forgiveness

  • Children's drama on Forgiving and blessing others

    Children’s Sermon – Passing on God’s forgiveness / blessings.

    (Gospel text: Parable of the Unmerciful servant Matthew 18: 21-35

    ((Consider doing a simple dramatic representation of the Parable.  Read out a paraphrased version of the text as it is acted out. Though this may take some prior preparation it could be a lot of fun)) - However, here is an alternative:

     
    Children’s message idea: The idea is that in order for us to stand in flow of God’s forgiveness and blessing we need to be extending that forgiveness and blessing to others. (This will be my angle on the parable of the unmerciful servant. )
    - Ask the children get in a line. Find some objects that can represent God’s forgiveness / blessings. (Boxes, balls, etc)  Have the children pass them down the line (like a bucket brigade). Explain how we need to receive God’s blessings and we also need to pass them on to others. Demonstrate how withholding God’s blessings / forgiveness not only deprives others but also stops the flow of God’s blessings / forgiveness to us.
     
    Objects Lesson props: Something you designate as representing God’s forgiveness and/or God’s blessings: A number of large boxes, some soccer balls, etc. (With a large item it will be obvious they the children cannot receive a new a blessing / forgiveness without passing on the blessing / forgiveness they already have.
     
    Full Children’s message: (coming later this evening!
  • Children's Skit -Parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector


    Fun Short Sermon for kids - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector: Who went away justified? 

    Sunday School lesson: Luke 18:9-14  

     
    Short Children’s Sermon – Drama / Skit idea: This parable lends itself well for doing a very simple drama.
    Have two volunteers act out the part. Minimal preparation is needed. Have one individual knell down and pray, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Have the “Pharisee” brag on how wonderful and righteous he is. Ask the children to guess who went away right before God. Explain to the children the importance of confession and humility.
     
    Object lesson items needed: None. Have a very short pre service instruction for your two actors.
     
    Short Children’s skit / Drama
    Good morning Children! Our Bible reading this morning is from Luke 18:9-14. In the passage Jesus tells a story / parable to teach us the danger looking down on others and boasting about how good we are. This morning I have some helpers that are going to act out this story for us. (Invite your actors to come and stand up front.) Jesus told a story about two people going up to the temple (that’s like their church) to pray. The first person was a very religious man. Jesus said that when he prayed he really prayed about himself. (Gesture to the first actor to pray his boastful prayer outlining all his religious credits.) Then the tax collector (or the person who was known to be very bad) stood at a distance and did not even look up to heaven to pray. (Gesture to the “tax collector” to pray his short and humble prayer: “God have mercy on me a sinner.”) Now children, I have a question for you. Which of these two people pleased God? (Or perhaps, “went away closer to God.”) Well, I think most of you are correct. The religious person really wanted to make himself look good. The bad tax collector knew that he needed God’s love and forgiveness and really wanted to change.
    Children, we can’t fool God by trying to make ourselves look better than we are. It’s always best to be honest, say we are sorry to God, and ask for his forgiveness and help.
     
    Children’s Prayer: Dear God, we know that we always need your love and forgiveness. Thank you that we don’t need to pretend we are better than everyone else. In Jesus’ name – Amen
     
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  • Kids Gospel Talk - God forgets our sins

    Kids Object Lesson: “God Forgets Our Sins!”

    Bible Verse: Hebrews 10:17 - “Then he adds: ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’”

    Main Point: When we confess our sins, God forgives us and actually forgets our sins! Because of Jesus, God doesn’t remember the wrong things we’ve done.

    Materials Needed:

    • A handful of sticky notes (Post-its)
    • A calendar or planner (optional: use a phone calendar if it’s easier)
    • A piece of string or rubber band for each child to put on their finger

    Lesson Outline:

    1. Introduce the Idea of Forgetting Things
      • Show the sticky notes and say, “Sometimes we have a lot of things to remember, right? Like homework, chores, or something we promised to do.”
      • Write down “chores,” “homework,” and “promise” on the sticky notes, sticking them to your shirt or hand to show you “remember.”
      • Ask the kids: “Do you ever forget things, even when you try to remember them?” (let them respond)
    2. Use the Calendar or Planner to Show Memory Aids
      • Show the calendar or planner and explain, “Sometimes we write things down so we won’t forget, like appointments or birthdays. Or we might tie a string around our finger as a reminder.”
      • Give each child a small piece of string or a rubber band to put on their finger, saying, “This is a reminder! Sometimes, even when we try our hardest, we still forget things.”
    3. Explain How God ‘Forgets’ Our Sins
      • Say: “Did you know that God chooses to forget something too? (You could ask if they know what He forgets) When we tell God we’re sorry for something wrong we’ve done wrong (what the bible calls sin) and ask Jesus to forgive us, God forgets our sin!” – How amazing is that. He choses to forget our sin!
      • Stick a few sticky notes on yourself with the word “sin” written on them. Explain that these represent the wrong things we do.
      • Say: “These sins “stick to us” sometimes, and we might remember them. But when we say we’re sorry and ask God to forgive us, because of Jesus, He ‘takes off’ these sins and chooses to never remember them again.” Remove the sticky notes and throw them away (or crumple them up).
    4. Illustrate ‘God’s Forgetfulness’
      • Emphasize, “God’s forgetting isn’t like when we forget to do something. God actually chooses to forget our sins! He doesn’t hold them against us anymore. Because Jesus took the punishment for our sins, we don’t have to carry them, and God doesn’t remember them.”
    5. Connect It to Jesus’ Sacrifice
      • Say: “Because Jesus died for us, He paid the price for all the things we do wrong. That’s why God can truly forget our sins. Jesus has taken care of them completely!” How wonderful is that?!
    6. Prayer
      • Encourage the kids to think of something they want to say “sorry” to God for, then take a moment for silent prayer.
      • Close with a prayer thanking Jesus for taking away our sins and asking God to help us remember His love and forgiveness.

    Optional Memory Verse Activity

    • Have the kids memorize Hebrews 10:17 by repeating, “God says, ‘I will remember their sins no more.’” Let them keep the string on their finger as a reminder that God forgets our sins because of Jesus’ love and sacrifice.

    Children’s Prayer: Dear God, thank you that because Jesus we can be forgiven and you will forget our sins. Help us to remember that good new always -  In Jesus’ name – Amen!

    This lesson helps kids understand God’s amazing forgiveness in a tangible way, showing that when we confess our sins, God remembers them no more

    Copyright SundayChildrensFocus 2024 Feel free to use this but please give credit to this we site. Thank you    A.H.