LEADER DEVOTIONAL “We love because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:9 NIV) Our ability to love others flows out of what we’ve experienced of God’s love toward us. If you’ve been feeling a distinct lack of love toward others lately, you may just need to spend time getting filled up with God’s love for you!
The Bible tells us that his love is unfailing. It’s unfailing in delivering us from hardships. (Psalm 6:4), unfailingly trustworthy (Psalm 13:5), and so completely unfailing, it can’t be shaken (Psalm 21:7). Our hope is grounded in God’s unfailing love (Psalm 33:18).
Whatever your need is today, because of God’s great love, he is right with you. He promises to never leave you and never forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Reach out to him. Tell him what you need and ask him to fill you generously with his unfailing love. He can do that!
You’ll have a blessing to pass along from God to the kids you serve.
LESSON FIVE CONTENTS, SUPPLIES, AND PREP LOVE FIVE
WELCOME • 1 red, green, blue, or yellow color dot sticker per kid (purchase HERE)
LOW ENERGY ACTIVITY • 1 soft pillow (a small pillow works best)
SMALL GROUP LESSON • 1 roll of red masking tape (purchase HERE) • 1 half-sheet of paper per kid • Large wall space • Markers • Scissors
CRAFT ACTIVITY • 8 craft sticks (4.5”), natural per kid (purchaseHERE ) • Ribbon (purchase HERE) PREP: Cut ribbon into 6” pieces, one for each kid. • 1 roll of 1” masking tape • Colorful permanent markers • Scissors
HIGH ENERGY GAME • Energetic music
SKIT • 1 Bible or Bible App on tablet or phone • 1 bag of measuring tools: • 1 large measuring cup • 1 tape measure • 1 funny clock or hourglass
LARGE GROUP LESSON • 1 small container of ice cream (Haagen Dazs has sample sizes)
MINISTRY TIME • 1 small mirror per kid (purchase HERE... can be reused for the craft in lesson seven)
WORSHIP CHALLENGE PAPER • 1 Challenge Paper per kid
Find this week’s unique items on our Amazon Shopping List. All items are available for Prime shipping! FIVE WELCOME LESSON 5 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
ICE BREAKER RULES SUPPLIES: We’ve only got THREE RULES. • 1 red, green, blue, or yellow color dot sticker per 1 Listen to your group leader. kid (purchase HERE) 2 Be a good friend. Each kid chooses a color and sticks the dot on the palm 3 Have fun! of their hand. If you follow these rules, you’ll have a great time One at a time, each kid raises his or her hand with the and learn something new. dot, waves at the others kids, says his or her name, and answers the question that matches his or her dot.
If the group is larger than ten kids, all the kids with the OFFERING same color wave and share the answer with the kids It’s so great to GIVE BACK TO GOD. next to them. Continue for each color. When we give God back a small piece of Blue = tell something about your family; yellow = tell what he’s given us, we show how much something about school; red = talk about your favorite we trust him. food; green = talk about a favorite activity. Pray aloud that God would bless the offering and the church’s mission in the community and world. INTRO Turn to your neighbor and share... ANNOUNCEMENTS Add your announcements below: What is one thing you love best about your favorite grown-up?
Today we’ll discover where to look for the perfect picture of love! Anybody have an idea about that?
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Welcome - Love LOW ENERGY ACTIVITY LESSON FIVE 10 min
NAME BOP SUPPLIES: • 1 soft pillow (a small pillow works best)
1 All of the kids sit in a circle.
2 One kid sits in the middle of the circle as “it.”
3 “It” holds the pillow.
4 The leader begins by saying the name of a kid in the group.
5 The kid who was named responds by saying his or her own name and the name of someone else in the group.
6 “It” tries to “bop” him or her on the leg with the pillow (gently!) before he or she can complete their task.
7 If “It” gets the “bop” in time, the two kids trade places and play continues with the new “It”. Otherwise, “It” keeps going until he or she successfully bops another kid.
Low Energy Activity - Love SMALL GROUP LESSON FIVE 15 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
Introduce yourself and welcome each kid by name. Give each kid a piece of paper. Show the kids how to fold it in half and cut a heart shape. Have the kids use Check up on previous prayer requests or events. markers on the heart to create a love note to God. Instruct the kids to tape their love notes inside the big heart when they’re finished.
ACTIVITY Discussion: SUPPLIES: • 1 roll of red masking tape (purchase HERE) Why do you love God? What do you love about him? • 1 piece of paper per kid • Large wall space Look at our love notes inside the big heart. How does our love compare to • Markers God’s love? • Scissors How has God shown that he loves you? Read the Bible verse aloud (Ephesians 3:18–19, above). How does God help you love Jesus more? Do you think we could draw a heart big enough to show how great God’s love is? What is a way God helps you love someone else? If we tried to outline a heart with tape on the wall to show how big God’s love is, how big should we Who does God want you to show his love make it? to today? Begin creating a heart shape on the wall with the red tape. Try to use the entire wall space—as much as is possible. PRAY Does that help us see that God’s love for us is Pray that each child would be filled with God’s gigantic? amazing love so he or she can love Jesus and others more.
