4 th /5 th Grade Oct 15 Forgive Us Our Trespasses Bible Verse God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. (Ephesians 2:4-5) Teacher Enrichment This lesson is the seventh in the Teach Us to Pray series which emphasizes the practice of prayer using The Lord s Prayer. Each week will examine a stanza of The Lord s Prayer, what it tells us about God and how it directs our prayer life. Today s lesson explores Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. The first portion of this stanza references God s forgiveness of our trespasses, our sins. Ephesians 2 says of forgiveness, This is God s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. Through Jesus sacrifice on the cross, our sins are forgiven. When we pray and ask God for forgiveness, He extends that grace to us over and over again. The second portion of this stanza is the tricky part forgiving others. Forgiveness is hard, for adults and for children. He never said he was sorry, she doesn t deserve to be forgiven, I want to get even, I can t forget what they did, this is the third time they hurt me this way. All of these feelings are obstacles to forgiveness. However, if we expect God to forgive us for the wrong things we do that hurt Him, it is only right for us to forgive the wrong things that other people do that hurt us. In the book of Matthew, Jesus instructs us to forgive not just seven times, but seventy times seven times. We can pray and ask God for help overcoming our hurt and forgiving. In this lesson, children will learn that while God expects us to follow His rules, He will always forgive us when we make mistakes. In return, we are to follow God and Jesus example and forgive others. This lesson will teach the example of Jesus meeting and forgiving the tax collector Zacchaeus. Children will have an opportunity to reflect on personal situations in which they need forgiveness and also in which they can forgive. They will learn to use prayer to help them give and receive forgiveness.
Before Class Begins Place the Sign In sheet and a pen where parents can see it upon arrival. Place the Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards and pens where students can see them upon arrival. Check that you have supplies for this lesson: Arrival Activity, Forgive Coloring Sheet 1 per child Forgiveness Posters Loads of Trouble Worksheets 1 per child Place an arrival activity at each place on the table. Hang forgiveness posters on opposite sides of the room. Welcome SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards, Attendance chart, stickers, pens, Forgive Coloring Page, colored pencils, markers Greet each child individually as they arrive. Introduce yourself by name. Help children find or add their name on the attendance chart. Provide each child with a sticker to place in today s column on the attendance chart. Encourage children to complete a Joy or Concern card if they have a particular joy or concern they would like to express. Collect completed Joy & Concern cards. Encourage children to complete a Time or Talent offering card if they gave their time to God or used their talents to serve God or others during the previous week. Children should keep their own completed Time and Talent cards. If children bring monetary offering, they should keep it with them. Direct children to complete the Forgive Coloring Page. Encourage conversation among the children and with you! Get to know the children in your classroom by asking about their week including school, activities and families. Introduce new children to each other and encourage friendships. Children s Worship SUPPLIES: Sign In sheet, Joy & Concern cards, Time & Talent cards
Arrive at Ruth Hall at 9:20 or 11:05. Bring the Sign In sheet and completed Joy & Concern cards to Ruth Hall. Hand the Joy & Concern cards to the Children s Worship leader as you arrive. Have children bring their completed Time & Talent cards and any monetary offering. If additional children arrive while in Ruth Hall, have parents complete the Sign In sheet and remind parents that pickup is in Room 110. Encourage children to participate in Children s Worship and provide re-direction if necessary. Assist the Children s Worship leader as needed. This week, the Children s Worship leader will ask for your assistance during the lesson. At the appropriate time, a cup of vinegar and small container of baking soda will be provided to you. You will be asked to mix the baking soda into the vinegar and children will place their tarnished pennies in the mixture. The Children s Worship leader will provide all direction at the appropriate times. At the conclusion of Children s Worship, have children line up and return to Room 110. The Lesson SUPPLIES: Forgiveness posters, Loads of Trouble statement sheet, Loads of Trouble worksheets, pens SAY: Today we learned about forgiveness both God s forgiveness of our sins and our forgiveness when others sin against us. In Children s Worship we heard a lot about God s forgiveness of our sins. God extends us grace and always forgives us when we are sorry for what we have done. It is our job to extend that same grace to other people when they sin against us. God is able to forgive us because he is perfect, but it s not always easy for us to forgive people. SAY: Forgiving can be hard. Sometimes people really disappoint us or hurt us. Let s see how hard or easy each of you think it is to forgive others. I have hung two signs on the walls. One says No way! and one says I will forgive. I m going to read several statements and you should move toward the I will forgive sign if you think you d be
