Lesson 23

CHRIST LIKE LOVE AND CHARITY

Objective: To help us gain a better understanding of the love Christ has for us and how we can show that same type of love.

Visual aid: Hearts

Lesson ideas:

* Christ is known for his acts of love and charity: 

            1. Healing the blind and sick. (Luke 7:22)

            2. Christ is able to forgive sins as well as heal the body (Matthew 9: 6))

            3. Feeds the 5000 (John 6:9)

            4. Story of the woman who touches Jesus’ garment. (Luke 8:44)

            5. Raising Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:42-43)

* Qualities of charity: “Charity suffereth long, is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, not easily provoked…” (Moroni 7: 45-48)

            1. We can pray for the gift of charity to be more compassionate and be led to those        that could use help.

            2. “Above all things,” the Lord says, “clothe yourselves with the bond of charity”... (D&C 88:125)

* Temple work is another way of showing charity, for temple sealing’s can let families be together forever.

* “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  (Matthew 22:38, 39)

* Love of family, love of God, being united.

1.  Moses’s sister Miriam shows how an older sister can help a younger brother (Exodus 2:4-8)

2. Hyrum Smith was a loyal brother to Joseph Smith. “In life they were not divided, and   in death they were not separate!” (D&C 135: 3)

* If we seek the Lord with a “broken heart and contrite spirit” we shall find him and have peace in our soul. (Psalms 51: 17)

* Jesus replaced an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth with asking us to turn the other cheek. (Matthew 5: 39) Even when an ear was smote off the servant of the high priest, Jesus “touched his ear and healed him. (Luke 22: 51)  Jesus wanted to replace bad feelings with good.

1. Replace bad thoughts of people with good thoughts of love.

* Parables like the Good Samaritan shows the Christ like love Jesus would have us display in our lives. (Luke 10: 30-37)

* Talents:  Christ used his talents to bless the lives of the people of his time.  Let’s work on increasing our talents to bless our family and friends life’s with increased love.

* Miracles:  The miracles Jesus preformed were done with love and purpose.  They also showed his power and proved he was who he said he was.  List some of the miracles Jesus preformed, like raising Lazarus, or healing the 10 lepers.

* Jesus concludes his ministry with the atonement, the crucifixion and finally his resurrection.  Let’s remember the greatest gift of love that was given to us is Christ himself.  “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  (1 Corinthians 15: 22)

* Love of children:  Children were very important to Christ. “Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not: for such is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18: 16)

* “They saw the heavens open and saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire and they came down and encircled those little ones about and the angels did minister unto them.” Even the heavens show love towards the little children. (3 Nephi 17: 24)

Scriptures:

Bible

Mark 6:41 five loaves and two fish

Mark 5:25-31 woman touch clothes

Mark 5:21-24 &35-43 raising Jairus’s daughter

LDS Scriptures

3 Nephi 17: 7 - 9 heal the sick

2 Nephi 25:26 we rejoice in Christ

Moroni 7:46 charity never faileth

Activities:

* Read a children’s Bible book showing miracles Jesus performed or show pictures of some.

* Heart connected: Talk about ways we can show love for others as Jesus did. Plan something to do like make hearts and connect them to make a banner, and then give it to someone who could use the extra love.

* I love you game:  A person starts the game by having a big heart and handing it to the person across from them by saying, “I love you (say their whole name.)  You can stop with just the words I love you but you could also add because… Then that person takes the heart and does the same to someone else.  If you want to run in a circle till you get to that person’s spot that would add a variation to the game.

* Go to temple or babysit so someone else can go.

* Mail letter to someone.

* Support a charity of your choice (walkathons, Desert Industry, humanitarian kits, MS, Cancer, food banks, or one you start, There are also humanitarian kits you can put together.)

* Think of a service project you could do to bring happiness to someone in need.

* Write notes to every person in the family stating what makes that person so special to you. Notes can be placed in a box for each person to find their very own note.

* Make two ornaments.  One is a gift we could give to our Savior and the other is a gift we would like to receive either for ourselves or someone else that we can’t do by our self, we need God’s help.

* Come up with a list of ways we can show our neighbors we love them then do one or more.  Like make a plate of cookies.

* Where possible go to the temple and do work for the dead or even just go to the temple grounds.

* Show God we love him by being where we are supposed to be.

* Have a jar of candy sweethearts on the table, when you replace a bad thought to a good thought, you earn a heart candy.

* Show some pictures of Christ’s parables to see if you know what the parable is and what the meaning is. (The Lost Sheep, The 10 virgins, the Prodigal Son and more)

* Do a Round-Up day this one can have a special invitation to have Jesus join with us to have his love felt.

Round - Up Day: These are games that are round to go with the round up theme. The purpose is just to have a fun time together.

            Bean bags with round targets: the targets can have words like prayer, scripture study.

            Hoola Hoops

            Play any ball game like tennis, ping pong, basketball

            Ring around the rosies

            Anything with wheels

            Any round food like Cheerios, Froot Loops, SpaghettiO's, pizza, mints

* Picture of Christ with his arms encircled around the children showing just how much he loves the children.

Songs:

Hymns

# 177 Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love

# 308 Love One Another

# 87 God is Love

# 187 God Loved Us, So He Sent His Son

Children’s Songbook

# 136 Love One Another

# 190 Love Is Spoken Here

# 61 Jesus Said Love Everyone

# 198 A Happy Family

                                                                                   

Treat:

Heart shaped cookies or candies.