Teaching Plan

The Customizable Teaching Plan is where you will find every activity needed for an amazing time of Bible Study with your students.

  • There are four different plans to choose from, Complete, Younger, Older, and Master Teacher. (Although activities have been carefully designed with age-appropriate behavior, topics, and learning styles in mind, you know your own group better than anyone – feel free to customize your plan to best fit your group’s personality and needs.)
  • Each plan is broken into three sections: Connect, Explore, and Transform.
  • Simply click on the activity titles below to see each activity.
  • Activity PDFs can be downloaded within the specific activity window.

Connect

Connect options are fun ways to introduce the lesson's theme(s). Your choices for Connect activities include:

  • Drama—A short drama script that can be performed by your students
  • Media Option—Media options are videos, photos, audio files, or slide shows
  • Age Specific Options—Activities to get your students ready for the lesson
  • Review Questions—Questions to review the previous lesson's content

Explore

Explore options are where Bible Study happens. Your choices for Explore activities include:

  • The Key Study—An interactive, small group Bible Study focusing on the Biblical Passage (includes Map and Timeline reference)
  • The Master Teacher Key Study—A sermon-style Bible Study focusing on the Biblical Passage
  • Age Specific Options—Bible Study activities developed specifically for younger and older students

Transform

Transform options help your students apply the lesson's truths. Your choices for Transform activities include:

  • Deeper Discussion—Questions to take your students deeper into the application of the lesson
  • Creative Prayer—Interactive ways to pray
  • Age Specific Options—Application activities developed specifically for younger and older students
Choose a Teaching Plan:

Connect

Connect activities get students ready to learn. Choose one or two of the activities below to introduce this week’s lesson.

Review Questions

(5–8 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will answer five review questions from the previous lesson.
Print one copy of the “Review Questions” activity sheet for your use.

Especially for Younger Students: Forgiveness Improvs

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will act out improvised scenes portraying situations that are hard to forgive someone in.
Print one copy of the “Forgiveness Improvs” activity sheet and cut apart the topics. Fold topics and put them in a hat or bowl. 

Especially for Older Students: Debtor’s Monopoly

(10 minutes, moderate set-up)
Students will play a variation of Monopoly® to illustrate God’s forgiveness of our sin debt.
Print one copy of the Debtor's Monopoly activity sheet for your use. Set up a Monopoly board prior to the session, with hotels on each property. Provide enough playing pieces for all students to participate. Distribute $200 to each player. From the stack of cards, set aside the one that says, “Get out of jail free.”

Master Teacher Option: Forgiveness Improvs

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will act out improvised scenes portraying situations that are hard to forgive.
Print one copy of the “Forgiveness Improvs” activity sheet and cut apart the topics. Fold topics and put them in a hat or bowl. 

Explore

Explore activities lead students to study Scripture. Teach the Key Study to focus on the Biblical Truth. If you choose, support the Key Study with one or two of the following activities.

Interactive Core Study: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

(15–20 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will study Matthew 18:21-35 to analyze God’s forgiveness.
Provide a copy of the Student Worksheet and a pen for each student. Also provide a dry erase board and markers. 

Master Teacher Key Study: The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

(15–20 minutes, easy set-up)

Students will study Matthew 18:21-35 to analyze God’s forgiveness.
Print one copy of the Master Teacher Key Study for your use. Provide a copy of the Student Worksheet and a pen for each student.

Especially for Younger Students: How Much Did He Owe?

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will calculate how much each debtor owed in today’s currency.
Provide a dry erase board and marker.

Especially for Older Students: Jewish Law of Forgiveness

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will discuss the Jewish teachings on forgiveness during Jesus’ day.

Transform

Choose one or two Transform activities to challenge students to live differently. Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit ultimately brings about change, so help students draw near to Him.

Deeper Discussion

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will discuss how receiving God’s forgiveness enables them to forgive others.

Especially for Younger Students: Seeking God’s Forgiveness

(10 minutes, easy setup)
Students will privately identify areas where they might need to seek God’s forgiveness.
Provide an index card and pen for each student.

Especially for Older Students: Forgiveness to Share

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will discuss how receiving God’s forgiveness motivates them to forgive others.
Provide index cards and pens.

Master Teacher Option: Forgiveness to Share

(10 minutes, easy set-up)
Students will discuss how receiving God’s forgiveness motivates them to forgive others.
Provide index cards and pens.

Take Home Activity

The Take Home Activity gives families the opportunity to study the biblical passage together and discuss how each member of the family might apply the truths from the lesson to his or her life.

Family Devotion

(10-15 minutes at home, easy set-up)
Distribute copies of the Family Devotion to students and encourage them to share the devotion with their family.