Ephesians 3
Explanation and Bible story for toddlers and preschoolers (ages 3-6)
The Explanation
Paul was writing a letter. But Paul was not at home. Paul was in prison. It was dark there, and cold. There were chains on his hands. Clink, clink.
But Paul was not sad. No, Paul was happy! Because he was thinking about Jesus. And he was thinking about all the people who love Jesus.
Paul took a pen. He began to write. He wrote to friends who lived far away, in a town called Ephesus.
"Dear friends," wrote Paul. "I want to tell you something. Something very big!"
What Does This Mean?
Paul wrote: "God has a big secret. And now the secret is told! The secret is this: God loves everyone. Not just a few people. But ALL people who come to Jesus."
Paul folded his hands. He closed his eyes. And he began to pray. Right there, in the prison.
"Dear God," Paul prayed, "please make my friends strong. Strong on the inside. Let Jesus live in their hearts. And let them know how much You love them."
Paul stretched his arms wide. "God's love is SO big!" he said. "So high. So deep. So wide. Bigger than the sky. Deeper than the sea."
The Common Thread
Do you know why Paul was so happy in that dark prison? Because of Jesus.
Jesus is like a warm light. Jesus came for everybody. For big people. For little people. For people close by. For people far away. Everybody may come.
That was God's big secret. And now Jesus opened the door. The door to God is wide open. You may walk right in.
Paul knew that. And it made him sing, even with chains on his hands.
For You
Can you make yourself very small? Like a little ball? Now stretch out big and wide. As wide as you can!
That is how big God's love is. Even bigger. Even wider.
God loves you when you are happy. God loves you when you are sad. God loves you when you are naughty. God loves you when you are good. God's love never, ever stops.
Paul wants you to know that. Deep down inside. In your heart.
Sometimes you cannot see God. But He is there. Like the wind. You cannot see the wind, but you feel it on your cheeks. God is near you. Every day. All the time.
Talk About It
How big is God's love? Can you show it with your arms?
Paul was in prison but he was happy. Why do you think he was happy?
Praying Together
Dear God,
Thank You that You love me. Very, very much. Higher than the sky. Deeper than the sea.
Thank You for Jesus. Please live in my heart. And make me strong on the inside.
Amen.
Questions about Ephesians 3
Short answers for anyone reading about this for the first time.
What is Ephesians 3 about?
What does Ephesians 3 say?
What does Ephesians 3 teach us about God?
What can toddlers learn from Ephesians 3?
Why is Ephesians 3 an important Bible story?
What others discovered
For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Paul writes this in chains, yet the only kneeling he mentions is before God. Prison could not bend him. Grace did. And notice that little phrase, "for this cause." He kneels because outsiders like you were brought near. Your belonging drove a man to his knees in prayer.
In other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit." Generations of faithful people lived and died without seeing what you read this morning. The mystery was that outsiders belong. You are standing inside an answer that patriarchs only ached for. Don't hold it casually.
Paul writes this while chained: "in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him." A prisoner with no access to anything, telling us the throne room stands open. And notice where the boldness comes from. Not from how your week with God went, but from Christ. You don't knock and wait outside. You walk in.
according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." Paul writes this from a prison cell. The chains did not interrupt the plan, they were folded inside it. So whatever room you are sitting in today, God is not improvising. What feels like a detour may be the very road he purposed long before you were born.
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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