UNFORGIVEN LESSON!

Author: C.I.T.Y. Bible Clubs of New York City

 

Read Aloud:  PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT

Matthew 18:23-35 (NLT)23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

 

Memory Verse:  Matthew 6: 14-15 (NLT)14“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. 15 But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 

ProcedureDiscussion Questions: (Have students work with a partner to answer the following questions)

 

What is easier? To forgive someone or to ask to be forgiven? Why?_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Psalm 103:12 says that “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west”.  In what area of your life has God totally forgiven you? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Read verses 28-30.  How have you acted like the unforgiving man?

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Read verse 35.  Why is it important to forgive?  

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THE HUDDLE (Group Discussion): Share your answers for each question to the whole group.

Think About It! :  We’ve learned today that like the king in the story God forgives us of our sins.  He also wants us to forgive others from our heart.  Who do you need to forgive today?  (Optional: Dim lights and play worship music on low volume as the students reflect).

 

 

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