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Love That Never Stops

The Lord helps His little children walk, calls them back when they wander, and loves them always

  • ☀️ Sunbeams
  • Week 47
  • 📅 Sunday, November 22, 2026
🤔 Forehead Guess🏆 Showdown
💡 The big idea

Heavenly Father and Jesus love me always.

I can feel that Heavenly Father and Jesus love me.

Study it yourself firstRead Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel in Gospel LibraryCome, Follow Me manualOpen this week (Hosea 1–6; 10–14; Joel)
Know the chapters

Hosea was a prophet who taught how much the Lord loves His people, even when they wander away. He compared the Lord’s love to a faithful husband’s love and to a parent’s love for a little child: “When Israel was a child, then I loved him” (Hosea 11:1). The Lord says He taught His children to walk, “taking them by their arms,” and drew them close “with bands of love” (11:3–4).

The people turned away, but the Lord kept calling, “O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God” (14:1), and promised, “I will love them freely” (14:4). His love would be like dew, and His people would “grow as the lily” (14:5). The prophet Joel told of hungry locusts eating every crop, and of the Lord sending rain so everything could grow again (Joel 2:23–26). Joel also promised, “I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28).

Your one tiny truth: Heavenly Father and Jesus love me always. In the Old Testament, “the LORD” is Jehovah, who is Jesus Christ; He and Heavenly Father love us perfectly. Three-year-olds know what it feels like to be held, helped and hugged. Use that. Even when we make mistakes, They still love us and want us to come back to Them.

Keep today soft and happy: baby steps, hugs, growing flowers, and lots of hearts. Say the tiny truth to each child by name.

Only have 5 minutes?

Cut one paper heart. Hide it under a blanket for a peekaboo reveal (or use the no-supplies versions). Tell the story with your phone or tablet scenes (everyone is a little child learning to walk), play Come Back! Come Back!, say “I will love them freely” with a big hug, sing “My Heavenly Father Loves Me,” and end by telling each child, “Heavenly Father and Jesus love you always.”

What to bring5 items

Tick what you have. Forgot something? Every step that needs a supply has a no-supplies version in the plan below.

Before class

  1. Cut one big paper heart and one small heart for each child.
  2. Hide the big heart under the blanket across the room. Tie or tape one end of the yarn near it and stretch the yarn across the floor to where the children will sit.
  3. Before class, tuck the small hearts around the room in easy spots (on chairs, by the door, under a book) for Heart Hunt.
  4. Open this lesson in Teach Mode so the story pictures and the Sound Board rain are ready.

If your class is wild

  • Crying at the door? Today’s lesson is perfect for it. Say, “Your mom loves you, and Heavenly Father and Jesus love you too.” Let the child hold a paper heart. A parent can stay a few minutes.
  • Potty breaks: send the child with another grown-up or their parent; never be alone out of sight with a child. Keep the class going.
  • In scene 4 (walking away), keep the steps small and inside the room. Everyone comes right back in scene 5.
  • Calm-down trick: “Little seeds!” Everyone curls up small and still while you tap the rain sound. Then grow up slowly.
  • Snacks only after checking allergies and your ward’s policy.

The 25-minute plan24 min + bonus

Bonus steps are for when you have extra time. Steps that mention Teach Mode, the Sound Board or other class games refer to the Gospel Sparks app; on the web you can play Forehead Guess and Scripture Showdown from this page.

1. Hook

Follow the String

3 min

A string trail to a hidden heart shows how the Lord draws us close with “bands of love.”

  1. Show the children the end of the yarn. Say: “Where does this string go? Let’s find out!”
  2. Everyone holds on to the yarn and walks slowly along it, like a little train: “Choo-choo!”
  3. At the blanket, count together: “One… two… three… peekaboo!” Lift it to show the big heart.
  4. SAY“A heart! A heart means love. The Bible says the Lord pulls us close with ropes of love. Heavenly Father and Jesus love you always!”
🌪️ If they pull the yarn, say, “Gentle hands on the love rope!” and slow the train down.

Class screen: 🧶 Where does the string go? · Hold on… · Peekaboo! ❤️

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A ball of yarn or string (about 10–15 feet), A big paper heart, plus one small paper heart for each child (cut from any paper), A scarf, dish towel or small blanket

Love Train

  1. SAY“Let’s make a love train!” Everyone holds hands (or holds shoulders) behind you.
  2. Walk slowly around the room: “Choo-choo!” Stop in a corner.
  3. Hide your hands behind your back. Count together: “One… two… three… peekaboo!” Pop out your hands in a heart shape.
  4. SAY“A heart means love. The Bible says the Lord pulls us close with ropes of love. Heavenly Father and Jesus love you always!”

