📖

Love Your Enemies

Martin Luther King Jr.: Dreamer of Equality

Day 39of 180
Week 8of 36
20Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)

Learning Objectives

1

Understand how Jesus teaches us to love everyone

2

Learn about Dr. King's peaceful approach to treating others

3

Recognize that everyone is special to God

Matthew 5:44

But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

Matthew 5:44 (WEB)

Dr. King followed Jesus's teaching of loving everyone, even those who were unkind

📦 Materials Needed

  • Paper hearts
  • Coloring pencils
  • Picture book about Dr. King
  • Bible

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather children in a circle and ask them to think about someone who might be hard to be kind to. Explain that today we'll learn about loving everyone, just like Jesus teaches us.

💭 Review Question: Can you think of a time when it was hard to be nice to someone?
2Teaching (8 min)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed that everyone is special, no matter what they look like. He learned from Jesus that we should love people, even when they are mean or different from us.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • God loves every single person
  • Jesus teaches us to be kind to everyone
  • Dr. King showed love instead of anger
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What does it mean to love someone?
  • How can we show love to people who are different from us?
3Activity: Love Hearts Craft (5 min)
hands-on

Children will create heart cards showing ways they can show love to others

📝 Instructions:
  1. Give each child a paper heart
  2. Draw or write ways to show love
  3. Share their heart with the group
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Draw pictures of being kind

Challenge: Write specific acts of kindness

4Closing (2 min)

Remind children that God loves everyone and wants us to love others too.

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did we learn about loving others today?
  • How can you show love this week?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear Jesus, help us love everyone, just like you love us. Amen.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn more about how Dr. King helped make the world a better place.

Matthew 5:44

Love your enemies, bless those who curse you.

Matthew 5:44 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Heart Verse Memorization: Cut out paper hearts and write parts of the verse on each heart

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Dr. King's approach of non-violent love was directly inspired by Jesus's teachings

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use simple language about love
  • Emphasize that everyone is valuable to God
  • Encourage kindness at home
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find it hard to love people who are different or unkind

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Moments of empathy and understanding

Extension Activities

  • Read a children's book about Dr. King
  • Practice saying kind words at home
  • Draw a picture of people from different backgrounds holding hands

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

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