Small Group & Craft Week 2
(March 29)
- Our Big Idea this week is that “When you don’t forgive people, you miss out.” The older brother missed out on the party his dad threw because he was so jealous of his younger brother. Has there ever been a time when you were mad at or jealous of someone, and had a hard time forgiving them?
Helpful hint: Maybe you had a fight with one of your friends, and were tempted to stay mad, but instead you decided to forgive and have fun hanging out with them. Maybe you were jealous or annoyed at your brother or sister, but realized it was much better to love them and enjoy spending time with them instead.
- The father in the story forgave both of his sons, even when they didn’t deserve it. Has there ever been a time when somebody forgave you, even when you didn’t deserve it?
Helpful hint: Maybe you weren’t being a very good listener, but your mom or dad showed you love and forgiveness anyways. Have you ever been unkind to one of your friends, but they forgave you and were still kind to you?
Craft:
Create/Decorate Your Own Party Hat
What You Need:
Construction paper, tape, markers, stickers, scissors, string (optional)
What You Do:
- Give each kid a piece of construction paper.
- Use scissors to cut the construction paper into a half circle.
- Bring the two ends of the half circle together to form a cone, and fasten it with tape to form a hat.
- Encourage kids to decorate their party hat with markers and stickers.
- (Optional) Use tape and string to form a chin strap for the hat.
- As the kids finish, let them put on their hats.
What You Say:
The older brother missed out on a super fun party. Why? Because, unlike his father, he refused to forgive. What could we miss out on when we refuse to forgive? (Pause for responses) Refusing to forgive could cause you to miss out on a friendship! One thing that’s super important to remember is that NO one is perfect. We all mess up sometimes. We all say things we don’t really mean or do things that hurt others. Hopefully when that happens, like in the story Jesus told, the other person apologizes. And in that case, we should offer forgiveness for sure. Remember, “When you don’t forgive people, you miss out.”
