Unit 32 • Session 3 The Church Divided

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INTRODUCE THE STORY (10–15 MINUTES)

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TEACH THE STORY(25–30 MINUTES)

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APPLY THE STORY(25–30 MINUTES)

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Unit 32 • Session 3

Unit 32 • Session 3

BIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 1–6

STORY POINT: The gospel unites all kinds of

people in love.

KEY PASSAGE: Matthew 28:19-20

BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What is our mission as Christians? Our

mission is to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Church Divided

120 Older Kids Leader GuideUnit 32 • Session 3

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3

LEADER Bible StudyIn the first century, Corinth was an important destination in the Roman Empire. The city was located on a narrow area of land connecting the southern end of the Greek peninsula with the mainland to the north. When Paul visited Corinth on his missionary journeys, the city was full of people with various cultural and religious backgrounds.

Corinth was a strategic place to plant a church. Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half with Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. On the Sabbath, Paul went to the synagogues to teach God’s message to the people. When the Jews refused to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, Paul preached to the Gentiles. Many Corinthians believed and were baptized. (Acts 18:1-18) Finally, Paul returned to Antioch in Syria.

About six years passed. Paul was in Ephesus when he heard a report that the church in Corinth was struggling. The people in the church were arguing and suing each other. In some ways, they lived just like the people in Corinth who were not believers. So Paul wrote a letter to the Corinthian church—the Book of First Corinthians—not only to instruct them on how to live but to answer questions they had about the faith.

As you teach kids from 1 Corinthians, focus on church unity: Because of Jesus and what He has done, believers can humbly come together as one body. Emphasize that Paul gave practical instructions so that the believers would know how to live—not as a way to earn God’s favor, but to live in light of their salvation.

Paul spent a significant portion of his ministry meeting with believers and encouraging them to keep the faith. Jesus’ mission for the church is for believers to come together to worship God and to share the gospel.

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The Church Divided1 Corinthians 1–6

Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth. Years after Paul helped start the church in Corinth, the believers there were facing problems. One problem was that the church was divided. The

people did not always get along or agree about what was most important. The believers met in

small groups and had different leaders. Some groups were arguing that their

leaders were better than others. One person would say, “I belong

to Paul.” Another would say, “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Peter,” or “I belong to Christ.”

Paul wanted this to stop. “Is Christ divided?” Paul asked. Of course not. Jesus came to bring people together as one body—

brothers and sisters in God’s family. Christians should not

fight about which human leader has the most wisdom or strength.

What is most important is the gospel. Paul said, “The word of the cross is

foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.”

God uses what seems foolish to the world—that is, God the Son giving up His life for us—in order to bring salvation to the world.

Paul also reminded the church that believers cannot boast about

Bible Storytelling Tips

• Make signs: Make four signs that say Paul, Apollos, Peter, and Christ. Form four groups and give each a sign. At the end of the story, collect the signs and guide groups to move together.

• Change your posture: Begin with boastful body language. Change to a humble posture as you tell the story.

The BIBLE Story


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The Church Divided1 Corinthians 1–6

Paul wrote a letter to the church at Corinth. Years after Paul helped start the church in Corinth, the believers there were facing problems. One problem was that the church was divided. The

people did not always get along or agree about what was most important. The believers met in

small groups and had different leaders. Some groups were arguing that their

leaders were better than others. One person would say, “I belong

to Paul.” Another would say, “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Peter,” or “I belong to Christ.”

Paul wanted this to stop. “Is Christ divided?” Paul asked. Of course not. Jesus came to bring people together as one body—

brothers and sisters in God’s family. Christians should not

fight about which human leader has the most wisdom or strength.

What is most important is the gospel. Paul said, “The word of the cross is

foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.”

God uses what seems foolish to the world—that is, God the Son giving up His life for us—in order to bring salvation to the world.

Paul also reminded the church that believers cannot boast about

Bible Storytelling Tips

• Make signs: Make four signs that say Paul, Apollos, Peter, and Christ. Form four groups and give each a sign. At the end of the story, collect the signs and guide groups to move together.

• Change your posture: Begin with boastful body language. Change to a humble posture as you tell the story.

themselves or other people; no human is as wise or powerful as God. When Paul preached, he didn’t use fancy words so that people would think he was smart. He simply shared the good news about Jesus. Everyone in the church is united around Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins. He is God’s wisdom and power. When we remember the gospel, we can live in unity with others.

Other things, like immaturity and foolishness, caused division in the church. Paul wrote his letter to help the believers in Corinth. He told them many things about how to follow Jesus. Believers should live in such a way that people see them and know they belong to Jesus.

Christ Connection: Paul told the believers in the Corinthian church to come together because of the gospel. He reminded them that Jesus saves sinners. Because of Jesus and what He has done, believers can humbly come together as one body.

