Curriculum
Measuring God's Love
Memory Verse:
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:14-21
Bible Background
What Kids Will Learn
Out of His great love, God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. When Jesus rose again, He gave each of us the gift of a new life. God’s offer of a new life is for everyone.
Scripture Summary
The book of John was written by the apostle John. He was the son of Zebedee and brother of James, who was also an apostle. Jesus called John and James Boanerges, or “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17). John had firsthand knowledge of Jesus and scribed his interactions for new Christians and searching non-Christians.
Jesus compared Himself to the snake that Moses lifted in the desert. God sent plagues of snakes to punish sinners, and the only way to be saved was to gaze at the elevated bronze snake. Similarly, all sinners can be saved by gazing at Jesus, turning from their ways, and following Him.
John 3:16 is a familiar Bible verse, possibly the most well-known. It contains the entire gospel in just one verse. God’s love focuses outward to the entire world. Belief in God is more than just in thought—it’s thought in action. All people who want to be saved must put their hope and trust in the only Savior, Jesus Christ.
John then further captures the love of God. While many people think of God as vengeful, Jesus came to save the world, not destroy it. God lived out His love for every single person who has ever lived or will ever live by sending His only Son to save us.
Not everyone embraces the light. God’s light exposes all—the good, the sin, the challenges. That light can be daunting, as it requires one to be truly vulnerable. Many turn away from the light when they choose to stick with their sinful life rather than a new life in Christ.
Why Is This Important
To accept Christ is to accept God’s deep love. We can depend on Him and His love. God’s love is for everyone and cannot be contained or measured.
Teacher Devotion
Scripture
“Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord. How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.” (Psalm 36:5-7)
On Sunday afternoons, my dad and I would often head out on some sort of adventure. Some were indoors, some outdoors, but they usually included an ice cream treat. I remember one Sunday we drove along the coast of Texas in search of Bullwinkle, an oil platform in production.
Being the third tallest freestanding structure built at the time, Bullwinkle was all over the news. At 1,736 feet tall, Bullwinkle was six feet taller than the Sears Tower. Imagine a skyscraper lying on its side. Dad and I couldn’t get too close, of course, due to safety fencing, but we could easily see the towering structure lying on its side. We took pictures and gazed at the vast metal frame that would soon be transported and installed in the Gulf of Mexico. Even though Bullwinkle seems a gigantic structure, it was installed in a shallower part of one of the world’s oceans. The Gulf of Mexico is just 5,200 feet deep, while the Pacific Ocean is 36,000 feet deep.
Though that depth is astonishing, it pales in comparison to what we know about space. Distance there is measured in light years (not feet). The universe that houses the Milky Way where our solar system resides is so vast it is beyond human comprehension. The Psalmist compares God’s
love to the heavens. And His justice to the deep oceans. Everything God is and does flows out of His immeasurable love.
Take some time to ponder the vastness of God’s creation. Whether you live near the Rocky Mountains, the vast ocean, or the beautiful plains, you have a front row seat to see God’s handiwork. And then consider that His love is just as vast.
Beloved child of God, He loves you with an immeasurable love.
Prayer
Dear God, thank You for loving me. I see how limited my own love is for family members and neighbors, but Your love is different. Your love is limitless. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Bible Memory Verse
You’ll Need: Red poster board - one per team, Large envelopes - one per team
GET READY: Before class, cut a large heart shape out of the poster board and write today’s memory verse on the heart. Next, cut the heart into puzzle shapes. Put the puzzle shapes in a large envelope. Make one for each team.
Lead kids in these steps:
Invite each child to open their Bibles to John 3:16.
Read the verse several times aloud with the class. Remind kids that although they may be familiar with this verse, they need to pay close attention to it and keep it in their hearts.
Divide the class into smaller teams.
Give each team a large envelope.
Explain that each group will put their heart puzzle together.
Once all the teams have their heart puzzles together, invite the class to read the verse aloud.
For an extra challenge, take away a few puzzle pieces from each heart and see if they can still say the verse.
ASK: What does this Bible verse tell you about God?
SAY: God loved us so much that He sent His One and Only Son, Jesus, to save us from our sins so we can live with Him forever. That’s pretty big love, isn’t it?
Interactive Bible Experience
You’ll Need: Black light flashlight, Glow-in-the-dark marker, A Bible
GET READY: As children arrive to class, draw a small heart on the top of their hand with the glow-in-the-dark marker. Don’t say much about it until this Bible Interactive Experience time.
