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Memory Verse

“Do to others as you want them to do to you.” Luke 6:31, NIrV

 

Bible Story

Zacchaeus

When you forgive others, you can change them.

Luke 19:1-10 (NIRV)

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through.
2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy.
3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd.
4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.”
6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Daily Devotionals

Read Proverbs 10:12

When someone hurts you, it can be hard to forgive. When we’re hurt, we want to hurt the other person right back. We cannot move toward forgiveness if we choose to hold onto our anger. Anger can just make things worse. Choosing to love and forgive can help us make things right.

Instead of stirring things up and making them worse, forgiveness calms everything down. In fact, forgiving someone else can change them!

 

Fill in the analogies by unscrambling the words below:

FURRY is to RACCOON as SPIKY is to

_______________________.
E I P P O R U N C

SHAKING is to EARTHQUAKE as SPINNING is to

____________________.

O O A R N T D

HATE is to FIGHT as FORGIVE is to

______________.

E A P E C

Read Luke 19:7-8

When Zacchaeus climbed up in that tree to get a better view, he had NO idea that Jesus would stop, call him by name, and invite himself over for dinner. But that’s exactly what happened!

Everyone needs forgiveness. That’s why Jesus came! Jesus chose to love and forgive him. And because of Jesus’ forgiveness, Zacchaeus changed from the inside out!

Ask these questions about forgiveness at your next family meal.
How did it feel when someone chose to forgive you?
What might happen to the people around you if you decided to forgive?
How does forgiveness change you when someone offers it?

Read Matthew 5:7

What is mercy? Circle the answer below.

The compassionate treatment of those in distress
a. Forgiveness, benevolence, and kindness
b. Choosing to treat someone with compassion
c. Letting someone off the hook


Did you circle all the answers? When someone hurts you and asks for forgiveness, you have a choice. You can choose to show mercy and forgive, or you can hold onto your anger.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told us that people who show mercy will be blessed. When we choose to forgive, to show mercy, we become more like Jesus. Stop and thank God for forgiving you, no matter what. Ask God to help you to show mercy and compassion to the people around you.

Read Luke 6:37

Have you ever followed a map at a museum or an amusement park? Without that map, you might have gotten lost!

When Jesus spoke these words about forgiveness, He was giving us a kind of map for our relationships. When you forgive instead of holding on to your anger and frustration, it frees you. Let love be the guide for your life.

What might happen if you let forgiveness and love be your map this week?

Draw a line to complete the phrases from today’s verse. Ask God to help you lead with love and forgiveness this week.


Do not Judge                     and you will not
                                            be found guilty


Do not find                        and you will
others guilty                      be forgiven


Forgive                              and you will not
                                           be judged

 

As your kid starts their day, encourage your child by sharing a way you’ve seen them grow or change.

At a meal, have everyone at the table answer this question: “Have you ever forgiven someone for something they did? How did it make the other person feel? How did you feel?”

While on the go, ask for their forgiveness for a parenting fail (we all have them!).

Pray for each other: “God, if there is someone in our lives who we need to forgive, remind us of them. And Lord, we pray you give us the strength and compassion to forgive them.”