1. FORGIVENESS RECAP

WHAT YOU NEED : Prepared box with items inside

WHAT YOU DO :
• Have the kids sit in a circle around a table or on the floor.
• Put the box in the middle and tell them you are going to try and remember all of our stories from this month.
• Invite one child to pull something out of the box.
• Use the guide below to see if the kids can remember the story and the Bottom Line.

• Coin: The Unmerciful Servant (Matthew 8:21-35). In the story, the king forgave all the servant owed him and asked for nothing in return, just like God forgives us. Bottom Line: Forgive others because God forgives you.
• Pig: The Story of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-24). The son in this story decided to leave his home and spend all of his money on silly things. He ended up sitting with the pigs because he did not make the best choices. He returned home to find his dad so excited that he was home. The dad forgave his son even though he made some mistakes, just like God forgives us. Bottom Line: Everyone needs to be forgiven.
• Party Blowers: Father and Older Brother (Luke 15:21-32). After the son returned home, the dad wanted to throw a huge party. The older brother was not very happy about it and was almost going to miss out on the celebration. He learned that he should be happy that his brother returned home and asked for forgiveness. Bottom Line: When you don’t forgive, you miss out.

WHAT YOU SAY:
“Which of these people we’ve talked about this month do you think was the most thankful to be forgiven? (There is no right answer to this. Simply encourage the kids to share their thoughts.) I think they were all SUPER thankful to be forgiven! I’m always thankful to be forgiven, too. Aren’t you?

“We learned so much this month about forgiveness. It is important for us to ask for forgiveness, forgive others, and celebrate forgiveness. Sometimes it takes hard work and time to forgive those around us, but remember our story today taught us that when you don’t forgive, you miss out.”

2. BLOCKING THE FUN

WHAT YOU NEED: Large stackable items such as Mega Bloks®, LEGO® blocks, or books

WHAT YOU DO:
• Set out your stackable items and invite the kids to pair up.
• One partner will hold their arms out while the other partner stacks blocks onto their arms. Stack the blocks not too heavy, but heavy enough to where it is a little tricky to move.
• Play some music and tell the kids holding blocks to try and dance.
• Give them a few minutes to try and dance holding the blocks.
• Switch partners and give them a chance to stack the blocks and dance.

WHAT YOU SAY
“It is kinda tricky to hold the blocks and dance at the same time, right? In our story today, the older brother couldn’t celebrate forgiveness because he was too busy holding things against his younger brother. It is just like the older brother was holding lots of heavy blocks so they got in the way of him celebrating! When we choose to forgive others, it is like dropping all of this heavy weight. When we choose not to forgive, the heavy stuff keeps us from celebrating or simply having a good day.

“Let’s think about some times this might happen to us. Maybe you’re so mad that your little brother tore up your favorite book that you scream at him, get in trouble with your parents, and miss out on a play date with your best friend. Or maybe you’re so upset that your mom forgot she had a meeting when she had promised you would have family movie night tonight, and you spend the whole evening pouting and thinking mean thoughts about her instead of simply enjoying spending time with the rest of your family. Or what if you don’t get that really expensive gift you wanted for your birthday, so you refuse to play with the toys you DID get and won’t talk to anyone at your party? Remember that when you don’t forgive, you miss out.”
[Make It Personal] (Tell a child-appropriate story about a time when you missed out on celebrating because you didn’t forgive. Share about how that made you feel and how you eventually came around.)

1. PARTY HATS

WHAT YOU NEED: Paper party hats, markers, and stickers

WHAT YOU DO:
• Pass out a party hat to each child.
• Encourage the kids to decorate the hat using the stickers and markers.
• As kids finish, let them put on their hats!

WHAT YOU SAY:
“The older brother missed out on a super fun party. Why? Because, unlike his father, he refused to forgive. What could we miss out on when we refuse to forgive? (Pause for responses.) Refusing to forgive could cause you to miss out on a friendship! One thing that’s super important to remember is that NO one is perfect. We all mess up sometimes. We all say things we don’t really mean or do things that hurt others. Hopefully when that happens, like in the story Jesus told, the other person apologizes. And in that case, we should offer forgiveness for sure. Remember, when you don’t forgive, you miss out.”
[Make It Personal] (Tell kids about a time when you refused to forgive someone as a kid and you missed out. What happened as a result of choosing to stay mad?)

2. PARTY TIME!

WHAT YOU NEED: Tablecloth; party hats; Bible; treat or toys to share; napkins (optional)

WHAT YOU DO:
• Cover your Small Group area with the tablecloth.
• Encourage the kids to wear their party hats.
• Set the treats or toys in the center of the tablecloth, but do not allow the kids to touch them yet.
• Talk about the choices the older brother in our story made today.

