Family Resources

These are resources to help parents talk with their kids about God.

May 2008 Children's Ministry Calendar
FM 360 Take Home Discussion
FM 360 Take Home Activity

May 3 & 4

Parents, we want you to know what your child is learning in Kids' Village, and we want to assist you in raising your child to love and trust Jesus. Here are some things we talked about this weekend.

KEY POINT…FORGIVE OTHERS BECAUSE CHRIST FORGIVES.

This semester we are talking about Jesus. We know that by looking at Jesus we can see what God is like. We want to pay attention to how Jesus sees the world. How does He interact with others? What does He value? How does that change how we should view the world? It is our prayer that your family will grow in your knowledge and love for God as you talk to your kids. This week we are talking about forgiveness. We will see that Jesus forgives and He calls us to forgive as He does.

Read and talk about Matthew 18:23-35 together:

1. What does the word "debt" mean? (Something you owe.) Who owed a debt? (The king's servant.) Was the servant able to pay his debt? (No.) It says the king had pity on the servant and cancelled his debt. What does that mean? (He didn't make the servant pay the debt.)
2. What did the king's servant do after he left the king? (He looked for another servant who owed him money.) What did the king's servant demand of the other servant? (Pay back what you owe me!) Whose debt was bigger? (The king's servant.) Could the man pay the king's servant back? (No.) What did the king's servant do to the other servant? (He threw him in prison.) Did the king's servant extend the same kindness as the king did? (No.) Was the king happy with his servant? Why not? (Because the servant did not show the same kindness as the king did.)
3. Who is like the king in the story? (Jesus.) Who is like the king's servant? Why? (We are like the king's servant because we are in debt to Jesus.) Where does our debt come from? (Our hearts that are sick with sin.) What does Jesus do with our debt when we love and trust Him? (He cancels it./He forgives it.) Who is like the other servant? (Other people who have sinned against us.) If we have been forgiven by Jesus, what should our response be to those who sin against us? (We should forgive them.) Look at verse 35. Where does forgiveness need to come from? (Our heart.) If forgiveness takes place in our heart, whose help do we need to have true forgiveness? (Jesus.)
4. Who do you need to forgive? What did they did they do? How did you react? Are you still angry or upset with them or have you forgiven them? How does your speech, actions and attitudes toward that person show that you have forgiven them? Is it easy to forgive others? What can we do when we have trouble forgiving others? (Pray and ask for help.)

Pray together as a family. Praise Jesus because He is loving. Thank Jesus for forgiving us. Confess to God a time that it was hard for you to forgive someone. Ask God to help you forgive those who hurt you.

Here are some other verses we looked at this weekend:
Luke 23:32-34
James 2:13
Matthew 18:21-22

May's Memory Verse
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Luke 6:27&28