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INTRODUCE the Story

SESSION TITLE: The Church DividedBIBLE PASSAGE: 1 Corinthians 1–6STORY POINT: The gospel unites all kinds of people in love.KEY PASSAGE: Matthew 28:19-20BIG PICTURE QUESTION: What is our mission as Christians? Our mission is

to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Welcome timeGreet each kid as he or she arrives. Use this time to collect the offering, fill out attendance sheets, and help new kids connect to your group. Prompt kids to share about a time they disagreed with someone. What happened? Were they able to resolve the disagreement?

Activity page (5 minutes)

Invite kids to complete “Piece by Piece” on the activity page. Guide kids to think of parts and put them together to design a new machine. Let kids share their ideas.SAY • These machines you designed are made up of many

pieces working together to do something amazing. If you remove one piece, the machine would not work properly. Today, we will hear more about how believers can work together for the church’s mission.

Session starter (10 minutes)

OPTION 1: Together taskForm groups of four or five kids. Challenge each group with a task to complete together, such as moving a large box or a chair across the room. Allow each kid to use only one ability

• “Piece by Piece” activity page, 1 per kid

• pencils or markers


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to contribute to the challenge—like only talking, only using his right arm, only using her left arm, and so forth.

Allow kids to complete a second task of greater difficulty. Debrief by inviting kids to share their thoughts on what went well and what was hard. Did they always agree on what to do? If not, how did they resolve the conflict?SAY • God made each of us with different skills and

abilities. No one is able to do everything well by him- or herself. God wants us to work together to accomplish His purposes. Today, we’re going to look at a letter Paul wrote to a church that wasn’t working well together.

OPTION 2: Tower buildingGive each kid two jumbo marshmallows, three mini marshmallows, and several toothpicks. Set a timer for two minutes and instruct the kids to compete to see who can build the tallest freestanding tower. Allow kids to discuss the challenges of creating a tower with limited supplies, manpower, and time.

Next, encourage kids to come together as teams and combine their supplies. Give them another two minutes to work together to build a taller tower.SAY • When you work with others, you get to share

supplies, ideas, and skills. How would you feel if one team member didn’t share? How would that impact the team?

Today, we’re going to hear about some people who weren’t getting along very well. God had an important message for them—and for us.

Transition to teach the story

• Allergy Alert• jumbo and mini

marshmallows• toothpicks• stopwatch

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CountdownShow the countdown video as you transition to teach the story. Set it to end as the session begins.

Introduce the session (3 minutes)

[Leader enters carrying a briefcase and wearing a white button-down shirt and sunglasses. He or she opens the briefcase on a table and pulls out a sealed manila envelope containing notes for the session. Leader looks side to side before taking off the sunglasses and speaking to the kids.]LEADER • Hello, agents. I’m proud of how you’ve worked

through our recent training and review sessions. Your skills are improving, and I know our time together will aid you on your mission. Let’s move on to our next skill. While each of you is called to a specific mission and purpose, your mission will often require you to join with another agent for a period of time. That means we need to know how to get along and work well with one another in teams. Your team may be small or large, but either way, you cannot be divided among one another. That would compromise the mission.

• countdown video

• leader attire• briefcase• manila envelope• paper

Tip: If you prefer not to use themed content or characters, adapt or omit this introduction.

TEACH the Story




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Big picture question (1 minute)

LEADER • So let’s review our big picture question and remind ourselves about this most important mission: What is our mission as Christians? Do you remember the answer? Our mission is to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit. While each of you has a specific assignment to carry out this mission, we all work as a team to complete the bigger goal together.

Giant timeline (1 minute)

Show the giant timeline. Point to individual Bible stories as you review.LEADER • We started by looking at Peter’s escape from

prison to remind us of our purpose and God’s power. Last time, we prepared ourselves for possible travels by learning about Paul’s first journey. Today’s Bible story is called “The Church Divided.” We will look at a letter from Paul to the Christians in Corinth. The church there was divided, and Paul gave them some crucial instructions on how to work and serve together. Let’s take a look at what Paul’s instructions can teach us today.

Tell the Bible story (10 minutes)

Open your Bible to 1 Corinthians 1–6. Use the Bible storytelling tips on the Bible story page to help you tell the story, or show the Bible story video “The Church Divided.”LEADER • The church in Corinth was confused about

what was truly important. It seems they lost sight of their purpose and their mission, which was to share the love and good news of Jesus. They allowed

• Giant Timeline

• Bibles• “The Church Divided”

video• Big Picture Question

Poster• Bible Story Picture

Poster• Story Point Poster

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immaturity and foolishness to cause division in the church. Paul was quick to remind them that the gospel unites all kinds of people in love. It didn’t matter who their teacher was or who they thought was the smartest leader. Jesus came to bring us all together as one body and one family.