Invite kids to open their Bibles to John 3:14-21. Ask for volunteers to read through the passage aloud. Invite kids to share what they noticed about the light that the Bible says came into the world.
ASK:
How would you explain how some people feel about light?
What does it mean to you to bring Jesus’ light into the world?
SAY: Jesus is the light and He came into the world to rescue sinners like us. Without Jesus we’re stuck in darkness and cannot make it out on our own. Jesus alone is the true light. He loves us so big that He came and rescued us from sin.
Turn off the lights in the room and talk about darkness.
Take out the black light flashlight and remind kids that God loves us so much He sent Jesus to rescue us.
Slowly walk around the room and point the black light flashlight at the hand of each child so the heart you drew on there earlier will illuminate.
SAY: Jesus is the light, and He shows us how big God loves us. We may think we don’t always see the love of God, but Jesus is the perfect example of how big God loves us!
Turn the lights back on in the classroom.
Snack
I Love You This Much Snacks
You’ll Need: Strawberries - two per child, Toothpicks - one per child, Pretzel sticks - four per child, Mini marshmallows - four per child, Paper plates - one per child
GET READY: Before class, cut off the green strawberry tops, and then cut the strawberries in half, lengthwise.
Follow these steps to make the “I Love You This Much” snacks:
Give each child a paper plate, two strawberry slices, a toothpick, four pretzel sticks, and four marshmallows.
Instruct kids to use the toothpicks to attach the sides together to make a heart from the strawberries.
Invite kids to press pretzel sticks into the strawberry hearts to form arms and legs.
Place mini marshmallows on the ends of the pretzel sticks for hands and feet.
Enjoy.
SAY: This heart strawberry looks like it is holding out its arms to give you a hug. That’s a lot of love. But we can’t hold our arms out far enough to show how much God loves us. God’s love is so big we cannot measure it.
ASK:
What are some ways you know God loves you?
Game
Shoe Measure Relay
You’ll Need: Ruler - one per team, Sticky notes - one per child, Pens or pencils - one per team
Follow these steps to play the “Shoe Measure Relay”:
Divide the children into teams.
The teams will line up next to each other.
Each teammate will take turns running to the other side of the room to get a ruler on the table, measure their shoe, quickly write down the inches on a sticky note, and run back to the team with that sticky note.
The next player will do the same. Repeat until all players have written down their shoe measurements.
Once a team has all their measurements, they will work together (without talking) to line up from smallest to largest shoe size, using the information from their sticky notes.
The first team to line up in the correct order wins.
ASK:
Was it easy or hard for you to measure your shoe? Explain.
What was your plan for lining up your team in the right order?
SAY: Your team had measurements to use to be able to get in order based on shoe size. When it comes to God’s love, there is no ruler or measuring device to show us just how big His love is. God’s love is immeasurable.
Craft
Love the World Necklaces
You’ll Need: Red, blue, and green air dry clay, Yarn, Paperclips - one per child
To make the “Love the World” necklaces, have kids follow these steps:
Give the children some blue and green clay and invite them to mold an earth out of it.
Next give the kids some red clay to make a small red heart to place on the side of the earth.
Assist kids in pushing a paperclip through their earth and then threading the yarn through the hole.
Tie the necklace around the child’s neck and remind them that it will get harder as the clay continues to dry out.
SAY: We talk a lot about how much God loves us, but have you ever wondered how you can be sure? Today you learned that God loves you so much that He gave His one and only Son, Jesus. Our memory verse today says, “For God so loved the world.” (Pause) God sent Jesus to pay the punishment for our sin, and Jesus did that by dying on the cross. That’s a great big love!
Prayer
Car Heart Prayers
You’ll Need: “Car Heart Prayers” handouts - at least one per child, Scissors, Markers
GET READY: Make a plan to safely travel to the parking lot with children. Explain to the class that prayer time today will be in the church parking lot. Give each child at least one handout.
Invite the children to color their handouts and cut them out.
Divide up and pray around cars. Pray for the people who came to church in the cars to know how big God’s love is.
After your group has prayed around that car, place a heart under the windshield wiper for the people to find when they return to their cars.
Do as many cars as you have time for during class.
PRAY: Dear God, these cars represent many people. We ask that you help each of them discover and experience just how big Your love is. Give us the courage to continue to share Your love with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
