Lesson cont...

Nobody is perfect. We all make mistakes. We all sin, even when we try our best not to. But when we do sin, it’s important that we repent - that we admit what we did wrong and ask God for forgiveness.

The prophet Joel had a message of repentance for the people of Israel. They had done a lot of bad things, and they needed to admit it and ask God for forgiveness.

Have you ever said “sorry” and not really meant it?

A big part of repenting is actually meaning it! When we sin, we can’t just pretend to feel sorry and then keep sinning - what’s the point?? Our actions have to match what we say.

Directions

1. Give each child a piece of white paper
2. Let them choose if they are going to color with watercolor, markers, or crayons.
3. Make them draw a heart that fills up the majority of their page.
4. Draw and color a cross inside the heart
5. Pick a pattern to use and decorate the outside of the heart with that pattern! Look at the picture for guidance and ideas.

Directions

1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half hotdog style (length wise). Then cut two evenly spaced slits on the top half of the paper, from the edge to the fold, so that there are three flaps. On the leftmost flap, write “ADMIT IT”, and under the flap, write “What I did was wrong”. On the center flap, write “APOLOGIZE”, and under this flap, write “I’m sorry for what I did”. On the rightmost flap, write “MEAN IT”, and under that flap, write “I will try not to do it again”

Description of Activity

This adaptation of the game Red Light, Green Light gives participants a chance to relax while saying the words "I forgive you" and "You are forgiven."

Explain the game: One person, designated "It" or "the stoplight," faces away from the rest of the group. The group lines up as far as they can get from the stoplight. When the stoplight yells "Forgiveness" all participants can move forward. As they move they say, "We forgive you." This will help the stoplight hear when participants get closer. The stoplight can turn around and yell, "Stop!" anytime to stop the movement forward. The stoplight should wait until all others have stopped moving forward, then turn away from the group again, saying, "Forgiveness." The first player to touch the stoplight gets to be the next stoplight.

Process the game after several times. Ask participants:

• When we play games, do we always forgive people who are the winners?

• What are some ways that our games can treat others fairly?

Including All Participants

Participants with accessibility issues can use whatever form of movement works best for them. When the age span is great, it helps to have the stoplight ("It") or a leader vary the movement actions forward. Skipping, hopping, jumping or galloping will all work.

Directions

FORGIVING RELAY: Divide the children into teams. Take turns running to the front line and getting a piece of paper that will say something for them to run back to the next player and tell them what is on the paper -- such as PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR HURTING YOU, or PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR TAKING YOUR TOY, or PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR NOT SHARING MY CANDY, etc. After the child has run back to the team and told the next player what the FORGIVE ME note said, that next player will run to the front line and get a note from the basket and continue to play until everyone on the team has had a turn to FORGIVE someone.

FORGIVING MUSICAL CHAIRS: Play musical chairs in the usual way but when someone is OUT (left without a chair), that one will share an idea about who or what we may need to forgive or ask forgiveness for and then will stand or sit in the middle of the musical chairs as the game continues.