ASSEMBLIES OF GOD CHURCH CHILDREN’S SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL FOR SUNDAY, 13TH AUGUST, 2023.

BIBLE TEXT: 1 Samuel 26:1-25; Matthew 18:21, 22; Mark 11:25, 26

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (Ephesians 4:32, NIV).

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TARGET:

To help the child know the great importance of forgiving his/her enemies and to realise that showing forgiveness is another way he/she can witness for Jesus through his/her life.

During and after the lesson, each child will show that he/she understands the lesson by:

1. Asking in prayer that God would forgive his/her sins and also praying for desire and courage to forgive any enemy he/she may have.

2. Mentioning someone that has wronged him/her and asking for grace to forgive him/her.

1. Saul Goes after David – 1 Sam 26:1-12 o

2. David Spares Saul’s Life – 1 Sam 26:13-25

3. Jesus Talks about Forgiveness – Matthew 18:21-22; Mark 11:25-26

A. Number of Times to Forgive – Matthew 18:21, 22

B. Condition for Receiving Forgiveness – Mark 11:25, 26

Have you ever had cause to say, “I will never talk, play, or do anything with him again” or “I will never forgive him” when somebody wronged you? Maybe what the person did was so painful that the hurt lasted for a long time or maybe the person has done the same thing over and over again that you have to come to the end of the road.

This week we are going to study about a man who had the same experience. But his story is different. The enemy treated him very badly and did it over again. This is the second time he has been hurt by the same man and this time too he forgave him. He did not refuse to forgive. He forgave even when he had a chance to revenge.

Some people had just betrayed David. They went to Saul and told him where David was hiding. Saul immediately went to the place with three thousand soldiers to find David and kill him. When David heard that Saul was around looking for him, he sent his spies and confirmed it. Then he went straight to where Saul had camped with his men. He saw Saul lying in the camp and all his men lying around him. David wanted a volunteer to go to Saul’s camp with him. One young man called Abishai volunteered. At night, the two men then went into Saul’s camp. They saw Saul and his men all fast asleep. His spear was stuck in the ground near his head. His people lay all around him. Abishai offered to go in and just kill Saul and leave the rest but David refused. He said that he would never kill the man anointed by God. But that the day would come when either God would kill him or he would go to battle and die. Then David took Saul’s spear and his water bottle and they left.

David went to the top of a hill on the other side of the camp and called out to Saul’s commander, Abner. David accused him of being careless over guarding his king. He told him that someone came into the camp to destroy the king and that he deserved to die for not doing his duty of guarding the king well. Then he showed Abner the king’s spear and water jug.

Saul recognised the voice of David and called back to him, David responded by asking the king why a whole king was after him like that. He asked what he had done wrong to deserve that kind of treatment. He called on God to accept an offering if it was He that had incited Saul against him. But if the problem came from people then let such people become cursed for driving him out of his home and exposing him to danger.

When Saul heard all this he was so sorry and agreed that he had sinned and played the fool. He promised he would never harm David again since he had spared his life. He told David to go back home. Then David asked Saul to send somebody over to collect his spear and water bottle. Saul was grateful and blessed David.

3. Jesus Talks About Forgiveness

A. Number of Times to Forgive – Mat 18:21-22; Mark 11:25-26

When Jesus was teaching His disciples about forgiveness. Peter, one of the disciples asked a question. He wanted to know how many times he was supposed to forgive those who wronged him. He asked if seven times were enough. The reply Jesus gave took Peter unawares. It surprised him, surprised every other person there that day, and surprises us today. Jesus told Peter that he was to forgive his sinning brother seventy times seven (70×7) times. The sum of that arithmetic is 490 times. Who can keep that kind of record? And how possible is it for someone to offend his brother 490 times? So what was Jesus trying to say here? Jesus was saying that His people should forgive. those who offend them no matter the number of times they offend them, whether they apologise and ask for forgiveness or not.

Here Jesus is giving one condition that is very necessary for receiving forgiveness from God. The condition that receiving forgiveness depends giving forgiveness. Unless one forgives another he will not be qualified to receive forgiveness for his own offences for there is no one who does not offend. Jesus specifically said that when one is praying and remembers that he has something against another person, such a person should stop praying and first of all forgive the offender so that his Father in heaven may forgive him too. But if he fails to do this, God will refuse to forgive him his own sins.

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God forgives. We should forgive others because He forgave us. By doing this, we will be following His example. He is not asking His children to do what He has not equipped us to do. His Word says we should be kind to one another, tenderhearted, full of forgiveness for one another even as God for the sake of Christ has forgiven us all our sins towards Him.

The fact, however, is that it is not natural to forgive. We cannot forgive others in our strength. The important thing is that we must, first of all, want to forgive. Then we go on and pray for help from God. God will answer our prayers and give us the strength to do what is right.

The meaning of forgiveness is that when someone hurts us and we decide not to be angry with the person or try not to hurt the person back. And that will mean that we have forgiven the person.

1. Who volunteered when David wanted someone to go to Saul’s camp with him?

(A) A young man called Abishai.

(B) A young man called Abel.

(C) David’s friend called Jonathan

(D) None of the above.

2. What did David say when someone offered to go in and kill Saul? David said

(A) Nothing

(B) that he would never kill the man anointed by God.

(C) May the Lord be with you.

(D) I will kill Saul myself.

3. How many times did Jesus say His people are to forgive those who wrong them?

(A) 470 times

(B) 7 times

(C) 490 times.

(D) 70 times.

4. What is the condition for receiving forgiveness?

(A) By saying the Lord’s prayer.

(B) By asking for forgiveness.

(C) By forgiving others.

(D) None of the above.