1. How did the father react when his son returned? (He forgave him and threw a huge party to celebrate his son’s return)
2. Where was the older brother when the younger son returned? (Working in the field)
3. How did the older brother react when he found out that the party was for his younger brother who’d returned home? (He was angry)
4. What did the older brother say to the father? (“All these years I have worked, I’ve obeyed. You’ve never thrown me a party.”)
5. Why do you think the older brother was SO mad? Can you relate to this?
6. Why do you think the father celebrated in such a big way?

• Pass out the treats or toys for the kids to enjoy.
• As they finish, collect their hats to be used during the prayer activity.

WHAT YOU SAY:
“I can relate to the older brother in this story. He’s right; he was the one who had stayed, the one who worked hard and honored his dad. But he missed out. Because he thought it was more important to be right than to forgive, he missed the opportunity to celebrate his brother’s return. Sometimes we do the same thing. We want to make a point or prove that we’re right and the other person is wrong. But in the end, your friendship is WAY more important than winning an argument. We need to offer forgiveness when someone apologizes and means it. Because when you don’t forgive, you miss out.”

3. MEMORY VERSE BUILDING
WHAT YOU NEED: Large popsicle sticks, a Bible marked at Colossians 3:13, “Memory Verse Phrases” Activity Page, scissors, glue sticks, and zip-top baggies
WHAT YOU DO:
• Ask for a volunteer to open the Bible to Colossians 3:13 and read it aloud to the group.
• Give each child a set of “Memory Verse Phrases,” seven popsicle sticks, and scissors.
• Set the glue sticks in the middle of your small group area.
• Instruct the kids to cut out the phrases and glue each one onto a popsicle stick.
• When finished, encourage kids to stack their sticks any way they choose to “build” the verse.
• Pass out a zip-top baggie to each child so they can take their sticks home.
WHAT YOU SAY:
“Forgiveness is important! And we know that’s true because God is the ultimate forgiver! This verse is such a great one to remember always. You can take these sticks home and build this verse over and over again as you remember to forgive as God forgives you. Let’s choose to forgive and fix the relationships with the people around us, with God’s help. Because when you don’t forgive, you miss out.”

1. BIBLE STORY EXTENSION

WHAT YOU NEED: Bibles, wrapped candy, cotton balls

WHAT YOU DO:
• Review the story.
• Ask:

1. What was the father’s response to the younger brother’s return?
2. How would you describe the older brother when he found out his father threw a party celebrating the younger son’s return? (If necessary, read Luke 15:28-29. Answers could include: angry, bitter, jealous, ungrateful)
3. What was the older brother missing out on by choosing to hold onto his negative emotions toward his brother?
4. What was the father’s response to his older son? (Luke 15:31)

• Even though what his younger brother did was wrong, the older son had a choice to make. The older brother could decide to let go of his anger and bitterness or he could hold on to it and decide his younger brother should pay.
• Place a wrapped piece of candy in front of each kid and give each kid a cotton ball.
• Give kids time to think of something they may be holding against someone. Maybe someone treated them unkindly or unfairly. Maybe someone flattened a tire on their bike or broke their favorite toy. Maybe they are angry at someone for not doing what they said they would do. Or prompt kids to think about how the older brother was holding onto his anger and resentment.
• Explain that the cotton ball represents something you’re holding against someone.
• Tell kids hold on to the cotton ball with both hands and squeeze as tightly as they can.
• While squeezing the cotton ball with both hands, challenge kids to unwrap the candy using only their hands.
• Tell kids to open their hands so the cotton ball is resting on their palms.
• Just like you cannot grab onto the candy while focusing on squeezing the cotton ball, when you are holding on to grudges and focusing on how you may have been wronged, you could miss out on a lot. (e.g. friendships, good times with others, joy, a party [like the older brother missed out on], etc.)

2. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

WHAT YOU NEED: No supplies needed

WHAT YOU DO:
Ask:
• What can it cost you to hold a grudge? For example, what might you miss out on if you decided to hold a grudge and not forgive a friend?
• What if a friend says something unkind to you and they never say they are sorry? Do you still forgive them? Do you only forgive someone if they ask you?
• Is forgiveness always fair? How does it make you feel when it’s not fair?
[Make it Personal] (Be prepared to share about a time when someone treated you unfairly or when you were mad at someone for how they treated you. Did you forgive them right away? Did it take you time to forgive them? How did you feel when you decided to forgive them? Did you miss out on something because you wanted to make them pay?)