new testament unit 8: jesus taught about god lesson 2: the

God’s Unfolding StoryHour B

Suggested Schedule:

ArrivalCenters – 25 minutes

Clean-up Time – 5 minutes

Bible Story Time – 15 minutes

Craft Time – 10 minutes

Snack Time – 10 minutes

Game Time/Dismissal

God’s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright © 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com NT08 Lesson 2 Hour B

1. God created everything.

2. People disobeyed God.

3. God chose a special people.

4. God sent Jesus to help us.

5. Jesus began the Church.

6. Jesus is preparing heaven for us.

Arrival• Greet children at eye level and express how happy

you are to see them.• Be sure each child has a name tag and the security

measures of your church are followed.• Label all coats and personal belongings. Strongly

encourage children who have brought items from home, such as toys and books, to place them on a shelf while they are working with other materials. Assure children their items will be safe and they can take them home at the end of the session.

• Help each child make a choice where he or she would like to begin his or her Center Time.

Lesson Plan

Unfolding God’s Story for TeachersThe Story of the Forgiving King is penned only in Matthew, yet the truth is found through out the Word of God. From Genesis to Revelation we hear the resounding melodious chord of forgiveness strummed over and over. The element of God’s forgiveness is fundamental to our salvation. If God did not forgive there would be no need for heaven because there would be no way to have a relationship with Him. It is in forgiveness that we are made righteous. And it is only through His righteousness that we are granted a place in His Kingdom.

Peter, perhaps the spokesman for the group, asked the question they all probably were asking. “How many times could my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” (Matthew 18:21)

Rabbinical law stated that you must forgive 3 times and after that there was no forgiveness. So Peter may have felt he was really stretching it by saying 7. But Jesus’ reply of seventy times seven was not so much an exact number you must forgive but a principle. Jesus wanted his rag tag bunch of friends to know that forgiveness was an attitude of the heart not a scorecard to keep.

Forgiveness is not excusing the person and saying what was done was not wrong or hurtful. Forgiveness is letting go of one’s right to exact vengeance. Vengeance is God’s responsibility. One’s capacity to forgive is directly linked to the degree of grace received. One cannot give what one has not received.

We must ask ourselves the question, how many times do I want God to forgive me? Since God’s grace and forgiveness has no limit than neither should ours. I must forgive if I want to be forgiven. To issue mercy is evidence that mercy has been received. To deny forgiveness means to show oneself unforgivable.

Forgiveness is not always easy. It is a choice. It is always the right choice, but seldom without cost. The cost is letting go of pride or self. It is letting go of the desire or even right to hurt or cause equal pain. It is not in our nature to forgive. Forgiveness can come only through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit

prevails in our hearts and gives us the needed power to let go of self and have compassion on the sinner. This allows the debt to be paid in full. They owe us nothing, just as Jesus says to each of us –

“paid in full.” Forgiveness is a very abstract concept. Preschoolers are concrete thinkers.

Help preschoolers understand forgiveness first of all by demonstrating it through your conversation and actions. Call attention to moments when you observe children showing forgiveness to others. Talk about situations kids face that call for acts of compassion and forgiveness. A child must be shown mercy to understand mercy.

New Testament Unit 8: Jesus Taught About God Lesson 2: The Story of The Forgiving King

Bible Story: The Story of the Forgiving King

(Matthew 18:21-35)Bible Phrase: “Forgive one

another.” (Eph. 4:32)Bible Truth: God wants me

to forgive others as He forgives me.

Center TimeBlock CenterBuild with BlocksSupplies:

• Wooden blocksWhat to Do: Provide a small carpet if possible. Blocks are best located in a corner of the room away from the traffic flow. Link to the Bible Story: As children build, listen for opportunities to share the Bible Phrase or tell a part of the Bible story.

NT08 Lesson 2 Hour B

Puzzle CenterWork Puzzles

Supplies:

• Offer a variety of non-fantasy wooden or cardboard puzzles for

children to work.What to Do: Encourage children to finish

a puzzle before leaving the center. Give guidance rather than doing the puzzle for

the child. Link to the Bible Story: As children work, look for opportunities in conversation to say the

Bible Phrase or briefly tell the Bible story.

