Lesson Plan- Unforgiving Servant (1st grade on up)

Unforgiving Servant

Objectives: The students will be able to
- retell the story The Unforgiving Servant
- explain why God forgives us when we are truly sorry
- explain why we are to forgive others over and over again
- describe how we can be kind and forgiving to others



Review:
Prayer, questions and vocabulary words from last week’s lesson



Vocabulary Words: (Write the bold words on the board and discuss with class)
debt- something that is owed
servant- somebody who serves another
parable- a story with a hidden meaning
mercy- forgiveness



Plan:

Read story: “The Unforgiving Servant” and then ask questions


The Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:21-22

One day Peter came and asked Jesus, “Lord, how often should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Should I forgive him seven times?”

Jesus said to Peter: Not seven times, but 70 times seven times.

So then Jesus told him a parable of the Unforgiving Servant.


A king decided to settle accounts with his servants. One servant owed him a large sum, but could not pay it. Since the servant could not pay the debt, the king commanded that the servant’s land and property be sold and that he and his family be sold as slaves in order to settle the debt.

The servant fell down and worshipped the king, and begged him to have patience with him, promising to pay it all.

The king was moved with compassion and released him from bondage and forgave the entire debt.

That day, the servant went out and found another fellow servant who owed him money. He grabbed the servant by the throat and told him that he must pay what he owed.

The fellow servant fell down and begged the man to have patience with him, and he would pay what he owed. But instead of showing him mercy, he had the fellow servant thrown into prison.

When the other servants saw how their fellow servant had been treated they were very upset, and they went to the king and told him everything that the unforgiving servant had done.

The king then summoned the unforgiving servant and said to him:

You wicked servant, I forgave you the all the debt you owed because you pleaded with me to do so. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?

The king became very angry with the wicked servant. He had the unforgiving servant arrested, thrown into prison and tortured until the original debt was repaid.

Then Jesus said:

Your heavenly Father will treat you the same way if you do not forgive your brother from your hearts.



Activties:

4catholiceducatiors.com- Resources on the Sunday Readings (Matthew 18.21-35)

word-sunday.com- Forgiveness (scroll down to Gospel)

sermons4kidslcom- Over and Over Again object lesson with group activities, coloring, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

sermons4kidslcom- Keep On Forgiving object lesson with group activities, coloring, puzzles, quiz, worship bulletin

dltk-bible.com- The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant lesson with activities

churchofjesuschrist.org- The Unmerciful Servant (lesson)

cloversites.com- Forgiving Others (lesson)

jesuswalk.com- Forgiveness in the Kingdom (Matthew 18:21-35; 6:9-15)

ministry-to-children.com- Lesson: Judge not! God’s Mercy Always Wins (Matthew 18:21-35)

weconnect.com- Matthew 18:21-35 lesson with activities

textweek.com- Lectionary, Scripture Study and Worship Links and Resources



Crafts

sermons4kids.com- Over and Over Again group activities (crafts)

sermons4kidslcom- Keep On Forgiving (group activities) crafts

orientaltrading.com- Craft is discontinued but it gives you a great idea for a craft

Jesus Always Forgives poem by Patricia Meyers (idea for a lacing craft)- Have students print this out or print out on computer and give it to your students to paste inside heart.

Jesus Always Forgives

Sometimes we hurt each other's hearts by
mean things said or done.
It's hard not to be mad or angry,
forgiveness isn't fun.
But after the "I'm sorry" if we'll say “it's okay"
and mean it deep inside our heart,
we choose the Bible way.
Jesus always forgives us,
I know that that is true.
When we say we're sorry,
He makes our hearts brand new.

By: Patricia Meyers


kidssundayschool.com- How many times should I forgive? A delightful craft to show how often we should forgive one another.


Introduce crafts: What does God want us to do when someone does something wrong to us? Forgive them.

kidniche.com- How To Forgive When It Hurts Craft

daniellesplace.com- Make a Wipe Off Heart (scroll down to this)

truthforkids.com- Forgiveness Craft

daniellesplace.com- Clean Heart Craft and Activity (scroll down to this)

catechist.com- The Joy of a Clean Heart : A craft about Penance and Reconciliation

i.pinimg.com- Create In Me A Clean Heart Craft



Games

sermons4kids.com- Over and Over Again group activities (games)

sermons4kidslcom- Keep On Forgiving group activities (games)


Introduce games: God forgives the wrong things we have done, what should we do to others who have done something wrong? Forgive them.

Five in a Row- This game will help children to discover that when Jesus forgives them, their sins are forgotten. (The Encyclopedia of Bible Games for Children’s Ministry, page 125).

Who’s Forgiven- The Really Big Book of Bible Games page 66.


Introduce game: The core lesson for the Unforgiving Servant is the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

The Catholic Toolbox- The Golden Rule (file folder game)

The Catholic Toolbox- The Unforgiving Servant (file folder game)



Movies

Forgiving: God Wants Me To Forgive Them?! (Veggie Tales)

Introduce movie: How many times are you to forgive someone? Many, many times.

The Grapes of Wrath (12 min.)

Questions to ask after movie:

1. What did the grapes do to Junior? They made fun of him.
2. Who does God want us to be kind to? Everyone
3. When someone says they are sorry and they really mean it, what should you say? I forgive you.
4. How many times are you supposed to forgive someone? Not 7 times, but seventy times seven (490). In other words, many, many times.

Larry’s Lagoon (15 min.)

1. What happened to the boat? Larry smashed it.
2. How did everyone feel about Larry? They were mad at him.
3. How doe it feel when someone says they forgive you? It feels good.
4. It is wrong to not forgive someone when they say they are sorry and they really mean it? Yes.



Snacks

Introduce snack: When might you need to trust God’s faithfulness? When I do something wrong and ask for God’s forgiveness.

christiancrafters.com- Sweet Faith Crackers

pillsbury.com- Faith Cookies
Have the children make cross shaped cookies and decorate them. (Example: one large rectangle for main part of cross, and one smaller rectangle to form the cross).



Puzzles/Worksheets

Introduce puzzle: How many times must we forgive someone? We should forgive over and over again just like God and Jesus. Nutty Numbers (How many times you should forgive maze)- Maze Mania by Viki Woodworth

dltk-bible.com- anagrams, crossword, cryptogram, mazes, word mining, word searches

sermons4kids.com- Word Search

4catholiceducators.com- Matthew 18:21-25 (word search)

web.archive.org- Word Search

sermons4kidslcom- Decoder

sermons4kidslcom- Spiral Puzzle

biblewise.com- Crossword with answers

4catholiceducators.com- The Unmerciful Slave crossword

sermons4kidslcom- Crossword

web.archive.org- Crossword

sermons4kidslcom- Matching

sdc.me.uk- Matthew 18:21-35

jesuswalk.com- Forgiveness in the Kingdom (Matthew 18:21-35; 6:9-15) with questions that can easily be made into a worksheet

churchofjesuschrist.org- The Unmerciful Servant (lesson) with questions that can easily be made into a worksheet

studyandobey.com- Matthew 18:21-35 Inductive Bible Study – Discussion Questions and Teaching Points (questions can easily be made into a worksheet)

hermeneutrix.com- Questions for Reflection and Discussion – Matthew 18 21-35 (questions that can easily be made into a worksheet)

ism.intervarsity.org- Story Bible Study 7: The Unmerciful Servant (questions that can easily be made into a worksheet)