Class screen: 🚂 All aboard the love train!

2. Story

Story: The Lord Loves His Little Children

5 min

Children act out being helped, wandering away and coming back, and feel that the Lord’s love never stops.

  1. SAY“Everybody stand up. You are all little children today!” Pick one child to be the Rain Helper.
  2. Show each scene on your phone or tablet and read the one or two sentences. You read the Lord’s words.
  3. Do each action together. In scene 4, keep the steps small; in scene 5, welcome everyone back with a big smile.
  4. In scene 7, tap the rain sound while the flowers grow.
  5. End with the tiny truth together: “Heavenly Father and Jesus love me always!”
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 👶 Everyone is a little child! · Walk · Come back! · Grow!

3. Wiggle break

Little Seeds

2 min

A plant-rain-grow wiggle (from Hosea and Joel) burns energy and ends calm.

  1. SAY“Let’s plant a garden!” Everyone pretends to dig and drop in seeds.
  2. Now everyone becomes a seed: curl up small. Tap the rain sound (or wiggle your fingers like rain). “Pitter-patter!”
  3. Make a big sun with your arms. The seeds grow slowly… slowly… into tall flowers.
  4. Pick a pretend flower and smell it: “Mmm!” Do it twice.
🔊 Sound Board (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: 🌱 Seed… rain… sun… GROW! · 🌱 · 🌧️ · ☀️ · 🌷

4. Scripture

Key Words: “I Will Love Them Freely”

3 min

Five Bible words with a hug help the children remember the Lord’s love.

  1. Hold up your scriptures. Say: “The Lord said this in the Bible.”
  2. Say it slowly with motions: “I will love” (hug yourself) “them” (point to friends) “freely” (arms open wide).
  3. Say it together three ways: soft like a whisper, happy and loud, and slow like a sleepy flower.
  4. SAY“That means He loves us always. Heavenly Father and Jesus love me always!”

Class screen: 🤗 “I will love them freely” · 🤗 I will love · 👉 them · 🙌 freely

5. Song

Sing “My Heavenly Father Loves Me”

2 min

Singing about things Heavenly Father made lets them feel His love.

  1. SAY“Let’s sing about how much Heavenly Father loves us.”
  2. Sing “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” (Children’s Songbook, 228). Point to your eyes and ears, and make a big sun and flowers with your hands as you sing.
  3. End with a big self-hug.

Class screen: 🎵 Sing and hug!

6. Game

Heart Hunt

3 min

Every child finds a heart and hears, “You are loved,” one at a time.

  1. SAY“Hearts are hiding all around the room! Can you find one?”
  2. Each child finds one heart and brings it back to you.
  3. When each child comes back, kneel down, smile and say their name: “Ava, Heavenly Father and Jesus love you always!”
  4. Let them keep the heart to take home.
🌪️ Tell them, “Find ONE heart, then come back to me.” If someone grabs extras, ask them to help a friend find one.

Class screen: ❤️ Find a heart!

No supplies? Do this instead

Instead of: A big paper heart, plus one small paper heart for each child (cut from any paper)

Come Back! Come Back!

  1. SAY“Walk around the room like little children. When I say, ‘Come back!’ hurry back to me!”
  2. Call out fun ways to walk: tiptoe, baby steps, big giant steps.
  3. Open your arms and call, “Come back!” Everyone comes back for a gentle high five: “I love you!”
  4. Play 3 or 4 rounds. Say: “Heavenly Father and Jesus always want us to come back to Them.”

Class screen: 📣 Come back! Come back!

7. Wiggle break

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

2 min

A favorite action song: Heavenly Father made all of me and loves all of me.

  1. SAY“Heavenly Father loves ALL of you, from your head to your toes!”
  2. Sing “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” (Children’s Songbook, 275) slowly, then a little faster.
  3. Last time: sing it very slowly and sit down at the end.

Class screen: 🙆 Head, shoulders, knees and toes!

8. Talk it over

Show Me!

2 min

Quick show-me questions let every child answer with their body.

  1. Sit close together in a circle.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time. Any answer, even a point or a nod, gets a smile and a “Yes!”
💬 Ask the class
  • Show me how a baby learns to walk.
  • Show me a great big love hug.
  • Who loves you always?
  • When you make a mistake, what can you say? (“I’m sorry!”)

