Lesson 27: A New Creation in Christ

Distribute name tags and snacks. Choose one of the following activities to do together while children eat their snack.

Collect prayer requests from the students. The leader or a student can pray for the entire group, or a leader can pair up students and invite them to pray for one another.

• “Have you ever wished you could start over or have a fresh start? What happened?”
• “Maybe it was a mistake you made or something that didn’t go well. What would you change if you could do it over?”
• “How does it feel when someone gives you another chance?”

Have students match up the old and new pairs of items together.

Show each pair of pictures and ask:

• “What’s the difference between these two things?”
• “How do you feel when you get something new?”
• “Do you think people can change too?”

“Today, we’re going to learn how Jesus makes us new when we trust him!”

Welcome the students to Crossroads and tell them you are glad they came this week.

(Think about something good in your life today—a friend, your family, something you enjoyed, or even something small like a snack you love.)

Tell kids that closing their eyes and folding their hands together can help keep them focused and not distract those around them.

• “Have you ever seen a baby picture of yourself? What did you look like?”

Setup:

1. Display all the baby pictures at the front or on a screen.
2. Number each picture clearly.
3. Assign each leader a spot around the room (they do not hold their number yet—it’s a secret until the reveal).
4. Make sure there is enough space for kids to move safely between leaders.

Instructions:

“You’ll see all the baby pictures numbered at the front. I will show or call out one number at a time. Your job is to MOVE to the leader you think matches that baby picture.”

• Call out or show Baby Picture #1.
• Kids move to stand near the leader they think it is.
• Once kids are gathered by their guess, do a dramatic reveal—have the correct leader hold up their number card.
• Celebrate correct guesses and let the leader share a funny or interesting fact about themselves as a baby (optional).

Repeat for each baby picture number.

Let kids move to a new leader each round.

After all rounds, invite kids to share what surprised them or what they learned about their leaders as kids.

Celebrate correct guesses.

​​”Wasn’t that fun seeing all those baby pictures? You saw what your leaders looked like when they were tiny babies. We all started life as babies, and we’ve all grown up a lot since then.

But did you know that in the Bible, Jesus talked about something even more important than being born as a baby? In John 3, Jesus told a man named Nicodemus that we need to be “born again.””

Instructions:

Hold up the old paper in front of the group.

“This old paper is like our lives when we are filled with sin—things like disobedience, selfishness, lying, or hurting others.”

You can write some of those words on the paper as you say them, or ask the kids to call out examples and write them.

• “Can I just erase these things by trying really hard? Can I make this old, dirty paper new again?”

Dramatically tear the paper into pieces.

“Nope. The truth is, we can’t fix our old hearts ourselves. The Bible tells us that Jesus does not just improve who we were—he makes us new. When we trust him, he makes us completely new—like giving us a whole new heart.”

Hold up the fresh, colorful paper.

“This is what it’s like when we are born again. Jesus gives us a new heart and a new life, clean and ready to live for him.”

• “What are ways we can live as Jesus’ new creation?” (being kind, forgiving, telling the truth, showing love).

Read John 3:1-8 out loud for the group.

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

Ask:

• “What’s the difference between being born as a baby and being born again like Jesus talks about?”
  (Help them get to: Being born as a baby is about our body starting life, being born again is about our heart starting a new life with God.)

“Now, Jesus wasn’t talking about going back to being a baby. He was talking about a new kind of life that starts in your heart when you believe in him. It’s like a fresh start with God—where he gives you a new heart, forgives your sins, and helps you live the way he wants you to.

So even though we can’t go back to being a baby, we can all be born again when we trust Jesus. It’s a new life with him as our Savior and King!””

Thank Jesus that he gives us a new life and makes us a new creation when we trust him.

Ask God to help us remember that following Jesus changes how we live and love others.

How to Play:

• Choose 2-3 players to be “old life” taggers (they chase others).
• When tagged, players freeze with arms crossed.
• Another player can “transform” them by tagging them and saying, “New creation in Jesus!”
• Once transformed, the player puts their arms up in a “new creation” pose and can continue playing.
• Switch taggers every few rounds.

Connection to Lesson: Shows how Jesus changes our hearts—just like the players are transformed from stuck in sin to living a new life.

How to Play:

• Divide kids into teams.
• On one side is the “Old Life” bucket filled with crumpled paper (symbolizing sin, selfishness).
• On the other side is the empty “New Life” bucket.
• Players relay race to take an “old” item, carry it across, and replace it with a clean paper heart in the “New Life” bucket.
• First team to replace all items wins.

Connection to Lesson: Illustrates moving from old life (sin) to new life in Jesus.

How to Play:

• Set up an obstacle course.
• Kids start at “Old Life,” going through the obstacles.
• Midway, they reach the “Cross,” where they pause, spin around (symbolizing transformation).
• Then they finish the course to “New Life.”
• At the end, they shout, “I’m a new creation in Christ!”

Connection to Lesson: A fun way for kids to physically experience the journey from old life to new life in Jesus.

Instructions:

• Give each student a blank sheet of paper and ask them to draw a simple picture in a few minutes.

“Draw something that feels a little sad or broken. Maybe it’s a rainy day, a wilting flower, a frown, a broken toy, or something lonely. Don’t worry about being perfect — just sketch it quickly.”

• After 3–5 minutes, have everyone pass their drawing to someone else.

“The next person’s job is to make it new — not erase it, but transform the original into something different and uplifting or joyful.”

Examples:

• A wilted flower becomes part of a beautiful garden.
• A stormy sky is transformed into a rainbow.
• A sad face turns into a group of friends playing.
• A broken heart becomes a heart held together by a cross or a bandage.

After everyone finishes, invite volunteers to show the “before and after” versions of the artwork.

Ask:

• “What changed in the picture?”
• “How does this remind us of what Jesus does in our lives when we trust him?”
• “When we belong to Jesus, how can our hearts, attitudes, and actions look different?”

“When we come to Jesus, he doesn’t just fix us up a little — he makes us brand new. Sometimes we feel sad, lonely, or broken, but Jesus gives us new hope, new joy, and a new way to live.

The old picture didn’t disappear — it became part of something new. That’s like how our past is part of our story, but Jesus gives it new meaning.”

Objective: Tie-In: Jesus wipes away sin and gives us a fresh start.

Materials Needed: Chalkboard or whiteboard, eraser/cloth, markers/chalk

Instructions:

• Write or draw “sins” or selfish choices (lying, anger, disobeying, etc.) on the board.
• Talk about how sin makes our hearts messy.
• Then wipe the board clean.

“When we trust Jesus, he forgives our sins and makes us new—just like this board!”

Discussion:

• “How does it feel to have a fresh start?”
• “What’s something new you want to do for Jesus?”

Read a situation and ask kids to pick the “old” choice vs. the “new” choice.

Example:

Your friend is mean to you.

• Old choice: Be mean back.
• New choice: Forgive and show kindness.

Your sibling takes your toy without asking.

• Old choice: Get mad and grab it back.
• New choice: Ask calmly and share.

“When we trust in Jesus, he helps us live in new ways—ways that honor him.

Today we learned that when we trust in Jesus, he doesn’t just clean us up a little — he makes us brand new.

He gives us a fresh start, changes our hearts, and helps us live in a way that honors him. That’s what it means to be a new creation!

Think of one kind thing you can do this week to show that Jesus is changing your heart. Maybe it’s helping a sibling, saying sorry first, or sharing with a friend.”

Optional take-home idea: Let them draw a butterfly or write “Jesus makes me new!” and hang it at home as a reminder.