Home Living CenterPlay with PlaydoughSupplies:

• Small rocking chair, sink and stove unit and small table and chairs; plastic dishes, child pots and pans, plastic food items; and doll items such as doll bed, baby doll, doll bag, blanket, clothes, bottles and diapers.

• Playdough, cookie cuttersWhat to Do: Home living items will encourage children to role play home activities such as cooking, cleaning and caring for the baby. Provide playdough and cookie cutters for children to enjoy.Link to the Bible Story: As children play, look for opportunities to engage in conversation about the Bible story, Bible Phrase or Bible truth.

God’s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright © 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com

Art CenterDot Painting

Supplies:

• White construction paper• Commercial Dot Painters

What to Do: Print today’s Bible Phrase on each paper. Invite children to use the Dot Painters to

create designs on their paper.Link to the Bible Story: As children work, read

the Bible Phrase. Talk about ways we can show forgiveness to our friends and family

members.

Bible Learning CenterBible Story Puzzle

Supplies: • Copies of Activity Page “The Forgiving

King” (Reproducible)• Crayons, glue, scissors, construction paper

What to Do: Invite children to color the Bible story picture. Ask them to cut the picture apart on

the dotted lines. Encourage children to put the puzzle together and glue to the construction paper.

Link to the Bible Story: Read the Bible Phrase. Share part of the Bible story by saying, “One day there was a man

who owed the king a lot of money. He could not pay the king. Instead of putting the man in jail, the king

forgave the man and told him he did not own him anything. The king was kind and forgiving to

the man just as God is to us.”


Clean-up TimeEncourage

preschoolers to help at clean-up time.

Assign specific tasks for preschoolers to do such as

placing all the crayons in the basket, throwing away the trash,

gathering all the glue sticks, etc. Guide children to the

Bible Story Time area.

Introduction• Show the God’s Unfolding Story Cube. Point to each symbol and tell God’s Unfolding Story. (Refer to page 1.) Encourage children to say the story with you. • Comment to boys and girls today’s story is from the segment God sent Jesus to help us. (Point to that symbol on the cube.)• Express the following in your own words: “God sent Jesus to help us understand more about Him. Jesus told a story to help the people understand about God’s love and forgiveness. God wants us to love and

forgive as well. Do you know what it means to forgive someone? Forgiving is not always easy because when someone hurts us, we want them to hurt as well. When we forgive someone we decide not to hurt them just because they have hurt us. ”

Bible StoryThe Story of the Forgiving KingMatthew 18:21-35One day Jesus told this story. There was once a man who worked for the king. The man had borrowed a lot of money from the king but had not paid it back. One day, the king decided to collect the money the man had borrowed. The man was brought before the king and the king asked for his money. But the man had no money to pay the king. So the king commanded , “You must sell everything you have and pay your debt to me!” When the king said this, the man got down on his hands and knees and begged the king to give him more time to pay the debt. Well, the king looked down at the man and instead of getting angry at the man for begging, he did something kind. The king said, “I forgive you your debt, you may go, you do not owe me anything.” Well, you would have thought the man would be jumping around and shouting for joy but he did something that was not kind. The man went and found someone who

owed him money and demanded that he pay him what he owed. The man could not pay so he had him thrown into jail until he could pay his debt. There were people who knew what had happened between the man and king. They knew it was not right for this man not to forgive the debt of someone who owed him money. The people went to the king and told him the story. The king was angry and called for the man to be brought to him. The man was brought to the king. The king said, “I did not make you pay what you owed to me so you should have done the same for this man.” The king ordered that the man be put into jail until he could pay back all the money he owed the king. Jesus wanted the people to understand that God wants us to forgive others as God forgives us.

Talk Time1. Show the teaching picture for today’s Bible

story. Ask the following: “What did the king do for the man who owed him money? What did the man do to the person who owed him money? What did the King do to the man after he found out the man had not forgiven his friend?”

2. Say today’s Bible Phrase together, “Forgive one another. Ephesians 4:32” Stress to boys and girls that God forgives us when we disobey; we should be kind and forgiving to others as well.

