OUR LOVING FATHER GIVES US WONDERFUL GIFTS!
Read James 1:17. Every good gift we have in our lives comes from God’s loving and generous hands! Wrap a box in sturdy paper and use tape to secure it. (You could also use a strong, plain gift bag or a plain sheet of paper.) With your family think of lots of good gifts God has given to you and write each gift on the box. He has given us more gifts than we can ever name or imagine! If you run out of space on one box, why not cover another box and keep writing more gifts and make a display of your gratitude?
OUR LOVING FATHER FORGIVES US!
Read Psalm 103:3, 9-12. God doesn’t want us to be discouraged and saddened when we make mistakes. He’s already forgiven us completely through Jesus! He wipes all our sins away so completely that we can’t find them ever again! Purchase water-soluble paper and write or draw your sins on the paper. Drop the paper into a bowl of water and watch it disappear. Or blow bubbles that will pop and disappear completely, just like your sins. Or fill a shallow tray or dish with salt or sand. Write your sins in the salt and then tilt and gently shake the dish until the words disappear. Or write them on a blackboard and wipe them away completely with a damp cloth. Just as you can never find the words again, your sins are wiped away forever.
GOD’S LOVE IS EVERYWHERE!
God’s character is loving, kind, forgiving, compassionate, and hundreds of other good things! Send everyone in your home on a treasure hunt to find objects that remind them of God’s goodness, love, and compassion. Gather your “treasures” together and tell each other why you chose those objects.
HUNT THE CROSSES
The shape of the cross is “hidden” in many things all around us, including windows, doors, furniture designs, trees, fences, signs, etc. Start looking for the shape of a cross when you walk along the way. Notice the reminders of Jesus “hiding” in full view. Take photos of them, or count them, and see how long it takes to find 100! It will probably be much quicker than you think once you start to look.
I KNOW GOD LOVES ME BECAUSE . . .
Play a game with your family. Sit in a circle and take turns saying, “I know God loves me because . . .” Complete the sentence simply. After the first person goes, the next person says, “I know God loves me because . . .” and then repeats the first person’s comment and adds a different one of their own. The third person repeats what the first and second people said, then adds another reason of their own. See how long you can make the list before someone breaks it! Help each other remember all the lovely comments because it’s wonderful to keep reminding each other of God’s love.
ALL KINDS OF LOVE
Gather craft materials or a basket of natural materials. You can use whatever you have. Ask each person to think of one way God loves us and then create a heart-shaped object that illustrates that kind of love. When you have all finished your hearts, see if you can guess what kind of God’s love is being illustrated by the different hearts. Gather them all together in a bowl of God’s love and add more hearts whenever you want to. Or make hearts of similar sizes that can be strung on a garland for your home or attached to a wreath.
A HEART FULL OF LOVE
Purchase a large heart-shaped bulletin board or cut a large heart out of paper or poster board. Decorate it and fill it with Bible verses about God’s love and pictures that illustrate His love. Read it whenever you need a hug from God and remember just how much He loves you!
OUR LOVING FATHER IS ALWAYS WITH US
God says that He will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:8). God is always at your side, ready to help you, love you, take away your fears, and comfort you. Make something you can carry with you anytime to remind you that God is with you every moment of your life because He loves you. When I was a shy and frightened little girl, my mom stitched a heart-shaped button into my pockets as a reminder of her love and God’s love for me. Talk to your parents about what you could make or do.
OUR LOVING FATHER CARES FOR US
Jesus told us to look at the birds and flowers and to notice how much God cares for them (Matthew 6:25-34). We know that God loves us much more than the birds and flowers! With your family watch some birds. Look carefully at some different flowers growing near you. Talk about what you can learn about God’s loving care for you from the way He cares for the birds and the flowers.
GOD’S LOVE GOES ON FOREVER!
Cut a long strip of strong paper from the biggest sheet of paper you can find. Make it about 4 centimeters (1½ inches) wide. Lay it on the floor, make one-half twist in the paper, and tape the twisted end to the other end, leaving the half twist in place. Put your strip on the table and write Bible verses about God’s love on the strip until you reach the beginning again. You should discover that you have written on both sides of the strip and His love never ends! Hang the strip on a couple of pegs and crease it so it makes the shape of a heart.
CROWNED WITH BLESSINGS
When Jesus was baptized, God announced the blessing: “This is My Son. I love Him very much, and He brings me great joy!” God pronounces that blessing over all His children who choose to serve Him. Make a paper crown for each person in your family. Write the same blessing on each crown and insert the person’s name. “This is my daughter, Lucy. I love her very much, and she brings me great joy!” Decorate the crowns and wear them together for your Friday evening meal and worship. How do the crowns change how you see yourself and the other people in your family?
I LOVE YOU CARD
Use your best craft materials to make a card for God to tell Him how much you love Him. He can see it and read it, and He will be delighted by it! Then make an imaginary card from God to you, telling you how much He loves you too! Read Psalm 145 and 1 Corinthians 13 to give you some ideas. Or read the children’s letter from God at www.fathersloveletter.com.
