107Hands-On Bible Curriculum—Grades 1 & 2

Praise Jesus!

Bible Point

Bible Verse“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you” (Matthew 6:14).

Growing Closer to JesusChildren will n understand that forgiving others is better than getting even, n re-create Jacob and Esau’s story, n discover that God forgives them completely, and n learn to forgive others because God forgives them.

Teacher EnrichmentThe Bible Basisn Jacob and Esau forgive each other.

When Esau, the firstborn of Isaac and Rebekah’s twins, came in hungry from the fields and demanded some of the stew his twin brother, Jacob, was cooking, Jacob quickly responded that he would exchange the stew for Esau’s birthright. His quick response indicates that he had been scheming to steal the birthright, which was considered a precious gift from God. It entitled Esau to a double portion of the inheritance. The bearer of the birthright was also considered the head of the family. When Esau swore the oath that Jacob demanded, he entered a legal agreement giving up that birthright. He gave up all that God had given him as the firstborn.

Though Esau had lost the birthright, Isaac could still give him the fatherly blessing before he died, and Isaac was determined to do that. But Rebekah, intervening on behalf of her younger son, helped Jacob deceive his aged father into giving him the blessing intended for Esau.

This deception devastated the family. Esau vowed to kill Jacob as soon as their father died (Genesis 27:41). Jacob had to flee the land, never to see his mother alive again.

In the end, however, God’s will was accomplished even though it was done through human deceit and dishonesty. Esau forgave his brother, and the two brothers were reconciled. Jacob offered Esau a peace offering, which Esau accepted, and the men parted in peace.

Prayer• Read Ephesians 4:31-32.• Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Explain.• Pray: Lord, help me teach my students to forgive one another when…

God wants us to forgive others.

Genesis 25:24-34; 27:1-38; 33:1-17

Jacob and Esau Forgive Each Other • Lesson 9

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What Children Will Do Classroom Supplies Learning Lab Supplies

Welcome Welcome!—Receive a warm welcome from the teacher and make name tags.

“Leaders Name Tags” (p. 83), scissors, markers, tape

Attention Grabber

Say You’re Sorry—Play a game two ways to see if saying they’re sorry makes a difference.

Masking tape

Bible Exploration &

Application

Brotherly Conflicts—Act out the story of Jacob and Esau from Genesis 27:1-38.

Bible

The Rest of the Story—Try to guess how Jacob and Esau settled their differences, and then hear the conclusion of the story from Genesis 33:3-4.

Bible

Who’s There?—Dress each other up, and then try to guess who their disguised partner is.

Assorted dress-up items such as hats, coats, and shirts; tape; blindfolds

No Way—Play an “impossible” game, and learn from Acts 13:38 that God’s forgiveness is complete.

Bible, treats

Closing I’m Sorry…Not!—Discover the difference between true and false forgiveness.

Before the Lessonn Collect items for the activities you plan to use, referring to the Classroom Supplies and Learning Lab Supplies listed in

the chart.n Make photocopies of the “Growing Together” handout (at the end of this lesson) to send home with your children.n Pray for your students and for God’s direction in teaching the lesson.

This Lesson at a Glance

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Jacob and Esau Forgive Each Other

WelcomeSUPPLIES: “Leaders Name Tags” (p. 83), scissors, markers, tape

• Greet each child individually with an enthusiastic smile.• Thank each child for coming to class today.• As children arrive, ask them about last week’s “Growing Together”

discussion. Use questions such as “Were you a peacemaker last week? How?” and “Why does God want us to get along with one another?”

• Say: Today we’re going to learn that God wants us to forgive others.• Hand out the name tags children made during Lesson 6, and help children attach the

name tags to their clothing. If some of the name tags were damaged, or if children weren’t in class that week, have them make new name tags using the photocopiable handout.

• Tell children that the attention-getting signal you’ll use during this lesson will be blowing the bird whistle. Ask children to respond by raising their hands. Rehearse the signal with the children, telling them to respond quickly so you’ll have plenty of time for all the fun activities planned for this lesson.

