Make Valentines for God, Family, and Friends

Categories: Jesus' Commandment - To Love as He Loved

Younger Children: Open with a discussion about "love."

• What is God's love like?
• Can you find a Valentine from God in any Bible verses?

Teachers, you might want to bring materials and Bible verses to help them create special Valentines for God, family members, and friends. Bring a list of Bible verses on index cards for children to read. There are many to choose from. Here are a few:

• Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
• John 16:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
• Zephaniah 3:17 The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
• Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• II Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
• I John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
  
  
• How can we love the way God loves?
• What is the Golden Rule?
• Why is love important to living the Golden Rule?

Older Children:

• Listen to their definitions of "love."
• Is "love" dependent on matter or Spirit?
• What qualities of love do they want to see expressed by their friends, teachers, and family members?
• Is the degree of love, or what it feels like, different from person to person?
• How is it possible that God loves everyone?
  • What kind of love is that?
• Get concordances to the Bible and give the pupils five or ten minutes to find at least three verses that would qualify as a Hallmark Valentine card from God.
  
  For example: The Message has this wonderful verse from Jeremiah 31:3. God told them, "I've never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!"
• At the end of the research time, have them share God's special messages of love.
• You can bring notepaper and have the students write their Valentines from God. They can be signed "God loves you!" and put in church members' mailboxes, or they can take them home and tuck them under the pillows of parents and siblings.
• Another activity with the verses might be to have the students add their verses to your prepared index cards, then select one at random, and create a card for someone special in the church or family.
• During this activity, talk about God's love for each of us.