Family Devotion Idea: Pour Out

*About once a week, we try to post the outline of a family devotion that you and your kids can do together.  Carve out some time with your kids for a fun and creative discussion this week!

Teaching Goal:

God pours out His love on us so we can love others.

Scripture:

I John 4:7 “Let us love one another, for love comes from God.”

Matthew 5:43-44 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Romans 5:5 “God has poured out his love into our hearts.”

Materials:

1 disposable container per family member (Ex: butter tub or plastic cup.  You will be putting a hole in the bottom of this container.)

1 container lid

1 large water pitcher

Access to water faucet

1 nail

1 hammer

Scissors

Pen or marker

Masking tape

Lesson and Discussion:

*Words that are written in bold are when you, the parent, are speaking.  Feel free to use your own words.

ACTIVITY:

Read Romans 5:5.  What does it mean when the Bible says, “God has poured out his love into our hearts?”  How can love be poured out into our hearts?  Listen to answers.  Read I John 4:7.  How can we pour out love into the heart of someone else?  Listen to answers.

Give each family member a container.  Have each person write their name on a piece of masking tape and put it on their container.  This container represents you.  Write “God” on two pieces of masking tape and have a volunteer put one on the water faucet and the other on the pitcher.  The water faucet and pitcher represent God.

Fill the pitcher with water from the faucet.  The water represents “love.”  (To avoid making a mess, do this part of the activity over a sink or outside.)  Put the lid on your container.  Show how the lid keeps “love” from getting into your life.  The lid represents a closed heart, someone who will not accept love from God or others.  It is important that we allow God and others to love us.

Take the lid off; pour water into your container until it is completely full.  This represents God pouring His love into us.  How does God pour His love into us?  Listen to their answers.  Jesus.  Salvation.  Good health.  Meeting our basic needs.  Allowing us to talk to Him through prayer.  Care when we are hurting.  God has more love to give us, but there isn’t room.  (Show how the pitcher still has water in it and turn on the faucet to show an unlimited supply of water/love.)  Let’s fix our heart so we can accept more love from God and share His love with others.

Empty the water from your container back into the pitcher.  Using the nail and hammer, put a hole in the bottom of your container.  Hold your container over the container of another family member.  Now pour water from the pitcher into your container and show how it flows through the hole into the other family member’s container.  God pours his love into me so I can pour that love into others.  In what ways do I pour love into {name of other family member}?  Listen to answers.  Help them when they are sick.  Play with them.  Say, “I love you.”  Encouragement.  Praise.  Hugs.  Put a hole in each family member’s container and give them a turn having God’s love flow through them.

OPTION:  Experiment with pouring water from the pitcher into the first container and have it flow through to the next, and the next, and the next until everyone in the family has water from the pitcher passing through their container.  See if you can think of a real life example where God’s love poured into your life, and you poured that into another family member’s life and then they passed it along to someone else.

OPTION:  Read Matthew 5:43-44.  Have each family member write a name on masking tape of someone they find hard to love.  (They may want to use “anonymous” and not write the name.)  Put all the masking tape names on an extra container.  Show how these difficult people in our lives still need God’s love.  Pour God’s love into each person’s container and have it flow into the extra container with the names taped on the side.  What are some things we could do to show God’s love to these difficult people?  If we let God’s love flow through us to those who are difficult for us to love, how could that change that person’s life?  How could it change your life?  When you close in prayer ask God to help you love people in your life who are difficult to love.

If you like this devotion idea, there are hundreds more available from Family Time Training.  See the link on the left side of this page for more information.