Attention Grabbern Say You’re SorrySUPPLIES: masking tape

Before this activity, tape a line down the center of the floor. Have children form two groups, and have groups line up single file, facing each other, at opposite ends of the tape.

Say: We’re going to play Say You’re Sorry. When I switch the lights off and on, I want both groups to start walking heel-to-toe on the line toward each other. When you meet people coming toward you, try to step around them, but still try to keep your feet on the line. You might bump into each other a little bit. When you bump someone else, say, “I’m sorry.” When someone says “I’m sorry” to you, say, “I forgive you” to the person. Ready? Go.

When all the children have walked along the line, say: Now let’s go back the same way, only this time there will be no talking. Ready? Go.

When all the children have again walked along the line, have them sit in a circle on the floor.

Ask: • What was it like walking along the line the first time? (It was fun; it made me laugh; it was noisy with everybody saying sorry.)

• What did you think of walking the line the second time? (It seemed harder; it wasn’t as much fun; I felt nervous.)

Say: Maybe the game wasn’t as much fun when people didn’t say they were sorry for bumping you. In real life when people do something hurtful and we aren’t sure why they did it, it can be hard for us to understand.

Ask: • What would it be like in real life if people never said they were sorry? (Sad; I would feel bad; people would be mean all the time.)

It’s important to say the Bible Point just as it’s written in each activity. Repeating the Bible Point over and over will help children remember it and apply it to their lives.

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• What would it be like if we couldn’t tell God we were sorry? (It would be scary; I wouldn’t like it; I would feel bad.)

Say: We can always tell God we’re sorry. And if we mean it and ask God to forgive us, he always will. And we should do the same thing for other people. In our Bible verse for today, Matthew 6:14, this is what it says: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” The Bible verse is saying that God will treat us the way we treat other people. We want God to forgive us when we’re sorry, and God wants us to forgive others when they say they are sorry. Our Bible story today is about forgiveness. Let’s listen.

Bible Exploration & Applicationn Brotherly ConflictsSUPPLIES: Bible

Open your Bible to the book of Genesis.Say: The Bible story today comes from the book of Genesis in the Bible.

Today’s story would make a good movie or play. Let’s use our imaginations and act it out.

Choose two children, one to play Jacob and one to play Esau.Have the other children sit in a large circle. Jacob and Esau should sit in the circle

with the others until time to go “on stage.” All the space inside the circle is the stage. Guide the children in their actions by suggesting the ideas in parentheses.

Say: Now we’re ready to start the play. I’ll read the story, and we’ll let the actors show us what happened. Everybody else has a job, too. Every time something bad happens, softly say “boo.” Ready? Here we go. The story is underlined where children should say “boo” so you can prompt them when necessary.

This is a true story about twin brothers. The first twin was born with skin like a red hairy robe, so they named him Esau (Esau crawls into the circle and stops) because it means “hairy.” (Have children rub their arms.) Esau’s twin brother was holding on to Esau’s heel when he was born. (Jacob crawls into the circle and touches Esau’s heel.) So they named him Jacob because it sounded like the word for “heel.” (Have children touch their heels.)

When the brothers grew up (they both stand), Esau became a good hunter. (Esau acts out hunting with a bow and arrow.) Let’s all pretend that we’re hunters like Esau. (Have children stand up and act out hunting with a bow and arrow and then sit back down in the circle.)

Esau spent a lot of time finding food. (Esau leaves the circle.) His brother, Jacob, was quiet. He liked to stay home and help his mother. (Jacob acts out gathering wood for a fire in the center of the circle.)

One day Jacob was cooking soup (Jacob pretends to stir soup over the fire) when Esau came in, tired and hungry from a hunting trip. (Esau walks slowly inside the circle, showing hunger.) What do you think Esau said to Jacob? (Have the children suggest things for Esau to say.)

Esau asked for some of Jacob’s soup. Jacob said Esau couldn’t have any

There are several ways to choose children. Use what works best with your class.

