Timothy Sunday School Lesson for Kids

This free Timothy Sunday school lesson teaches kids that they are never too young to know God's Word. Paul wrote to Timothy, his "dearly beloved son" (2 Timothy 1:2), and remembered the "unfeigned faith" that "dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice" (2 Timothy 1:5). He reminded him that "from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures" (3:15). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

• Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a big-and-little game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, the memory verse with motions, and a drawing activity.
• Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Pass the Scroll game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, a pass-it-on memory verse game, and a Who Taught Me? drawing activity.
• 3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a who-taught-you game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story ("my dearly beloved son," "unfeigned faith," "not the spirit of fear," "from a child"), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
• Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Acts 16:1–2 and 2 Timothy 1:1–7; 3:14–15 out loud themselves, then look closer at Paul's spiritual son, three generations of faith, not fear, who taught you, and what scripture is for. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (2 Timothy 3:15 and 1:7).

Lesson at a glance

• Bible passage: 2 Timothy 1:1–7; 3:14–15 (with Acts 16:1–2)
• Main point: Know God's Word from a child.
• Memory verse: 2 Timothy 3:15 (KJV), with 2 Timothy 1:7 added for preteens
• Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

1. Opening game: a short game about passing God's Word on, or who taught you.
2. Bible story: who Timothy was (Acts 16:1–2), Paul's letter "To Timothy, my dearly beloved son" (2 Timothy 1:2), prayers night and day (1:3), the faith of Lois and Eunice (1:5), "not the spirit of fear" (1:7), and "from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures" (3:15). 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 2 Timothy 3:15.
5. What this means for us: the scriptures make us wise unto salvation, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and learning God's Word this week.
6. Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Timothy craft, a who-taught-me drawing, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
7. Prayer.

Tips for teaching Timothy

• Read 2 Timothy 1:5 and 3:15 straight from your Bible. Kids love hearing that Timothy learned God's Word when he was their age.
• Some children have no believing family. Each lesson tells them that a teacher, a pastor or a friend at church can be their "Lois and Eunice."
• Paul doesn't say what "the gift of God" in 2 Timothy 1:6 was, so the lessons don't add to it.
• The lessons leave out Timothy's circumcision (Acts 16:3), with a teacher note.
• Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.