Helping children discover what the Bible says about God’s love, why He loved us first, and how we can show His love to others.
February seems to be filled with hearts, doesn’t it?
We see them on cards, decorations, candy boxes, and just about everything else!
And while it’s fun to celebrate the people we love, February is also a wonderful opportunity to open our Bibles and explore something much bigger.
God’s love.
But here’s something interesting.
When the Bible talks about love, it doesn’t begin with all the ways we should love others.
It tells us about the One who loved us first.
Let’s explore what that means!
One of my favorite little verses about love is found in 1 John 4:19.
“We love him, because he first loved us.” — 1 John 4:19 (KJV)
It’s such a short verse, but there’s something important to notice.
FIRST.
God loved us first.
Before we could do anything to earn His love, before we knew how to love Him in return, God loved us.
Now let’s look a little earlier in the same chapter.
In 1 John 4:9–10, John explains how God demonstrated His love by sending His Son into the world.
And in Romans 5:8, Paul writes:
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (KJV)
Did you notice that?
God didn’t wait for us to become good enough to deserve His love.
He showed His love through Jesus.
And when we continue reading 1 John 4, we discover another connection.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” — 1 John 4:11 (KJV)
There it is again!
God loved us first. And because He loved us, we are called to love others.
Our love doesn’t earn God’s love. It is a response to the love He has already shown us. And Jesus gives His followers a beautiful instruction in John 13:34–35. He tells them to love one another as He has loved them.
Love isn’t just something we talk about or something we put on a Valentine’s card.
It’s something we can show through our words and actions.
In fact, 1 John 3:18 encourages us to love not only in words but in deed and truth.
So when we explore God’s love with children, we can help them discover something wonderful:
We don’t begin with trying harder to love. We begin by discovering how God has loved us.
Here’s a simple way to explore this together.
Read 1 John 4:19.
Ask your children to listen for one important word.
FIRST.
Then talk about what it means.
Ask:
Who loved us first?
How did God show His love for us?
What can we learn about God’s love from Jesus?
How can we respond to the love God has shown us?
Now read 1 John 4:9–11.
Encourage your children to notice how John connects God’s love for us with our love for others.
You might even read the verses again and count how many times you hear the word love.
Gather a piece of paper, crayons, and a pencil.
Draw one large heart in the center of the page.
Inside the heart, write:
GOD LOVED US FIRST — 1 JOHN 4:19
Now draw several smaller hearts around it.
In each smaller heart, invite your children to draw or write one way they can show love to someone else.
Maybe they can help a sibling, encourage a friend, forgive someone, or share something they enjoy.
Then draw lines connecting the smaller hearts to the large one.
Talk about how our love for others is connected to the love God has shown us.
The goal isn’t simply to create a list of kind things to do.
It’s to help children remember why we love.
Because God loved us first.
What does Scripture tell us about God’s love?
And what can we discover when we begin looking at the connections between God’s love for us and our love for others?
Watch together, then ask your children what they noticed about God’s love.
Each month we create a themed Bible verse calendar and include printables, coloring pages, activities and Art lessons! Use these for daily Bible reading, study or Scripture memorization. By signing up, you will also receive access to our Freebie Library with a few more free Bible resource goodies!
What if children could investigate what Scripture says about love beyond hearts, candy, and Valentine’s Day?
Our God’s Love Bible Adventure Collection invites children to explore God’s Word, discover important connections, and respond through creative activities.
Through four connected Bible Adventures, children investigate passages about God’s love, how He demonstrated that love through Jesus, and what it means to love others.
Rather than beginning with a list of things children should do, these Adventures encourage them to discover the love God has already shown us.
Each collection includes four guided Adventures, a Parent Guide, and Scripture reading resources.
Together, families can:
Notice • Explore • Create • Remember
Art gives children another opportunity to think about what Scripture teaches and respond creatively.
As your children create, talk about how the artwork can remind them of God’s love and the ways He calls us to love one another.
Continue exploring Scripture with creative Bible verse activities about God’s love, loving one another, and remembering His promises.
The Bible has much more to teach us about God’s love.
From John 3:16 to Romans 8:38–39, Scripture helps us discover the depth of His love and the confidence we can have in Him.
Explore additional Bible verses about God’s love and what they mean for our lives.
Sometimes one activity is just the beginning!
If your family enjoys exploring God’s Word through art, hands-on activities, and creative Bible studies, you might enjoy becoming a ReMEMBERer.
Our ReMEMBERers Creativity Library brings together Bible art lessons, monthly printables, Bible Adventures, and other creative ways to keep God’s Word close to your heart.
Explore the ReMEMBERers Creativity Library
We would love to tell you more about becoming a ReMEMBERer.
Access our online Bible studies and resources anytime and anywhere.
Our desire is sharing God’s Word and love through creative resources for all learning styles.
