Conversation Hearts Object Lesson about God's Love

Who doesn’t love the sweet candy known as Conversation Hearts? I know I do! It’s so much fun reading those loving and sometimes humorous messages before popping those candies in your mouth. Since they are so popular around Valentine’s Day, why not use them as an object lesson? That’s what I plan to do. Here is my idea.
What you’ll need are mini boxes of Conversation Hearts, enough to show and enough to share. If you keep attendance records, write the child’s name on the box in the TO section and in the FROM section write, GOD. Always have some extras for visitors. You want everyone to go home with a box of candy.  You’ll also need to print this list of fake Conversation Hearts sayings:
This is awkward.
Do I know you?
I like you a little.
Can I break your heart?
You get the idea! Now put the list somewhere around your teaching table along with a box of Conversation Hearts. Now you are ready to teach! Hide the rest of the candy until you are ready to share them.
Let’s Teach
Hi everyone! Is everyone excited about Valentine’s Day? Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to show the people you love how much you care. I always tell my children and my parents and my sweetheart how much I care. Sometimes I give them gifts too, like these Conversation Hearts. (Hold up the box and shake it.) Have you ever gotten a box of these? (Let kids answer.) What’s so cool about them is they have neat little sayings on them. I like to read them and show them to other people. I’ve got a box right here and look–it’s from God! I wonder what wonderful things He has to say to me? Let’s read one. (Take a heart out of the box and look at it. Pretend to read it but read a saying from your list instead.)
This is awkward? I never heard of God saying that to anyone, have you? (Let kids comment and share a good laugh.) That must be a fluke. Let me try another one. (Pull out another heart and read from the fake list.) Do I know you? What? This can’t be right. Jesus says in Luke that the very hairs of my head are numbered and that God has my name written in the palm of his hand. Of course He knows me. This must be a joke.
Let’s try another one. (You know what to do!) I like you a little. Whoa! Now I know this a joke box because God doesn’t like me just a little. He says in His book, the Bible that He loves me with an everlasting love. That’s big love! That is much more than a little. Hmm…I’m beginning to suspect that this box is rigged.
Let’s try one more. It says, “Can I break your heart?”
Oh boys and girls, this is completely wrong and I must have picked up the wrong box. God will never break our hearts. In fact, He is the mender of broken hearts. Let me look and see who this from. I knew it! This is a joke box. Well I have boxes to send home with you and they are no joke because God loves you and so do I!
Read more from Mimi by following her blog at Tools for Kids Church.