able to forgive in the specific situation. You should move to the No way! sign if there is no way you would forgive in that situation. Read the statements from the Loads of Trouble statement sheet. Kids may stand in various spots in the middle if they re not sure or might consider forgiving. SAY: Some of those situations are harder to forgive than others. We also learned we each feel differently about different situations. Now we are going to break into groups and spend some time answering a few questions about forgiveness. Create groups of 3-4 children. Give each group a Loads of Trouble worksheet. Have the groups answer one question at a time, giving them about 2 minutes to record their answers. Have one or two groups report to the entire group before you move on to the next question. Tips for the Discussion It can be easier to forgive: Someone we love. When the person is sorry. When it was a small offense. It can be harder to forgive when: The offender is not sorry or does not ask for forgiveness. You don t feel the person deserves forgiveness. You are angry or want to get even. The person has done the same thing before. Encourage children to think of specific examples from their own lives. This helps them personalize forgiveness. SAY: When we choose not to forgive others we can be weighed down by unforgiveness. Holding on to our anger can make us feel even worse. When we forgive someone, it does not mean what they did is acceptable or that they can do it again. It means we accept they made a mistake and we let go of our anger.
SAY: God asks us to forgive others even when it s hard or when they don t deserve it. God forgives no matter what we do, and wants us to offer that same forgiveness to others. When we pray, we can ask God to forgive our sins, but we can also ask for help to forgive others who have hurt us. I m giving each of you two Prayer Journal pages to take home with you and add to your Prayer Journal. One provides a place to list things for which you need to ask God to forgive you. The other provides a place to list things you need help forgiving in others. If a child did not receive a Prayer Journal previously, provide them with one from the cabinet in your classroom. Important Teacher Note You may have a child in your class who mentions an abusive situation as being difficult to forgive. If this happens, note the child s name and after class, notify a member of the Children s Ministry staff (Anne Moriak, Suzanne Lyles, or Betsy Hudson) so we may follow up and provide any necessary help. Clarify that forgiving someone does not mean that the sin is acceptable or can continue unchecked, but do not try to resolve the situation with the child on your own. Closing Lead the children in a closing prayer. You may say your own prayer, ask one of the children to say a prayer or use the one below. God, Please forgive our sins and help us to make better choices that follow your will. Give us the strength to forgive others who hurt us. Amen If time remains before parents arrive, encourage children to return to their Forgive Coloring Page if they did not complete it. Also encourage conversation between children and with you. This is another opportunity to build relationships with the children in your classroom!
Loads of Trouble Statements 1. Your teacher gave you lots of homework on the weekend. You had other plans, but had to cancel them because of your teacher. 2. Your little brother left his toys out and Mom made you pick them up. 3. Your sister borrowed your favorite jacket and spilled juice on it. 4. Your friend got to be team captain at recess and didn t choose you for his or her team. 5. You asked for the last piece of dessert but someone else ate it. 6. Your brother borrowed your video game and lost it. 7. You called your friend, left a message, and your friend never called you back. 8. Your parents made you help clean out the garage when you wanted to go to a friend s house.
Loads of Trouble 1. What situations are the easiest for forgive and why? 2. Which are the most difficult for you to forgive? Why? 3. What other things have happened to you that are even more difficult to forgive? 4. Is there anything that you would never be willing to forgive someone for doing? If so, what is the situation and why wouldn t you forgive? 5. How do you feel when it is hard to forgive others?
Forgiveness Prayer Journal Pages Please Forgive Me I Need Help Forgiving Others