I love that Paul also reminded the church how he taught them. Do you remember Paul’s approach? Let’s find and read 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. [Allow kids to read the passage and respond.] Paul purposely didn’t use fancy words. He didn’t want people drawn to the gospel because of his flashy presentation. He wanted people to focus on the power of the Holy Spirit, not on Paul’s efforts. I like this because it reminds me that I don’t have to be the best speaker or know the answers to every question when I tell others about Jesus. I can share what Jesus has done in my life. Then the Holy Spirit can use those words and work in other people’s hearts.

Christ connectionLEADER • Paul told believers in the Corinthian church to

come together because of the gospel. He reminded them that Jesus saves sinners. Because of Jesus and what He has done, believers can humbly come together as one body. The way we love one another and treat one another within the church has a huge impact on how we treat others outside the church. Our love for others is often our loudest testimony to those who don’t know Jesus.

Tip: Use Scripture and the guide provided on page 131 to explain how to become a Christian. Make sure kids know when and where they can ask questions.


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Questions from kids video (3 minutes)

Show the “Unit 32, Session 3” questions from kids video. Prompt kids to think about what they should do when they don’t get along with someone else. Does it make a difference if the other person is a Christian? Guide them to discuss some ways they can show love like Jesus with anyone they know.

Missions moment (3 minutes)

LEADER • The gospel unites all kinds of people in love. Missionaries understand this, and that’s why they want to tell all people everywhere about Jesus. Let’s watch a video about how a church in Toronto, Canada, was started. Listen for what J.D. Fasolino’s favorite part about ministry is.

Play the missions video and ask kids what J.D. Fasolino said was his favorite part of missions in Toronto (baptizing new believers and seeing them grow in faith). Close in prayer for the Fasolinos and for the church in Toronto.

Key passage (5 minutes)

Show the key passage poster. Lead the boys and girls to stand in a circle and read together Matthew 28:19-20. Repeat the verse. With the first word, direct the first kid to link arms with the kid next to him. With each word, one kid should link arms with the kid next to him until all the kids are united.LEADER • Jesus commands us to make disciples of all

nations. We can’t do that if we’re distracted by arguments or disagreements among ourselves. We need to love one another to show others that the gospel unites all kinds of people in love.

• “Unit 32, Session 3” questions from kids video

• “Burritos and Bibles” missions video

• Key Passage Poster• “I Am With You

Always (Matthew 28:19-20)” song

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Lead boys and girls in singing “I Am With You Always (Matthew 28:19-20).”

Sing (4 minutes)

Open your Bible and read aloud John 17:22-23.LEADER • Right before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He

spent time praying. These verses are part of his prayer for all future believers. It was important to Jesus that we be united to show the world His love. Let’s praise Jesus that He cares for us and He cares how we love each other.

Sing together “Go Tell the World.”

Pray (2 minutes)

Invite kids to pray before dismissing to apply the story.LEADER • Jesus, thank You for speaking through Paul to

remind us we are united in You. Help us to not be distracted by our differences or our opinions, but join us together as one body to use the gifts and talents You’ve placed in us. Lead us this week to show the world around us Your love. Amen.

Dismiss to apply the story

• “Go Tell the World” song

• Bible


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The Gospel: God’s Plan for MeAsk kids if they have ever heard the word gospel. Clarify that the word gospel means “good news.” It is the message about Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation. Use the following guide to share the gospel with kids.

God rules. Explain to kids that the Bible tells us God created everything, and He is in charge of everything. Invite a volunteer to read Genesis 1:1 from the Bible. Read Revelation 4:11 or Colossians 1:16-17 aloud and explain what these verses mean.

We sinned. Tell kids that since the time of Adam and Eve, everyone has chosen to disobey God. (Romans 3:23) The Bible calls this sin. Because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God’s punishment of death. (Romans 6:23)

God provided. Choose a child to read John 3:16 aloud. Say that God sent His Son, Jesus, the perfect solution to our sin problem, to rescue us from the punishment we deserve. It’s something we, as sinners, could never earn on our own. Jesus alone saves us. Read and explain Ephesians 2:8-9.

Jesus gives. Share with kids that Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins, and rose again. Because Jesus gave up His life for us, we can be welcomed into God’s family for eternity. This is the best gift ever! Read Romans 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; or 1 Peter 3:18.

We respond. Tell kids that they can respond to Jesus. Read Romans 10:9-10,13. Review these aspects of our response: Believe in your heart that Jesus alone saves you through what He’s already done on the cross. Repent, turning from self and sin to Jesus. Tell God and others that your faith is in Jesus.

Offer to talk with any child who is interested in responding to Jesus. Provide I’m a Christian Now! for new Christians to take home and complete with their families.

