Should every lesson point to Jesus?
A children’s ministry leader asked me, “Does every lesson in Spyence point to Jesus?”
The easy answer would’ve been, “Absolutely!”
The honest answer (and the one I gave) was, “Not every lesson points directly to Jesus, and here’s why...”
Some passages in Scripture naturally point to Jesus, others to the Father, and others to the Spirit.
We’re committed to a Christ-centered Children's Ministry Curriculum, but... being Christ-centered doesn’t mean trying to shoehorn a “Jesus Focus” into every single passage.
It means faithfully teaching the Triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
A Simple Example: When the Lesson Points to God the Father
Let’s say you're teaching your kids about the opening lines of the Lord’s Prayer:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.” –Matthew 6:9,10
Here, Jesus Himself is intentionally putting the focus on God the Father.
During your lesson, you should also focus your kids' attention on the Father. They should walk away saying things like:
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“God is my Father—and I can talk to Him anytime.”
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“Hallowed be His name means I want people to know that God is different, better, perfect.”
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“God the Father has a kingdom and He wants it to come to earth.”
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“I can pray that God’s will gets done, and that will help me focus on what God wants, not on my own desires.”
It would be a shame to take the focus off the Father in these verses. Kids might miss the ramifications:
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God isn’t a genie. He’s a Father.
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And He's a different, better, perfect Father. Completely good in every way.
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Life isn’t about “my will be done.” It’s about His will be done. And that’s great news. It takes a lot of pressure off me.
Powerful, right? And that’s why a truly Christ-centered kids ministry curriculum doesn’t try to shove a “Jesus cameo” into every lesson.
Instead, it helps kids see how the whole Bible points to God’s character, God’s plan, and God’s presence, and sometimes that's through the Son, sometimes through the Spirit, and sometimes through the Father.
What “Christ-Centered” Really Means (And Why It Includes the Father and the Spirit)
When people hear “Christ-centered,” they sometimes imagine a rule that every story must explicitly end with Jesus.
In the kidmin world, we hear "every story points to Jesus" so much that you might never question whether Jesus should be the focus of every lesson.
But the Bible's approach is richer and more nuanced than that. The Bible alternates between focusing on the Father, Jesus, and the Spirit.
Some passages focus on God the Father who loved us so much that He came up with the plan to send Jesus (John 3:16).
Other passages focus on the Son who executed the plan and revealed the Father to us and sent the Spirit to us.
And still other passages focus on the Spirit who presently lives with us and in us and empowers us to obey and helps us get to know God better.
If we focus disproportionately on Jesus and less on the Father who loves His children or the Spirit who indwells them, we’re not being fully Gospel-centered. We’re not even being Biblical.
So yes, Spyence is Christ-centered. And God-the-Father-centered. And God-the-Holy-Spirit-centered.
Because the Bible alternates its focus between the members of the Trinity, our teaching should too.
That means some lessons should NOT point directly to Jesus. (Gasp!)
Some Lessons Should Not Focus on Jesus (And That’s a Good Thing)
Why do I say that? Because if every single lesson points directly to Jesus, then you're in danger of falling into a too-common theological ditch called Forced Jesus-Tie-Ins.
For example, teaching something like: "Daniel came out of the lion’s den alive, and Jesus came out of the tomb alive. So Daniel helps us picture Jesus’ resurrection.”
The problem: Daniel’s story isn’t written as a prophecy of the resurrection. Yes, God did deliver Daniel, but the text highlights God’s sovereign power and faithfulness, not a foreshadowing of Easter.
A healthier approach for this passage: Point kids to God the Father’s protection, which is the actual focus in this passage. Our Father is sovereign over creation (even lions!) and He is always watching over us, even in times of trouble, persecution, and danger.
A healthier approach in general: teach the whole message of God's Word in a way kids can grasp.
Sometimes that’s the Father’s compassion.
Sometimes that’s the Spirit’s comfort.
Sometimes that’s the Son’s rescue.
Over time, kids see the one story of redemption without gimmicks.
Side note: At least you never fall into the other common theological ditch: Forced Moralism.
For example, teaching “You should be brave like Daniel in the lion's den and stand up to bullies at school (or be nice to your little sister, or... fill-in-the-blank application).”
The problem: The text doesn't focus on anything Daniel did in the lion's den. The text focuses on God's ability to deliver His faithful people in any situation.
That's called Forced Moralism, and you would never do that, right? Right?
Example of a Balance Focus from Season 3 of Spyence's "Seminary for Kids"
Season 3 focuses on Theology Proper, the study of God Himself. It covers the following topics in a K–5th-friendly and easy-for-leaders format:
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Week 1: Evidence that God Exists (There is ample evidence that God is real.)
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Week 2: Introduction to the Trinity (God is one God in three Persons.)
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Week 3: God the Father (God the Father loves us and shows us incredible grace, pictured by the dad in the prodigal son story.)
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Week 4: God the Son (Jesus is the greatest of all heroes, who sacrificed His own life to rescue us from the penalty for our sins.)
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Week 5: God the Holy Spirit (Our ever-present Helper who empowers us to serve God every day.)
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Week 6: Adoption (Adoption is the most common picture used in the Bible to help us understand our relationship with God.)
Notice: Weeks 3 and 5 don’t point directly to Jesus.
They point to God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
That’s intentional, and it’s deeply Christ-honoring, because kids learn to love the Triune God, with a healthy balance on each member of the Trinity.
Christ-Centered ≠ Jesus-Only
Being Christ-centered doesn’t mean ignoring the Father or the Spirit.
It means recognizing how the Son reveals the Father and pours out the Spirit; how the Spirit opens our eyes to the Son and seals us as the Father’s children; how the Father planned our redemption and guards and protects us with His love each day.
