Sharing God’s love with children  is important. If you don’t, who will?  We need to take advantage of every opportunity to share God’s love with our own children and in those in our children’s ministry.

It is easy to miss opportunities by getting caught up in what is going on at the present time.

Stressful moments, behavior problems, trying to fit to much into your lesson, and more can cause us to hurt others rather than help them.

This article is a good example and reminder to share God’s love with others.

Effective Sunday School Teaching Starts With Love

This was written by Tony Kummer and was first published as “http://ministry-to-children.com/effective-teaching-starts-with-love/” on Ministry-To-Children.com

Johnny walks into your Sunday school class 25 minutes late. He’s a challenging kid, but you pride yourself on keeping an ordered classroom. You’ve planned your lesson very carefully. You’ve even prayed for you class this week.

You smile at Johnny, but inside your saying, “Why didn’t they just wait until church.” It’s too late to backtrack the lesson, so you just keep teaching.

Johnny is fidgeting. He is rustling through his Bible and making little noises with his mouth. He gets up to find a pencil. He gets up again to sharpen it. The whole class is losing focus.

Hand up. It’s Johnny. “Did we have snack yet?” You kindly redirect. Then he puts his head down and whimpers a little. Inside you wish he had stayed home today.

After church you corner his mom. “Mrs. Smith, I need to talk with you about Johnny’s behavior in Sunday school. He was very disruptive this morning.”

She begins to apologize. “We had a bad morning. His grandpa passed away last Thursday. Johnny has been having nightmares. I should have kept him at home. I thought it might help to keep our routine. I’m really sorry he was trouble.”

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV)

Effective teaching begins with love. Ministry is not about the lesson. It’s not about the classroom schedule. It’s about loving kids and pointing them to Jesus.

How many times have you missed your chance to love?

We cannot be separated from God’s love.

Children need to know that as a child of God He will never leave them. Use this lesson to help children understand salvation and the love of God.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“

Romans 8:38-39 (KJV)

The Love of God is HUGE. It is bigger than anything.

What are some big things?

God’s love is bigger than any of those things. He loves us so much that even though we have done naughty things, God gave His Son Jesus to take away our sin.

What is sin?

The naughty things we do are sin. Moms, dads, boys, girls, and even grandpa and grandmas have sinned. Everybody, but God has sinned.

God loves us and wants us to go to Heaven to be with Him someday, but there is no sin in Heaven. Jesus, God’s Son never sinned, died, and rose again to take away our sins.

Would you give up your favorite thing in the world for someone who was naughty and mean to you?

God gave His only Son for us because He loves us. If we pray and tell God we are sorry for our sins and believe that Jesus died and rose again, God will take away our sin and we can go to Heaven someday. God takes our sins and throws them far away where they are gone forever.

Have someone toss or roll a ball.

We can still see the ball. God loves us so much He throws our sin where we will not see it again. When we do naughty things and sin again, we can ask God to forgive us and He will throw them away.

Sometimes people who love us leave.

Does that make you sad?

After we ask God to take away our sin and believe in Him, He will always be with us. We cannot see God, but He is always there. God will NEVER leave us. There is not anything that can separate us from God’s love.

Take a piece of duct tape, fold it over, and put the sticky sides together. Set it in the sun and make sure it is stuck together tightly.

Ask a child to try and peel the tape apart.

God’s love is stronger than duct tape that is stuck together. We cannot be peeled away from God’s love.

Read Romans 8:38-39.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (KJV)

These verses mean that when we believe on God, He is with us now and when we die. He loves us and keeps us safe from things we see and the things we can’t see.

Do you know what you are going to be doing years from now?

God knows what things are going to happen to you now and in the future and He will not leave you.

Where is the highest place you could go?

You cannot get away from God’s love in the highest place or in the lowest place.

God loves you, sees you, and cares about you ALL the time!

Read more about God’s love here:  “No Love Like God’s Love”.

What godly principles are you teaching children?

Will they be able to stand under pressure and stay strong during the storms?

In Daniel 1 we learn about Daniel. He was taken captive from his country and brought into a new culture. Daniel stood under pressure and opposition. The Babylonian king assigned royal food and wine. Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the food and wine from the king. The Bible doesn’t tell us who his parents are, but most likely they had taught and instilled in Daniel godly principles. This should challenge us to teach children godly principles not only in church, but also in the home.

In this foreign land, Daniel could have faded in with the crowd or kept his beliefs silent. He chose to go against the flow. Are you showing children by your example and teaching them to take a stand for God by letting people know you are a Christian with your words and actions? We need to take a stand for God even when it will cause us hardships or if it’s not popular.

How can we teach children to take a stand for God? here are a few ways:

• Children need to know what God’s word says. Bible stories are important and have their place, but we need to dig into the Bible and learn from godly men and women who stood strong for God and His commands.

• Be an example. Live for God in all you do. Be honest and trustworthy. Share with others about God and what He has done for you. Show respect and be kind. Control your tongue. Read God’s word daily. Make prayer and important part of your day.

• Read stories and watch movies of others who stood for God even when it cost them greatly. There are many men and women who put God first and we are enjoying the benefits of the stand they took today. There are places in the world where Christians are persecuted greatly for God. We need to take a stand and thank God for the freedom we have to take that stand.

• Have resolve. Daniel had resolved not to defile himself. If you have resolved not to do or do something, you will be stronger going into tough situations. It’s easier to give in without resolve to do right.

Children can take a stand for God!

Teach them the godly principles they need to stand for what is right each day.

Need more help teaching preschool age or young children? My Building Blocks 4 Life curriculum will help you teach godly principles using hands on activities. Building Blocks 4 Life gives you stories and step by step instructions for your family devotions, Sunday school or church class, school, VBS, and more.