Forgive One Another 

Bible Lesson & Game

Memory Verse: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians4:32).

Teaching objectives: To help children understand that forgiveness is a command of God. 

Jesus died on the cross for our sins so that we might not be punished. Through his sacrifice God forgave our sins and made us His sons and daughters.

Dramatized Lesson: Forgiving others

Materials: Three strips of paper
Preparation: Write a different situation on each piece of paper such as:
1) A child is caught stealing a piece of candy from a store. He must return the candy and ask for forgiveness.
2) A sister must forgive her younger brother who has lost her favorite toy.
3) Children pray and ask God to help them forgive their father, who has left their family.

Presentation

We have been talking about how we should treat each other and how to forgive one another [Joseph forgave his brothers - Genesis 37-39; 41-45]. Now let us see how you would do it practically in tough situations. (Hold up the papers) 

I would like some volunteers to act out these situations. You have to show us what you would do in such a situation. (Choose as many children as you need and divide them into three groups. Then give each group a piece of paper and let them act out their particular situation for the class.)

Forgiving others can be hard, but is a commandment to all Christians. It becomes easier to forgive others when we remember that Jesus has forgiven us.

Game: Freeze Tag

Rules: You will need a large space to play this game. Designate a person to be the "Freezer" and another to be the "Forgiver." The freezer will run around trying to freeze people. When the freezer touches someone, that person must freeze in that position until the Forgiver comes and whispers in his ear, "You are forgiven." Play this game several times, choosing new children to be the Forgiver and the Freezer. 

Application: Explain how forgiveness sets us free. When we are wronged or bad things happen to us, it is as though our lives stop. We can become bitter, hard, and frozen. When we forgive, we let go of those past hurts and are able to move on again with our lives.

God bless you and your children as you deliver this lesson.

Copyright 2010 Rebecca Paul

Return to the Bible Lessons and Sermons page.

You can make a difference!
Your purchases and donations to the site help to distribute our children's ministry resources to churches across the world.

Subscribe to our Newsletter - Learn More