned against God." Then pass the ball to the child on your right.

Pass to "Eve": That child says, "I am Eve. I sinned against God too." Then they pass the ball to the next child.

Pass to the children: The next child says, "I am [Cain/Abel/or their own name]. I was born a sinner." Then they pass the ball to the next child.

Keep going: Continue around the circle. Each child says, "I am [their name]. I was born a sinner," and passes the ball.

Last round: When the ball gets back to the teacher, say together as a class: "We are ALL sinners! But God is patient and has a plan!"

Important Notes:

Keep the pace quick and fun

If a child doesn't want to say the words, they can just pass the ball - don't force them

For very young children (K-1), simplify to just saying "I'm a sinner" and passing

Emphasize that EVERYONE is in the same situation - no one should feel singled out

Discussion Prompts:

After the ball goes around once, Teacher asks:

Question 1: "The ball went from person to person, just like sin went from Adam and Eve to their children. Did anyone CHOOSE to get the ball?"

Expected Response: "No!"

Teacher: "That's right! Just like you didn't choose to receive the ball, we didn't choose to be born sinners. We were BORN that way because we're Adam and Eve's children."

Question 2: "Could any of us stop the ball from being passed?"

Expected Response: "No!"

Teacher: "You're right! Just like we couldn't stop the ball, we can't stop being sinners by ourselves. We need GOD to help us!"

Question 3: "What did our memory verse say? Can EVERYONE say they're a sinner?"

Expected Response: "Yes!" Some might quote: "For ALL have sinned!"

Teacher: "Exactly! ALL have sinned. Every single person. We're all in this together!"

Connection to Lesson: This game reinforces the concept of inherited sin in a concrete, physical way. Children experience how sin "passes" from person to person, just as it passed from Adam and Eve to all their descendants. The ball represents sin that we can't stop or escape on our own.

(After the game, have children return to their seats for the response song.)

Response Song

"Before we close, let's sing a song to help us remember what we learned today!"

Closing Prayer & Snack Time (10 mins)

Closing Prayer

Teacher: "What a wonderful time we've had learning about God today! Before we have our snack, let's thank God for what we learned."

(Invite children to bow their heads, close their eyes, and fold their hands.)

Teacher leads closing prayer:

"Dear God,

Thank You for teaching us today. Thank You for the Bible that tells us the truth about ourselves.

We learned today that we are all sinners. We were born with sinful hearts, just like Adam and Eve. We learned that our sin makes You angry, and we deserve Your punishment.

But God, we also learned that You are PATIENT. You didn't punish Adam and Eve right away. You were kind to them. You are kind to us too.

We know we can't fix our own sinful hearts. We need YOU, God. Thank You that You have a plan to save us from our sin. We can't wait to learn more about Your wonderful plan!

Thank You for loving us even though we are sinners. Help us to remember what we learned today, especially our memory verses.

In Jesus' name we pray, Amen."

Snack Prayer

(After the closing prayer, prepare for snack time. Have children stay seated or move to snack tables. Before eating, lead them in a simple snack prayer.)

Teacher: "Before we eat, let's thank God for our food. Can everyone fold your hands?"

Option 1 - Traditional Children's Prayer:

"God is great, God is good,
Let us thank Him for our food.
By His hands we all are fed,
Give us, Lord, our daily bread.
Amen."

Option 2 - Simple Prayer (say together):

"Dear God, thank You for this food.
Thank You for being so good to us.
In Jesus' name, Amen."

Option 3 - Call and Response:

Teacher: "Thank You, God, for this food!"
Children: "Thank You, God!"
Teacher: "Thank You for Your love!"
Children: "Thank You, God!"
All together: "Amen!"

(Choose the prayer option that works best for your group's age and attention span.)

During Snack Time

Conversation Starters for Snack Time:
While children are eating, you can ask these casual questions to reinforce the lesson:

"Can anyone tell me what we learned today?"
"What was your favorite part of our lesson?"
"Can you teach your parents the memory verse at home?"
"Do you remember what God is like? He is just and patient!"
"What animal did you like best in our matching game?"

Remember: Keep the conversation light and friendly during snack time. This is also a good time for children to relax and socialize.

Dismissal Reminders

Before Parents Arrive:

Make sure each child has their paper doll chain craft to take home
Remind children to practice their memory verses at home
Give each child their "Growing in Faith Together" parent page (if available)

Teacher says: "Great job today, everyone! Don't forget to practice your memory verses this week. You can teach them to your parents! And remember: God loves you, and He has a wonderful plan!"

Free Time & Children Pickup (15 mins)

Activity Suggestions:

Free play with toys or blocks
Coloring pages related to today's lesson
Review memory verses one more time with interested children
Quiet reading of Bible story books
Simple puzzles or games

Parent Communication:
As parents arrive to pick up their children, briefly share one highlight from today's lesson. For example: "Today we learned that all people are born sinners, but God is patient and has a wonderful plan to save us!" Encourage parents to review the memory verses at home.