Reading Practice:
In America, one of the more popular holidays is Valentine’s Day. It is traditionally celebrated on February 14th. Many people send cards to their loved ones: a wife/girlfriend or husband/boyfriend. People also give chocolates and flowers (usually red roses) to their loved ones on this day. Valentine’s Day is probably over-commercialized. This means that companies which make and sell these valentine gifts try to tell us to give gifts to people we love: including mothers, sisters, friends, teachers and children!

Vocabulary:
It is true there are different forms of love. Look at the different types of love below. Use the words under them to describe situations of how the love is shown.

Parental love: the love that a parent has for a child.

• protect
• sacrifice
• nurture
• nourish/feed

Brotherly love: the affection we have for our close friends.

• encourage
• support
• share
• enjoy together

Romantic love between a husband and wife.

• fulfilling
• exclusive
• (the other words above could also be used)

Discussion Questions:

1. What words can you think of that describe God’s love to us? John 3:16 is perhaps the most famous verse in the Bible: "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16 NASB)
2. Last month, we learnt that God offers eternal and abundant life. Here, we see that God offers His love. How is this love the greatest of all the different types of love?
3. 1 John 4:10 explains: This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven. (Good News Translation) How do you think God has shown His love to you personally?