Bible Lesson for Kids – Forgiveness

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If you’re looking for a Bible lesson on Forgiveness for kids ministry, children’s church, preteen ministry, youth group, sunday school or children’s ministry, then you’ve found it!

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TOPIC:  FORGIVENESS

BIBLE: Mark 11:25

ACTIVITY – A BIG MESS

Supplies:  3 blank sheets of white paper, red cones (or masking tape), and one pencil or pen per preteen.  Beforehand, use the red cones or masking tape to make a line down the middle of the room splitting it in half.

How to play: Give three sheets of white paper to each player and tell them to write one mean action on each sheet of paper.  Examples: brother hits sister, friend gossips about classmate, or kid calls someone a nerd.  Next, have preteens make a paper airplane out of each sheet of paper.  If someone doesn’t know how to make one, have those that do help.  Divide the group in half.  On GO, preteens throw their airplanes on the other side of the masking tape or red cones.  They keep throwing until time is called.  Stop the game after 2-3 minutes.

The point: When we fight mean actions with mean actions, all we do is make a big mess.  Just like you see here on the ground – a big mess of mean actions all over the place.

Instead of getting revenge or holding on to our anger towards them, God has a different way.

Read Mark 11:25 

“When you are praying, if you are angry with someone, forgive him so that your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins.” – Mark 11:25 (NCV)

Say: When somebody is mean to you it is always best to forgive.  Most ignore it, get even, or stay mad.  Ignoring the situation or your feelings about what happened won’t solve the problem.  It’s okay to feel mad, sad, or embarrassed.  Just don’t stay that way because your anger will come out sooner or later.  Bring it to God and ask him to help you forgive the person.  If you get even, then it just makes the problem worse.  Just like when you pour gasoline on a fire – the fire gets even bigger.  And staying mad won’t help either because you’re the one who pays in the long run.  Your anger will eventually spill over into other areas of your life.  Before you know it you’ll be screaming at your friends, kicking your cat, and having an attitude with your parents.  Forgiveness is always the best road to take.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

1. Talk about a time when somebody was mean to you or hurt your feelings.  How did it make you feel?
2. When somebody is mean to you, do you want to get even?  Why or why not?
3. Why is it hard to forgive?  Explain.
4. Why is it better to forgive rather than get even?  Explain.

More Bible verses on Forgiveness: Psalm 86:12; Matthew 6:14; Mark 11:25; Luke 6:37; Luke 17: 4; Colossians 3:13

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