Because God Forgives Us, We Forgive

Story Time

Sit in a circle and show a big circle with your arms. Read slowly:

Once a king forgave his servant for a debt bigger than a mountain. But that same servant would not forgive his friend for a tiny debt. The king was very sad. Jesus tells us this story because God forgives us so much, so we can forgive others too.

Should you not have had mercy on your fellow servant as I had mercy on you? — Matthew 18:33

Motion and Song

Stand up. Stretch your arms out wide and say, 'God forgives me this much!' Then bring your hands close together and say, 'So I can forgive others too.' Repeat three times.

Yes or No Question

Ask: 'Should we forgive others because God forgives us?' (Expected answer: Yes. If a child says no, gently say, 'Jesus says yes—because God forgives us, we can forgive our friends.')

Coloring Page

Draw a picture of you giving a hug to a friend to show forgiveness.

Leader Notes

Delivery tone: Warm, slow, and expressive. Use a surprised voice for the king's sadness.

Duration: 5 minutes.

Restless child: Invite the child to stand and do the arm motion with you, or hand them a crayon to start the coloring page early. Keep the story moving; do not pause for discussion.

Time estimates: Story (2 min), Motion (1 min), Question (30 sec), Coloring transition (1.5 min).

Redirect language: If a child talks about someone being mean to them, say, 'That hurts. Jesus says because God forgives us, He helps us forgive too.'