"The Love of Money" Bible Lesson

This lesson plan is a simple Bible study for children about contentment and the love of money.  It does not require any special supplies and is discussion based taking input from the children.  It can be adapted to any grade level.

This Bible lesson deals with the heart issues behind the love of money. The world is constantly sending the message that more money will bring happiness. God’s Word says contentment is the better approach. In this lesson, children will learn about how it is best to be content with what God has given us.

There are other related materials on our website to help you teach this lesson. You could use our coloring page about giving or serving two masters for an extra learning activity. We also have an object lesson about giving.

Bible Passage: 1 Timothy 6:6-10a … Scriptures about money and getting rich in the Bible
Target Age: K- 6^th grade
Time Needed: 20 minutes
Materials Needed: A whiteboard/chalkboard for teacher use
You Can Help: Please share your feedback and suggestions to improve this children’s Bible lesson. Click here to respond

Suggested Coloring Page

Hook:

1. “What are some things you want in life?”  Take input from the children and write their answers on the board. Write answers regarding material possessions on the left side of the board and answers of eternal significance on the right side of the board.
2. Most answers will probably be materialistic in nature, so follow up with this question, “What are some things you think God wants for you in your life?”  Continue taking input and recording their answers on the appropriate side of the board.
3. Review the answers with them making general observations about the things they want.

Book:

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1. “What is more important?  What we want in our life or what God wants for us in our life?”
2. “Let’s read about what God wants us to want in our life.  Turn in your Bible to 1 Timothy 6:6-10a.”
3. Read aloud the passage while the children follow along.

Look:

1. “In the first verse of this passage there are two big words we need to explain: godliness and contentment.  What is godliness?”  Take input from the children.
2. “Godliness is being like God.  Living your life in such a way that you become more and more like God each day.  This happens through learning more about Him and living out the fruit of the Spirit.”
3. “What is contentment?” Take input from the children.
4. “Contentment is being happy with what you have.  You do not live wanting everything you see or hear about, but instead you are satisfied with what you already have.  You do not want anything more.”
5. “So in verse 6, God says there is great gain in godliness with contentment.  Seeking to be godly and being happy with what you have will be good for you. Why is godliness with contentment good for us?”
6. “The answer is in the next part of the passage.” Reread out loud verse 6b-7.
7. “When you were born, did you come with a lot of stuff? No, you came into this world with nothing.  It was just you!  And that is how it will be when you die.  You won’t be able to take any of your stuff with you.”
8. “What do we really need to live?” Take input from the children.
9. “We really only need food and clothing.  We should be happy if we have these two things because food and clothing are the two things we need.”
10. “Now, what happens to a person who is not happy with having just food and clothing? What happens to a person who wants to become rich?” Read aloud verse 9-10.
11. “There were some strong and scary words in those verses which described what happens to a person who wants to become rich: temptation, snare, senseless, harmful, ruin, destruction, and all kinds of evils.”  Write these words on the board as you restate them to the children.
12. “Something important to learn from these verses about becoming rich is that it does not say every rich person will have these bad things happen.  It says for people who desire to be rich or who love money.  People who desire to be rich and who love money are not content.  They are not happy with what God has given them.”
13. Think of a popular toy the children in or around your church are wanting to collect such as silly bands, a line of video games, etc. to insert in the blank. “Who in here has a ___________?  Who in here has more than one __________?  It is hard to be happy with just one isn’t it?  Once you get one then you just want to get more and then even when you have two or five you want to get even more. That is the problem with wanting material things: you can never get enough to be happy.  It is so hard to be content when all you want are material things.”
14. “But God wants us to be happy and content with what we have for then we will grow to be more like Him and His Son Jesus Christ.”

Took:

1. Reread out loud 1 Timothy 6-10a.
2. “Going back to our lists we made at the beginning of the lesson, do you think your heart will be the most happy and content if you are trying to get the things on this side of the board or that side of the board?” Point to the list of material things and the list of eternal things.
3. “The best things in life to desire are those things that will last for eternity for when we want those things we will be content and happy with what we have. For this is what God wants us to want: godliness with contentment!”