by Karen & Grace Morris
The God is love Bible crafts explore several verses such as John 3:16, Roman 5:5, Romans5:8, and 1 John 4:9-11.
Make the crafts for Valentine's Day or anytime your class is talking about the love God has for us.
Each craft is easy and uses materials that you probably have at home or in the craft supply cabinet.
Most of us know John 3:16. It states that God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son.
So, make a gift box to show that God gave his son.
Cut a piece of card stock 8 1/2 by 5 inches and fold both short sides 1 1/2 inches to the center. Unfold it. The center will measure 2 inches.
Now make the tab, measure 1 inch from the top and make a line, cut on the fold line to the center and then to the edge.
Fold the card stock to the tab, fold it in half again.
Place the paper in front of you so that the tab is on the top. Look at the first folds near the bottom of the card stock. You will cut on these lines. Also, cut on the second fold line on each side.
Now, cut on the fold line between the tab at the top.
Bring the bottom and sides of the card stock up. Also, bring the top up. Place the sides inside the box that you just formed. Depending on the thickness of the card stock, you might need to glue the sides together.
Cut a heart approximately 2 by 2 inches from pink or red paper, write Jesus on the heart. Glue the heart to the lid of the box.
Fold the tab down on the lid and place it inside the box.
In this John 3:16 craft, the focus is on God loves the world.
In Roman 5:5, we read that hope is not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad (some translations say poured) out in our hearts.
Cut a 5 1/2 by 5-inch rectangle for the pitcher, a 3-inch rectangle from red paper, and 4 blue tear shapes 2 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches.
Fold a 5 1/2 by 5-inch rectangle in half. Round the bottom by cutting off the corner. Approximately 1 1/4 inches from the fold make a curved line for the pour spout. The shape will look something like a pitcher or jar.
From red construction paper, cut a 3-inch heart shape.
Write a letter of the word “LOVE” on each drop.
Place the pitcher in the top corner of the background. Add the water droplets starting with the letter “L”. At the bottom corner, add the heart. You might have to trim the heart and/or tear shapes so that everything fits on the background.
Glue the pitcher to the top left corner of the background. Below the pitcher, glue the letter “L”. Continue until the word “love” is spelled with the water drops.
Glue the heart slightly over the drop with the letter “E”.
On the pitcher, write, “God poured His”.
Write “Romans 5:5” on the background sheet.
Christ died for us.
Cut a 5 by 8-inch piece of card stock.
Cut six heart shapes, approximately 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 inches.
Cut the center out of the hearts.
Find the center and make a small mark with a pencil. Glue a heart about 1/2 inch down from the center mark.
Glue another heart just below the first heart. Continue down, gluing two more on. You will have four hearts in a row.
Glue one on the right and left of the second heart. Also, add smaller hearts in the corners.
In the center of the first, heart, write the letter “L”. Then write an “o” in the center of the second, heart going down. Continue down so that the downwards ones spell the word love.
On the left heart, write the letter “G”. On the right one write the letter “d”. The arms of the cross spell God.
The love of God and loving one another are related.
1 John 4:7-21 we learn that God is love because he sent his Son to die for our sins, so we can show the love of God by loving others.
In 1 John 4:9-10, we read that God loved us by sending his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Cut a 9 by 6 inch rectangle from pink construction paper. Fold in half and draw half of a heart shape. In the center, draw another hear approximately 1/2 inch from the first. Cut on your lines.
Cut a 2-inch square from black paper.
Fold the square in half. Draw a line 1/8 inch from the fold. Draw the arms 3/8 from the top. The arms are 1/4 inch wide. Cut the shape out. When the cross is still folded, cut off 1/4 inch from the arms.
Unfold the cross. The arms should measure 1 1/4 inches long.
Fold a piece of red construction paper in half. Glue the outline of the pink heart to the paper. In the center of the heart glue the cross.
On the front write, “God loves you”.
Open the card, glue the small pink heart inside. Also, write, “and I love”. On the pink heart write, “you”.
In 1 John 4:11, we read if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.
Fold your paper in half.
Dip the end of the cotton swab in the paint. Use the swab to write “God Loves You” on the front of the card. You can make the O's look like hearts if you want.
You can also make heart shapes by making “Y” s with the cotton swab. Let your card dry.
On the inside, write “And I Love You Too”.
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