VBS Overview
"Victory in Jesus" is the theme for the 2025 Vacation Bible School curriculum. This theme is taken from 1 Corinthians 15:57 - "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." With this theme I wanted students to understand that Christians already have been given the victory because of Jesus’s incredible sacrifice. While we have our part to play through obedience to His will, God has already given us the victory.
There are many victories in the Bible. Many of these are military battles, such as David’s victory over Goliath and the Philistines or Joshua’s victory over Jericho. But all are displays of great faith and trust in God’s ability to defeat and conquer the enemy. The final victory, however, is over sin and death which began to conquer man as soon as Eve and Adam sinned in the garden. But God’s perfect plan allowed us to be victorious through Jesus in spite of Satan's schemes.
VBS Songs
The obvious choice for a VBS theme song is, of course, "Victory in Jesus." But I wanted a song that kids could sing and get excited about and that encompassed the entire VBS theme. The theme song I chose is "I Run for the Crown" by Andy Robison.
To help students remember the memory verse (1 Corinthians 15:57), I wrote a simple song. You can sing this song during class or even all together in the auditorium before students go to their classes! Singing both of these songs will help teach students about the theme and help them learn the memory verse.
Theme
This year’s theme of Victory in Jesus naturally pairs with a sports motif. The imagery of trophies and medals is synonymous with victory. While there are many athletic events to choose from, I chose a running theme and incorporated racing bib numbers, a running track, and a checkered finish line throughout the materials and decorations.
Color Scheme and Inspiration
For each VBS, I try to choose a color palette of 5-6 colors to create cohesive materials. For Victory in Jesus, I took inspiration from neon windbreakers from the 80s-90s. I chose bright, bold, and electric colors—something completely different than my other themes!
Logo
For the logo, I chose a simple trophy with a laurel wreath, which is a symbol of victory, honor, and achievement. I used block letters for the title because they remind me of the lettering on the back of jerseys.
Lesson Topics
When creating a VBS curriculum, I first choose the theme and then decide on five lessons. There were many biblical victories I could have used, but here is what I looked for when choosing the lessons:
- I like to choose a mix of “classic” VBS characters (think Jonah and the fish or Daniel in the lion’s den) but pair them with lesser studied figures. An obvious choice for this year’s theme is David because I get to use my life-size Goliath!
- I try to plan ahead so that I don’t repeat characters from year-to-year. I could have used Moses’s victory against the Amalekites—the one where he had to keep his hands raised in order to win—but Moses, Aaron, and the golden calf were chosen for last year’s theme. There were others I thought about using but have plans to use in the future!
Here are the five lessons I chose for the Victory in Jesus VBS:
- Lesson 1: Victory at Jericho (Joshua)
- Lesson 2: Victory over the Philistines (David)
- Lesson 3: Victory at Mount Carmel (Elijah)
- Lesson 4: Victory over Sanballat (Nehemiah)
- Lesson 5: Victory over Sin and Death (Jesus)
I hope that students and teachers alike are able to learn so much from these Bible stories while also taking away lessons about obedience, confidence in God, perseverance, and teamwork.
More Details
👉 Download a free Victory in Jesus VBS sample kit.
🛒 Purchase the Victory in Jesus VBS curriculum.
📚 Learn more about Families of Faith VBS materials.
If your congregation hosts a Victory in Jesus VBS, please email photos to hello@familiesoffaith.store so they can be featured on our social media!