When kids see this Trinitarian choreography, the Gospel shifts from “facts I know” to a living relationship with the God who, within Himself and within His own nature, is a God of loving relationship.
How This Plays Out in Real Classrooms (And On Real Sundays)
Picture a nine-year-old named Emma. She’s been coming to your Children’s Ministry for a few months.
One Sunday, she hears a lesson about God the Son, the Rescuer who gave His life so we could be forgiven. Emma goes home and tells her parents, “Jesus is my hero—He saved me!” That week, she walks a little taller, knowing she’s not just supposed to “be good” but that she’s been rescued by grace.
The following Sunday, the lesson focuses on God the Father, the one who welcomes prodigals home with open arms. When the teacher describes the Father’s joy, Emma whispers wonderingly to her small group leader, “That’s how God feels about me?” The truth sinks in: she is not just tolerated but deeply loved by a welcoming Father.
A week later, Emma learns about God the Holy Spirit, the unseen Helper who lavishes God's presence on our lives and gives us the strength to follow Jesus every day. On Monday at recess, when she feels left out, she remembers: “I’m not alone. God’s Spirit is with me.”
Over these three weeks, Emma’s view of God is no longer one-dimensional. She’s beginning to see how her own life fits into the Gospel story of the Father who loves her, the Son who rescues her, and the Spirit who empowers her. And as Emma’s faith grows, so does her joy.
A Quick Guide: Planning a Trinity-Honoring, Christ-Centered Lesson
1. Name the Person of the Trinity you’re highlighting.
Don’t settle for vague phrases like “God does this” or “God helps us.” Be intentional and name the Person you’re teaching about.
For example, when discussing being sealed, make it clear that the Holy Spirit is the one who seals us and guarantees our salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14). Don't be shy to name the Holy Spirit in your lesson.
When you name each member of the Trinity – Father, Son, and Spirit – as you explore the Bibe with our kids, they start to see the beautiful unity of the Trinity. And they start to see how the Father, Son, and Spirit all relate to them and work in their lives in unique, creative, and individual ways.
2. Connect to Jesus every time it's appropriate.
Yeah, Jesus is amazing. He's the invisible God made visible. He's the exact picture of what God is like in the flesh. Wow! Focus on Him every chance you get.
But... if the passage isn’t about Jesus, don’t force it.
The same focus every week not only doesn't fit the Bible's pattern, but it also gets boring and repetitive for kids.
3. Use videos, games, and science experiments wisely – when they'll reinforce the teacher's lesson.
A well-chosen video can capture kids' attention instantly. A game can be a great way to review. A science experiment can bring the truth you're teaching to life in kids' hands.
But here’s the key: the video, game, or experiment should serve the teacher's lesson, not the other way around.
Videos, games, or experiments can set the stage, spark curiosity, and give kids a mental picture they’ll remember, but it’s your teaching, your discussion, and your application that drive the truth home.
So, To Sum Up... Does Every Lesson Need to Point to Jesus?
Short answer: Every lesson should fit inside the larger Gospel story that points to Jesus, but not every lesson must end with an explicit Jesus mini-sermon.
Some weeks, the most faithful thing you can do is help kids appreciate the Father’s heart or depend on the Spirit’s help.
Over time, this produces a richer, sturdier faith than a teaching philosophy that unnaturally forces every lesson to be about Jesus.
Common Concerns
“Won’t kids get confused if we don’t say ‘Jesus’ every time?”
Actually, kids get confused when we oversimplify. If you clearly teach, “One God—three Persons,” and you rotate emphasis across the Father, Son, and Spirit, kids learn how the Trinity works together in our salvation and our daily growth.
“Isn’t ‘Christ-centered’ the gold standard?”
Yes—and the most Christ-centered thing we can do is teach the whole Trinity faithfully, because that’s how Jesus taught. (See His focus on the Father in the Lord's prayer & the parable of the prodigal son, and Jesus' focus on the Spirit in John 14:16,17.)
“How do I keep this practical?”
Emphasize how each member of the Trinity relates to kids and works in their lives. For an example of how this works, see the story of Emma in the "How This Plays Out in Real Classrooms" section above.
Leader Tips for a Christ-Centered, Trinity-Honoring Year
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Map the year. Plan clear Father/Son/Spirit emphasis weeks so your team sees the pattern. This balanced calendar approach is built into the Spyence Children's Ministry Curriculum, giving leaders a ready-to-use resource for a Christ-centered, Trinity-honoring year.
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Focus on a single theological concept per week. (For example, “The Holy Spirit lives in God’s children and helps us obey.”)
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Preach the Gospel simply and often. Kids should hear the Gospel frequently: God created them to have a relationship with Him, they sinned and broke the relationship, but God the Father sent God the Son to earth to die on the cross for our sins so that we could be forgiven and our relationship to God could be restored. Jesus died for our sins and then rose from the dead and offers eternal life to everyone who believes in Him. (John 1:12, John 3:16, John 6:47, Acts 16:31, etc.)
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Share this balanced approach with parents. Send take-home family guides with conversation prompts that will point families toward the Father some weeks, the Son some weeks, and the Spirit some weeks.
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Measure what matters. Celebrate Gospel clarity, Scripture engagement, growing theological understanding, love for God, increasing personal holiness, not just attendance, noise level, special events, etc.
Want to See This in Action? Grab Two Free Sample Lessons
If this vision of a Christ-centered kids ministry curriculum (that’s also Father-centered and Spirit-centered) makes your pastor-heart beat a little faster, take it for a spin.
You’ll get two free sample lessons with hands-on science experiments that make doctrine memorable, Leader guides, Bible lesson intro videos, slides, take-home sheets, and more – an incredible resource for your children’s ministry.