RELIGIOUS VIRTUE GROUP

Because I value my relationship with God, I choose to know His character and respond to Him in my worship and life.

 

How To Be Like Jesus

Forgiveness

Sin causes death and hurt. At great cost Jesus paid for my sins so He could forgive me.
I choose to forgive those that hurt me.

Definition

Forgiveness related virtue: Compassion.

Forgiveness means: Knowing God has paid a great price for your sins but has forgotten them completely and accepted you as if you never did wrong, when you have sincerely repented.
Real forgiveness only comes by God’s power.
Treating people as if they never hurt you even though they did.
Treating people kindly even when they hurt you;
After someone has done something wrong to you, you accept him again;
Forgiveness doesn’t mean that there will be no consequences;
Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you will not be sorry, disappointed or hurt when people do wrong to you.
It means that you will treat them kindly even though they don’t deserve it.

 
Artwork Music

See flipchart

 

Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive, SDAH 299
Dear Lord and Father - Forgive, SDAH 481
I Must Tell Jesus, SDAH 485
Lamb of God

Student Life Applications

1. Shaking hands and agreeing to be friends after a fight and really meaning it.
2. Being “OK” with people who have hurt you wrongly and then treating them as if they never did it.
3. Being nice when someone returns something they have taken from you without your permission.
4. Accepting an apology to you after someone breaks or spoils something special to you such as:
a. Your bicycle, or scooter
b. Some sports equipment such as a soccer bat, badminton racket, tennis racket, guitar.
c. A picture, a book, a paper.
5. Student laying down his cigarettes or his beer before Jesus and Jesus wiping the Book of Deeds clean.
6. While student holds the broken item and looks sorry, the other holds out his hand to him,
as in saying, “It’s OK, I forgive you”.

 

Bible, E.G. White


Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Mark 11:25 Forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you
Luke 6:37 Forgive and you will be forgiven
Luke 11:4 Forgive us our sins...........
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us ...

Jesus teaches that we can receive forgiveness from God only as we forgive others..” MB 113
“If your brethren err, you are to forgive them. When they come to you with confession, you should not say, I do not think they are humble enough. I do not think they feel their confession.” COL 250

 

Reinforcing Stories

Corrie Ten Boom’s story of Nazi concentration camp and meeting the guard later in church
“Charlemagne and the Robber Knight”, from The Moral Compass by William Bennett, p.653.
“Joe Benton’s Coals of Fire”, Scrapbook Stories
"Coals of Fire", Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, Vol. III, pg. 20, by Arthur S. Maxwell
" Strange Teachers", Book Three, Great Stories for Kids pg. 186, by Jerry D. Thomas
Growing Kids God's Way, Chapter 13, by Gary & Anne Marie Ezzo
"How Many Times?", Book One, The Children's Hour, pg. 111
"Chrissie's Clean State", Book Three, The Children's Hour
The Children's Hour, Book Four, pg. 245 by Arthur S. Maxwell
"Love Finds a Way", Book Five, The Children's Hour by Arthur S. Maxwell
"Christ's Blood Cleanses", Treasury of Devotional Aids for Home and School.
January 28, February 3, 7, Martch 7, 16, May 10, December 1, 17, Sure as the Dawn by Mancell and Mancell

 

Student Activities


1. Each student writes on a slip of paper something he is sorry for. Everyone closes his eyes, holds his paper and asks God to forgive. All crumple their papers and throw them in the waste basket to burn.
2. The "For-giving-box": Wrap up a shoe box as a gift with the lid wrapped separately. Beforehand cut a hole in the bottom of the box and place the box on a paper on the desk. Each student goes by himself to write a word or draw a picture of his need for forgiveness. He crumples the paper and places it in the box. Teacher prays for forgiveness and carries the "For-giving-box" to the waste basket, removes the false bottom and all the sins are thrown away forever.

 

Links to the Curriculum
Biology: As water cleans the body, so Jesus's blood cleans the soul.
Science: As water cleans the physical world so the blood of Jesus cleans the spiritual world.

 

Resources

Star Boy, A Blackfoot Tale by Paul Goble
Great Stories for Kids, by Jerry D. Thomas, PPPA. 1993
Growing Kids God's Way, Micah 6:8, 1993
The Children's Hour, by Arthur S. Maxwell, R&H. 1945
Uncle Arthur's Bedtime Stories, by Arthur S. Maxwell, R&H. 1964

Treasury of Devotional Aids for Home and School by the Department of Education of the General Conference of SDA, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1951
Sure as the Dawn by Mansell and Mansell, Review and Herals Publishing Association, 1993.

 

Evaluation

Primary:
Tell or write two ways that show that God is forgiving.
Tell or write about a time when you saw someone show forgiveness.
Tell or write about when you showed forgiveness like God would do.
Tell or write about when you saw the hurt and unhappiness when someone was not forgiving.
Tell two ways that you can show forgiveness.
What is the opposite of forgiveness? Who makes us act that way?
How do you think God feels when He sees people who are forgiving?
How do you feel when you show forgiveness?
What makes you want to show forgiveness?
Finish the sentence: We can show forgiveness when we..........

Middle:
What difference does it make whether I show forgiveness or not?
What effect would it have on my future if I did not choose to be forgiving?
How would people treat me differently if I did or didn’t choose to show forgiveness?
How would I feel about myself if I did or did not choose to be forgiving?
Give some reasons why you think it is best to show forgiveness. Why would someone do differently?
What makes choosing to be forgiving better than the opposite?
List 3 situations where a person could be forgiving in his work, home, or at the shopping mall.
Is it possible for a person to get better at being forgiving? Explain.
Can you think of someone who seems good at showing forgiveness? What makes them better at it?
How could you learn to be better at forgiveness?
How often do you show forgiveness? Think of the last three times and tell me.

High school:
Would you practice forgiveness if no one was checking on you? Your parents, school, or the law?
What is the alternative to forgiveness and what do you see as the results of that choice?
Would you recognize it if someone was not fully forgiving? How?
Would you keep quiet if someone paid you a lot of money not to be forgiving?
If someone in a group spoke out against forgiveness would you speak up to give the other side?
Are you willing to put some of your money toward supporting forgiveness in your city, class, work?
Can you say that showing forgiveness has become a habit? How often are you that way?
What effect do you think forgiveness will have on your future?
Do you see your family practicing forgiveness? How about your church, city, or nation? Does it make much difference if they do?
What do you think should be done to promote forgiveness in your family, friends, church, city, and nation?
Does it make much difference if the above are forgiving or not? Why?