What love looks like

01 · GATHER ROUND

Start with a question.

“How can you tell when someone really loves something—a sports team, a band, a hobby, a pet?”

Listen for the clues: they talk about it, spend time on it, and care what happens to it. Love shows.

03 · OPEN THE BIBLE

Grandpa’s tomatoes.

Maya lives with her grandpa, and he grows the best tomatoes on the whole street. Every Saturday she helps him water the plants, pull weeds, and chase away the squirrels. Nobody makes her do it. She does it because she loves her grandpa and loves being with him.

The Bible tells us God made us to glorify him. To glorify God means to show how wonderful he is—with our words, our choices, and our whole lives. So how do we do that? Our Bible verse gives a two-part answer: love the Lord your God, and keep his commandments.

Notice which one comes first. Love. God doesn’t want robots that follow rules because they’re scared. He wants children who know how much he loves them and love him back. When love comes first, obeying stops being a chore and becomes a way of saying, “I love you, and I trust you.”

Think about Maya again. If she pulled weeds only to earn a treat, it would just be a job. But because she loves her grandpa, the weeding is part of the love. It’s the same with God. We don’t obey God to make him love us. He already loves us! We obey because we love him and trust that his ways are good.

Here’s the honest part: none of us loves or obeys God perfectly. We forget. We get grumpy. We choose our own way. When that happens, God doesn’t give up on us. Jesus loved and obeyed his Father perfectly in our place, and when we tell God we’re sorry, he forgives us and helps us start again.

So what does glorifying God look like on an ordinary Tuesday? Telling the truth when a lie would be easier. Being gentle with your little brother. Singing to God in the car. Every choice made out of love for God is a way of saying, “Look how good he is!”

04 · WONDER TOGETHER

Let’s talk about it.

1. Why do you think God puts loving him before obeying him?
2. What’s the difference between obeying because you’re scared and obeying because you love someone?
3. What’s one ordinary thing you could do tomorrow that shows you love God?

Try answering one yourself first. “I don’t know yet” is a fine place to start a conversation.

06 · TALK TO GOD

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us first. We want to love you back with our whole lives. Help us obey you, not because we’re afraid, but because we trust that your ways are good. When we fail, remind us that Jesus loved and obeyed you perfectly for us. Make our ordinary days a way of showing how wonderful you are. Amen.

Then invite everyone to add one thing they want to tell God.

07 · MAKE IT STICK

A little truth to learn by heart.

Give the answer two motions: hands over your heart for the part about loving God, and marching in place for the part about obeying. Do it three times, getting faster each time, then see who can do it with eyes closed.