YOUTH-CAN-TEACH Activity
Great For Sunday School, Lesson Activities, Family Fun, Daily Devotionals
POST-AND-PRESENT ACTIVITY
I Am Loved From Up Above – Hearts-on-a-String
“We love him, because he first loved us.” – John 4:19
OBJECTIVE: Youth can learn how God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ love us and how we can show our love for Them. Say, “We are loved from up above. Let us learn how with this Hearts-on-a-String activity.”
See below* how TO MAKE and set up the hearts.
ACTIVITY:
Tell the youth that God the Father, and His Son Jesus Christ do not want us to be alone on this earth. They have given us many blessings to show us we are loved. Because of those blessings, we will want to show our love for Them.
Talk to youth about how God loves us with this activity:
The hearts are placed on a line of string or ribbon (there is a string to the heart but it is also clipped to the string).
The youth can take turns unclipping a heart love note and reading it aloud. Then they let the heart fall (the string will catch it). The catching symbolizes that we are loved from up above. Heavenly Father and Jesus love us very much and catch us when we fall, coming to the rescue, and sending their love in many ways.
STEP #1. Read the note, e.g., “Heavenly Father gave us a families.”
STEP #2 Tell how God loves us showing how we are “loved from up above.” Example. Families can help us feel loved and cared for. They can also teach us about Jesus and how to be happy.
STEP #3 Tell what we can do to show God the Father and His Son Jesus that we love Them. For example, we can be kind to our family and honor our parents.
Continue until all notes have been read and talked about.
Examples of Hearts:
ABOUT HEAVENLY FATHER:
• Heavenly Father made it possible for us to pray to Him.
• Heavenly Father gave us families.
• Heavenly Father gave us our agency so we can choose for ourselves.
• Heavenly Father gave us commandments so we can learn to be happy.
• Heavenly Father created our spirits and taught us in the spirit world.
• Heavenly Father gave us talents and abilities.
• Heavenly Father allowed us to come to earth to receive a body.
ABOUT JESUS:
• Jesus suffered for our sins, making it possible for us to repent when we do wrong.
• Jesus Christ died for us so our bodies could be resurrected and live again.
• Jesus came to earth to teach us the Father’s commandments and how to be happy.
• Jesus performed many miracles to show us how to have faith in God’s power.
• Jesus gathered the little children to teach them and show us that we are loved.
*TO MAKE AND SET UP.
1. PRINT activity in color or black-and-white (then color). Cut out the hearts. If you print on cardstock you will not need to laminate.
2. ATTACH STRINGS. At the top of each heart paper-punch a hole. Then tie varied lengths of string or yarn on each heart.
3. CREATE A DISPLAY LINE. Cut a long heavy piece of string or ribbon to make a heart line (like a clothes line) and attach to both sides of the board.
4. ATTACH HEARTS TO THE LINE. Tie the lose end of the string to the line and tie a ribbon around each so the string will not slide.
5. MOUNT HEARTS close to the line by clipping each with a paper clip.
SEE MORE LESSON IDEAS on The War in Heaven and how Jesus volunteers to be our Savior
DOWNLOAD John 15:13 Bite-size Memorize scripture poster activity (HERE or below)
THOUGHT TREAT: Loved From Up Above – Heart Cookies. Cut out heart-shaped sugar cookies and frost. As children/youth eat, have them tell a way they think Heavenly Father has shown us that He loves us (on the hearts above) or their own ideas. Examples: He created parents to guide us, teachers to teach us, animals for pets, and the earth to bring us beauty and joy. He created the opportunity for us to come to earth to obtain a body and to have the agency to make choices and learn how to return to Him again.
SCRIPTURES TO UNDERLINE:
—John 15:13
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
DOWNLOAD John 15:13 scripture poster/card set (HERE or below)
—Hebrews 12:9
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”
—Revelation 12:4-13
“Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”
SINGING FUN:
Sing “I Am a Child of God”
DOWNLOAD I Am a Child of God song visuals (HERE, shown below)
More Lesson Activities and Song Visuals:
God’s Love
God’s Child song
God’s Child song
