FREE Love Your Enemies Sunday School Lesson! This lesson is great for every Children's Ministry, Kids Church, and Sunday School! Teach kids to love their enemies no matter what. And by the end of this lesson, kids will ask God to help them make a friend out of someone they do not get along with. What does it mean when we pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?” It means that we want our planet to be more like the place where God lives! What’s really cool is that Jesus said we can help make this happen by loving other people—even the ones we don’t like. You're also going to want to check out our Heaven 4-Week Children's Ministry Curriculum.And, if you like this lesson we have over 100 more free Sunday School Lessons for Kids!
BOTTOM LINE:
Love your enemies.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will ask God to help them make a friend out of someone they do not get along with.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 5:43-48, Love Your Enemies
MEMORY VERSE:
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 (NIV)
SUMMARY:
What does it mean when we pray, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven?” It means that we want our planet to be more like the place where God lives! What’s really cool is that Jesus said we can help make this happen by loving other people—even the ones we don’t like.
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Teach us to love our enemies.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
MEMORY VERSE
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 (NIV)
“You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God’s right hand.” Colossians 3:1(NIrV)
LARGE GROUP:
Have the kids read the verse together. Read it normally, then in a whisper, then really, really loud!
SMALL GROUP:
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SKIT
HEAVEN ON EARTH
ITEMS NEEDED:
A desk, chairs
CHARACTER BREAKDOWN:
2F
CHARACTERS:
Leslie - A real estate agent
Megan - A woman who wants to go to Heaven.
Leslie is sitting at her desk. Megan enters.
LESLIE: Hello, may I help you?
MEGAN: Is this Heaven Bound Realty?
LESLIE: Yes it is. I’m Leslie, and you are?
MEGAN: Megan.
LESLIE: Megan, I’m delighted to meet you. How can we help?
MEGAN: I want to move to Heaven!
LESLIE: Really? I don’t blame you. Heaven is such a wonderful place!
MEGAN: Is it really as pretty as they say? Streets of gold and gates of pearl?
LESLIE: Oh, Megan, that’s just the beginning! Heaven is more wonderful than you can imagine. And yes, the streets are made out of gold.
MEGAN: It is jerk-free too?
LESLIE: Jerk…free?
MEGAN: Yeah! They don’t allow jerks in Heaven, right? Like Myra Makowski, my nosey, no-good neighbor?
LESLIE: Well, I…
MEGAN: Because the truth is, I want to get away from her.
LESLIE: Megan, I hear what you’re saying. You have a problem next door, and you want to go to Heaven so you can get away from the problem.
MEGAN: Exactly.
LESLIE: What if I was to tell you that you could live in Heaven on Earth, without even moving?
MEGAN: Really?
LESLIE: It’s possible, but it’s not easy. You see, to have Heaven where you live you have to love your enemies.
MEGAN: What? Love my enemies?
LESLIE: Yes.
MEGAN: But that would mean loving Myra Makowski!
LESLIE: Exactly!
MEGAN: That’s not Heaven if you ask me!
LESLIE: Megan, Heaven is a place filled with God’s love. There’s no room for grudges or anger or gossip or jealousy or anything negative there. The Bible says we can have Heaven on Earth, but in order to have it, we must love our enemies.
MEGAN: I get it, I get it. If I want Heaven on Earth, I can’t go around holding grudges, even against Myra Makowski. Do you really think God can help me learn to l-l-l-l-love Myra?
LESLIE: I believe in Heaven on Earth, Megan, and yes, I believe he can!
OBJECT LESSON
ITEMS NEEDED:
Bathroom air freshener
Years ago there was nothing worse than walking into a bathroom after someone has been in there for a long time. Have you ever walked into the bathroom at home when someone’s taken their time and they didn’t bother to turn on the fan? It’s not very nice, and it’s definitely not pleasant!
Thankfully, a number of years ago, someone got a bright idea. Let’s put something in a can to turn that smelly bathroom into a garden of flowers!
Spray the air freshener close to but not at the kids.
Isn’t that so much better than a stinky bathroom?
The world we live in is a stinky place at times, but we can make it sweeter and fresher when we choose to love others, especially people we don’t get along with. The Bible tells us Heaven is a place free from envy, conflict, and hate. When we choose to love the people who get on our nerves and the people who just don’t seem to like us, we bring a little piece of Heaven down to Earth.
When life gets stinky this week, bring a little Heaven to your world. Love your friends, your classmates, and your enemies, and let the love of Jesus shine in you.
LARGE GROUP GAME
BALLOON RACES
ITEMS NEEDED:
Balloons
INSTRUCTIONS:
Choose three players for this game. Give each one a balloon. Have them blow up the balloon, but do not tie it off. On your signal, have all three balloon holders release their balloons toward the audience. The balloon that flies the farthest from the starting point wins.
VARIATION:
For younger kids, have the adults blow up the balloons and hand them to the kids before releasing.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
When we love others, we spread some Heaven around our world!
LARGE GROUP LESSON
BOTTOM LINE:
Love your enemies.
OBJECTIVE:
Kids will ask God to help them make a friend out of someone they do not get along with.
KEY PASSAGE:
Matthew 5:43-48, Love Your Enemies
INTRO:
What do you guys know about Heaven? Have you heard of this place Heaven? Do you know much about it? Do you know anyone who is already there, enjoying the presence of Jesus?
