Bible Verses About Love for Kids (KJV)
The most important Bible verse about love for kids is 1 John 4:19 — “We love him, because he first loved us.” Below are ten short King James verses about God’s love and about loving other people, each explained in one simple line.
This week’s memory verse
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
1 John 4:19 (KJV)
10 KJV verses, explained for children
- 1
1 John 4:19
“We love him, because he first loved us.”
What it means: God loved you before you ever loved Him.
- 2
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
What it means: God’s love was not just words — He gave His Son.
- 3
1 John 4:7
“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”
What it means: Real love always comes from God first.
- 4
John 13:34
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
What it means: Jesus set the level: love others the way He loves you.
- 5
1 Corinthians 13:4
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,”
What it means: Love waits, love is kind, and love is not jealous.
- 6
Mark 12:30
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.”
What it means: Love God with every part of you — not just on Sunday.
- 7
Mark 12:31
“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
What it means: Your neighbour is whoever is next to you today.
- 8
1 John 3:18
“My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
What it means: Love is something you do, not only something you say.
- 9
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”
What it means: A real friend stays when things get hard.
- 10
1 Peter 4:8
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
What it means: Love keeps forgiving instead of keeping score.
Talk about it
- How do you know that God loves you?
- Who is hard to love right now, and what would loving them look like?
- What is the difference between saying “I love you” and showing it?
Do it together
Draw a big heart and write the names of five people inside it. Choose one loving action for each name this week — a note, a job done, a shared toy — and tick them off together.
Dear God, thank You for loving me first and for giving Jesus. Help me to love the people around me today in what I do, not just what I say. Amen.
Jesus & the Children
Free printable Jesus and the children coloring page — Jesus welcoming little ones with the KJV verse from Mark 10.
Open & printBible stories that show it
Printable memory verse cardsQuestions parents and teachers ask
What is the best Bible verse about love for kids?
1 John 4:19 — “We love him, because he first loved us.” It is eight words long and it teaches the order of the gospel: God’s love comes first, ours is the answer.
How do you explain John 3:16 to a child?
God loved everybody in the whole world so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, so that anyone who trusts Him gets to live with God forever. Ask the child to put their own name where “whosoever” stands.
Which Bible story shows God's love to children?
Jesus welcoming the children (Mark 10:13–16) — the disciples tried to send them away, and Jesus took them in His arms and blessed them.