During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide, Student Page, Family Connection Card, and other resources can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. And you invited me in. I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was sick. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me…. The King will reply, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:35–36, 40
Jesus invites us to help those who need it. This may be the person you see sleeping on the street corner each night, a neighbour who needs help with a task, or a child in your class. When we see others whose needs are not being met, it can be very easy to think that someone else can come along and help that person.
But what if God is presenting you with the opportunity to help? Think of someone in your community who you can help. It may be that this person is hungry, or she may need someone to talk to. Whatever the need may be, think of a way you can show compassion toward that person this week. When you help others, you are showing Jesus’ love for them and to them.
Encourage the families to talk about the things in their communities that may divide people. Ask them to work together to think of 1 way their love can bring others together.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet the children warmly as they arrive. Have them sit in a circle in the middle of the teaching space.
The last time we met, we learned about what it means to love others. When we love others, we want to be kind to them and we want what is best for them. We want them to have what they need and we want to help meet these needs.
In the Bible, Jesus tells us to love our neighbours.
Who are our neighbours?
Anyone can be a neighbour: friends, family members, people in the community, and people from outside the community.
In a moment, we will play a game. As we play this game, I want you to think about who your neighbours are. Who does God ask you to love? I need 2 volunteers to help with our game.
Choose 2 children to begin the game.
When I tell you to start, these 2 children will try to tag the rest of you. We will call these children “Neighbours.” When one of the Neighbours tags someone, the Neighbour must say the name of someone he can show love to. It can be the name of a person or a word that describes a group of people, such as “my friends.” Then the person who was tagged will become a Neighbour and will try to tag another person. We will continue playing for about 5 minutes.
If the children need help thinking of different groups or types of people they can love, you may suggest the following:
Allow the children to play for about 5 minutes. Then ask the children to stop where they are. Have them sit in their normal places for the next part of the lesson.
In this game, we thought of many people to love.
Who are some of the people you can love?
Allow 2–3 children to share their ideas. This is a time for the children to share their thoughts, so there are no wrong answers.
Everyone can be a neighbour. Today, you will learn more about how you can love all people.
When you show love to all people, that includes everyone in your community and everyone outside of your community. You can show love in many ways. This includes having compassion for other people. When you have compassion, you care about someone who has needs that are not being met and you want to help that person.
Optional: If possible, share the images from The Action Bible.
Let’s listen to a true story from the Bible about the compassion shown by a young Egyptian woman toward an Israelite baby. During this time, the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. The king of Egypt—Pharaoh—had made a law that all Israelite baby boys would be killed at birth. It was during this time that an Israelite mother and father had a baby boy.
The mother and father hid their baby boy for 3 months! They kept him in their home as long as they could, and then they made a plan to continue to protect him. The mother made a special basket that could float in the water. She put her baby boy in the basket in the Nile River hoping someone would see him and rescue him.
If you think the mother showed love for the baby, hold up your hands and make a heart shape with them.
Show the children how to make a heart with their hands by curving both hands into a hook shape and putting both hands together. Pause to allow the children to respond.
How did the baby’s mother show love for her baby?
She kept him hidden; she placed him in a basket and put him in the river so he could be rescued.
The mother loved her baby, so she placed him in a basket and set him in the river to save his life. After she placed her baby in the river, Pharaoh’s daughter heard him crying and had compassion for him. She asked her servant to pull the basket out of the water. Listen to what happened next.
If possible, read this verse directly from your Bible.
When she opened it, Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby. He was crying. She felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
Exodus 2:6
So, the daughter of the Pharaoh, the man who had ordered that no Israelite baby boys could live, saved an Israelite boy from the water! She then asked an Israelite mother to take care of the baby until he no longer needed to drink milk. Pharaoh’s daughter did not know it, but this woman was the baby’s mother!
Pharaoh’s daughter had compassion for the baby boy she pulled from the river. Remember, when you show compassion, you want to help someone by meeting the needs that he has.
How did Pharaoh’s daughter show compassion for the baby boy in the river?
Allow 2–3 children to respond.
Pharaoh’s daughter showed compassion by rescuing the baby from the river because he was helpless and needed care. She met his needs by asking a woman to feed and care for him.
Choosing to show compassion may have been difficult and even dangerous for Pharaoh’s daughter. That is because she was not supposed to allow the baby boy to live. Once he was a little older, the Pharaoh’s daughter raised the Israelite boy as her own son. The baby from the river was named Moses. He grew up to lead God’s people out of Egypt. He grew up to be someone very special!
The Bible tells us that we are supposed to show love and compassion to all people. Listen to these verses:
We know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters. Suppose someone sees a brother or sister in need and is able to help them. And suppose that person doesn’t take pity on these needy people. Then how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, don’t just talk about love. Put your love into action. Then it will truly be love.
1 John 3:16–18
The Bible tells us that Jesus loves us. Because Jesus loves us so much that He gave us His life, we should also love others by helping them and giving them what we have. The best way for us to care for others is to love them. You can show compassion for other people, including those who are different from you and who have needs that have not been met. Here are some ideas to help you:
Now that we know why we should show love and compassion to all people, let’s think of some ways we can put our love into action.
Allow 4–5 children to respond to each of the questions below. You may want to share the suggested answers that the children do not mention.
What are some ways you can show love to people you know well?
Answers may include things such as: listen to them, show compassion toward them, pray for them, and help them.
What are some ways you can show love and compassion to people you do not know well?
Answers may include: say something kind to them, pray for them, and try to help them.
Let’s practice showing love and compassion to others. I will read a situation to you. You will use actions to show me how you would respond to one of the people.
Situation: When you are at the market with your mother, you see many different kinds of people. You see a boy who needs crutches to walk, a man who is begging, a girl who is stealing fruit, a woman who comes from another country and does not speak your language, a child who is struggling to carry something heavy, and many others. Show me with your actions what you can do to show love and compassion to one of these people.
Demonstrate how you would respond to one of the people. Then, read the situation again and allow the children to respond. They may respond at the same time or 1 at a time. It is okay if a child chooses the same response as another child. When the children have all responded, you may ask them to be seated.
Optional: If you are using the Student Pages, give the children crayons and allow 2–3 minutes to do the activity.
When we show love and compassion to others, we honour God. This week’s memory verse reminds us how we can show love to others.
If you are using the Memory Verse Poster, show it to the students.
Finally, I want all of you to agree with one another. Be understanding. Love one another. Be kind and tender. Be humble.
1 Peter 3:8
Review the song, rhythm, or chant you created to help the children remember the memory verse. If possible, encourage the children to make hearts with their hands throughout the song when they say ways a person can share love with others.
Review the memory verse song or chant 3 times. Then end class by saying this blessing, based on 1 John 3:16–18, over the children.
Blessing: May you know just how much Jesus loves you. May you share that love with others.
Lead the children in singing this quarter’s song, if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
