.png)
1. Dive Deeper: For God So Loved the World (John 3:16)
- Collected Joys
- Sep 25
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 3
About our Dive Deeper Series
Welcome! This post accompanies our newest book, Memory Verses in Action —created to help kids not only memorize Scripture but also live it out in daily life.
Each post of our Dive Deeper series includes extra resources for every verse in the book—featuring activities, songs, teaching videos, and reflection questions to help kids understand and apply God’s Word.
To learn more about the book and explore all the available resources, click here.
Dive Deeper: John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” — John 3:16 (NIV)
In this verse, kids learned that God showed His great love by sending His Son, Jesus, so that everyone who believes in Him can have eternal life. It’s one of the most important and well-known verses in the Bible—a perfect place to start learning about God’s love and salvation.
Below you’ll find fun ways to explore this verse even more, including a simple activity, a song, and a short teaching video to help kids understand what it means that God gave His Son for us. You’ll also find reflection questions to spark conversation about how we can show God’s love to others every day.
Activity Idea: God’s Greatest Gift
Wrap up a small gift box with a cross or heart inside. Let kids open the gift and talk about how Jesus is God’s greatest gift to the world.
Additional Discussion Topics and Questions
In the Live It Section, we learned: John 3:16 is one of the most important verses in the Bible because it tells us about God’s amazing love. God gave us the greatest gift—His Son, Jesus—so we can live with Him forever.
It can be helpful to break this verse down into four big truths:
God loves. His love is bigger than we can imagine. He loves every person in the world, including you.
We sin. Sin is when we choose to do wrong things—like lying, disobeying, or being unkind. Everyone sins, and it separates us from God.
God gave. God didn’t leave us in our sin. He gave His Son, Jesus, the greatest gift, to take the punishment for our sins on the cross.
We believe. When we believe in Jesus—trusting Him as God’s Son who died and rose again—we are forgiven and receive eternal life with Him.
Additional discussion questions:
What gift did God give the world?
How does Jesus show us God’s love?
Why did Jesus die on the cross, and why is it important that He rose again?
What is sin, and how does it affect our relationship with God?
What do you think eternal life with Jesus is like?
Do you believe that Jesus died for you?
What helps build your faith? (reading the Bible, praying, worshiping, etc.)
How can you share God’s love with someone this week?
Do you know who said this verse?
🎶 Song / Video
Singing Scripture helps it stick in children’s hearts. Here's a catchy song by New Life Kids Worship to help your kids memorize John 3:16! The first video is the song only. The second video features the song and motions.
🌟 Closing Thought
John 3:16 is often called the heart of the Bible because it shows us the whole story of God’s love in one verse: God loves, we sin, God gave, and we believe. Jesus is God’s greatest gift, and when we trust Him, we receive eternal life.
As you practice this verse with your child—through songs, activities, and prayers—remind them that God’s love is not just for today, but forever. Encourage them to deepen their faith by reading God's Word and praying as well as look for ways to share His love at home, at school, and with friends this week.
✨ Next Dive Deeper:
Joshua 1:9 – Be Strong and Courageous
In the next Dive Deeper lesson, we’ll explore how God encouraged Joshua to be brave and trust Him in every situation. You will find activities, videos, and reflection questions that help kids understand what it means to be strong and courageous because God is always with them. Click below to begin the next lesson, or visit our Dive Deeper page for more tools and resources that go along with Memory Verses in Action.
Our Favorite Kids’ Bibles & Devotionals
Looking for more ways to help your child grow in God’s Word? Here are a few of our favorite Bibles, devotionals, and faith-building books for kids! These are wonderful tools to use alongside the Memory Verses in Action series and to encourage everyday conversations about faith at home.
Please note: This section contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we personally use and love!
This is one of our top recommendations! All the verses in Memory Verses in Action come from the NIV translation (except for Philippians 4:13), so kids can easily find and follow each passage in this Bible. It’s filled with colorful illustrations, fun facts, and “Live It!” features that help kids apply God’s Word to daily life. This is a great Bible for elementary-aged readers!
In addition to the standard version, check out this adorable personalized edition. Add your child’s name to make their Bible extra special!
➡️ Explore More Faith Resources
Please visit the links below to see all of our recommended resources:
Thank you for joining us!
Find more resources for Memory Verses in Action below.
.png)
.png)
Comments