Children's Sermon
More Than Valentines and Chocolates
 
 
Objective: To teach children that love is more than valentines and chocolates by reading 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 and using Reggie as an example of what love is like.
 
Introduction
 
What is special about February 14th? (Response.) Yes, February 14th is Valentine's Day. That's a time when people send valentines, sometimes mushy and sometimes funny, to people they love. And they might even give that person some chocolates! This is a way of saying "I love you" to someone. But love is more than valentines and chocolates. In the Bible 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 tells us what love is really like. Listen:
 Happy Valentine
1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
It does not envy.
It does not boast.
It is not proud.
It is not rude.
It is not self-serving.
It is not easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil
but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always endures.
Love never fails.
Reggie's Example 
 
The Bible verses I just read tell us what love is like. But we can't actually see love. We see what love can do. It often helps us to understand something we can't actually see (like love) if we have an example. I think Reggie is a good example of some of the things that describe love.
 
Reggie is a patient dog. He stands for as long as an hour sometimes  while I groom him and pluck the hairs out of his ears. He never gets irritable or cross and although I know plucking his ears hurts, he never tries to bite me or jump off the table. He is kind and patient. He puts up with (endures) a lot. And he doesn't hold a grudge against me later for accidentally stepping on his tail or plucking his ears.
 
 Reggie is very gentle and kind with the strangers we meet when he is working at the hospital or nursing home. He is faithful, always glad to see me and never complains about what I do or don't do. He is a good example of what love is like.
 
Conclusion
 
As you heard from Corinthians and as you see from Reggie, there's more to love than valentines and chocolates. But that doesn't mean that valentines and chocolates are bad! They are nice ways to tell someone that we love them - if we show our love in other ways too.  In fact, Reggie has a valentine for each of you today. But first let's pray: 

Lord, help us to be patient and kind, to act in a loving way toward everyone around us. In Jesus' name. Amen.
 
 

 

"I will do the best I can, with what I have, where I am, for Jesus' sake today."