Heaven is a great fascination to many people. Everyone wants to know if there’s life after death, and if so, where will that life take place. Even people who don’t believe in Jesus like the idea that when we die, there’s a better place for us.
Heaven has especially been a big topic in music the last couple of decades. Led Zeppelin sang about a “Stairway to Heaven,” and Eric Clapton said that there will be no “Tears in Heaven.” The heavy metal band Warrant told us that “Heaven Isn’t Too Far Away,” and 80’s star Belinda Carlisle told us that “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” Today we’re going to discover that Warrant and Belinda Carlisle might have been more right than they knew! Just as Jesus prayed for God’s will to be done, “On Earth as it is in Heaven,” we can bring Heaven to Earth.
Heaven is a real place, according to the Bible. It’s the place Jesus left when he came to Earth, and it’s where he lives now while he prepares a place for us. The Bible tells us that Heaven is a place of eternal life. There’s no sadness, no anger, and no sin. There is only love!
Heaven is something all God’s children look forward to, but that doesn’t mean we can’t experience a little Heaven here on Earth. If Heaven is a place full of love, without any hatred or sin, then we can bring Heaven to Earth by loving others, including the people we don’t get along with. Heaven is a place where there’s no more hatred, no more rivalry. It’s a place where we will learn to truly love our enemies.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies, knowing that if we did, we could bring a little Heaven to our world, right now!
READ MATTHEW 5:43-48
MAIN POINT:
We all have people we love in our lives. We have parents, siblings, grandparents, friends, and neighbors who are kind to us, people who love us and have loved us from the start. It’s easy to love those people back because we know they care for us.
But what about the people who rub you the wrong way? What about the kid who isn’t easy to get along with? The one you have nothing in common with? What about the kids you consider enemies, and the kids you try to avoid because they’re just different?
Jesus says if we only love the people who love us, we’re no different than anyone else in this world. Everyone loves the people who love them; God’s people love everyone, even their enemies. Loving our enemies is a way to bring Heaven to this world because in Heaven, there is only love!
DRIVE IT HOME:
I’m sure all of you have come across someone who is hard to get along with. You’ve all seen kids who keep to themselves, kids who are always whispering, giggling, and making fun of other kids. For whatever reason, these children choose hatred and meanness over kindness. They don’t seem to get along with everyone.
It would be easy to answer their unkind actions with unkind actions of our own. We can call them names, talk behind their backs, or pick on them in return. That’s worldly thinking, and that’s the kind of thinking that doesn’t belong in Heaven.
Heaven is a place filled with God’s love, and when we learn to love those kids who don’t get along with us, we bring Heaven to Earth!
What’s more, God wants us to reach out to kids we don’t know, the ones who may be new or different. God wants us to be loving and kind to the shy kids, the special needs kids, to everyone we meet. We are all God’s children, and God can use us to share his love with kids who truly need him in their lives. In this way, we can bring Heaven to the world by introducing our peers to the one who is preparing Heaven for them and for us!
Jesus prayed, “Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.” He wants that to be our prayer as well. Jesus wants us to bring his love to people who need him while we are here on Earth. Heaven is a real place, and one day, those who love the Lord will go there. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some Heaven here on Earth. Let’s commit ourselves to being God’s love on Earth. Let’s spread love to everyone we meet so that other kids can see Heaven is real in us.
CLOSE WITH A SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Show us how to serve our friends.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (K-2ND)
ICEBREAKER:
What do you think of when you hear the word “Heaven”?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Colossians 3:1
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Blow up a beach ball. On each colored section of the ball, write a topic: movie, song, book, food, animal, vacation, etc. Pass the ball around the circle. Whenever a kid catches the ball, they need to look at the section of the ball facing them and name something in that category they love: a favorite movie, song, book, etc.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Matthew 5:43-48
What does Jesus say we need to do for our enemies?
What reward will we get if we only love those who love us?
How does loving our enemies bring Heaven to Earth?
Is there someone in your school you need to love?
Will you commit to praying for that kid, and asking God to teach you to love them?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Teach us to love everyone, including those who don’t get along with us.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION (3RD-5TH)
ICEBREAKER:
What do you think of when you hear the word “Heaven”?
MEMORY VERSE ACTIVITY:
Colossians 3:1
Ask the kids what they think the writer was trying to say when he wrote these words. Then ask them how this verse is connected to today’s story.
SMALL GROUP GAME/ACTIVITY:
Blow up a beach ball. On each colored section of the ball, write a topic: movie, song, book, food, animal, vacation, etc. Pass the ball around the circle. Whenever a kid catches the ball, they need to look at the section of the ball facing them and name something in that category they love: a favorite movie, song, book, etc.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Read Matthew 5:43-48
Who does Jesus say we need to love?
Why isn’t loving the people who love us enough for God?
How does loving our enemies bring Heaven to Earth?
Is there someone in your school you need to love?
Will you commit to praying for that kid, and asking God to teach you to love them?
SIMPLE PRAYER:
Dear God,
Teach us to love everyone, including those we don’t get along with.
In Jesus’name,
Amen
For your convenience, you can also download the entire PDF version of thisLove Your Enemies Children's Ministry Lesson(just click the link).
Here's a video from ShareFaithkids that you might find helpful to go along with your Sunday School Lesson on Loving Your Enemies.
