Jesus himself responded to a Pharisee’s questioning with:
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40, ESV)
We are called to love God and love others. Those are God’s two massive commands to us. Those commands can feel daunting to an adult, but for a child, loving the mean kid at the park can seem nearly impossible.
It helps (a lot!) to understand that we don’t have to love God and others solely in our own power. Christians (those who believe on Jesus and have confessed him with their mouth and turned from their sin) can love other’s with God’s love–because God has poured his love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Help your kids think through Romans 5:5 as they make this fun stained glass heart lantern craft.
God’s Love Poured Into Our Hearts
As you prepare to make your heart shaped lantern, go over Romans 5:5 and help your kids understand it at a deeper level. In the ESV it says:
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
When we believe in Jesus, we put our hope in him.
Discuss with your children:
- To hope means to trust. What does it mean to trust Jesus? Read Romans 5:1-5 and name each promise in the passage to those who hope in God.
- What does verse 5 tell us about God’s love?
- Read 2 Corinthians 1:21-22. If you are a Christian, where is the Holy Spirit in your life?
- 1 John 4:8 tells us God is love. God the Holy Spirit (one of the three persons of the One, True God) lives in the heart of all who believe in Jesus. If you love and follow Jesus, your heart is full of God’s love!
- How does knowing God’s love is poured out in your heart through the Holy Spirit change how you think about the people you see every day? How can you show God’s love to others?
Talk about God’s love, our hope in God, and showing God’s love to the people your child knows as you make your heart lantern. Consider going over the gospel with this free poster and verse cards as you work.
Heart Lantern Craft
Check out this fun video of the heart lantern craft!
God’s Love Poured into our Hearts | Heart Lantern Craft Supplies
You’ll need a few supplies to make your heart lantern craft:
- Cardstock (color for lantern)
- Colored Tissue Papers
- Scissors
- Glue
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Printable Template with Verse Frame
God’s Love Poured into our Hearts | Heart Lantern Craft | Instructions
Before you get started on the craft, read and discuss the passage above.
1) Print Your Heart Lantern Craft Template and God’s Love Poured Into Our Hearts Verse.
Cut out the rectangular template for your lamp. Be sure to cut only the outside edges–the inner vertical lines are for folds.
Choose the version of Bible verse frame you want to use and cut out the verse on the outside of the frame.
2) Fold a Piece of Cardstock.
3) Cut Out Your Heart.
Next, lay your template over your lamp and trace the outline of the heart with a pencil.
4) Add the Tissue Paper.
Glue the colored pieces of tissue paper onto the white tissue paper until the colored pieces fill the shape of the heart.
5) Glue the Tissue Paper Inside the Heart.
Glue the white tissue paper to the inside of the lantern’s cut out heart, with the colored pieces facing outward.
6) Make Your Paper Lantern.
6) Glue the Bible Verse Frame to Your Craft.
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Puzzle-Based Independent Bible Study for Kids!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” – Romans 12:2, ESV
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- Observe: They pay attention to what they’re reading.
- Interpret: They figure out what the Bible means in that section.
- Apply: They decide how the truth of God’s Word impacts their life today.
There are a great many truths in life to be found—some interesting, some boring, and some that really matter. You can be the kind of investigator who spends time puzzling out important truth so that you can know all the knowable knowledge that God has given us. That’s right. God, the Creator of the Universe, gave you a great big letter from him to explore and study so that you can discover the truths that really matter to your life!”
Bible Investigators: Creation, (The Good Book Company, 2024), page 7
The Bible Investigators: Creation Bible study for kids, written by Danika Cooley and published by The Good Book Company, is 272-pages of learning, puzzles, and fun activities designed to help your kids become amazing independent Bible investigators–observing, interpreting, and applying God’s Word as they learn what the Bible teaches on a particular subject.
Bible Puzzles for Kids
Middle grade kids, aged 8-12, love puzzles. After all, their brains are just built for figuring things out and memorizing facts. Puzzles are a wonderful way to help kids develop logic skills and retain important information. And, the book is written in a fun, conversational tone your children are sure to love!
What types of puzzles and activities will you find in Bible Investigators?
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- Word Searches
- Crosswords
- Rebus Puzzles
- Dot-to-Dots
- Logic Puzzles
- Missing Letter Puzzles
- Cryptograms
- Word Sudoku
- Mazes
- How-to-Draw Pages
- Matching Pairs
- Word Scrambles
- Journal Pages
Every child is sure to find activities they’ll love!
Elementary-aged kids need hands-on middle grade resources that engage them and equip them to process important truths.
Bible Investigators is the perfect resource to teach your kids about an important biblical doctrine, while helping them apply God’s Word to their lives today.
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