Small Group Lesson - Love CRAFT ACTIVITY LESSON FIVE 15 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
LOVE IS... SUPPLIES: • 8 craft sticks (4.5”), natural per kid (purchase HERE) • 1 ribbon piece (6”) per kid (purchase HERE) • 1 roll of 1” masking tape • Colorful permanent markers • Scissors
1 Each kid is given eight craft sticks and access to masking tape, markers, ribbons, and scissors.
2 Cut the masking tape into 4” pieces. DISCUSS DURING THE ACTIVITY: 3 Place two craft sticks together, side by side, and • What’s the biggest thing God did to show tape them together along the length of the stick. us that he loves us?
4 Repeat 3 times for a total of 4 sets of sticks. • What’s your favorite thing to do to show love to someone? To God? 5 Flip the sets over and line them up. Tape between the joints on the back. • Which means more to you—for someone to tell you that they love you or for them 6 Use permanent markers to decorate the front to show you that they love you by what side with designs that show what love is. they do?
7 Surprise! The canvas folds up accordion-style. • Where can you get help to show God’s love to a person who is hard to love 8 Tape a piece of ribbon to the back to hang up for sometimes? display. • Why do you think God might want you to show his love to that person?
Craft Activity -Love HIGH ENERGY GAME LESSON FIVE 15 min
4 Kids turn to the person on their left or right WET NOODLE and wiggle their fingers at each other, touching fingers—this is the “wet noodle handshake”. DANCE Leader should be prepared to demonstrate. SUPPLIES: 5 Repeat the entire game two or three times. • Energetic music Once the kids have the Wet Noodle Dance down, be creative and change up the type of dance and 1 All of the kids form a circle. handshake. Depending on how much time there is, try a baby crawl, space walk, chicken dance, or robot 2 When the music starts, the kids move around dance—any type of fun actions can be put into play the room in a clockwise direction, wiggling and here. The variations are especially fun with the right jiggling like a wet noodle. (Of course, the leader musical accompaniment. should demonstrate what a wiggling, jiggling noodle looks like!)
3 When the music stops, the kids move to stand in a different spot in the circle, between two new people.
High Energy Game - Love SKIT LESSON FIVE 5 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
Rowdy: I am. Today I’m VERY serious. This is gonna MEASURING GOD’S be like the Vineyard version of the DISCOVERY channel!
LOVE Reece: Well, Rowdy, it’s an interesting concept, PROPS: but... I don’t know... How could we measure God’s love? • 1 Bible or Bible App on tablet or phone • 1 bag of measuring tools: Rowdy: Well, I just so HAPPENED to bring a whole bunch of measurers with me. I used to be a • 1 large measuring cup scout, you know, so I always obey their motto: BE • 1 tape measure PREPARED. • 1 funny clock or hourglass (Digs through bag and pulls out a large measuring cup.) (Rowdy ENTERS reading from open Bible or reading from a Bible App on tablet or phone (either way is AHA! great!) and carrying a bag of measuring tools.) Reece: What did you find? Rowdy: (Reading aloud:) “That you may understand how wide, and how long, and how high, and how Rowdy: I found THIS! (Shows measuring cup.) Maybe deep God’s love is...” Hmmmm. we can use this measuring cup to measure God’s love? What do you think? God “pours out” his love on Reece: Hi! What are you reading? us, right? Ha, ha! You didn’t know I was that clever, did you? Rowdy: Reece, this verse in the Bible says we should understand how WIDE and LONG and HIGH and Reece: You are SO clever! (Remembers.) Oh! BUT DEEP God’s love is. So, you know what I’m thinking? don’t forget Psalm 23!
Reece: I have no idea. Surprise us. Rowdy: Psalm 23? Uh, there’s lots of good stuff about it. Which of those great things should I not Rowdy: Well, I’m thinking we should MEASURE it. forget? Reece: What? Measure it? Measure WHAT?
Rowdy: What the verse says. Measure God’s LOVE.
Reece: You’re not serious?
Skit - Love Reece: Psalm 23 says that God pours out SO much Rowdy: Reece, Why are you shaking your head like that “our cup overflows.” So, God pours out MORE that? than a measuring cup can hold! I’m sorry—that cup couldn’t BEGIN to measure God’s love. Reece: Because of Psalm 103:17.
Rowdy: Oh well, all right. (Puts measuring cup aside Rowdy: (Emotionally:) What!? What do you mean? and digs through bag again.) Okay, how about THIS? Are you trying to tell me we can’t measure how long (Shows a tape measure.) This would work, RIGHT? God’s love will last, EITHER?
