Note to parent or teacher: This is a 40-minute lesson plan that highlights the following lesson objective: “Be able to identify the benefits of forgiveness to both the forgiver and the one forgiven, and how the person who forgives is the one who benefits the most; learn of the detrimental effects on one’s life when forgiveness is not practiced, and how when practiced, it is an important step in overcoming resentment or bitterness.” (Character Building: Social Skills: Forgiveness-2a)

Watch Matthew West’s song: “Forgiveness.”

Ask your child how difficult it is for them to forgive someone, and if they have found it more difficult to forgive some than others. Talk about why this may be.

If your child has had a recent experience with the need to forgive, perhaps you can use this time to discuss the situation and gain an understanding of how your child feels about letting go and forgiving the person who has wronged them. Do they feel ready? If not, what do they feel is missing?

Read “Why Forgive?”

Go over the three points addressed in “Why Forgive?” and ask your child how they can apply either one or each one to a current situation they may be going through that involves needing to forgive someone who has wronged them. The three points to cover are:

• Forgiveness puts your heart right with God (page 2).
• Forgiveness heals you (page 3).
• Forgiveness changes lives for the better (page 5).

They may not have an example of how the current situation has changed a life for the better, but they could imagine how it could. Or together you could think back on another time when forgiveness did make someone’s life better—either your child’s, yours, or the one who needed to be forgiven.

Ask your child, What if the roles were reversed? What if your child needed someone’s forgiveness? What if they have apologized but the person they have wronged doesn’t want to forgive them?

Read “The Thing about Apologies.” 

Discuss with your child how they felt their apology went. Or if they haven’t yet apologized, after reading this, how do they feel would be the best way to apologize? The story covered three key ingredients (page 4):

• Regret
• Responsibility
• Remedy

See if your child can remember what each one of these means, and if not, go back and read the first part of page four. Go over these key ingredients again and see how they can become a part of the apology that is needed, or if a remedy is needed, together figure out what can be done.

Remind your child that even if the person they have wronged doesn’t forgive them right away, if their heart is in the right place, then they can depend on God’s forgiveness, because God always forgives.

Review “Crazily Cool Cards Set: Forgiveness.”

Additional material:

• “A Son at the Length”
• “Pretty Good Girl”
• "You Forgive Me"