Week 3 April: God Gives Me Commandments Because He Loves Me

 

Week 3 April

Exodus 20–34
“God Gives Me Commandments Because He Loves Me”

 God gives me commandments because He wants me to be happy.

This week, help your children see that commandments are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to be safe and happy. Read or summarize the Ten Commandments together from Exodus 20:3–17, then make it hands-on!

Activity ideas:

  • Draw or Match: Give each child paper and crayons to draw one commandment. For younger kids, draw simple symbols ahead of time (like a heart for “love God,” or a family for “honor parents”) and let them match or color them.

  • Commandment Hunt: Hide 10 small paper “tablets” around the room, each with one commandment written or drawn on it. As children find them, talk about what it means and how it brings happiness.

  • Music time: Sing “Keep the Commandments” (Children’s Songbook, 146–147). Ask, “What does this song teach us about why Heavenly Father gives us rules?”

  • Testimony Sharing: Invite each family member to share one time when keeping a commandment made them feel closer to God or happier inside.

The Lord wants me to honor my parents.

Read Exodus 20:12 together and repeat the phrase, “Honor thy father and thy mother.” Explain that honor means showing love and respect.

Try this: Take turns acting out things that show honor—helping with chores, saying kind words, listening the first time, giving hugs, or saying “thank you.” Everyone guesses what the action is!

Discuss: How did Jesus honor His parents? (You can share Luke 2:48–51 and John 19:26–27.) Talk about how following Jesus’ example shows love for your family and for God.

Honoring the Sabbath is a sign of my love for the Lord.

Look at a few signs together (stop sign, store sign, etc.) and talk about what signs do—they show something important. Then read Exodus 31:13, 16–17 and notice how the Sabbath is described as a sign between us and God.

Ideas to try:

  • Make a “Sabbath Sign” poster together showing ways your family shows love for the Lord on Sunday—praying, resting, reading scriptures, singing, or serving others.

  • Talk about how keeping the Sabbath holy is one way we show our love back to Him.

I will not “turn aside” from God’s ways.

Read or retell the story of the golden calf from Exodus 32:1–8, 19–24 and 34:6–7 (you can use Moses on Mount Sinai from Old Testament Stories for visuals).

Activity: Create a simple path on the floor using paper or tape. As children walk along it, read the verse “They have turned aside quickly out of the way.” Have them “turn aside” off the path and talk about what it means to stray from God’s commandments. Then help them walk back and discuss what helps us stay on His path—repentance, prayer, scriptures, kindness, and choosing the right.

End with a simple truth: Heavenly Father always wants to help us return to Him, no matter how many times we wander off the path.

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