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.

Invite students to discuss with one or two partners: Do you find it easier to ask for forgiveness or to extend forgiveness to others? Explain. Allow a couple of minutes for discussion, then ask: When we ask for forgiveness, what fears might we experience? (Perhaps the greatest fear is that our request for forgiveness will be denied, even if the offense seemed small in our own eyes.)

Encourage students to look over the king’s response to the first servant in Matthew 18:23-27. Ask: What did we learn from this parable about God’s willingness to forgive even our greatest sins? (When we are truly repentant, God is willing to forgive all debts—even those that are so great that they should be beyond forgiveness.)

Say: Some aspects of our past sins are embarrassing to discuss publicly, but confessing them privately to God can bring forgiveness and healing to our lives. Invite students to reflect privately on these questions as you read them aloud:

Are there any sins in your past that you feel God cannot forgive? If so, share them with God, asking Him to help you accept His forgiveness.
Are there any sins you’ve previously confessed to God for which you struggle to accept His forgiveness? If so, ask God to help you fully accept His forgiveness.
Are there any sins you’ve refused to admit and confess? If so, would you like to admit and confess those sins at this time?

Conclude by praying that students will realize that God’s mercy is extravagantly greater than anything we deserve or can imagine, and that His forgiveness is freely given to anyone who confesses their sins and asks for His forgiveness.