1. You choose—You probably know who will want to perform and who will be too shy.

2 . Ask for volunteers—Say, “We need someone to play Jacob. Who’d like to try?”

3. Take a chance— Put each character’s name on a slip of paper, and let the children draw a part “out of the hat.”

If you have enough children, it’s OK to assign boys’ parts to boys and girls’ parts to girls. But remember, acting is pretending, so it’s also OK to have boys play girls and girls play boys.

This is a long story, so keep it moving quickly. Use lots of expression to keep children’s interest.

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unless Esau gave him the rights that the firstborn son got (boo). That meant their father would give the best land and animals to Jacob instead of Esau—all for a bowl of soup! Esau was so hungry that he thought he might die if he didn’t get something to eat, so he agreed (they shake hands; boo), and Jacob fed him. (Jacob pretends to give Esau food.)

This is the end of part one. Jacob and Esau, take a bow.Clap for the performers, and have them join the rest of the class in the circle.Ask: • What do you think of the trade Jacob and Esau made of the soup

for the land and animals? Was it fair? (No, Jacob got a better deal; no, Esau must’ve been pretty hungry to give all that away.)

• Has anybody ever tricked you? What did you do about it? (Yes, my big brother tricks me all the time, and it makes me want to get even with him; yes, when people trick me, I want to get back at them.)

Say: Jacob knew he was being unfair to his brother, but he did it anyway (boo). Let’s find out what happened next.

Choose a new Jacob and Esau. Choose two others to play Rebekah and Isaac. Have Isaac sit down in the center of the circle and squint to show that he can’t see well. Rebekah should sit behind Isaac.

Say: Now we’re ready for part two.Isaac was the twins’ father. Isaac was old, and he couldn’t see clearly.

(Isaac squints again and reaches out his hand in front of him as if he’s blind and can’t see what’s there.) One day he called Esau (Esau enters the circle and kneels in front of Isaac) and said, “Go hunting for an animal for me to eat, make me a special meal, and I’ll bless you before I die.” (Isaac points outside the circle.) Isaac thought it was time to give Esau the gifts that the oldest son was supposed to get. So Esau went out to hunt. (Esau leaves the circle and sits down.)

All this time, Rebekah, the boys’ mother, was listening to Isaac. (Rebekah stands up.) She told Jacob (Jacob goes to Rebekah) everything she’d heard. Then she said (Rebekah whispers in Jacob’s ear), “Get me two goats, and I’ll cook them the way your father likes. You take him the food, and you’ll get the blessing instead of Esau” (boo). Let’s pretend we are whispering a secret to each other. (Have children pretend to whisper something in the ear of the person sitting next to them; then draw their attention again to the center of the circle.)

Jacob was shocked (Jacob looks shocked) and said, “I can’t do that. Esau is hairy! If Dad touches me, he’ll know I’m not Esau.” But Jacob did what his mother had said, even though it wasn’t a nice thing she had asked him to do (boo). He brought her two goats. (Jacob goes out of the circle and brings back make-believe goats.) Rebekah cooked them (Rebekah pretends to cook), and then she gave Jacob some of Esau’s clothes to wear. (She gives him make-believe clothes, and he puts them on.) Finally, she put pieces of hairy goatskin on Jacob’s hands and neck. (She pantomimes this.)

Then Jacob pretended to be his brother, Esau (boo), and took the food to his father. (He carries make-believe food to Isaac and kneels in front of him.)

Isaac was suspicious. That means that something didn’t seem right to him, and he was wondering why. Isaac wanted to know how Esau got back so fast. Jacob said, “God helped me find an animal quickly” (boo). Why do you think Isaac had a hard time believing that Jacob was really Esau? (Have children shout out answers.)

Bible InsightThe birthright that fathers bestowed upon their firstborn sons in Israel carried with it privileges as well as responsibilities. The firstborn son was the object of special affection in his parents’ eyes, and he was entitled to receive a double portion of the estate. He was considered the priest and the head of the family. The firstborn son was also expected to provide food, clothing, and other necessities for his mother until her death and for his sisters until they married.

