Scripture: John 7:53-8:11
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn God wants us to repent of our sins.
- Students will learn God wants us to avoid sinning.
- Students will learn God will forgive Christians when they repent.
- Students will learn how to apologize to others in a godly way.
Guiding Question: How does forgiveness and apologizing show obedience toward God and kindness toward others?
Materials: Washable markers
Procedure: Review the story of the Woman Caught in Adultery from the scriptures above. Focus on that the woman committed for which she could have been severely punished rather than going in depth about what adultery is. Emphasize how Jesus forgave her and set an example for how we should forgive others. Review how in the Lord’s prayer, we are told to forgive others. God also wants us to try our very best to avoid sinning and to always repent of our sins. Explain that God will always forgive s of our sins when we repent.
Teach the students that to remind themselves to forgive others, they can write the name of the person they need to forgive and scrub their hands until the person’s name disappears (use washable markers). Encourage them to pray to God to help them be forgiving the entire time they are washing the person’s name away. This can be done as a class if you choose. Then teach the steps of a proper apology: 1. Tell the person you are sorry – period. (Make sure you truly are sorry!) 2. State that you were wrong and what you did that was wrong (no excuses!) 3. Explain what you will do differently so you won’t hurt them again in that way. 4. Ask for their forgiveness. 5. Make amends when possible. Give the students various “wrongs” they have done to classmates and have them pair up and practice the steps of an apology, then switch partners. Practice until students are comfortable they will remember what to do.
Additional Questions: How does repentance lead to a cleansing of sin?
Supplemental Activities: Have each student make a list of sins they have recently committed. These do not need to be shared. Talk with the students about forgiveness and repentance. Have the students pray for forgiveness and afterwards rip up the piece of paper to symbolize their sins being forgiven.