Free Bible lesson for kids · The Church Begins
Ananias and Sapphira
Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold land and kept back part of the money while pretending to give it all. Peter said they had not lied to men but to God.
- Bible passage
- Acts 5:1–11
- Big idea
- God wants us to be honest.
- Memory verse
Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Acts 5:4 (KJV)- Ages
- Preschool to preteen (3 to 12), with tips for each age
- Time
- About 45 minutes
- Included, free
- Animated story film, coloring page, class sheet, teacher guide, questions and answers, a game
The story
Ananias and his wife Sapphira sold some land (Acts 5:1). They kept back part of the money but brought the rest to the apostles, and Sapphira knew about it (Acts 5:2). Peter asked why Ananias had let Satan fill his heart “to lie to the Holy Ghost” (Acts 5:3). The land and money had been theirs to keep, but Peter said, “thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God” (Acts 5:4).
When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died (Acts 5:5). About three hours later Sapphira came in, not knowing what had happened (Acts 5:7). Peter asked if they had sold the land for that price, and she said, “Yea, for so much” (Acts 5:8). She had agreed to the same lie, and she also fell down and died (Acts 5:9–10). “And great fear came upon all the church” (Acts 5:11).
Read it in the Bible: Acts 5:1–11 (KJV)
1But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? 4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Questions to ask
What did Ananias and Sapphira sell?
A possession (land).
What did they do wrong?
They kept back part of the price and lied about it.
Who did Peter say they lied to?
Not unto men, but unto God.
What this story teaches
- Lying to the Holy Ghost is lying to God (Acts 5:3–4).
- Giving to God is our choice, but lying is sin (Acts 5:4).
- Sin begins in the heart before it comes out (Acts 5:4).
- Satan wants to fill our hearts with lies (Acts 5:3).
- God is holy, and He takes sin seriously (Acts 5:5, 11).
Jesus Is the Truth
Ananias and Sapphira chose a lie, but Jesus is the truth. He is the way to God, and no one comes to the Father but by Him.
John 14:6
A 45-minute lesson plan
| 5 min | Welcome and pray. Greet each child by name and pray: Ask God to help us always tell the truth. |
|---|---|
| 10 min | The story. Play the story film: each verse appears on screen in the King James Version while the scene plays. Pause to ask what happens next. |
| 10 min | Talk about it. Ask the three questions below. Then ask: “God wants us to be honest.” What does that mean for us? |
| 5 min | Memory verse. Say Acts 5:4 together, covering one word at a time until the children can say it alone. |
| 10 min | Activity. Younger children color the coloring page while you retell the story; older children do the class sheet (memory-verse fill-in, word search and questions). |
| 5 min | Pray and send home. Pray together and send the sheet home so families can talk about the first question this week. |
- Preschool: keep it short and physical. Act out the story, use a simple prop, and repeat the big idea in one sentence.
- Elementary: let children find the passage in their own Bibles. Ask “who, what, where” questions first, then “why.”
- Preteens: read the verses before and after the passage, and ask how this story fits the whole story of the Bible.
Game time
For kids · game · indoors or out · about 8 minutes
True or False Run
You need: Signs: TRUE and FALSE
- Put the signs on opposite walls.
- Read Bible statements: “Noah built an ark” (true), “Jonah was swallowed by a giraffe” (false).
- Kids run to the right wall. Finish with “God wants us to always tell the truth” (true!).
Ananias and Sapphira pretended. Peter said they had not lied to men, but to God. God loves honest hearts.
For youth group · activity · indoors · about 20 minutes
Masks Off
You need: Paper plates, markers
- Each person decorates the front of a plate as a “mask”: how they want people to see them.
- On the back, privately, write what is really true.
- Talk: why do we pretend? Read 1 John 1:7–9 together.
God already knows us completely, and He still loves us. We don’t have to pretend with Him.
Pray
Ask God to help us always tell the truth.