For Kids · 3 min with a grown-up
John keeps writing his letter to help God's family love God and each other.
In this part, John shares the most amazing news: God calls us His own children.
Today's Story
John had wonderful news, and he could hardly wait to share it.
“Look at how much the Father loves us!” he wrote. “He calls us His children. And that is exactly what we are!”
Think about that. The God who made the stars and the oceans looks at you and says, “That one is Mine. I am so glad you are part of My family.”
And when you are part of a family, you love your brothers and sisters. So John said, “Let us love each other. This is how God wants His children to live.”
But John wanted to make one thing very clear. Love is not just a nice feeling, and it is not just nice words. Love does something.
“Let us not love only with words,” he wrote. “Let us love with what we do.”
If a friend is cold and you have an extra coat, love hands them the coat. If a friend is hungry and you have a snack, love shares the snack. That is how we know our love is real — it shows up with helping hands.
A Big Word
Memory Verse
Talk About It
- When someone really loves you, what kind things do they do that help you know it?
- How does it feel to hear that God calls you His own child?
- Who is someone who needs a little extra love right now? What is one thing you could do to show it?