When you don’t forgive, you miss out

3/31/2020

Greetings, RF friends!

Unfortunately, we could not be together on Sunday, but here is an overview of the RF lesson. It is a continuation from last Sunday..... Jesus’s parable of the Prodigal Son. Perhaps you may want to throw a little “party” and do some of the attached activities from the lesson. (The jokes are for fun.....” when you don’t laugh, it feels like you are missing out.” See Bottom Line below.)

In Luke 15:21-32, we pick up the story of the Lost Son, we started in week 4. His father and older brother each responded to the Prodigal Son differently. The Father welcomed him home with open arms and threw a giant party for him. The Older Brother chose not to forgive and become angry with his brother. He not only missed out on a party but also missed out on rebuilding a relationship with his brother.

Bottom Line: When you don’t forgive, you miss out. When we choose not to forgive others, we could miss out on rebuilding a broken relationship. We might miss out on friendships or new, fun memories with our family, or peace in our hearts. We could also miss out on the joy that God can give us when we choose to show forgiveness.

Bible Verse: But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness (1 John 1:9).

Praying that you all are well and adjusting to new routines. Blessings to each one of you.
~ RF team

Instructions for “Sweet and Sour” activity - see attachment:
WHAT YOU DO: • Give each child a party hat and a lemon slice (real or pictured). • Tell them that when the story seems “sweet” or positive, they should put on their party hats. • When someone or something in the story seems “sour,” they should take off their hats and lick their lemon (or pretend to, if you’re using the paper slices). • Read the “Sweet and Sour Script” out loud, prompting the group as necessary. • Set aside the props and lead kids in a conversation about the Bible story.
WHAT YOU SAY: “The older brother in our Bible story today was sour! He was bitter and angry, and because of that, he learned that when you don’t forgive, you miss out. What did he miss out on? (Invite answers: the big party with food and fun, seeing his little brother for the first time in a while, sharing his dad’s happiness, etc.) He missed out on so much more than a party. He missed a chance to have a relationship with his brother and to share something special with his dad.
“Have you ever missed out on something because you wouldn’t forgive? Maybe you were so mad at your sister for something she said. You sulked the whole time at the park. Or perhaps you sat alone in the lunchroom to get back at your friend and missed out on her mom bringing cookies for everyone.” (Invite kids to share what unforgiveness has cost them.) [Make It Personal] (Share a time when unforgiveness cost you something. Did you miss out on sharing a fun time with friends, or did you lose time in a good relationship because you let something get between you? Make sure you discuss your own feelings and actions and don’t dwell just on what was done to you.)