Reece: Hmmmm... Let me think... Oh, oh! Psalm Reece: Well, Psalm 103:17 says that God’s love 108:4 lasts FOREVER. Can that thing-a-ma-bob measure FOREVER? I don’t think so, because that time piece Rowdy: WHAT? What ABOUT Psalm 108:4? will wear out and disintegrate eventually, but God’s love will still be going on and on and on and on and Reece: Well... According to that verse, God’s on and on... unfailing love is higher than the heavens and his faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Does that Rowdy: (Interrupting:) Yes! Yes, I get it! We can’t measuring tape reach up to the clouds or to the measure God’s love. So how do we scientifically heavens? explore it and discover more about it? Can’t we do that? Rowdy: (Pulls measuring tape out as far as it will go.) Oh. No... I guess not... This isn’t going to work, Reece: Well, that verse you were reading when you either, is it? came in, Ephesians 3:18–19 also says, “May you experience the love of Christ...” Maybe we can’t Reece: I don’t think God’s love is measurable, measure it, but God wants us to experience it. God Rowdy, not by our tiny standards of measurement, wants us all to experience how great his love for us anyway. is. Imagine you’ve never been to the ocean and had a wave wash over you. There’s no way measuring Rowdy: Now wait just a minute! I don’t quit that a wave could tell you what that’s like. You have easily. (Digs around in bag and pulls out funny- to experience it. That’s like God’s love. We truly looking clock OR an hourglass.) There! How about discover what it’s like by experiencing it. that! Rowdy: Wow. Wow! I’m going to read that verse Reece: What IS that? What does it do? some more. Maybe I can mezmerize it. Rowdy: It measures time. Maybe we can measure Reece: You can what? God’s love THAT way! Rowdy: You know! Mezmerize it—learn it by heart! Reece: How are you planning to measure God’s love with a time piece? Reece: Oh! I got ya’!
Rowdy: Well ... We could measure how long it Rowdy: Thanks a lot! (Gathers up PROPS and bag.) will last! Yeah! (Nods and tries to get audience to applaud.) Reece: Let me give you a hand with that.
Reece: Oh... No, no, no. (Shakes head sadly for Both: Bye everyone! Rowdy.) (EXIT Reece and Rowdy.)
Skit - Love LARGE GROUP LESSON FIVE 20 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
SUPPLIES: Or, “If I do lots of nice things for someone, then • 1 small container of ice cream (Haagen Dazs they’ll love me.” OR, “If I get really good grades and has sample sizes—spoon included—available in do the right things, my parents will love me more.” well-stocked groceries.) But can REAL love be like that? Hey, your parents love you all the time, even when you’re naughty, PRESHOW VIDEO (watch HERE) right? So, real love must not be a thing that turns on What Does Love Look Like to Kids (BuzzFeed) and off.
Hi, kids! Welcome! My name’s ______, and I’m If we want to know the meaning of words, the book excited to be your teacher today! Remember what we look in is a dictionary, right? Well, if we want to our series is called? Yeah, INSIDE AND know what God thinks about something, what book OUT! We’re learning how Jesus can do we look in? Right, it’s the Bible. Let’s look in the change us from the inside out. Last Bible to learn what God’s love is like. time we heard that Jesus can help us be generous! Today, we’re going to hear another way And what it tells us is that to know what love is, we Jesus can help us become more like him—by helping need to get to know God. It says in us experience his amazing love. How many of you 1 JOHN 4:8, “God is love.” God’s love is are pretty sure you know what love is? the perfect picture of love.
Allow responses. The Bible even gives us a detailed description what God’s love looks like. We can read If I were an alien from another planet who heard of it in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8. Take a look. this earth thing called “love,” but had no idea what it was, you could explain it to me, right? What would LOVE NEVER FAILS VIDEO (watch HERE) you tell me?
