Joseph Sunday school lessons (free 4-week unit)
Four ready-to-teach lessons on Joseph, from the colorful coat to forgiving his brothers. One story for the whole room, then short activities for ages 4–6, 7–10 and 11–14.
Updated 3 November 2026 · How we pick resources
Joseph's life went up and down: a favorite son, a slave, a prisoner, then second only to Pharaoh. Through all of it God was with him, and in the end Joseph forgave the brothers who sold him. This unit teaches the story in four Sundays, and it's built for the way most small churches actually run Sunday school: one room, mixed ages, and very little prep time.
Get the free PDF and Google Doc
| Week | Lesson | Passage | Big idea |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Joseph's dreams and the colorful coat | Genesis 37 | When people treat us badly, God has not forgotten us. |
| Week 2 | Joseph in Potiphar's house and in prison | Genesis 39–40 | God is with us in hard places, so we can keep doing what is right. |
| Week 3 | Joseph explains Pharaoh's dreams | Genesis 41 | God's timing is good, and he gives us what we need to serve others. |
| Week 4 | Joseph forgives his brothers | Genesis 42–45; 50:15–21 | God can bring good out of bad, and he helps us forgive. |
How each lesson works
Every lesson takes about 45 minutes and follows the same five steps, so volunteers and children quickly know what comes next:
- Welcome (5 minutes): a question that leads into the story.
- Story together (10 minutes): a read-aloud script for the whole room, with simple actions for the children in [brackets].
- Activities by age (15 minutes): three short tracks for ages 4–6, 7–10 and 11–14. One teacher can run them at separate tables, or give each its own room.
- Review game (10 minutes): 10 questions with answers and Bible references, marked by age so everyone can score.
- Memory verse and prayer (5 minutes).
What you get by email
- All four lessons, each with a one-box summary: passage, big idea, memory verse (a shorter one for ages 4–6), timing and supplies.
- An activity page and a coloring page for each week: story cards to put in order, a word search, a verse puzzle and four illustrated scenes to color.
- Take-home sheets for parents, two to a page, with questions to ask at home.
- Paper, crayons, scissors and tape cover almost everything. Nothing needs to be bought ahead.
You also get an editable Google Docs copy of all four lessons, so you can change names, timings or activities to fit your church.
The stories are retold in simple words. Words in quotation marks are from the NIV, so read the passage from your church's Bible as you prepare. You're welcome to print and copy the unit for any church, class or family.
End the unit with a game show
For week 4 or a party at the end of the unit, our Joseph game show reviews the whole story at three age levels, with automatic scoring.
Bible Showdown: Joseph
A click-to-play Bible game show built from Genesis 37–50: the coat, the pit, Potiphar's house, Pharaoh's dreams and Joseph forgiving his brothers. Kids, preteens and teens each get their own 25 questions plus a Final Round, with automatic scoring, a PowerPoint version and printable cards.
More for your class
- Bible trivia for kids, by age: 45 more questions, including Joseph's story.
- Bible trivia for teens for youth group.
- The resource directory compares full-year curricula if you need more than one unit.