This lesson teaches children that God wants them to love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength, and to keep His words close every day. It suits children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes, including the story, a memory verse, and one activity.
Big Idea
God is the only God, and we love Him with everything we have. We talk about Him at home, at play, and at bedtime, so we never forget Him.
Memory Verse
Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
(WEB)
Place both hands on your heart, then stretch your arms wide open like you are giving God a big hug. Say the verse together while you do the motion, and repeat it three times, getting a little louder each time.
The Story: Deuteronomy 6 for Kids
Long ago, God’s people, the Israelites, were about to enter a new land called Canaan. Before they went, Moses gathered them together to remind them of God’s rules. He wanted them to remember how God had rescued them from being slaves in Egypt.
Moses told them something very important. He said, “Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one.” God alone is the one true God, and no other god could take His place. Moses wanted every family to know this truth well.
Next, Moses told parents how to teach their children. He said to talk about God’s words when you sit at home, when you walk down the road, when you lie down to sleep, and when you get up in the morning. God’s words were to be everywhere in their daily lives.
Moses also said parents should write God’s words on the doorposts of their houses and on their gates. These words were a reminder that God was always watching over them. Moses wanted the people to keep God first, even when life became comfortable.
Then Moses explained why this mattered. When children asked what God’s commands meant, parents were to tell them the story of how God brought their family out of Egypt. The story reminded everyone that God had always been faithful, and that He wanted what was good for His people.
Read It Together
Deuteronomy 6:4
Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one.
(WEB)
Point out that this verse is the heart of the lesson. Ask children to say “The LORD is one” with you, and explain that it means there is only one true God who loves us.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
6 These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
(WEB)
Show how these words tell families to talk about God all day long. Name a few ordinary moments, like breakfast, car rides, and bedtime, when a family can share a bit of God’s word.
Deuteronomy 6:20-21
20 When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God has commanded you mean?” 21 then you shall tell your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand…
(WEB)
Explain that children are encouraged to ask questions, and parents are told to answer with stories. Invite the children to share a question they have about God and talk about how a story can help answer it.
Talk About It
- What are some ways you can show God you love Him with your whole heart?
- Where do you see God’s words being talked about in your own home?
- Why do you think Moses wanted the people to remember how God rescued them from Egypt?
- What is one thing you could do this week to remember that God is the only God?
- When is a time you have asked your parents or teacher a question about God, and what did they tell you?
Activity Ideas
Heart Doorpost Craft
You will need construction paper, crayons or markers, scissors, and glue. Have each child cut a tall rectangle to look like a doorpost, then draw a big heart on the top and write or draw one thing they can do to love God. Let them hang their doorpost on the fridge or bedroom door as a reminder at home.
Walk, Sit, Lie Down, Rise Up Game
You will need no supplies, just open space. Call out “sit,” “walk,” “lie down,” or “rise up,” and have the children act out each one. After each action, call out a simple phrase like “The LORD is one,” and have everyone repeat it, so the words become part of their movement.
Take-Home Family Talk Card
You will need an index card or small piece of paper for each child, and a pen. Write one question on each card, such as “What is one way God helped our family this week?” Encourage children to ask the question at dinner or bedtime, and tell them to bring back what they heard to share in next week’s class.
Teacher Notes
For adults, this passage is a call to make faith a daily habit rather than a Sunday event. Moses urges families to keep God’s words central in ordinary moments, and to pass on the story of God’s faithfulness from one generation to the next. Love for God is shown through steady, everyday attention, not only through big moments.
Avoid overstating to children that God is angry or ready to punish them. The passage does warn against turning to other gods, but children should hear it mainly as an invitation to love God faithfully. Focus on God’s kindness and faithfulness, which is the reason the commands are given in the first place.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, we know that You are the one true God, and we want to love You with our whole hearts. Help us remember Your words when we sit, walk, lie down, and get up. Thank You for rescuing Your people and for always taking care of us. Amen.
