Peter and Cornelius Preschool Lesson
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “God’s good news is for everyone.”
Cornelius lived in Caesarea, a big town by the sea. He was a centurion – a captain over many soldiers. Cornelius was not Jewish. But he loved God, and so did all his family. He gave gifts to poor people. And he always prayed to God.
In those days, Jewish people and people from other lands kept apart. They did not visit each other’s homes. They did not eat together. But God was going to do something new. God’s good news is for everyone.
One afternoon, at about three o’clock, Cornelius saw an angel of God. The angel came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Cornelius looked hard at him. He was frightened. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel spoke to him. “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up before God.” God had seen them all. And the angel told him what to do. “Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is also called Peter.”
So Cornelius called two of his servants and one of his soldiers. He told them everything. Then he sent them off to Joppa.
The next day, at noon, Peter went up on a flat roof to pray. Houses there had flat roofs. People could go up there. Peter was hungry. Down below, they were getting food ready.
Then God showed Peter a vision. A vision is a picture from God, like a dream when you are awake. Peter saw heaven open. Something came down, like a great sheet held by its four corners.
In it were all kinds of animals. There were wild animals and creeping animals. There were birds of the sky too! Can you flap your wings like a bird? A voice said, “Rise, Peter, eat!”
But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! I have never eaten anything unclean.” God’s law told Jewish people not to eat some animals. They called those animals unclean.
The voice spoke again: “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.” This happened three times. Hold up three fingers: one, two, three! Then the sheet went back up into heaven.
Peter wondered and wondered. What did it mean? Just then the three men stood at the gate. The Spirit said to Peter, “Three men seek you. Go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them.” God’s good news is for everyone.
So Peter went down to the men. They told him about Cornelius and the angel. Peter asked them in, and they stayed the night. The next day they set off. Some friends from Joppa came along too.
They walked and walked. Step, step, step. On the next day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had called his family and his close friends.
When Peter came in, Cornelius fell down at his feet. But Peter lifted him up. “Stand up! I myself am also a man.” Then Peter went inside. What do you think he saw? The house was full of people!
Then Peter spoke. “God has shown me that I shouldn’t call any man unholy or unclean.” Now Peter knew what the big sheet meant. God’s good news is for everyone.
Peter said, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism.” That means God doesn’t love one people more than another. Then Peter told them all about Jesus. Jesus went about doing good and healing people. He died on a cross. But God raised him up on the third day!
While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came on everyone who heard him. They spoke in other languages, and they praised God! Peter’s friends from Joppa were amazed. God’s gift was for these people too.
So Peter had them baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptized means washed with water, to show you belong to Jesus. And they asked Peter to stay with them for some days.
Jesus is Lord of all, near and far. God’s love has room for every child in the world. God’s good news is for everyone.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- Why do you think God showed Peter the big sheet with all the animals?
- How do you think Cornelius and his friends felt when Peter came to their house?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Color the 3 men who came to get Peter.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism” — Acts 10:34 (Truly → hand on your heart; God → point up high; favoritism → open your arms wide to everyone)
Dear God, thank you that you love people from every land. Thank you that Jesus is Lord of all. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: God's Love Is for Everyone
Memory verse: “Truly I perceive that God doesn't show favoritism.” — Acts 10:34 · WEB
The Bible story
A brave soldier prays, a hungry fisherman sees a wonderful vision, and God shows everyone that His huge love is meant for every single person in the whole wide world.
Talk about it
- Where did the soldier Cornelius live? — In Caesarea by the sea
- What kind of man was Cornelius? — He prayed and gave to the poor
- Who came to visit Cornelius with a message? — An angel of God
- What did the angel tell Cornelius to do? — Send men to fetch Peter
- Where did Peter go to pray? — On a flat rooftop
- What did Peter see come down in his vision? — A sheet full of animals
Where is Jesus in this story?
Peter told Cornelius that everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through His name (Acts 10:43). Before going back to heaven, Jesus had said His followers would tell about Him “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In Cornelius' house that promise reached people who were not Jewish, and today it reaches all the way to you.
What God wants to tell us
Sometimes we think God only loves people who look like us, live near us, or talk like us. But Peter learned a beautiful surprise on that rooftop: God does not have any favorites. He made every single person, and He loves them all the very same. That means the new kid at school, the family from far away, and even the person we find hard to like are all loved by God. When we treat everyone with kindness, we are showing the world how big God's heart really is.
Prayer
Father God, thank You that Your love is big enough for everyone in the whole world, including me. Help me to be kind to people who are new or different, just like Peter learned to be. Thank You for Jesus, who welcomes us all. Amen.
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