From Bad Choices to New Life with Jesus

Title: From Bad Choices to New Life with Jesus (Romans 6:23) — illustration for young children using props

Key idea for the children: Doing wrong brings sad consequences, but God gives the gift of new life through Jesus.

Needed props (choose sizes appropriate for your age group and avoid small choking hazards):
– Small clear jar or coin purse with a few large, toy coins or big paper “coins” (to show wages)
– A small paper or real wilted flower (or a small brown paper flower) to show what happens after bad choices
– A bright, fresh artificial flower or small potted plant to show new life
– A small wrapped gift box (big enough to be safe) with a simple item inside: a paper heart that says “Jesus,” or a small wooden cross, or a key labeled “JESUS”
– A short length of soft rope or a toy chain (large links) and a pair of plastic safety scissors or a big paper cut line to “cut” the rope
– A simple sign or card that says “SIN” or “BAD CHOICES” (large letters)
– A simple poster card with the verse in very short kid-friendly wording: “The wages of sin is death, but God’s gift is forever life through Jesus.” (Keep the actual verse Romans 6:23 handy to read or show.)
– Optional: small paper hearts or stickers for each child to take home

Preparation notes:
– Make sure props are large and safe for your youngest children; tape small parts inside the gift box so nothing falls out.
– Practice the flow a couple of times so the actions are smooth and quick (young children have short attention spans).
– Keep the tone gentle and hopeful. If children ask questions about “death,” use simple words like “being apart from God” or “not having the kind of life God wants for us,” and be ready to reassure them.

How to present (simple script and actions)
1) Gather the children close and show the verse card. Read a very short version aloud: “Romans 6:23 says: ‘Bad choices bring death, but God’s gift is life through Jesus.’” Then translate: “That means when we make wrong choices (we’ll call them ‘bad choices’), there are bad results. But God gives us a wonderful gift — new life — through Jesus.”

2) Show the “SIN / BAD CHOICES” sign. Ask: “What is a bad choice?” Let one or two children answer briefly (e.g., “not sharing, telling a lie, hitting”). Affirm their answers.

3) Bring out the coin purse or jar and the toy coins. Say: “These coins are like wages — something you earn or get because of what you do.” Put a few coins into the jar as you say: “When we make bad choices, we earn bad things.” Put the wilted flower next to the jar and say gently: “The Bible tells us the wages of bad choices is death. That’s a big word, but we can say: bad choices can lead to being sad and being away from God.” (Show a calm, compassionate face — not scary.)

4) Show the rope or chain around the wilted flower or wrap it loosely around your hand: “Bad choices can feel like being tied up — we get stuck.” Ask the children if anyone has felt stuck when they were having a hard time or disobeyed a parent. Keep answers short and reassuring.

5) Shift the tone to hope. Hold up the wrapped gift box and smile. Say: “But look! God doesn’t leave us stuck. The verse also says God has a gift.” Open the box slowly so children lean in. Inside show the paper heart that says “Jesus,” the small cross, or the key labeled “JESUS.” Pull out the bright flower at the same time.

6) Explain in very simple words: “Jesus is God’s gift. He helps cut the ropes. He gives new life.” Use the scissors to “cut” the rope or pretend to unlock the chain with the key, and remove the rope from the wilted flower, then replace the wilted flower with the bright flower. Say: “See? Jesus gives new, happy life — a life with God!”

7) Repeat the short summary with actions so children can remember:
– Show coin purse: “Bad choices = wages”
– Show rope: “Bad choices can tie us up”
– Show gift: “But God gives a gift—Jesus”
– Show bright flower: “Gift = new life!”

Invite the children to repeat a short line after you two times: “Bad choices bring sadness; Jesus gives new life!” (Keep it cheerful and brief.)

8) Interactive idea (2–3 children at a time; keep it quick):
– Give a child a paper “bad choice” (a small paper with a sad face) and let them drop it into the jar.
– Then have them help you open the gift and pull out a paper heart or cross and the bright flower to show Jesus giving new life.
– Or let them come and pretend to cut the rope with big-motion scissors (safety scissors not actually cutting the rope — or use a paper ribbon that you do cut ahead of time).

9) Closing and simple invitation:
– Say: “Romans 6:23 tells us two things: bad choices bring bad results, but God gives the gift of life through Jesus. If you want Jesus to be your friend and help you when you make bad choices, you can talk to Him. Would you like to pray? If you do, we’ll say a short prayer together.” (Offer a short, optional prayer the children can repeat, such as: “Jesus, thank you for being my friend. Please help me. Thank you for your gift of new life. Amen.”)
– Make sure to invite kids who want to talk more to stay after or tell their parents so an adult can follow up.

10) Hand out a simple take-home: a small paper heart, sticker, or a one-sentence card that says the kid-friendly version of Romans 6:23 and a short reminder: “Jesus gives new life.”

Timing:
– Total time: about 5–8 minutes for young children. Keep it lively and visual.

Safety and pastoral notes:
– Avoid frightening descriptions of death; focus on the idea of being separated from God and the hope Jesus brings.
– Always offer parental follow-up for children who respond emotionally or want to pray.
– Supervise all prop use and avoid small parts for toddlers.

This simple, visual demonstration uses earning/coins, a rope, a wilted/bright flower, and a gift to show the contrast in Romans 6:23: bad choices lead to bad consequences, but God’s gift through Jesus is new life.