Do you know the definition of forgiveness?
To "forgive" means to stop feeling anger or resentment towards someone for an offense, flaw, or mistake.
Forgiveness is about healing. It is about finding peace in our own hearts in spite of the actions or flaws of those around us. Jesus Christ paid the price to make that healing possible. If we choose forgiveness, and if we choose to turn to Jesus Christ, we can find healing. We can find peace.
This lesson bundle will engage you and your children in some fun and memorable activities to help you recognize the peace and the healing that can be found in forgiveness.
Jesus taught us to forgive!
LESSON BUNDLE DOWNLOADS:
➤ P R E P A R A T I O N
You will need some small snacks or treats (marshmallows, grapes, crackers, etc.). Make sure to have enough for each child to have 2.
➤ L E S S O N
Open the lesson with a song and a prayer.
🎶 O P E N I N G S O N G : "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus"
➤ I N T R O D U C T I O N
Place the first small snack or treat in front of each child. Next, ask the children to complete the following tasks:
1) Wave ‘hi’ to everyone else who is present!
2) Clap your hands three times!
3) Have a snack! (Children may now eat the snack you placed in front of them!)
After the children complete these three tasks, put another snack in front of each child (same as before). Ask the children to close their hands into fists and to squeeze their fists as tightly as they can! Now, ask them to complete the same three tasks once more while continuing to squeeze their fists as tight as possible.
Explain: This is what our hearts feel like when we are angry (squeezing tight with our fists). It takes a lot of work and it makes us so tired! And when we are angry, it’s really hard to do anything except be angry!
But when we forgive (instruct children to release their hands), we feel calm, and we are free again. We can do the things we would like to do (wiggle your fingers around to demonstrate the freedom of movement), and we can do the things that Heavenly Father wants us to do!
🎥 V I D E O : "The Angry Bee | A Story About Frogiveness"
Say: “Now we are going to watch a video about a bee who was angry. Let’s watch and see why the bee was angry!”
Discuss the following questions after watching the video:
1) Why was the bee angry? (The bee felt angry when he crashed into another bee.)
2) What did the bee do when he was angry? (He flew away and sat on a leaf to try to make the other bees feel bad, and he kept being angry.)
3) Was the bee happy while he was doing this? (No, he was still feeling bad.)
4) How did the bee feel when he decided to forgive? (He felt better!)
➤ S C R I P T U R E
Read the verses together and discuss the questions that follow:
“So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.”
1) What does it mean to forgive someone? (Forgiveness is a choice to let go of anger towards someone who hurt our feelings. Instead of being angry, you will try to heal your heart and show kindness.)
2) What does it mean to comfort someone? (It means that when someone is feeling bad, we try to help them feel better.)
3) What does it mean to love someone? (It means you care about them. We can show love to others by helping them, comforting them, being patient with them, and trying to forgive them if they hurt our feelings.)
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
1) Why is God willing to forgive us? (Because He loves us, and because of Jesus Christ.)
2) What has God asked us to do? (To forgive one another.)
3) Why do you think God wants us to forgive others? (Because when we keep anger in our hearts, it takes away our happiness. And when we show anger to other people, it hurts them and it just makes everybody feel more bad feelings!)
“For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.”
1) Is the Lord willing to forgive us? (Yes!)
2) What does it mean to “call upon” the Lord? (It means to pray to Him and talk to Him.)
➤ C O L O R I N G P A G E
Instruct children to think of something that happened recently that made them feel angry or sad. Tell them to draw a picture of it inside the thought bubble on the first page. Tell them that they can color in the rest of the page with angry colors!
Next, invite the children to “leave it on the leaf!” Instruct them to think of the thing that they drew on the first coloring page, and then draw it on the leaf. Invite the children to imagine how it would feel to forgive instead of being angry. Invite children to color the picture with happy colors!
➤ T E S T I M O N Y
Bear testimony of the truths found in the scriptures.
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