God shows his love through brothers and sisters in the church

Acts 1:7-9; 2:31-33; 4:32-35

To help children know that God also shows his love to us through the brothers and sisters of the church.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12, NIV*).

1 John 4: 8 says: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (NIV). The early Christians showed the love of God in practical ways. The presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives gave them power to respond with love and generosity to their neighbors. The grace of God helped them to create a fellowship in which members cared for the needs of others with love and compassion. This gift of compassion caused a change of attitude and positive action in them. Reflect on this: Were these Christians called to sell their belongings and deliver them to the church? The answer is “No”. Possessions and riches were considered something that belonged to all for the church to use when necessary (Acts 2:44-45).

This way, the first believers shared in meeting the genuine needs of the people they loved, like their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Think about how your church shows love for neighbors. How has God used your church to show his love to the members of your congregation? How can the love and compassion of the Lord be revealed through our actions?

During this lesson, children will discover how the early Christians showed their love by helping to provide for neighbors to meet genuine needs. They must know that today the church continues to care for its neighbors.

Help children discover how the church can reach out to others. Arrange with the pastor or other church leaders for your children to participate in a project to help the needy. A good project might be to assist a needy elderly person or couple in their home or yard.

In the same way that children see the love the church shows, they will learn how to care for and share with their needy neighbor.

The friendship poster

Help the children make a poster with drawings of themselves, which represents the activities they do together with the brothers and sisters in the church (praying, reading the Bible, singing, etc.). Ask permission to put the poster in a visible place of the church, so that the congregation can appreciate it.

Use these activities to teach and review today’s Bible story.

Hidden fruit

Before class, prepare five bags that have enough fruit for all children in the class. Be aware of any food allergies your children may have. You may need to substitute another appropriate local food.

Before your children arrive, hide the bags in the classroom. Choose five children to look for them and bring them to the front of the class. Take one bag to start the Bible story.

During this activity, have a container ready for putting fruit into, and some paper napkins.

Ask your children: What would happen if those who found the fruit bags decided to keep them for themselves? What would others do? (Allow them to respond). Do you think that would be fair? How can we be sure that everyone gets some fruit? (Let the children state their ideas).

Place the container on a table in the center, and have the children put in all the fruit they found. Then give each child a napkin and divide the fruit evenly. Tell them about the importance of sharing what we have with our neighbors.

Begin the Bible story: Today’s story deals with the ancient church founded by the disciples of Jesus. The believers in this church loved Jesus and shared with one another what they had.

After Jesus went up to heaven, the disciples continued to talk to the people about the good news of salvation. They told people that Jesus lives and loves them. Many people were happy to hear the gospel, and began to gather in houses to pray.

These believers knew God wants us to show mercy to others (Micah 6:8). So, they helped take care of one another. They did this to show their love, because they knew that Jesus loved them.

They were known for feeding and clothing the poor. (see also Luke 3:11) If one of them had economic needs, those who had possessions sold some things and brought the money to the church leaders to help meet the needs.

Sometimes we are selfish and we do not like to give others what we have. But God tells us to help the needy and be loving to our neighbors, just like the brothers and sisters of the early church.

Allow time for your children to express their questions. Be prepared to tell clothing and feeding means, and conclude the class with this prayer: “God, we thank you for the church members who care for us. Thank you for providing us clothing and this food you give us. We love you, amen.”

As the children eat their fruit, encourage them to say what they liked best about this Bible story. Tell them that they should rejoice, because the brothers and sisters in the church show God’s love to them.

I’m also a part of the church

Emphasize the importance of brotherhood within the church. Ask if they remember the name of any members of the congregation. Explain that the pastor is a member of the church, just like the Sunday school teacher. How does the pastor show the love of God? (Allow them to respond.)

Remind them to give thanks to God for the church.

We love our brothers and sisters!

You will need Student Activity Sheet #11-A: “God shows his love through the brothers and sisters of the church” in the children's handouts. You will also need colored pencils and black pencils.

Give the activity sheet and pencils to the children. Allow time for them to trace the Word of Faith and write down their name. Help them identify what activities each drawing represents, and allow them to color them. Explain that the brothers and sisters in the church are involved in these same activities.

Allow the children to take home this activity sheet and Student Activity Sheet #11-B to tell their families about this lesson.