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Isaac was still suspicious. He said, “Come near so I can touch you and see if you’re really Esau.” (Jacob scoots close to his father, and Isaac touches the back of Jacob’s hands.) “You sound like Jacob, but you feel like Esau. Are you really Esau?” Jacob said “yes” (boo). (Jacob nods yes.)

Then Isaac ate the food (he pretends to eat) and blessed Jacob. (Isaac puts his hands on Jacob’s bowed head.)

Just then Esau came in from hunting. (Esau comes in.) Isaac said, “Who are you?” Esau answered, “I’m your firstborn son, Esau.” Isaac was upset because he’d been tricked. (Isaac stands and shakes his head.) Esau said, “Bless me, too, Father.” (Esau gets down on his knees.) But Isaac said, “No, I can’t. It’s too late.”

This is the end of part two. Let’s clap for the actors. Lead the applause, and gather the children.

Ask: • That was a sneaky trick. How do you think the mom, Rebekah, and her younger son, Jacob, felt about what they did? (I bet they were scared to do it; excited; afraid; I bet they thought it was good when they got away with it.)

• How about the dad, Isaac, and the older brother, Esau? How do you think they felt? (Sad; angry; confused; I think they wanted to get even.)

• If you were Isaac or Esau, would you want to forgive Rebekah and Jacob? (Yes, I know God would want me to; no, I’d rather get even with them.)

Say: People sometimes do mean things to each other. When someone does something mean to us, it can make us so angry that we want to hurt them back. But God wants us to forgive others. Let’s find out if Jacob and Rebekah were forgiven.

n The Rest of the StorySUPPLIES: Bible

Say: For part three, we’re going to do something different. So far this has been a true story, but before we find out the true ending, let’s think about what might’ve happened.

Have children form pairs. Say: The end of the story took place many years later. The brothers were older. They both had big families and were important men. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time. One day they met again.

Assign each pair one of these “what if” situations, and have the pair come up with an ending of the story to act out.

1. What if they were both still angry? What would they say to each other? What would they do?

2. What if Jacob was sorry he tricked Esau, but Esau was still angry and wouldn’t forgive Jacob?

3. What if Esau was not angry with Jacob anymore, but Jacob still thought it was OK to trick Esau?

4. What if Jacob and Esau were both sorry and wanted to forgive each other?

Allow two minutes for pairs to work on their skits. Have each pair present its skit. Then gather the children again.

First- and second-graders have very definite ideas about what is fair and what’s not. They understand when they (and others) deserve punishment. They also understand the power of forgiveness. Watch for teachable moments during class when you can help kids understand God’s grace in forgiving us and to encourage them to follow God’s example by forgiving others.

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Ask: • Which ending is your favorite? Why? (I think it would be good if they both wanted to forgive each other; I think Esau stayed mad because I would stay mad if my brother did that to me.)

• Which ending do you think really happened? (I think Esau was still mad at Jacob; I think they forgave each other.)

Say: The Bible tells us the two brothers forgave each other and lived in peace. Read Genesis 33:3-4 aloud.

Ask: • Why do you think they forgave each other instead of staying mad? (Because that’s what God wanted them to do; maybe they’d been mad so long their anger just went away; maybe they missed being good friends.)

• How do you think they felt after they forgave each other? (I think they were happy; I bet they were glad to act like brothers again; I think Esau would still be mad about how Jacob tricked him.)

Say: God wants us to forgive others just as Jacob and Esau did.

HANDS-ON BIBLEYou’ll need several magazines, one shoe box per child, and enough

safety scissors and glue to share.

Say: Ever since the first day of creation, family has been important to God. As we have learned in our Bible story, though, sometimes people in families do mean things and hurt one another. God wants us to forgive others, especially people in our own families, because families are very valuable to God.

Have kids open their Hands-On Bibles to Genesis 25. Say: I’m going to give you a chance to create a place to save all your memories and things you value about your family.