3. Close the Bible Story Time in prayer asking God’s help to be forgiving.

Bible Story Time

Supplies:• Bible

• Teaching Picture “The Story of the Forgiving King”

(Reproducible)• God’s Unfolding Story Cube

(Reproducible/Cardstock)

Snack TimeBe sure to wash hands or use hand sanitizer. Say a thank-you prayer to God for the snack. When snack time has ended, encourage preschoolers to help with cleaning up.


Craft TimeMake a Bible Story Stick PuppetSupplies: • Copy of “Bible Story Stick Puppet” (Reproducible)• Craft sticks (1 per child)• Crayons or washable markers, tapeWhat to Do: Cut out the parts of each “Bible Story Stick Puppet.” Give each child a puppet and crown to color and glue. Distribute craft sticks and tape. Ask children to tape their craft stick to the back of their puppet. Link to Bible Story: As children work, talk about opportunities to show forgiveness. Talk about times when we need to forgive and how we respond in forgiveness. Such as: when someone calls us an unkind name we don’t do the same; if someone has hurt our feelings, we don’t say something to hurt theirs; when someone takes a toy from us, we tell the teacher but we don’t do the same to them.

Game Time/DismissalBean Bag TossSupplies:

• Small bean bag• CD player and any music CDWhat to Do: Ask children to come to the Game Time area. Begin playing the music and tossing a bean bag back and forth to the children. At different intervals, stop the music and describe a situation which would call for an act of forgiveness. Discuss with children what actions they should take. At the close of the game, remind boys and girls of today’s Bible Phrase, “Forgive one another” Ephesians 4:32. Dismiss children as parents arrive. Be sure to follow the security procedures of your church.


Resources and SuppliesStandard Art Supplies

(Supplies that are generally in the room)

Washable markersCrayons

Child scissorsPlaydough and accessories

Drawing paperEasel (optional)Glue/glue sticks

Tempera paint, 4 colorsTape/masking tape

Pencils/colored pencilsHole punch

Teacher scissorsStapler/staples

Permanent markersWatercolorsPaintbrushes

Yarn

Standard Equipment

(Equipment that is generally in the room)

Small beanbag for Bible Story TimeAssorted wooden/cardboard puzzles

Set of wooden blocksSmall cars and trucks

Doll bedBaby doll (soft plastic)

Stove/sink unitPlay dishes/pots and pans

Small table and chairsSmall carpet for block area

Play food itemsStorage shelf for blocks

Tables and chairs for art, puzzles, and Bible Learning Center

CD player/Children’s Worship CDs

Reproducibles(Included with the lesson plan downloads)

Activity Page “Bible Story Puzzle” (1 copy per child)“Bible Story Stick Puppet” (1 copy per child)

Teaching Picture “The Story of the Forgiving King” (1 copy per class)God’s Unfolding Story Cube (Cardstock—1 copy per class)

Parent Page (1 copy per child)

Additional Art and Bible Learning Materials

Commercial Dot Painters – (at least one set)White construction paper – (1 sheet per child)

Hour B

Additional Craft Time Materials

Craft Sticks (1 per child)

New Testament Unit 8: Jesus Taught About GodLesson 2: The Story of The Forgiving King

Forgive one another.

Ephesians 4:32

Forgive one another.

Ephesians 4:32

NT08 Lesson 2 Hour B Center Time: Bible Learning CenterGod’s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright © 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com

Activity Page, “Bible Story Puzzle”Instructions: One copy per child. Children color the Bible story picture and cut apart on the dotted lines. Children put their puzzles together and glue on construction paper.

Bible Story Stick Puppet

NT08 Lesson 2 Hour B Craft TimeGod’s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright © 2013 - SundaySchoolZone.com

Craft, “Bible Story Stick Puppet”Instructions: One copy for every 2 children. Cut out the king figures and the crowns. Give each child a king figure and crown to color. Children glue the crowns on the king’s head. Tape a craft stick to the back of the figure to make a stick puppet.

God’s Unfolding Story CubeInstructions: Cut out on dotted lines, fold on solid lines. Glue or tape to form a cube.

God’s Unfolding Story for Older Preschoolers, Copyright © 2012 - SundaySchoolZone.com

new testament unit 8: jesus taught about god lesson 2: the

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