Class screen: 🙋 Show me!

9. Testimony

Always Loved

2 min

A calm, loving moment where each child hears that they are loved.

  1. SAY“Let’s be quiet like flowers in the sunshine. Fold your arms.”
  2. In a soft voice, say: “Heavenly Father and Jesus love you. They love you when you are happy and when you are sad. They love you even when you make a mistake. I know that is true.”
  3. Look at each child and say their name: “Leo, you are loved.” (Use your own class names.)
  4. Invite a child to say the closing prayer, whispering a few words at a time for them to repeat.

Class screen: ❤️ Heavenly Father and Jesus love me always.

10. Game

Heart Picture Quiz

3 minBONUS

Picture questions review the story; every child points or calls out.

  1. Open Scripture Showdown. Read each question and point to each picture.
  2. Children point to the right picture. No teams needed: everyone wins.
  3. After each answer, everyone makes a heart with their hands.
▶ Play Scripture Showdown on the web

Class screen: ❤️ Point to the right picture!

11. Game

Mystery Picture: What’s Hiding?

3 minBONUS

A slow reveal names things from the lesson.

  1. Open Mystery Picture. Say: “Something is hiding! Let’s take the squares away.”
  2. Remove a square each time the children do a love hug or a baby step.
  3. When they guess, act it out: flower = grow tall, rain = wiggle fingers, baby = rock the baby.
🧩 Mystery Picture (a class game in the Gospel Sparks app)

Class screen: ❓ What’s hiding?

Story drama

The Lord Loves His Little Children

Hosea 11:1–4; 14:1–5 ↗

Parts to hand out

  • Everyone: Little ChildrenTake wobbly baby steps, walk away, then hurry back when they hear, “Come back!”
  • Everyone: FlowersCurl up small like seeds, then grow up tall into flowers.
  • Rain HelperWiggles fingers like gentle rain (or taps the rain sound) when the flowers grow.

Scenes

  1. 👶 The Lord loved His little children

    Long ago, the Lord called His people His children. He loved them very much.

    🎬 Rock a pretend baby in your arms.

  2. 🚶 He helped them learn to walk

    Like a mom or dad helps a baby walk, the Lord held them by their arms.

    🎬 Stand up and take wobbly baby steps. Whoa, whoa!

  3. 🤗 He pulled them close with love

    He drew them close with ropes of love, and He gave them food to eat.

    🎬 Give yourself a big hug. Then pretend to eat: yum, yum!

  4. 🔙 Uh-oh! They walked away

    But the people forgot about Him. They walked away.

    🎬 Turn around and take three little steps away. “Uh-oh!”

  5. 📣 Come back! Come back!

    The Lord did not stop loving them. He called to His people to come back to Him!

    🎬 Turn around and walk back to your spot. Wave your arms: “Come back!”

  6. ❤️ “I will love them freely”

    The Lord said, “I will love them freely.” He loved them always!

    🎬 Make a great big heart with your arms over your head.

  7. 🌷 They grew like pretty flowers

    His love was like gentle dew on the flowers. His people grew up like beautiful lilies.

    🎬 Curl up like a little seed. Then grow, grow, grow into a tall flower!

Key verse

Hosea 14:4 ↗
“I will love them freely”
In kid words: The Lord says, “I will love them freely.” He loves us always!
🙌 “I will love” = hug yourself tight · “them” = point to all your friends · “freely” = open your arms wide like a big sunshine.

More verses

Hosea 11:3 ↗
“I taught Ephraim also to go, taking them by their arms”
In kid words: The Lord helped His children walk, holding them by their arms.
Hosea 11:4 ↗
“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love”
In kid words: He pulled them close with ropes of love.
Hosea 14:5 ↗
“I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily”
In kid words: His love is like gentle dew, and His people grow like flowers.
Joel 2:28 ↗
“I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh”
In kid words: Heavenly Father will give His Spirit to lots and lots of people.