Get kids’ responses. Don’t make corrections to wonky As video plays, read the words aloud for non-readers. descriptions. Just say, “That’s interesting! Are there any other ideas?” “Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not boast. Love is not proud. Love does A person could easily get confused about love, not dishonor others. Love is not self-seeking. Love is because we see stuff in the movies or on TV that’s not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs. called “love” but it’s not real love. For instance, they Love does not delight in evil. Love rejoices in truth. say stuff like, “That person makes me feel special; it Love always protects. Love always trusts. Love must be love!” always hopes. Love always perseveres. In times of
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Large Group Lesson - Love joy and times of sorrow, through every season, love Bring two kids up for a DEMO. Tell them about your never fails.” FAVORITE ICE CREAM. You love it and you want them to know about it and love it, God’s love isn’t just a warm feeling. God’s love for us too. So, you show them both a picture of it doesn’t depend on whether we love him or what we with a short descriptive sentence. Now, can do for Him. God’s love doesn’t depend on us at they know it and love it just like you do. Right? Wrong! all! God loves us because He chooses to. We—you If they’re REALLY going to know it, what do they need? and I—don’t always act in lovable ways, but he still To TASTE it! chooses to love us. Give them each a little sample size container of the ice God even did something to show His love. He gave cream. his own Son, Jesus, who died for us on a cross, to take our punishment for sin, and make us friends God wants us to “taste” his love for ourselves and with God forever. The Bible says in see how good it is! (“Taste and see that ROMANS 5:8: “But God shows His own the Lord is good.” Psalm 34:8) EPHESIANS love towards us, in that while we were 3:18–19, the second part of our Bible still sinners, Christ died for us.” verse for today, says, “May you Believing this wonderful truth allows us to join God’s experience the love of Christ.” own family! God’s love is amazing. And we need to experience it And then his Holy Spirit comes to live in us, to fill for ourselves. us with his love, and to give us power to love Jesus and follow him with all our hearts... So, we’re able to God wants to pour his love out onto—and into— choose to love others, like he does! We can choose each one of us. It’s so big, there isn’t any other love to do that—not because of how we feel about them like it. Who you are, where you come from, what or because they love us, but because we’re filled you’ve done—none of those things stop God from with God’s amazing love for us! loving you.
And when we love others with God’s BIG love, it God wants each of you to experience his love. And can change the world. Kids filled with big love even though it’s too big to fully understand, it will can change the world. Here’s a message from a give you the kind of life and power God wants you to president about that. have. Here’s THE POINT: God’s amazing love KID PRESIDENT VIDEO can fill me so I can love others. (watch HERE)
Little people filled with BIG love can change the world! There’s no bigger love than God’s love! Jesus came so we can know God’s love and be filled with God’s love. See, it’s not enough to God that we just know about his love. Let me show you what I mean.
= Show slide for this point. (Download HERE.) Large Group Lesson - Love MINISTRY TIME LESSON FIVE 5 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
SUPPLIES: Let kids know that as God ministers to them, they may • 1 small mirror per kid (purchase HERE... can be have thoughts about his love, feel a soft touch on their reused for the craft in lesson seven) hands, feel warmth, see pictures, feel very peaceful, or anything else! There are many ways kids can experience God’s presence. Ask kids to sit or stand quietly. Pray, asking the Holy Spirit to guide you. Don’t forget to express your love back to Jesus through words and worship. God’s love comes Invite the Holy Spirit to come and fill kids with power and fills us so we can love others. and love. Now, God can use us as his mirrors to reflect his Give each child a small mirror and have them look at love to others. it. Alternatively, you could set up a mirror station with several mirrors, which kids could visit during ministry Remind the kids that everyone can pray for people in time. The use of prayer prompts, such as this, often our church. Ask volunteers and other kids to gather helps kids focus during prayer times. around the kids who have responded. They can ask kids what they want prayer for, and pray for them PRAY: God, I pray that you tell each child about as the Holy Spirit leads them. Kids can even pray for themselves and show them what you love most volunteers! about them. For more directions on how to pray with kids, see the Kids, open your hearts to receive God’s love. Five-Step Prayer Model for Kids.
Ministry Time - Love WORSHIP LESSON FIVE 10 min
THE VERSE And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
THE POINT God’s amazing love can fill me so I can love others.
SONG #1 LIVE IT OUT (watch HERE, purchase HERE) Amber Sky Records Colette Taylor, Reggie Joiner © 2008 FamilyWise Music (Admin. by Amber Sky Records) CCLI: 5324446 SONG #2 GOD IS FOR US (watch HERE, purchase HERE) Amber Sky Records Casey Darnell, Clarissa Gibson, Mark Gibson, Michael Walker © 2011 Adielela Songs (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.); Ava Truth Music (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.); Music At North Point (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.); Songs At North Point (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.; Sweet Wort (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.) CCLI: 6397410 SONG #3 DANCE (watch HERE, purchase HERE) Planetshakers Joth Hunt © 2012 Planetshakers Ministries Int. Inc. (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing (Integrity Music [DC Cook])) CCLI: 6621423
Worship - Love CHALLENGE PAPER LESSON FIVE
Complete the maze and fill in the words below.
PROUD KIND
START HERE CONCEITED Recite this week’s point: God’s amazing love can fill me so I can PATIENT JEALOUS END love others.
ETERNAL Recite this week’s Bible verse: And may you have the power to understand . . . how wide, how long, how IRRITABLE SELFISH high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:18–19 (NLT)
LOVE IS: (words that are not crossed out) Kid’s name:
Kid’s grade:
LOVE IS NOT: (words that are crossed out) Parent signature: