Forgiveness – Sunday school lesson – Mini Morals

Forgiveness short film description

Forgiveness tells the story of two sisters whose relationship is tested by a costly mistake. Caitlyn receives a glass dandelion from her friend Adelaide, but her younger sister Josephine runs off with it the first chance she gets. But when Josephine drops the glass dandelion and it rolls down a hill, the chase is on and Josephine races to save the fragile gift before it’s destroyed. This story is a reflection on Ephesians 3:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” — (CSB) This Forgiveness Sunday school lesson is pulled from the Mini Morals video series.

Forgiveness Sunday school lesson guide

The following content is designed to assist with lesson planning and discussion.

What is forgiveness?

Forgiveness means choosing to let go of the pain, sadness or anger someone has caused you and not hold it against them.

We all need forgives sometimes, don’t we? 

It doesn’t matter how young or old we are, there are times in all our lives when we need forgiveness. Can you think of examples of when someone might need forgiveness? Maybe it’s for not listening, or for hurting someone’s feelings. Maybe it’s for behaving selfishly or taking something that didn’t belong to us. But no matter what someone needs forgiveness for, one thing is always the same, it feels good to be forgiven. It’s like a weight being lifted from our hearts.

Sometimes, it’s other people who need our forgiveness. Have you ever forgiven someone for something? Now, it may feel easier to forgive someone after they apologize, but sometimes we need to forgive even when they haven’t.

True forgiveness comes from a place of love and grace (click for definitions).

Love is an emotion that involves caring for another person’s well-being through affection, compassion, and care. The Bible tells us love is from God (1 John 4:7–8). It orignates from Him, where it exists in the relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Grace is often said to be an undeserved blessing. This means it’s something that cannot be earned but is freely given. God offers his grace to us when he forgives us of our sins (Ephesians 1:7).

In the Mini Moral story of Forgiveness, the younger sister Josephine breaks her older sister’s new gift. Josephine feels bad for what she did and almost apologizes, but she’s so sad and nervous about her sister Caitlyn’s response, that she doesn’t say anything at all.

When Caitlyn finds out what Josephine did, what is her first reaction?

She becomes upset.

Caitlyn realizes her love for her sister is more important than the gift, and that even though Josephine had not apologized, she felt the weight of her actions. Josephine needed forgiveness. So instead of showing anger, Caitlyn showed love and grace towards her sister Josephine, offering her forgiveness.

Forgiveness, Grace and God

How do you think God shows forgiveness to us?

God loves us beyond measure. That means there is no end to the love he feels for us. When we sin and do bad things, we are sinning against God. It’s through God’s love that he has compassion for us. It’s through God’s grace that he offers us forgiveness.

Can we earn God’s forgiveness?

No. We can’t. We can certainly pray to God, and tell God we’re sorry for the things we’ve done wrong, but God’s forgiveness cannot be earned. He gives his forgiveness to us freely when we repent and seek it.

How do we know God has forgiven us?

Sin separated us from God, and we on our own are unable to change that. So God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to live a life without sin and to die in order to pay the price for our sins. By believing in Jesus Christ, that he was sent by God to save us, God gives us his forgiveness. It is freely given from God to us, through his son, Jesus Christ.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 3:32

Takeaway

Forgiveness is an important part of our relationships with one another. Remember that all of us need forgiveness at times, and by forgiving one another, we show love and grace. We should never hold our forgiveness back from someone who needs it, and we should never expect others to earn our forgiveness either. Forgiveness should be freely given, for that’s the example God has given us.

Forgiveness is also an important part of our relationship with God, because through Jesus Christ God has offered us his forgiveness. He offers his forgiveness to us freely through love and grace.

About the Mini Morals

The Mini Morals series showcases biblical values through pantomime stories. Children introduce each moral followed by a relatable story that demonstrates the concept in a memorable and engaging way. Great for use as a Sunday school lesson, in the mission field, or right at home. The Forgiveness Sunday school lesson was made as a companion to the Mini Morals

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