Forehead Guess words12 words

  • ❤️ Heart
  • 👶 Baby
  • 🤗 Hug
  • 🌷 Flower
  • 🌱 Seed
  • 🌧️ Rain
  • ☀️ Sun
  • 🧶 String
  • 🦗 Grasshopper
  • 🌾 Wheat
  • 🍇 Grapes
  • 👨‍👩‍👧 Family
Clues for each word
  • Heart: It means love
  • Baby: Learning to walk
  • Hug: Squeeze someone you love
  • Flower: It grows in the sunshine
  • Seed: Tiny, then it grows
  • Rain: Pitter-patter
  • Sun: Bright and warm
  • String: We followed it to a heart
  • Grasshopper: A hoppy, munchy bug
  • Wheat: It grows in the field to make bread
  • Grapes: Purple fruit on a vine
  • Family: People who love us at home
▶ Play Forehead GuessFull screen, 60-second timer, works on any phone.

Scripture Showdown7 questions

  1. Who loves you always?
    • A. 🙏 Heavenly Father and Jesus
    • B. 🦖 A dinosaur
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 🙏 Heavenly Father and Jesus Heavenly Father and Jesus love you always!

  2. What did the Lord help His little children learn to do?
    • A. ✈️ Fly a plane
    • B. 🚶 Walk
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🚶 Walk He held them by their arms, like a mom or dad helping a baby walk.

  3. The people walked away. What did the Lord say?
    • A. 😠 “Go away!”
    • B. 📣 “Come back!”
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 📣 “Come back!” He wanted them to come back, because He loved them.

  4. Did the Lord still love them?
    • A. ❤️ Yes, always!
    • B. 💔 No
    Show answer

    ✅ A. ❤️ Yes, always! “I will love them freely.” He loves them always!

  5. What did His people grow like?
    • A. 🍄 Mushrooms
    • B. 🌵 A prickly cactus
    • C. 🌷 Pretty flowers
    Show answer

    ✅ C. 🌷 Pretty flowers They grew like lilies, beautiful flowers!

  6. What can you say when you make a mistake?
    • A. 😊 “I’m sorry”
    • B. 🙈 Nothing, just hide
    Show answer

    ✅ A. 😊 “I’m sorry” We can say sorry, and Heavenly Father and Jesus still love us.

  7. What helps flowers grow?
    • A. 🍫 Chocolate
    • B. 🌧️ Rain
    Show answer

    ✅ B. 🌧️ Rain Rain and sunshine help flowers grow, and love helps us grow.

▶ Play Scripture ShowdownTeams take turns on one screen.

Songs

  • My Heavenly Father Loves Me Children’s Songbook, p. 228

    The tiny truth in a song, with things to point to. Find it ↗

  • I Am a Child of God Children’s Songbook, p. 2

    We are His children, and He loves us. Find it ↗

  • Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes Children’s Songbook, p. 275

    A wiggle song: He loves all of me. Find it ↗

This week’s challenge

Heart on the Fridge

Put your paper heart on the fridge or by your bed. Every time you see it, give someone in your family a hug and say, “Heavenly Father and Jesus love you!”

Text the parents

Today in Sunbeams we learned from the prophet Hosea that the Lord loves His children like a parent helping a baby walk, and when they wander away He calls, “Come back!” Ask your child: “Who loves you always?” (Heavenly Father and Jesus!) This week, tell your child you love them even when they make mistakes, and that Heavenly Father and Jesus do too.

📝 After class

What worked? Who needs a check-in this week? Jot it here on a printed copy, or in the app’s private class notes.

Got extra time?

💧 Pour It Out! · 3 min

  1. Over a dishpan or towel, pour a tiny trickle of water into a cup. Then pour a whole lot: splash!
  2. SAY“The prophet Joel said Heavenly Father will pour out His Spirit, lots and lots, on His children” (Joel 2:28).
  3. SAY“The Holy Ghost can help us feel warm and happy inside. That’s one way we feel Their love.”

🦗 Munchy Bugs and the Rain · 2 min

  1. SAY“In Joel’s day, hungry bugs ate all the plants!” Everyone hops like a grasshopper and munches: crunch, crunch!
  2. SAY“Then the Lord sent rain.” Everyone wiggles fingers like rain, and the bugs hop away.
  3. Everyone grows into tall wheat and yummy grapes again. Say: “The Lord helped everything grow back!” (Joel 2:23–26).

🤗 Love Hug Pass · 2 min

  1. Sit in a circle. Hold up a paper heart (or your hands in a heart shape).
  2. Pass the heart around the circle. Each child says, “I love you,” as they pass it to a friend.
  3. SAY“We can share love like Heavenly Father and Jesus do.”

Sources

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version, the Bible used by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Tap or click a reference to open it in Gospel Library. Start with the official Come, Follow Me manual; these ideas are here to help it come alive.

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