Forgiving Challenge Kids: The 11-Day Forgiveness AdventureSample

Introduction

On June 8, 1972, during a war, napalm bombs were dropped into the city of Vietnam. Sadly, some of those bombs fell onto innocent children and families. A picture that encapsulates this tragic moment was when an 8-year-old girl, Kim Phuc, was running down a street, fearing for her life. Napalm was a sticky, burning goo that caused terrible destruction. Not only did napalm burn some children on the outside, but it left many hurts on their hearts and in their minds.

Kim Phuc, the little girl, decided to forgive the man who planned the attack that killed many of her friends and family. She started an organization called the KIM Foundation International. Her goal was "Healing the Children of War." We do not all have hurts like Kim Phuc. But we are all in a battle.

Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. Psalm 140:7

We all have had the sticky goo of sin drop on us. Sometimes we have made a mess, and other times, others have hurt us.

Forgiveness is something we must all learn. It is slow and challenging work sometimes, but you will find freedom in the end. Like Kim Phuc, it is possible to forgive the hurts on the outside and on the inside. Over the next ten days, you are going to look at the Five Phases of Forgiveness:

The Mess Up: S (sin)

The 'Fess Up: C (confession)

The Clean Up: A (absolution)

The Rise Up: R (restoration)

The Step Up: S (sanctification)

As we look at each phase, we will look at how Jesus is the ultimate answer to forgiveness. Even though a battle continues in this world, the war has already been won. Rather than dropping napalm or fighting back, Jesus gave His own life for us when He died on the cross. But, three days after dying, He rose from the dead. He won the ultimate battle against Satan. Now we can not only be forgiven but welcomed into His family forever.

Challenge: Tell someone you are doing this challenge. Better yet, find someone to do this challenge with you for the next ten days; it can be a friend, a sibling, or a parent. They don't have to live near you! You can use text or Zoom to connect every day and share how it's going. Share with others you are doing this. Research shows that you have a 65% chance of success if you share your goal. But having someone do it with you boosts that chance to 95%! Wow!