Read aloud the instructions for the “Let’s Make a Deal” activity in Genesis 25 of their Hands-On Bibles and assist children in creating their treasure boxes.

Ask: • What is one thing that you value about your family? (I like eating TV dinners with them; I like playing cards with my family; I like when my dad reads me bedtime stories.)

• Think of one thing you’d like to put in your treasure box, and tell us why. (A necklace my parents gave me because they love me; a sparkly pen my sister gave me when I learned to write, because she was proud of me.)

Say: Find a friend to pray with. Help them find partners. I want you to pray for each other’s families. First, thank God for your friend’s family, and then pray that God will help them always remember to love one another and forgive each other. Take turns praying, starting with the shortest person in your pair. Give kids about a minute to take turns praying.

First- and second-graders are by their nature self-centered. Most young children want to be first, want to be noticed, and want to be the center of attention. It’s not a fault; it’s just where they are developmentally. Understanding that such behavior is normal for this age can help you deal with your kids with patience and understanding. Remember that under your gentle guidance, children can begin to learn the meaning of humility.

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n Who’s There?SUPPLIES: assorted dress-up items such as hats, coats, and shirts; tape; blindfolds

Say: In today’s Bible lesson, Jacob dressed up as his older brother, Esau, and tricked their father into giving him Esau’s blessing. Let’s see how good we are at dressing up and pretending to be somebody else.

Have children form pairs. Have one child in each pair put on a disguise, and have his or her partner help with the dress up. Encourage children to use the props creatively. A child could wear the black-rimmed eyeglasses or the mylar wig or a half-mask as is, for example, but he or she could also tape on a piece of fake fur as a mustache or wear the wiggle snake around the neck like a necklace or coil it around the wrist like a bracelet. If you brought in assorted dress-up items such as hats, coats, or shirts, make those available for use, too.

Once the children are dressed up, put a blindfold on the other partner, and then have all the dressed-up children switch places so everyone has a new partner. Tell the blindfolded partner to touch his or her new partner’s face and try to guess who it is.

After a few minutes, let the blindfolded children take off their blindfolds and see who their partners are. Have children switch roles and play the game again.

Then ask: • What was the most fun about dressing up? (Wearing the wig; pretending I had a moustache; pretending I was somebody else.)

• Was it easy or hard to guess who your new partner was? Explain. (It was easy because she wears glasses and I heard her giggle; it was hard because I couldn’t see anything.)

• Do you think it was easy or hard for the brother in our Bible story to fool his father? Why? (I think it was hard because he didn’t look or sound like his brother; I think it was easy because his father couldn’t see well.)

• Do you think our game was like or unlike the Bible story we heard? Explain. (I think it was like it because Jacob dressed up, too, and tricked his dad; it was different because we weren’t trying to trick anyone.)

• Have you ever had someone trick you? (Yes, my brother tricked me and locked me in the basement for an hour; no, I’ve never been tricked; yes, my friend tricked me and scared me when she hid in my closet and then jumped out.)

• How can you show God’s love and forgiveness to people who have tricked you? (I can tell my brother that I forgive him; I can give my sister a hug and let her play with my toys; I can tell my friend that I love her and so does Jesus.)

Say: We were just playing a game, and no one was really trying to trick anybody else. But sometimes people try to trick others for real. It can be hard to forgive people when they’ve tricked us. But God wants us to forgive others. After a while, Esau forgave Jacob and wasn’t mad at Jacob anymore. We are showing God’s love when we forgive people and love them no matter what they do.

Do you remember our Bible verse for today? It comes from Matthew 6:14, and it says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.” God loves us and wants us to show his love to other people. Now let’s play a game to help us learn how much God loves us and how much we should love others.

Some children object to wearing blindfolds or anything that covers their eyes. Be sensitive to their fears. If children resist having something put over their eyes, have them close their eyes instead.

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n No WaySUPPLIES: Bible, treats

Give each child a walnut-sized piece of modeling clay. Have the children form balls with their clay. Also give each child three felt dots.

