Colossians 1
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Far, far away lived a man. His name was Paul. Paul was in prison. It was dark there, and cold. But Paul was not sad. Paul was happy!
Paul had a pen. And paper. He wanted to write a letter. A letter for his friends in a town called Colossae.
Paul thought about his friends. He smiled. Then he began to write.
"Dear friends," wrote Paul. "I think about you a lot. I pray for you every day. I heard something wonderful. I heard that you love Jesus! And I heard that you love each other too. That makes me so glad."
Paul dipped his pen again. He wrote more.
"I ask God for you. I ask God to make you strong. Strong like a big tree. So you can keep going, even when it is hard."
What Does This Mean?
Paul wanted to tell his friends something very, very important. Something about Jesus. Listen carefully.
Jesus is big. Jesus is strong. Jesus made everything! The sun, the moon, the stars. The trees and the flowers. The little ants and the big elephants. Jesus made you too. Yes, you!
And Jesus holds it all. Like a mommy holds her baby. Jesus holds the whole world in His hands. Every day. Every night.
Paul wrote it down, because he wanted his friends to know: Jesus is the greatest.
The Common Thread
Paul wrote something else too. Something wonderful.
Jesus came to earth. Jesus loves people so much. But people did wrong things. Naughty things. That made a big mess.
So Jesus made peace. Jesus fixed it. Now we can be God's friend again. Now we belong to God. Forever and ever.
That is why Paul was happy in prison. Because Jesus was with him. And Jesus was with his friends too. Far away, but still close. Because Jesus is everywhere.
For You
Do you know what is so nice? Jesus made you. Jesus knows your name. Jesus knows your favorite color. Jesus knows what makes you laugh.
And Jesus loves you. Very, very much.
Sometimes you do something wrong. You hit. You yell. You do not want to share. That is not nice. But Jesus says: come to Me. I will make it right. You may be My friend.
Just like Paul, you can talk to Jesus. In your bed at night. At the table. In the car. Everywhere. Jesus hears you.
And maybe you know someone, like Paul's friends far away. A grandpa. A grandma. A friend at school. You can pray for them too. Just like Paul did.
Talk About It
What did Jesus make? Can you name something?
Who would you like to pray for, just like Paul did for his friends?
Praying Together
Dear Jesus,
You made everything. You made me too. Thank You!
You love me. Every day. I love You too.
Please help my friends. Please help grandpa and grandma. Make them strong.
Thank You that You are close. Always.
Amen.
Questions about Colossians 1
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is Colossians 1 about?
What does Colossians 1 say?
What does Colossians 1 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from Colossians 1?
Why is Colossians 1 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae." Paul had never met these people, yet he calls them saints. Holy ones. And notice the address: Colossae, a small town going nowhere, off the main road. Your holiness has a street name too. Whatever town, whatever kitchen, whatever ordinary Tuesday. Grace and peace find you there.
Notice what Paul warns you not to drift from. Not your effort, not your record. "Not moved away from the hope of the good news which you heard." Hope is the thing that gets loosened first, quietly, while everything looks fine on the outside. Grounded and settled means staying near what you heard at the beginning. Can you still hear it?
Three times in one breath Paul says it: "admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." He would not preach to a crowd. He saw faces, one at a time. Who is the person you keep stepping past because there are so many? Christ counts them singly.
Strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy." All that glory, and what does Paul ask it for? Not spectacle. Staying power. Grace to keep loving the person who has not changed, to keep waiting on the prayer God has not yet answered. And joy in it. That kind of patience is its own miracle.
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