Early Childhood | Week of February 7

Hi GrowKids! Happy February! This month, we will be talking about LOVE – Real Love – that only comes through Jesus Christ! Let’s dive in!

Bible Story

SCRIPTURE | John 3:1-17

INSTRUCTIONS: Make the sign language sign for love by crossing your arms and holding your
fists on your chest in a hugging motion.
Today, we are going to learn all about God’s love.
One day, a man named Nicodemus went to visit Jesus. He asked Jesus how he could become
a part of God’s family. Jesus said, “You have to be born again.” Nicodemus was so confused!
Did that mean he had to become a baby again? No, that’s just silly!
The Bible says God loves everyone so much that Jesus (God’s son!) came to tell everyone
about God. If we believe in Jesus, we become a part of God’s family. That’s what it means to
be born again!
I am so glad that God loves us so much. Let’s do that sign for love again by holding our arms
crossed across our chests and squeezing it tight while we say, “God loves everyone.”

Prayer

Pray this Prayer: God, we are so very glad You love us. Thank You, God, for loving everyone

Memory Verse

MEMORY VERSE | 1 John 4:11

INSTRUCTIONS: Introduce kids to this month’s memory verse, teaching them the motions in the video below.

Big Idea

THE BIG IDEA | God Loves Everyone.

INSTRUCTIONS: Show children these hand motions (or make your own) to help them remember the Big Idea.

God (Point to the sky)loves everyone. (point around to everyone in the room) God loves. . . (name each kid).
Who does God love? God loves everyone.

Activities

Activity: MAKE A FACE

Emoji Face SheetsDownload

INSTRUCTIONS: Print the emoji sheets. Show the kids the laughing face and make a silly giggle. Ask the kids to giggle with you. Show the grumpy emoji and make a grumpy face. Ask the kids to copy each of the emojis with you.
Let’s make a sad face for when people are mean to us. Now, let’s make a super happy face for when we think about how something that makes us happy. Can you make a sad face and then a super happy face?

Today, our story is about how God loves everyone. Which emoji face shows love?

Activity: SHOW LOVE

INSTRUCTIONS: Give the kids some blank sheets of paper and some foam heart stickers. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a while the kids stick the foam hearts on the paper. Challenge older preschoolers by drawing a big heart on the paper for the child to stick the foam hearts on to. God loves us with the best kind of love! Your picture can help you remember God loves you and God loves everyone.

Activity: HEARTS EVERYWHERE

INSTRUCTIONS: Before you begin nb, make as many hearts out of construction paper as there are kids in your group (they should be colorful!). Hide them in the room at a level each of the kids can reach. Show the kids a sample construction paper heart and ask the kids to go find the rest. After all of the hearts are found, get the kids to put them in a line on the floor. Name the color of each heart together and remind the kids God loves everyone.

There is one heart for each of you. We can color or paint on our hearts at the table to help us remember God loves everyone.

# TODDLER HACK: Instead of having toddlers go searching for hearts, try this game. Hide behind a blanket, and as you drop it say, “Peek-a-boo, God loves you!”

SNACK-tivity

Snack Time: HEART SNACK

INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare heart-shaped cheese slices and heart-shaped fruits prior to group time or get heart-shaped cookies. Give everyone a snack.
We learned from the Bible today that God loves us. And we are all different, but that doesn’t matter to God. God made everyone different and special because God loves everyone.

Elementary | Week of February 7, 2021

Welcome to GrowKids Online!
Happy Almost-Valentine’s Day! Can you guess what we’re talking about this month? LOVE! We’re taking this month to show kids what Jesus taught us about love!

DISCUSSION: Nicodemus
Read: John 3:1-21

  • Who was Nicodemus?
  • What did Nicodemus learn from Jesus?
  • How did God show His love for us?
  • Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Which of these love actions (i.e., being patient and kind; not being envious, proud, rude, easily angered, etc.) is the most challenging for you? Why?
  • How do you usually show someone you love them?
  • What do you think is different about how God loves and the way people love?
  • What’s one way you can make God’s love “contagious” to everyone around you this week?

ACTIVITIES

MEMORIZE IT | New Monthly Memory Verse
INSTRUCTIONS: Take some time to learn this month’s memory verse and motions!
“Dear friends” – swing arms open wide 
“Since God” – right arm extended above head 
“So loved us” – hug self 
“We also ought” – point to self with both thumbs 
“To love one another” – hands in heart, “pointing” to others 
“1 John 4:11” – open hands like book

MAKE IT | God Hearts Everyone!
INSTRUCTIONS:On a piece of poster paper, draw a heart in the middle and write “God” inside of the heart. Draw another heart and write your name in it. Then, draw a line connecting your heart to “God.” Continue making hearts for your friends and family. After every name is written down, start drawing lines connecting all of the hearts to each other, too.
The kind of love God has shown us is unlike anything we could ever imagine. But God makes it available for everyone! Let’s follow Jesus’ example and show love to everyone!

READ IT | 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
INSTRUCTIONS: Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 in chunks (see below). God loves everyone, so if we love God, then we need to love everyone, too! But what is love, and how can we show it to others?

  • Let’s read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. These verses show us that love is the most important thing. We can have as many toys and electronics, friends, and cool things we can do as we want, but if our hearts are not filled with love, then the Bible tells us that those things don’t mean anything at all.
  • Now, read 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. These are all qualities of God’s love, which means we need to have these things, too. We all have moments when it’s hard to show love. But that is what God does and what He wants us to do, too! 
  • Look at 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. God loves us with a love that lasts forever. It never ends and never runs out. When we show others the same kind of love, it’s a sign we are becoming more like Jesus!
  • Give each child an index card – Read the adjectives that describe love out loud once more. Have them write their name on the top of the card and write “____ is” (Hannah is…, Tom is….). Write the words to describe love after their name. 
  • God is love, God is all of the words we find here, God is in you which means YOU are love. Use this index card as a reminder of who you are because of God’s great love.

PRAYER

Dear God, thank You for loving us so much that You sent Jesus to save us all. Just like you helped Nicodemus, help us to understand your great love and to share it with everyone!

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