Say: I have a trick I want you to do with your clay ball. If you do it correctly, you get to keep all of your felt dots. Each time you make a mistake, it’ll cost you

one felt dot. To win the game, you have to keep all your dots. First, toss your clay ball into the air and catch it. Keep tossing and catching. If anyone drops the clay ball, collect a felt dot from him or her.

After a few seconds, say: Now, toss your clay ball up and catch it with one hand. Have the children continue tossing and catching. Collect a dot for each dropped ball.

Stop the game as soon as everyone has lost at least one dot.Ask: • Does anyone still have all three dots? (No, we all made mistakes; no,

this game was too hard.)Say: I guess nobody won the game. I feel bad because I wanted all of you

to win, so I think I’ll give back your dots. Return the dots to the children so they each have three again. Collect the clay, and save it for another lesson.

Now we can say you all won, and you can trade in your dots for a prize. Collect the dots, and save them for another lesson. Give each child a small treat.

Gather the children, and ask: • What did you think when I decided to let you all win? (I was glad because I didn’t think I had a chance; it still seemed unfair that everyone got to win, because I did better than everyone else.)

• Have you ever deserved to be punished but not been punished? Tell me what happened. (Yes, once I got into the cookie jar right before dinner, but my dad didn’t punish me when he found out; no, I always get punished when I do something wrong.)

Say: In this game, you couldn’t be perfect because the game was too hard. None of us can do everything perfectly. Some people can run fast, and others can’t. Some people can sing beautifully, and others can’t. We can’t be the best at everything, and that’s OK.

But God wants us to always do right because doing wrong things separates us from him. We call those

wrong things sin. Even when we do wrong things by accident, we still get separated from God. Our sin gets in the way.

If that were all there is to it, nobody could win because everyone sins sometimes. We’d all be separated from God’s love forever. But God sent Jesus so we could ask for forgiveness. Listen to what the Bible says in Acts 13:38. Read Acts 13:38 aloud. Then ask:

• When people forgive you for something you’ve done, do you want them to keep talking about it? Explain. (No, because it’s over; no, because I’ve already said I was sorry; no, because they’ve already forgiven me.)

If some children are skilled catchers, make the task more difficult by having the children toss the balls up and catch them behind their backs.

If children talk about things they’ve gotten away with rather than things they’ve been forgiven for, ask them to explain what the difference is.

This would be an excellent time to explain your church’s understanding of the plan of salvation.

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• When you throw something away, do you keep taking it out of the trash again? Why or why not? (No, because it’s trash; no, I don’t want it anymore; no, it’s gone.)

Say: God sent Jesus to earth to die for our sins. When we believe in Jesus and are truly sorry for our sins, God will forgive us. When God forgives us for a wrong thing we’ve done, it’s like he throws that wrong thing away. Once God forgives us, he never even thinks about that wrong thing again. That’s true forgiveness. And that’s how he wants us to forgive other people. God wants us to forgive others just as he forgives us. And when we’re forgiven, we can be friends with Jesus for always.

Closingn I’m Sorry...Not!SUPPLIES: none

Get the ooze from the Learning Lab. Leave it inside its container. Gather the children in a circle, and say: I want you to pass this around the circle just as I do and say the same thing I do.

Say: I’m sorry. Pass the ooze to the child on your right. When the ooze has gone all the way around the circle and has come back to you, ask:

• Why did we say “I’m sorry”? (Because you said to; you didn’t tell us why.)Say: This activity is a little bit like saying “I’m sorry” without really meaning

it. Sometimes we don’t even know what we’re supposed to be sorry for.Ask: • Have you ever said “I’m sorry” when you didn’t mean it? What

happened? (Yes, my mom made me say I was sorry when I hurt my sister, but I wanted to hurt her; yes, my dad made me say I was sorry, but I didn’t even know what I’d done wrong.)

• Has someone ever told you “I’m sorry” but you didn’t believe they meant it? Why did you feel that way? (My sister told me she was sorry for yelling at me, but then she yelled at me again; my friend said he was sorry for saying something mean about me, but I didn’t believe him.)

Say: When people say they’re sorry but they don’t mean it, forgiveness doesn’t really touch them, just as the ooze didn’t really touch our hands.

Now take the ooze out of the container. Say: As you pass the ooze this time, think of something you’ve done that you’re really sorry about. You don’t have to say what it is unless you want to. Just say, “I’m sorry,” and pass the ooze to the person next to you.

Start the passing game by thinking of something you’re sorry for. Then pass the ooze to the child on your left.

When the ooze comes back to you, ask:• How was this time different from the first time? (This time I really meant

what I said; I thought of something I was sorry about.)• Why do you think it’s important to really feel sorry when you say you

are sorry? (Because if you aren’t sorry but you say you are, you aren’t being honest; because the person can’t believe you if you don’t really mean it.)

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Say: When we’re really sorry we’ve hurt someone, true forgiveness can touch us, just as the ooze really touched our hands. Go ahead and smell your hands. The children’s hands will smell sweet, like the ooze smells.

The ooze smells sweet, and you might still smell it on your hands. True forgiveness leaves something behind to sweeten our lives, the way the ooze left behind a sweet smell. God wants us to forgive others. Say that with me: “God wants us to forgive others.” He also wants us to ask for forgiveness when we do wrong. Then we will make our lives and other people’s lives sweeter.

Pray a closing prayer, asking God to help everyone in class forgive others and ask for forgiveness.

Growing closer to Jesus extends beyond the classroom.Photocopy the “Growing Together” handout (at the end of this lesson) for this week, and send it home with your children. Encourage children and parents to use the handout to plan meaningful activities on this week’s topic. Follow up the “Growing Together” activities next week by asking children what their families did together.

118Permission to photocopy this handout from Group’s Hands-On Bible Curriculum® Grades 1 & 2 granted for local church use.

Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc., 1515 Cascade Ave., Loveland, CO 80538. group.com

Bible StoryJacob and Esau forgive each other.

Genesis 25:24-34; 27:1-38; 33:1-17

Ready to ForgiveEach night this week before bed, ask your child if you need to ask his or her forgiveness for anything you’ve done. Be sensitive to your child’s hurts, and be quick to ask for his or her forgiveness. Also verbalize your forgiveness for anything your child has done. Remind your child that forgiveness means you’ll never again hold that act against him or her.

Forgive and ForgetTake out the trash together this week. Talk about how forgiving each other is like throwing something away—you can never bring it back again. As you put your trash in the trash can, pray that God will help you forgive and forget when others hurt you.

Talking to GodGo outside after dinner one night this week, and blow bubbles in the dark. As they float up and pop, talk about how complete God’s forgiveness is. Also talk about how wrongs disappear when they’ve been forgiven. Have each family member blow a stream of bubbles and pray, “Thank you, God, for forgiving me and helping me forgive others.”

Kids CraftsTogether, create a story about forgiveness. Create a make-believe land and imaginary creatures. Develop a silly situation in which forgiveness has to happen for the creatures to live happily ever after. Make your story into a book.Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise. Then fold it in half widthwise. Then fold it in half again

widthwise. When you open it, there should be two columns of four squares. Fold the

paper in half widthwise, and cut on the middle fold line from the fold to the center. There should be a slit in the middle of the paper. Open the paper, and fold it lengthwise. Push the two folded ends to the center. Then fold the four sections together. You’ll end up with an eight-page book.

Key Verse“No eye has seen, no ear has

heard, and no mind has imagined

what God has prepared for those

who love him”

(1 Corinthians 2:9b).

Leaders of the Faith 9:God wants us to forgive others.

Key Verse“If you forgive those who sin

against you, your heavenly Father

will forgive you”

(Matthew 6:14).

This week your child learned that God wants us to forgive others. The children discovered what God’s forgiveness is like. And they learned that forgiving others is better than getting even.