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Memory Verse

“PUT UP WITH ONE ANOTHER. FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER IF YOU ARE HOLDING SOMETHING AGAINST SOMEONE. FORGIVE, JUST AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU.”

COLOSSIANS 3:13, NIRV

Bible Story

A Woman Anoints Jesus’ Feet

Everyone needs forgiveness.

Luke 7:36-50, NIRV

36 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So he went to the Pharisee’s house. He took his place at the table.
37 There was a woman in that town who had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house. So she came with a special sealed jar of perfume.
38 She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. She began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 The Pharisee who had invited Jesus saw this. He said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him. He would know what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!”
40 Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
41 “Two people owed money to a certain lender. One owed him 500 silver coins. The other owed him 50 silver coins.
42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back. So he let them go without paying. Which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon replied, “I suppose the one who owed the most money.” “You are right,” Jesus said.
44 Then he turned toward the woman. He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water to wash my feet. But she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 You did not give me a kiss. But this woman has not stopped kissing my feet since I came in.
46 You did not put any olive oil on my head. But she has poured perfume on my feet.
47 So I tell you this. Her many sins have been forgiven. She has loved a lot. But the one who has been forgiven little loves only a little.”
48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
49 The other guests began to talk about this among themselves. They said, “Who is this who even forgives sins?”
50 Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

Daily Devotionals

Read Psalm 32:1

This month is all about forgiveness, deciding that someone who has wronged you doesn’t have to pay. That’s way easier to say than it is to do! When someone hurts us, we want to get even. There’s only one problem: everyone needs forgiveness, including you. No one is perfect. We all mess up and do things that hurt others and ourselves.

When we are honest about how we’ve messed up, Jesus will forgive us. He covers our sins or mess ups. He takes them away. Everyone needs forgiveness and thankfully, God’s forgiveness comes in an unlimited supply.

Wipe the Slate Clean
Grab a dry erase marker and find a mirror where you live. Do you need forgiveness? Draw a picture or write down what you’ve done on the mirror. Be honest, tell God about what happened, and ask for forgiveness. Use a tissue to wipe the “slate” (mirror) clean.

Read Ephesians 2:4-5

With an adult’s permission, head outside and find a patch of dirt. Take a moment to dig around in it. What do you see? Maybe you see new sprouts of life starting to grow—like some grass or even a flower or two! It’s amazing to think that God creates such beautiful plants and flowers from seeds in the dirt. Every spring, God creates new life all around us.

God does the same thing in our life too! Because of Jesus, God gives us new life! Even though we might mess up, God makes something beautiful out of our lives. God’s love for us is amazing!

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17

Remember all that dirt yesterday? Take out a sheet of paper and something to draw with, like
crayons or markers. Take a moment to draw a scene from a garden: dirt, flowers, sunshine, and sky! Make it super colorful and full of life!

Above your drawing write the phrase: “I am a new creation!” Hang up your drawing somewhere you’ll see it before you head out for school each morning.

Because of Jesus, we can be new creations! God’s forgiveness is so great! All we need to do is ask, and God will forgive us! When we remember that we’re a new creation because of Jesus, it completely changes how we see the world around us. We can trust that God will help us make the wise choice and live like Jesus!

Read Luke 5:30-32

Measure Up
Grab a ruler or tape measure and five random objects from around the house. On a piece of paper, write down how tall you think each item is. Then measure the items to see if your guess was correct. Do you know how tall you are? If not, ask an adult to measure you. How many of these items would it take to measure up to you?

Today’s verse reminds us that no matter how “good” we are, no matter how hard we try to do the right thing, we can never measure up to God’s goodness. And it’s not just you that doesn’t measure up. Everyone doesn’t measure up.

Everyone includes every single person. We all need forgiveness. That’s why God sent Jesus. Jesus made a way for all to be forgiven. On the counter in your kitchen, stack the items on top of each other as best you can. As you pass them this week, be reminded that we don’t have to measure up to be forgiven.

 

As your kid starts their day, tell them how much you admire their compassion for others, and give them an example of a time recently when they were kind or thoughtful. (You may have many examples to choose from or just one.)

At a meal, have everyone at the table answer this question: “Talk about a time when you did something that hurt someone and you needed forgiveness. How did the other person react?”

While on the go, ask your kid: “What is the nicest thing someone has done for you recently? What is something not so nice that someone has said or done to you or someone else recently? How did each make you feel?”

Pray for each other: “God, none of us are perfect. As much as we try to say or do the right thing, sometimes we don’t. And we either hurt ourselves or someone else. When we do, give us the courage and compassion to seek forgiveness.”