Moms in the Bible

Note: The file above includes this lesson plan and many bonus resources like our Bible Moms Cards & Crossword Puzzle, Game Ideas, Coloring Pages, and Kids Interview about Mom. It’s all 100% free to bless your ministry!

This free Mother’s Day Bible lesson for children is intended for Mother’s Day, but could be adapted and utilized at any point of the year.  It was first prepared for a Children’s Church setting but would work well as a Sunday School lesson also. Through it, children will learn about mothers referenced in the Bible.  They will also learn practical ways to honor their own mothers.  This lesson plan also includes a game and card making activity.

Bible Passage: Deuteronomy 5:16 and multiple other references
Bible Story Title: Learning from Moms
Target Age Group: 1^st – 6^th grade
Target Time Frame: 45 min – 1 hr
Original Teaching Context: Children’s Church

• Optional: Printable “Moms of the Bible” game
• Optional: Mother’s Day Coloring Pages

Supply List: Bibles, short summaries of Biblical moms, paper, pencils, chalkboard/whiteboard/large paper with a jeopardy format, cardstock and art supplies such as stamps, stickers, foam pieces, markers, etc.

Learning Goal: After this lesson, students will demonstrate a knowledge of Biblical mothers.  They will also identify ways that they can honor their own mothers.

Learning Indicator: Students will play a game of Jeopardy to assess their understanding.

Free 🍂 Thanksgiving Lessons 8 FREE Thanksgiving Coloring Pages🖍️🖍️ FREE 📩 30-minute Lessons 🎉 $97 for 3+ Years of Curriculum Deal

Suggested Learning Activities

1. Have students brainstorm ways they can honor their moms.
2. Have students work in pairs/teams to learn and teach about Biblical moms.
3. Have students work together in a team to answer questions in a Jeopardy game.

Test: Have students recall facts in a question and answer game.  Have them demonstrate honor by making a card for their moms.

Bible Lesson “Learning from Moms”

1.  Ask the students to brainstorm things that their moms like to say.  For example, “You may not be finished with dinner until you eat your vegetables” or “I’m not going to tell you again” or “Get your fingers out of your nose!”

2.  Tell the students that Mother’s Day is approaching on May 9^th.  Explain a brief history of the holiday.  It was started in 1914 with an act of Congress.  President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the 2^nd Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.  It was a time to publicly express our love and honor for the moms in our country.

3.  Ask the students to brainstorm things they can give their moms for Mother’s Day:  cards, flowers, coupon books, cleaning their room, obedience, etc.  Tell them that you have the “best gift ever” for Mother’s Day.  The best thing they can give their mom is honor.  Honor is showing respect for your mom in your own home and outside of your home where everyone can see.  Read Deuteronomy 5:16.  How can we do that?  Invite suggestions.  (Talk highly of your mom, thank her for what she does, listen, give respect, gifts, time, surprise her, pray for her, etc!)

4.  “Today we’re going to learn about some moms in the Bible.  Some followed God.  Some didn’t.  They all made mistakes.  Some were remembered for them.  Others were remembered for their love for God, their children, and others.  Let’s see what we can learn from these moms!”

5.  Divide the students into small teams of 2 or 3, depending on the size of your group.  Distribute brief summaries of each mom, along with a scripture passage.  Have them read about their Biblical mom so that they can answer the following questions.  (Each team will be “teaching” about their mom upon completion of the assignment.)  Allot 5-7 minutes.

1. What mom did you have?  Who was/were her child/children?
2. Did she follow God?
3. What will she be remembered for?

SHORT SUMMARIES OF BIBLICAL MOMS (with Scripture references):

Free 🍂 Thanksgiving Lessons 8 FREE Thanksgiving Coloring Pages🖍️🖍️ FREE 📩 30-minute Lessons 🎉 $97 for 3+ Years of Curriculum Deal

Eve: Eve was the first wife and mom.  She shared a special relationship with God until she sinned.  We have been born with a “sin nature” because of Eve.  Read Genesis 3:1-6 and Genesis 3: 20.

Hannah: Hannah was the mom of Samuel, a judge of Israel.  She was unable to have children for many years, but called out to God and God heard her prayer.  She promised to give Samuel to God for his whole life and she did.  Read 1 Samuel 1:10-11 and 1 Samuel 1:27-28.

Mary: Mary was the mother of Jesus.  She was chosen by God to have Jesus because God saw something special in her.  She was an ordinary girl, but she obeyed God in extraordinary circumstances.  She knew the Word of God well.  Read Luke 1:35-38.

Jochebed: Jochebed was the mother of Moses.  When she gave birth to Moses, there was an order to kill all of the Hebrew baby boys.  In faith, she didn’t kill her son, but hid him for three months.  Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in the river.  Years later, he became the hero who led the Israelites out of Egypt into freedom.  Read Exodus 2:1-4.

Sarah: Sarah became Isaac’s mom when she was over 100.  She was Abraham’s wife, who laughed at the promise that she would have a child.  Before Isaac was born, she got impatient to have a baby and tried to take matters into her own hands.  She caused a lot of problems by doing that.  Read Genesis 21:1-3 and Genesis 21:6-7.

