Run The Race: Jesus Is The Prize! Pre-K-2 Lesson

Kids' Corner Pre-K-2 Grade Children's Church / Sunday School Lesson

Title: Run the Race: Jesus is the Prize!

Verse: 1 Corinthians 9:24, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Objective: Kids will learn not to give up when things get hard. Instead, we focus on Jesus because He is our ultimate prize!

Spark

“Strike a Pose!”

Directions:

Have all the kids stand in place.
Show the kids a picture (on a phone, TV, or paper) of a runner in a race. You should have 5-7 different pictures ready.
The kids must quickly mimic the runner's pose in the picture.
Once everyone has "struck the pose," flip to the next picture and repeat. They have 60 seconds to get through all of them!

Discussion:

Ask: "Why are these runners working so hard and running so fast?".
Point out how their eyes are looking straight ahead.
Explain that in a real race, only one winner gets the prize, which is why they don't sit down even when it's hard.

Transition: "Just like those runners, we run after God and work hard because the prize He promises is Himself! Let’s see what the Bible says about this".

Scripture

Open your Bible to 1 Corinthians 9:24.

Read: “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

Ask:

What is the prize? (In our life "race," the prize is going to Heaven and having eternal life. Everyday we get to be with Jesus!)
How do we run? (We live our lives like we are running to win. That means we keep our eyes on Jesus and don't give up.)

What if we have a bad day? (Even if we are upset, we keep "running" by giving thanks, praying, and obeying. When we do these things, we are keeping our eyes on Jesus.)

Real-Life Examples:

If you drop your snack, do you give up and cry, or do you clean it up and ask for a new one? (Clean it up and ask for a new one.)
If you lose a toy, does it ruin your day or do you ask for help to look for it? (No, it will not ruin my day - I will ask for help to look and find it.)

Say: “This is the one thing that we want to remember today: No matter what happens, keep going after the Lord!”

Learn

Craft: Racer’s Medals

To see an example of this craft please go to Kids’ Corner Pinterest

Design: Have kids create medals using construction paper. The kids can color and decorate their medals.

Game: Snail Race

Objective: The whole class must get to the other side of the room using teamwork and patience.
Rules: Every kid stands on a mat, but there is one "extra" mat. Kids must pass the extra mat to the front, place it down, and everyone moves forward one step. Remind the kids: “Don't give up!”

Live

Ask: What is one way you can "keep running" for Jesus this week, even if things get hard?
Say: "Don’t give up this week. Run to get the prize!"
Prayer Focus: Thank the Lord for running the race first, that nothing is too hard for Jesus! We will not give up when things are hard. Jesus is the prize!

Materials / Supplies Needed: