1 Corinthians 3
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Paul was a friend. A good friend of the church.
He planted something once. Like a seed in the ground.
Little seeds, in the dark, warm dirt.
Another friend, Apollos, came after him. Apollos gave the seed water.
Drip, drip, drip. Cool water on the little seed.
But who made the seed grow? Not Paul. Not Apollos.
God made it grow. Only God.
Paul planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.
What Does This Mean?
The people in the church were fighting. "I like Paul best!" said one.
"No, I like Apollos best!" said another.
They forgot something important. Paul did not make them grow.
Apollos did not make them grow. God did.
You are God’s farming, Paul said. You are God’s building.
Not Paul’s building. Not Apollos’s building. God’s.
The Common Thread
Every house needs a foundation. A big, strong stone underneath.
Without it, the house falls down.
Paul said there is only one foundation. Only one stone that holds everything.
That stone is Jesus Christ.
No one can lay any other foundation than that. Only Jesus.
You can build with gold. You can build with wood.
But the foundation stays the same. Always Jesus. Only Jesus.
And Paul said something else, something warm and surprising.
You are a temple of God, he said. God’s Spirit lives in you.
Not in a big stone building far away. In you.
Like God moved in. Right inside.
For You
Think of your favorite person who tells you about Jesus.
Maybe mama. Maybe papa. Maybe someone at church.
They plant. They water. They tell you and tell you.
But they cannot make you grow. Only God can do that.
So you do not need to say "I like this one best."
You can say thank you. Thank you for planting. Thank you for watering.
And thank You, God, for making things grow.
Because you are God’s little garden. God’s own building.
And Jesus is the strong stone underneath. He never moves. He never breaks.
Talk About It
Who tells you about Jesus at your house?
What do you think it feels like, God living inside you?
Praying Together
Dear God,
Thank You for the people who tell me about You.
Thank You that Jesus is the strong stone underneath.
Thank You that You live inside me.
Help me grow, just like You want.
Amen.
What others discovered
Notice what Paul says first: "According to the grace of God which was given to me." He was the master builder, and even his skill was a gift. Then comes the warning: "But let each man be careful how he builds on it." Someone else laid your foundation, in prayers, in patience, in Christ. You are building on ground you did not dig. Build carefully.
If any man's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire." Saved, yes, but standing there empty handed. That thought should sober you more than it comforts you. Not everything you are pouring your life into will survive. So ask now, while there is still time to build differently, what am I actually stacking on this foundation?
Paul reaches back to Job for this: "He has taken the wise in their craftiness." Notice, God does not build the trap. You do. The clever wording that leaves you looking right, the quiet positioning among people at church, the arguments rehearsed in the shower. God simply lets that net close. Becoming a fool is how you walk out free.
Looking for something for slightly older children?
We also have dedicated versions for elementary age (7-12) and teens (12 and up).
Open in the Children's Bible tool
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