Can you forgive someone for the wrong being done?
What is true forgiveness?
How does it feel when you DO and DO NOT forgive?
Ephesians 4:32
“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
Feelings of Forgiveness fill-in-the-face doorknob hanger
OBJECTIVE: FEELINGS OF FORGIVENESS filling-in-the-face doorknob hanger. This mind switch sign can motivate youth to forgive as the positive feelings of peaceful, happy, loving, and friendly come. When they don’t forgive they feel: angry, jealous, unhappy, and critical. It’s a daily choice to make.
TO MAKE Print and cut out the Forgiveness doorknob hanger for each youth. Fold the sign in half and glue it back to back. Have youth draw in forgiving and unforgiving faces (as shown).
ACTIVITY:
Forgiveness doorknob hanger. Help youth (ages 8-11) to think about forgiving and unforgiving feelings and how those feelings appear in our faces with this doorknob sign.
THOUGHT TREAT: Forgiving Faces and Popcorn. Make popcorn and tell the youth that each popcorn kernel looks like a face and talk about the different faces in the activity (above). Also, youth might like some butter mints with their popcorn and say, “We were ‘mint’ to forgive.”
Stories on Forgiveness
• Jesus Forgives the soldiers who crucified Him. (Luke 23:34).
• Joseph’s Forgiveness forgives his brothers (Genesis 42-45)
• Story of Malcolm Tent who could not forgive others.
For younger children share the Joseph Forgives His Brothers finger puppets shown right to DOWNLOAD HERE (COMING SOON).
DISCUSSION POINTS (Joseph sold into Egypt, Forgiveness)
Joseph Was Rejected By His Brothers
• Jacob had 12 sons. He loved and favored Joseph. He made Joseph a coat of many colors. Joseph’s brothers were jealous and hated him. (Genesis 37:3-4)
• They sold Joseph as a slave. He was brought to Egypt and sold to a man called Potiphar who was Pharaoh’s captain of the guard. (Genesis 39:1)
Joseph Had Potential & Obeyed God
• Potiphar could see that God was with Joseph and he made Joseph ruler over all his house. (Genesis 39:1-6)
• Potiphar’s wife liked Joseph and wanted him to break God’s commandments with her. He told her no, and ran away. She told lies about Joseph to Potiphar and Potiphar put him in prison. (Genesis 39:7-20)
Joseph Was Blessed with Inspiration
• God showed mercy to Joseph in prison. The keeper of the prison could see the Lord was with Joseph and put him in charge of the prisoners. (Genesis 39:21-23)
• The Pharaoh was displeased with his chief butler and chief baker and put them in prison. Joseph was in charge of them. The butler and baker both had dreams. (Genesis 40:2-8)
• God blessed Joseph to be able to interpret their dreams. The butler’s dream meant he would be freed and placed back in Pharaoh’s court. (Genesis 40:1-15)
• Then Pharaoh was troubled by a dream. Pharaoh did not understand the dream. The chief butler remembered what Joseph had done for him in prison. The Pharaoh sent for Joseph. Joseph said, “God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” (Genesis 41:1-16)
• Through the power of God Joseph interpreted the dream and warned Pharaoh there would be seven years of abundant crops and lots of food then there would follow seven years of famine where there would be no food. (Genesis 41:14-36)
Joseph Was a Leader
• God was with Joseph. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all the land of Egypt. He said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?” (Genesis 41:38)
• Joseph was the greatest leader in Egypt next to Pharaoh. He was over all the land and even over all of Pharaoh’s household. Joseph caused all the grain and corn to be stored in Egypt for seven years preparing for the seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:48-49)
• The famine came and many came to Egypt to buy food from Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:54-57)
Joseph Was Forgiving
• Joseph’s family lived in Canaan. Jacob, his father, was worried about the famine. He sent his sons, Joseph’s brothers, to Egypt to buy grain. They discovered Joseph was alive and a great leader for Pharaoh. They felt great sadness for selling him as a slave. Joseph forgave his brothers. He told them it was God’s plan for him to come to Egypt so he could save his family from starvation. (Genesis 45:4-8)
• Joseph had them bring his father, Jacob, and all their families back to Egypt to live in peace and prosperity. (Genesis 45:18)
• This is a sweet story of FORGIVENESS. We can all be like Joseph and forgive those who may mistreat us.
• Joseph was a great example of letting God guide our lives even when it is hard. He was sold into slavery and even put in prison, yet he knew God was with him. He knew he could trust God to make things work for his good.
A Story about Malcolm Tent
Malcolm Tent began putting a rock in his pocket every time someone did something to anger or annoy him. The rock served to remind him of the incident and make sure he didn’t forget to stay angry at the person responsible.
Malcolm’s collection of reminder rocks soon spilled out of his pockets and throughout his house. The rocks, symbols of his negative feelings toward others, came to dominate his entire life.
Can you imagine rocks all over your house? What would that look like? Perhaps it is better to let go of the rocks and feel the freedom of forgiveness. When someone annoys you or is unkind instead of collecting rocks perhaps you can talk to your parents about your feelings and ask them to help you work through them. Don’t forget to forgive yourself too. We all make mistakes and it is best to be kind to ourselves.
BIBLE SCRIPTURES TO UNDERLINE:
• Ephesians 4:32
“Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
• Luke 23:34
“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”
• Matthew 18:21-22
“Then came Peter to him and said, Lord, How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
• 1 Peter 4:8
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”