Teach what the Bible says about love. This lesson on love is from 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Kids will learn the characteristics of Christ-like love. Use this teaching plan in children’s church or Sunday school. Please leave any suggestions at the bottom of this page.

Curriculum Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Time: 20 Minutes

Learning Objectives: After this lesson….

• Children express what they learned about Paul’s description of love by retelling several aspects they learned about it.
• Children express ways this kind of love can be lived out in our lives.
• Children express their understanding of the Lord’s love for them.

Curriculum Target Age: Kindergarten – 5th
Material Needed:

• Bible: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
• Visual Aid: Poster Board listing each characteristic of love.
• Print our 6 free coloring pages about love

“Love” Lesson for Children’s Church:

Establish the lesson by briefly explaining different relationships in which people love others. Talk about the parent to child, child to parent, siblings, relatives (grandparents, cousins, etc.), and friends. Have the children share briefly what they love about their parents and/or siblings.

Prior to reading the Scripture, divide the group of children into two groups and ask one half to listen for what they learn about God’s love. Ask the other half of the children to identify what Paul says they are like if they don’t have love.

Read (and Recap) 1 Corinthians 13:1-8. Hold up the poster board prepared beforehand while reading the Scripture. Stop after two or three verses and involve the children in the lesson. Reinforce the lesson by asking questions: What kind of things are we like if we don’t have love? We’re a noisy gong and clanging cymbal. If love is missing, but we have faith to move mountains, what do we gain? Nothing.

When you’re finished reading the verses, use the poster to review the important points learned about love.

Ask for a response from the children about their listening assignment. What did they learn about God’s love? What did they learn they are like without love?

Select volunteers to take turns demonstrating the lessons about love. Have a child stand up and give them one characteristic of love. Ask them to think of ways that they can show this kind of love to others, such as sharing their favorite toy with a sibling or friend that would be hard for them to share. Explain any characteristics they might not understand. Select older children for more difficult characteristics such as “love does not act unbecomingly.” At this time it would be good to reinforce the Lord’s love for each us this way, and how He enables us to love with His kind of love.

What is love? Lesson Evaluation:

Ask for three volunteers to come up and try to remember as many traits about love that they can remember. Ask for a volunteer to share what part about God’s love that means the most to them. Give a list of possible lessons and ask the children to raise their hands if it was part of the lesson.

• The Lord’s love never fails. Yes.
• The Lord knows all things. True, but not part of this lesson.
• Love is important to the Lord. Yes
• Jesus died on the cross because we sin. True, but not part of this lesson.
• The Lord knows the way we think and feel. True, but not really part of this lesson.
• Love is patient with others. Yes.

Need More Help? Browse all our Valentines Sunday School Lessons or check out all our favorite Bible verses about love.

Find even more free Valentine’s Day Sunday School lessons on Sunday School Works!

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1 Corinthians 13:1-13  (NIRV) The “Love” Chapter

13 Suppose I speak in the languages of human beings or of angels. If I don’t have love, I am only a loud gong or a noisy cymbal. ² Suppose I have the gift of prophecy. Suppose I can understand all the secret things of God and know everything about him. And suppose I have enough faith to move mountains. If I don’t have love, I am nothing at all. ³ Suppose I give everything I have to poor people. And suppose I give myself over to a difficult life so I can brag. If I don’t have love, I get nothing at all.

⁴ Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not want what belongs to others. It does not brag. It is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor other people. It does not look out for its own interests. It does not easily become angry. It does not keep track of other people’s wrongs. ⁶ Love is not happy with evil. But it is full of joy when the truth is spoken. ⁷ It always protects. It always trusts. It always hopes. It never gives up.

⁸ Love never fails. But prophecy will pass away. Speaking in languages that had not been known before will end. And knowledge will pass away. ⁹ What we know now is not complete. What we prophesy now is not perfect. ¹⁰ But when what is complete comes, the things that are not complete will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I had the understanding of a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² Now we see only a dim likeness of things. It is as if we were seeing them in a foggy mirror. But someday we will see clearly. We will see face to face. What I know now is not complete. But someday I will know completely, just as God knows me completely.

¹³ The three most important things to have are faith, hope and love. But the greatest of them is love.New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)

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