Phil Vischer, Founder of Jellyfish Labs and co-creator of the acclaimed VeggieTales, opens the Bible to a tiny book all the way at the back. With the help of some animated friends, Phil walks through the entire book of 1 John to answer the question, “What is a Christian?”
This pioneering series packs tons of good theology into short sessions that toddlers to adults will enjoy. Learn not only what the Bible says, but also why and what it means for us today.
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Use these questions to talk to your child about the message of 1 John. Then consider taking the so-what challenge to incorporate this session’s message into your own life alongside your child’s.
Read Again
1 John 3:11–18
“My children, our love should not be only words and talk. Our love must be true love. And we should show that love by what we do.” (1 John 3:18, ICB)
- What does it mean to love someone, according to the Bible? (To choose them. To make them more important.)
- What does it mean to hate someone, according to the Bible? (To reject them. To make them less important.)
- What’s the ultimate example of making someone less important? (To say they don’t deserve to live. To take their life away.)
- Who does John give as an example of this kind of hate? (Cain, who killed his brother Abel.)
- What is the ultimate example of loving? Of making someone more important? (Giving your own life to save someone else.)
- Are there ways to show love without giving up your own life? (Yes! When we help someone who needs help, we make them more important. We show love.)
- We all do things that make other people feel less important. Think of something someone has done that made you feel less important, and something you’ve done to someone else.
- Now think of a way someone made you feel more important. Did you feel loved?
So What?
For toddlers: Help your child see the difference between saying and doing. Say you’ll give him or her a present (snack, toy, book), but don’t. Say, “Love does what it says,” three times. Let your child practice saying and doing.
For grade schoolers: Help your child pick another activity where he or she can make others important (clean a sibling’s room, help a parent with chores, make a present for a friend).
For you: Be intentional to carry out a promise or commitment to your child. Show what active love looks like.