Week 41: Christlike Love

Song: Kindness Begins With Me (CS. 145)

Thought: The pure love of Christ, known as charity, is the highest, noblest, and strongest kind of love and the most joyous to the soul (see 1 Nephi 11:23). Jesus Christ is the perfect example of charity. In His mortal ministry, He “went about doing good,” showing tender compassion for the poor, afflicted, and distressed (see Matthew 4:23; Acts 10:38). To obtain Christlike love, we must seek it, pray for it, and follow the example of the Savior in our thoughts, words, and deeds. (Come, Follow Me)

Object Lesson: For this activity you'll need box of Band-aids, poster board and a permanent marker.  Ask your family why we apply bandages or band-aids.  (To help heal wounds) The bandage or band-aid doesn't heal the wound, but it protects the wound while the miracle of healing takes place.  We cannot heal all the hurts that people have.  Sometimes people's bodies get hurt very badly.  We cannot heal them.  Sometimes their feelings and hearts get hurt very badly.  We cannot heal them.  But Jesus wants us to be like a bandage or a band-aid.  He wants our compassion and love to protect a person while He does the healing. On the poster board write in small letters the ideas your family gives you about what hurts them. Write each idea separately and spread them out all over the poster board.  After writing as many ideas as they can come up with, give them all some band- aids.  Before applying a band-aid over one of the wounds written on the poster board ask them to think of something they can say or do that would help the wounded person.  (Don't forget PRAYER!  Even when there seems like there is nothing we can do, we can pray for that person)  The activity is complete when all the wounds talked about are covered with band-aids.  Encourage your family to look for "wounded" people this week that they can love and help. (Idea from Kindergarten Sabbath School Program via Sugardoodle)

Video: The Parable of the Good Samaritan


Lesson Activity: Invite your family to search Luke 10:25–29 and identify the questions the lawyer asked the Savior. Explain that in response to these questions, the Savior gave the parable of the good Samaritan. Assign several of them to represent some of the characters in the parable, and ask them to dramatize the story as you read it together (verses 30–35). Pause occasionally to ask those representing the Levite, the priest, and the Samaritan why they may have acted the way they did, and discuss their answers as a family. Read the Savior’s command to the lawyer in verses 36–37, and invite them to share situations they might face that are similar to the situation in the parable. (Come, Follow Me)

This Week's Challenge: Invite your family to quietly ponder someone in their life who they may have bad feelings for and think of ways they can show more Christlike love toward that person. Encourage them to show charity in their daily lives.