Sermon on the Mount Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Sermon on the Mount Sunday school lesson teaches kids how Jesus said to live for Him. When Jesus saw the multitudes, He went up into a mountain, sat down and taught (Matthew 5:1–2): we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (5:13–16), love your enemies (5:44), God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies, so seek Him first (6:26–33), and treat others the way you want to be treated (7:12). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Pick the one that fits your class.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a birds-and-flowers game, a short story with hand motions and a flashlight under a bowl, three simple questions, a shortened memory verse ("Let your light so shine") with a motion, and a shine-bright drawing.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Hide or Shine game, the story in simple words with five of Jesus' teachings, five recall questions with answers, and the Don't Hide It! memory verse game.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a salt taste test, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story, five thinking questions and three recall questions, a pass-the-light memory verse game and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read the passages out loud themselves, connect "Ye are the light of the world" with John 8:12, and talk about loving enemies, worry and the golden rule. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Matthew 5:16 and Matthew 6:33).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: Matthew 5–7
• Main point: Jesus taught us how to live for Him: let your light shine by doing good, love others, and trust God to take care of you.
• Memory verse: Matthew 5:16 (KJV), with Matthew 6:33 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about shining, birds and flowers, salt, or the golden rule.
2. Bible story: Jesus sees the multitudes, goes up into a mountain, sits down and teaches His disciples: salt and light, a city on a hill and a candle on a candlestick, love your enemies, the birds and the lilies, seek ye first the kingdom of God, and the golden rule. The people are astonished at His teaching. Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
3. Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
4. Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Matthew 5:16.
5. What this means for us: living for Jesus, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
6. Activity: the Sermon on the Mount word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Sermon on the Mount craft, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching the Sermon on the Mount

• The sermon is three chapters long. Don't try to teach it all in one class: this lesson picks a few teachings kids can live out this week. The Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer and the wise and foolish builders are only mentioned here.
• Notice the setting: Jesus went up into a mountain and "was set," which means He sat down to teach (Matthew 5:1). The Bible doesn't name the mountain.
• Explain the old words plainly: fowls are birds, take no thought means don't worry, and a bushel is a basket.
• "Love your enemies" can bring up hard things. Every level has a short note for a child who says someone is hurting them.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.