Elizabeth: Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus.   The angel Gabriel told her husband Zechariah that she would have a baby at a very old age.  He didn’t believe this at first, but it was true.  Elizabeth was a woman who followed God.  Read Luke 1:39-45.

Rebekah: Rebekah was Isaac’s wife and Esau and Jacob’s mom.  She was a beautiful woman who was first noticed because she served others unselfishly.  She was a hard worker.  Rebekah followed God, but did make Jacob her favorite son.  Because of that, she convinced him to steal his brother’s blessing.  This caused a lot of problems.  Read Genesis 24:45-46 and Genesis 27:5-11

Naomi: Naomi was the mother in law of Ruth.  Naomi had two sons, but they both passed away and left her very sad and bitter.  Because Ruth wanted Naomi’s God to be her God, she travelled to Naomi’s homeland to live.  It was there that Naomi helped Ruth find her husband, Boaz.  Read Ruth 1:3 and Ruth 1:15-18.

6.  Prepare the students to listen to each response by telling them about the Jeopardy game coming up.  Have each team take turns teaching about their mom by answering the three questions they have prepared.

7.  Once all of the moms have been introduced, briefly summarize.  “As you can tell, some of the Biblical moms did what was right in God’s eyes.  They prayed, were hard working, beautiful, faithful, and strong – like your moms maybe.  But each of them had their moments.  We have read that they were sometimes sneaky, disobedient, and impatient – like your moms also.  But wait – could that describe us too?  (YES!)  We all sin.  Thankfully, because of Jesus, we don’t have to live in that sin.  We can be forgiven and do what is right.  How will you be known?  As someone who follows Jesus?  Or as someone who doesn’t really care.  Let’s each be remembered for following God!”

8.  Play a game of Jeopardy with the students.  Divide students into two teams.  Allow individuals from each team to take turns picking a category and amount.  (Erase amount when done.)  Read each clue.  The students should individually respond in Jeopardy format.  For example, if the answer is Hannah, they should say, “Who is Hannah?”  Reward correct answers with the specified amount.  Incorrect answers are not penalized.  Daily doubles can be used whenever.  (It will be helpful to have a scorekeeper only keeping track of each team’s amount.)  A final jeopardy question will end the game.  Allow each team to write down their wager and turn it in before you give the clue.  Answering the final jeopardy question should be a team effort.

JEOPARDY

WHO’S WHO?

100:  She had an angel appear to her.  (Mary)
200:  She was probably the oldest mom to ever have a baby.  (Sarah)
300:  She was the mother of John the Baptist and Mary’s cousin.  (Elizabeth)
400:  She was Samuel’s mom.  (Hannah)
500:  She was first noticed because she was giving camels drinks!  (Rebekah)

OH NO MOM!

100:  She was tempted into sin by a snake and fell for it.  (Eve)
200:  Her husband died and then both her sons died.  Life was bitter for her!  (Naomi)
300:  She had a favorite son named Jacob and she helped him steal the blessing.  (Rebekah)
400:  She didn’t think she would have a son at her old age so she came up with another way.  (Sarah)
500:  She followed God instead of Pharaoh, even though it could have cost her her life!  (Jochebed)

FAMOUS MOMMA WORDS

100:  Eat your ______________ (vegetables).
200:  Don’t pick your ______ (nose).
300:  I’m not going to ______________ (ask you again).
400:  Please clean your ________ (room).
500:  You will always be my _________ (baby).

UP TO US!

100:  Deuteronomy 5:16 says to honor your father and your ________ (mother).
200:  The “best gift ever” for Mother’s Day is to give your mom _________ (honor).
300:  Honor is showing __________ to your mom inside and outside your home (respect).
400:  Our moms aren’t perfect.  We’re not either because of ______ (sin).
500:  Thankfully, _________ came to save us from our sin and create in us a clean heart.  (Jesus!)

THE HOLIDAY

100:  It’s a day when we celebrate our moms.  (Mother’s Day)
200:  The country that started Mother’s Day.  (The United States)
300:  Mother’s Day is always on this day.  (The 2^nd Sunday in May)
400:  The President who established the holiday.  (Woodrow Wilson)
500:  The year that began the celebration.  (1914)

THE FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION:

List 5 ways that you can show honor to your mom for Mother’s Day and all year round!  (Thankfulness, listening, giving respect, gifts, time, surprising her, obeying, praying, talking highly of her, etc!)

9.  Distribute cardstock and art supplies such as stamps, stickers, foam pieces, markers, etc.  Have students write a Mother’s Day card, thanking their moms for specific things that they do or writing down favorite times with their mom.  Emphasize that this card should honor them.

10.  Close in prayer, thanking God for the truths we can learn from the Biblical moms.  Thank God for the moms that God has given each person present.

Need More Ideas? We also have a Mother’s Day Sunday School lesson, a long list of Bible quotes about mothers, some preschool songs for mother’s day, and several craft ideas for mother’s day.