Father’s Day is coming up on Sunday.

It can be a highly emotional and tough day for some students whose fathers have abandoned them or who have a strained relationship with their dad.

Then there are those who have experienced nothing but love from their fathers.

This lesson is created with both in mind.

The big idea: God is the perfect Father and shows us what love truly looks like.

Our hope is that your students really get that God deeply and passionately loves them.

– Nick Diliberto, Ministry to Youth

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the…

ONE YEAR PASS – For one year save 93% on $1,440 worth of youth group lessons, Bible studies, games, events & more. Only available through March 28!

 YOUTH GROUP LESSON ON FATHER’S DAY

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

Bible: 1 John 3:1-3

Bottom Line: God is the perfect Father and shows us what love truly looks like.

SUPPLIES

Cans of shaving cream

Cocoa puffs cereal

Hairdresser capes or trash bags with holes cut in them for the ‘bearded contestants’

Sunglasses or goggles for bearded contestants

Towels

Giant Father’s Day Card and large markers

Youtube video of David Crowder’s “How He loves us” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ

OPENING GAME: BEARDED DECORATING PARTY

Game Options

For a large group:  Choose 4 ‘contestants’ to come forward and then choose 4 partners to help them and use this as an up-front crowd game.

For a smaller group:  Divide the youth into pairs and one person will be the ‘bearded one’ and the other will try to throw the cocoa puffs in their ‘beard’

Be sure to give the bearded contestants a cape (or trash bag with a hole) to protect their clothing and the sunglasses or goggles to protect eyes from the shaving cream.

Have the ‘bearded contestant’ stand a few feet across from their partner with a bowl of cocoa puff cereal.

Next,  have an adult make a beard using the shaving cream on each ‘bearded’ contestant.

On the word ‘go’, the partner will toss as many of the puffs as they can in a minute into the beard of their partner.

The bearded contestant with the most puffs wins!

TEACH

Share a funny story of your own dad.

Say: When I say “Father’s Day” what are the words that come to mind?

Write down what the youth say on the large Father’s Day card. These words will also be a helpful ‘gauge’ of how they are thinking regarding Father’s Day. 

After you’ve written down their words, add this word: God.

Father’s Day can be a day in which we honor our dads or other important men in our lives, but it can also be a really tough day for those who have lost their fathers or wish they had a father to celebrate.

It can be easy to forget the most important Dad in our lives.

God, our heavenly Father.

Read 1 John 3: 1-3.

These words might sound simple, but imagine that you are hearing this for the first time.

You are a child of God.

God is your heavenly father.

And he loves you more than you could ever be able to measure.

There are no words big enough to explain how much your Father in heaven loves you.

The lengths that he would go to for you have no limits.

God loves you and you are a child of God.

How does that make you feel?

Give the youth a chance to share their thoughts.

You can see how much God loves you by looking at the cross: God showed his love for you by dying for you.

There is no price he wouldn’t pay for you.

He is the Daddy of all Daddies and you are the love of his life.

Isn’t that amazing?

Share about a time in which you realized the depth of God’s love for you or ask if one of the teens would like to share. 

Here is another amazing thing: God, the creator of the universe.

God who spoke the world into existence and created animals and plants and ecosystems… that God loves you.

God delights in you.

And God wants you to know him… God wants to share his thoughts and dreams with you.

See, God is not a distant father.

He doesn’t just want you for a weekend.

He is in this thing with you.

God is never too busy for you.

You are his priority and his every thought is for you.

When you feel alone, unheard or forgotten, God is holding out his arms to you because you are his child.

And that simple fact changes everything.

As this song plays, there is a large Father’s Day card and you can come and write a note to your Heavenly father because if anyone deserves a card on Father’s Day it is your Heavenly Father.

Play David Crowder’s “Oh how he loves us” – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ

Have adults ready to be able to pray with those who might find this sharing emotional.

Close with a prayer in which you present the Father’s Day card to God.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  • You are a child of God – how does that make you feel?
  • How is God like an earthly father and how is God different from an earthly father?
  • How do you think it could help people to realize just how much God loves them?
  • What do you think God loves about you?

DOWNLOAD THE PDF OF THIS LESSON

Looking for youth ministry curriculum? Check out the…

ONE YEAR PASS – For one year save 93% on $1,440 worth of youth group lessons, Bible studies, games, events & more. Only available through March 28!

Want another free lesson? Check out this…

Youth Group Lesson on Esther

6 Replies to “YOUTH GROUP LESSON ON FATHER’S DAY”

  1. Becky Forkel
    • June 4, 2017

    Thank you for serving as a youth leader!
    What you do is so important and we appreciate YOU!

    Reply
  2. Becky Forkel
    • June 15, 2017

    Thank you so much for sharing! That is so awesome.

    Reply
  3. D Cooper
    • June 13, 2022

    Great lesson

    Thanks

    Reply
  4. D. Harris
    • June 18, 2022

    I really like this for Father’s Day. I enjoy all the lessons you have written. Thank you for helping us share the Word with children and teens. God bless!

    Reply

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