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APPLY the Story



Key passage activity (5 minutes)

Before the session, divide the key passage into phrases and write them out on index cards or paper strips.

Display the key passage poster. Lead kids in reading aloud Matthew 28:19-20 together. Create teams based on the number of phrases you chose, giving each team at least one phrase. Teams should create motions for their phrases. Allow each team to demonstrate its motions. Put all the motions together to form the complete passage.SAY • Each team has a piece of our key passage. By bringing

all the teams together, our key passage is complete. God wants all of us to work together to accomplish His mission. What is our mission as Christians? Our mission is to make disciples of all nations by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion & Bible skills (10 minutes)

Distribute Bibles. Guide boys and girls to open their Bibles to Acts 9. Explain that today’s Bible story comes from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Choose a volunteer to read aloud Acts 9:1-2.SAY • As we read Paul’s letters today, remember what Paul’s

• Key Passage Poster• index cards or paper

strips• marker

• Bibles, 1 per kid• Story Point Poster• Small Group Timeline

and Map Set (005802970)


© 2020 LifeWay

life was like before he met Jesus. When we first met Paul in the Bible, what was his goal? (to divide and destroy the church) After his encounter with Jesus, why do you think it was so important to Paul that the church stay united? (If the church is divided, the gospel will not spread.)

Ask the following questions. Lead the group to discuss:1. What was one of the main disagreements in the

Corinthian church that Paul addressed? Guide kids to recall that the people were divided. They formed groups based on who they thought was the best teacher: Paul, Apollos, Peter, or Jesus. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read 1 Cor. 1:12.)

2. How is the church like a body? Help kids recognize that Paul described the church as a body, and each part of the body is needed. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read 1 Cor. 12:13.)

3. What ultimately unites us as believers in the church? Prompt kids to realize that believers are united in Jesus through the Holy Spirit. God gathers people who have faith in Jesus and invites us into His family. We are brothers and sisters. We are like the parts of one body—the church—and Jesus is the head of the church. He holds the whole universe together, and He unites us. (Option: Choose a volunteer to read Col. 3:14.)

SAY • It’s easy to judge the early church for allowing themselves to be divided. But we’re just like them when we let the minor things we disagree about divide us. It’s OK to disagree about minor things in love and in unity. We must show the world that the gospel unites all kinds of people in love.

Option: Retell or review the Bible story using the bolded text of the Bible story script.

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Activity choice (10 minutes)

OPTION 1: Fasolino prayer requestsPrint each page of the Fasolino prayer requests.

Consider gluing them to pieces of construction paper.Display the requests around the room. Invite kids to

move between the requests, saying a silent prayer or praying with friends at each one.SAY • When we pray for missionaries, we join with them

in helping to spread the gospel. We are united with them in love! The gospel unites all kinds of people in love.

Keep the requests displayed for the remainder of the unit as a reminder to pray for the Fasolinos and their ministry.

OPTION 2: Foolish or wise?Distribute Bibles. Ask for volunteers to find read 1 Corinthians 1:18,20,25,27. Lead the kids to discuss what the world sees as foolish about Christianity. Write their answers on a dry erase board or large sheet of paper. Examples:

• Putting others first instead of putting yourself first.• Being a servant instead of demanding to be served.• Finding life through the death of Jesus.• Not storing up treasures on earth.• Loving everyone.

SAY • People who don’t know Jesus will think these ideas are foolish because they seem to contradict what the world—people who don’t know and love Jesus—is telling them. Now that we know this, how can we talk about these things with our friends in a way that they will understand the good news of Jesus? What is the best way for you to share the gospel? [Encourage

• “Fasolino Prayer Requests” printable

• construction paper• glue stick

Tip: Use this activity option to reinforce the missions moment from Teach the Story.

• dry erase board or large sheet of paper

• marker• Bibles, 1 per kid

Option: Review the gospel with boys and girls. Explain that kids are welcome to speak with you or another teacher if they have questions.


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kids to respond.]

Journal and prayer (5 minutes)

Distribute journal pages and pencils. Guide kids to think about and answer the questions listed on the page:

• What does this story teach me about God or the gospel?

• What does the story teach me about myself?• Are there any commands in this story to obey? How are they for God’s glory and my good?

• Are there any promises in this story to remember? How do they help me trust and love God?

• How does this story help me to live on mission better?

As kids journal, invite them to share their ideas. Then pray, asking Jesus to unite us so that we can show His love to the world around us.

As time allows, lead kids to complete “On Mission” on the activity page. Kids should match the halves of the divided words to answer the big picture question.

• pencils• Journal Page• “On Mission” activity

page, 1 per kid

Tip: Give parents this week’s Big Picture Cards for Families to allow families to interact with the biblical content at home.

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Documents

Unit 32 • Session 3 The Church Divided