We are nearing the end of the Armor of God Series. Our KidMin kiddos have loved this series and learned a lot! Today, we are on the fifth lesson, the “Helmet of Salvation”. There is a little bit of science with this lesson and a very hands-on Bible Challenge as well. I hope you enjoy it and please share in the comments any great activities you’ve done with this lesson! As always, printable versions of the lesson are provided at the end of the post.

Welcome Question

“Has anyone ever saved you from something? What happened?”

Recap from Last Week

This week we will learn about our fifth piece of armor in the armor of God study! Can anyone remember what we talked about last week? It was the shield of faith. We talked about how Jesus said if we have faith even as small as a mustard seed we can move mountains! Our faith is believing in the person of Jesus Christ, believing He is God’s son and that He defeated death so we could spend forever with God in heaven. When we have our shield of faith we know God will protect us and defend us against sin and Satan.

Large Group Lesson

This morning we are going to talk about the helmet of salvation. Ephesians 6:13-17, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation”

Video opener: https://youtu.be/BwchgNHmOlU

We all know what a helmet is, right? If you ride a bike or a skateboard or scooter then it’s important you wear a helmet. Why? Why do soldiers wear helmets? Football players? Motorcyclists?  Because they look so cool? No! To protect our brains. It’s a really important part of your body and needs lots of protecting.

Here are some really cool facts about the brain (optional: present as slides):

• When awake, the human brain produces enough electricity to power a small light bulb.
• When you learn something new, the structure of your brain changes.
• We have more brain cells as a newborn baby than we will ever have again in our lifetime.
• You have about 70,000 thoughts a day.
• The human brain has enough memory to hold three million hours of television.

(these facts were found from FactSlides.com)

Those facts are crazy! God designed our brains to be incredible and our brains need protecting. They don’t just need protecting physically, but spiritually too. That’s why Paul writes about the “helmet of salvation” as part of our armor. Look at another letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians: “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” 1 Thessalonians 5:8-9

Satan wants us to think we’re not good enough to go to heaven. He wants wrath, sin and really evil stuff.  Satan want us to think that we have to do more and more good works to be able to go to heaven, but that’s not true. Jesus came and lived a perfect, sinless life. Then He died on a cross to be a sacrifice for you and me. He was buried and three days later He rose again. All so that you could get the free gift of grace, the free gift of salvation.

Salvation means to be rescued. In our welcome question we asked, “Has anyone ever saved you from something?” Share the answers written.  If we were in a boat lost at sea and someone saved us, they would be our savior, our salvation. Jesus is our Rescuer. He is our salvation and savior from sin. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  It’s a free gift! At Christmas, do you “earn” gifts from your parents? No. They are free gifts because they love you so much. Salvation is a free gift.

Satan doesn’t like that. He messes with our minds. He wants us to feel like we have to work for a gift, but you can’t work for a free gift. Romans 8:37-39 says this, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

We are more than conquerors! We know when we have Jesus with us and in our hearts we will defeat satan. He can’t stop us from the love of God through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Nothing can separate us from God’s love. That’s why we need our helmets of salvation! For us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We’ve got to keep satan from getting in our heads and making us think we don’t deserve that gift when we know it’s a free gift for all.

Since it is a free gift for all, it’s important we tell others about what Jesus did for you and me. Part of the deal with a gift, is accepting it. If we don’t take that gift and follow Jesus, then we don’t get to spend forever with Him. All the leaders here are always ready to talk to you about following Jesus and accepting that gift of salvation.

End in prayer

Small Group Questions

Take time to introduce yourself and have the kids tell their names.

1. What is our piece of armor today? Helmet of Salvation
2. What is the helmet of salvation? The truth that Jesus rescued us from sin
3. Why did Jesus die on a cross? To be a sacrifice for our sins, so we can have a relationship with God forever
4. What does satan want us to think? That we have to earn our way to heaven, that salvation isn’t a free gift
5. Why should we tell others about what Jesus did? So they can have a relationship with God
6. If we believe in Jesus & what He did, can anything separate us from God? No, God is always there and loves us
7. What does satan make you think sometimes? How does he lie to you?
8. Is satan always lying to us? Yes. He’s the king of lies.
9. How can we help remember what Jesus did for us? Pray, read our Bibles, and thank Jesus for his sacrifice. We can also tell others about Him.

Nothing can separate us from God’s love. That’s why we need our helmets of salvation! To remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for you and me. (pray before Bible Challenge)

Bible Challenge: Unwrap the Verse

Today our verse is: Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Last week’s verse: Romans 10:15b,  “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

In this activity, children will pass a ball of wrapping paper around a circle. When the leader says “stop”, the child with the ball unwraps the first layer to find an index card. They then put the card in the middle and pass the ball around the circle until the leader says “stop” again. This will continue until the ball is totally unwrapped and all the cards are revealed. Then the kids will work as a team to put the verse together.  (I found this activity from Riversedge Curriculum.) 

K-1 Ask if anyone remembers last week’s verse. Play “Unwrap the Verse”. These cards will be numbered so at the end, the kids just have to put them in number order. After the kids have arranged the cards, come up with a chant or song to help the kid’s remember the verse.

2-4  Ask if anyone remembers last week’s verse. Play “Unwrap the Verse”. After the kids have arranged the cards, have them practice the verse in pairs.

Please return to large group and choose one child for small group recap.

Dismissal & Verse Cards

Pass out verse cards as children are released.

Printable Lesson & Materials

Printable Helmet of Salvation

Romans 6:23 Cards

Thanks for letting me share,