Throwback - Week 2
From retro toys to fashion trends, we all love a good throwback. (Especially for grown-ups because it reminds us of being young again.) There are things that remind us of a moment in time, but other things feel timeless and like they’re always in style. In this four-week series, our families will travel through the decades and see that the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels are always trending. As we hear from Jesus, we’ll see it’s always good to be humble, we can always forgive, Jesus is always fair, and love always needs action.
BIG IDEA: We can always forgive.
BIBLE: Matthew 18:23–35; 1 John 3:1–7
MEMORY VERSE
Elementary: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
Toddler Twist: "Jesus stays the same." Hebrews 13:8
WATCH:
Preschool- teaching video
Elementary- teaching video
SONG: You Are Everything, and Jesus The Same
DISCIPLE:
Pass out a piece of lined paper and a ballpoint pen to each person in your family.
Write or draw an emotion you're having when you think about a situation where you had to forgive. Or maybe you haven't forgiven them yet. ASK: Why is it so hard to forgive?
Now take your pen and cross it out and write today's Big Idea underneath it: We can always forgive.
The thing that you crossed out isn't completely gone. This gives us a better understanding of what forgiveness might look like. When you forgive someone, it doesn't mean you have to . . .
Forget what they did.
Agree with what they did.
Let them keep hurting us. If someone continually hurts you, tell a grownup you trust about it.
Only God can forgive perfectly, but we can imitate God by offering grace even though the other person might not fully deserve it. We can let go of our own anger or hard feelings about the other person and not let it bubble up inside of us. Or at the very least, we can choose to not pay them back in the same way.
ASK: What are some things you can do to practice forgiveness? You might choose to . . .
Pray for them.
Not allow their comments or actions to bother you.
Not spread any bad information about that person to others.
Take deep breaths.
Find other ways to spend my time and energy.
Jot down the ones you are willing to try!
Pray: Jesus, thank you for always forgiving us. We could never pay you back, but we can pay it forward by forgiving others. Instead of holding grudges, we want to practice forgiveness. Show us who we can forgive and how. Amen.
DISCUSS:
What did the king do for the servant who owed ten thousand bags of gold? The king canceled his debt and let him go.
What did the first servant do to his fellow servant who owed one hundred silver coins? He attacked him and sent him to prison.
Why did the king hand the first servant over to the jailers? The first servant didn't forgive a fellow servant even though he himself had been forgiven a huge debt.
Read 1 John 3:1. How is it possible that we can be called children of God? God loved us and gave us this right. God forgave our sins.
Why can we always forgive?
What happens when we hold grudges for a long time?
Knowing that Jesus forgave us and continues to forgive, what are some things you can do to show forgiveness?