Love is the key
key words
biblical reference
1 John 3:1-24; 4:7-19.
lesson objective
To learn that we cannot love others without the love of God.
memory verse
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
In our English vocabulary, one of the most commonly used words is “love”. However, the meaning that society gives to this word is very different from the one found in the Bible.
It is likely that your students have a misconception about love. For this reason, it is very important that through these lessons they understand what God tells us about it. They must know that God is the source of love and that only in him do we find perfect love.
Remember that as a teacher, your life should be a living example of God’s love reflected to your students. The way you treat, care for, and address them will teach them how Christians should love one another.
At this stage, in which preadolescents seek to find their identity within their groups and feel like they belong to, they tend to select the people with whom they wish to connect while sometimes excluding others. For that reason, they must learn that God loves all people, without discriminating against anyone.
Take into account that all your students come from very different family and social backgrounds. Maybe some have not received love in their family, and for that reason, they find it difficult to understand this concept. Help them understand that God’s love is perfect and unconditional, and available to all who wish to receive it.
biblical commentary
Read 1 John 3:1-24; 4:7-19. In these passages of the Bible, John writes about remaining steadfast in the knowledge of Christ and the importance of love. This letter was addressed to a congregation that was just beginning to grow in their Christian faith. Some false teachers had placed doubt in the new members about their trust in God’s love, so they had began to question their relationship of love with the Lord.
John begins by talking about the real foundation of love: God is love. Love is not just one of the qualities or attributes of God, but it is part of his nature. This explains why he sent Jesus, his only Son, to pay the price for our salvation.
When we convert to Christianity, we experience his love, and this love motivates us to love our neighbor. Love is the evidence of our life in Christ. True love translates into action. It is not just feelings and words.
John tells us that the person who has been born of God does not continue to sin, and he reminds us that Christians must turn away from evil.
introduce the lesson
To begin, write the following question on the board: “How many kinds of love exist and what are they?” Tell the group: “John is considered the apostle of love, since in all his writings he manifests a genuine love for God and his brothers. As we study John’s first letter, we will learn what God tells us about love.” Hand out Student Activity Sheet #343-A and allow the preadolescents to write on their hearts the different types of love that exist. Then, explain the four most important kinds of love in the biblical languages as presented in the Global Wesleyan Encyclopedia of Biblical Theology (R D Branson, ed., 2020):
Ahab (Hebrew: favour toward or preference for someone or something)
Hesed (Hebrew: a positive attitude, a steadfast love, kindness, loyalty)
Philos (Greek: family love, affection, fondness)
Agapao (Greek: God’s love, the love God gives to Christians to share with others, a love that is given whether or not the receiver returns it).
Searching for love
Divide the group into teams, and ask them to complete the activity on Student Activity Sheet #343-B. They should look up the concordance passages in their Bible and, based on these, answer the five questions.
Make sure each team has at least one Bible, and if new students attend, include one on each team to help them integrate into the class. Be attentive to solve any doubt or question that may arise.
teach the lesson
To present today’s Bible story, we suggest that you read the study passages in advance from 1 John 3:1-24; 4:7-19. In these passages of the Bible, John writes about remaining steadfast in the knowledge of Christ and the importance of love. Write your conclusions on a paper or card. This will help you easily remember the most important points.
To assist with this lesson you will need a keyring with seven keys (preferably that you no longer use). Prepare a small card with the phrase “Love is the Key” and prepare seven small labels (which can be attached to the keys). Number the labels from 1 to 7. Then, write on each label the corresponding phrase according to the number:
1. God is love.
2. When we are Christians we feel God’s love.
3. God’s love helps us love others.
4. True love is action, not just words.
5. God loved us first.
6. God showed us his love by sending Jesus.
7. God wants us to grow in knowledge and love.
Attach the card that says, “Love is the key” onto the key ring. Hand out the keys to seven students, and ask them to read the sentence. While narrating the Bible story, use the keys to represent each of the concepts John points out in these passages. Each time you use a key, ask a student to put it on the key ring.
If you used keys that you no longer use, you can hang the key ring at the meeting area entrance, and use it as a reminder of what you learned in this lesson.
connect the lesson
Demonstrations of love
Ask the class to refer to this section on Student Activity Sheet #343-C and ask them what they think when they are looking at the illustration.
Listen to their answers and, based on them, explain the importance of the sacrifice of Christ as a demonstration of God’s love. Give them time to complete the blanks in the verse, and repeat it together a couple of times.
Then, reflect on what they can do to show God that they love him. Ask them to write their answers at the bottom of the page. If you have time, have them share their answers with the rest of the group.
Love is...
Ask your students to come together in pairs to work on Student Activity Sheet #343-D. They should complete the sentences, filling in the blanks with examples of the way in which love manifests itself in a specific situation. For example, love is forgiving someone when they hurt you.
When they finish, exchange the books with each other and read the answers aloud.
wrap-up
Pray
Pray for one another, and intercede for the sick and needy.
Encourage
Talk with your students about the importance of living like Christ, and encourage them to be an example of love, humility, faith and purity in all aspects of their lives. Also, sing some worship songs.
Invite
Tell the group something of interest about the next session to help them want to attend. Before you depart say the memory verse together several times.
Memory Verse
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™