Connect With Us On Instagram

Story Time with Pastor Dave, Game Time, Devos with Miss Gaby, Dance Time with Loud & Clear and more … Find us @WeAreHarvestKids and connect with staff and other families, too.

For Parents

Here’s a five-minute parent encouragement for this week from Jennifer.

This Week from God’s Word

We see God is forgiving and we can be forgiving too through the story of the unforgiving servant found in Matthew 18. God wants us to forgive each other again and again. 

Our memory verse is “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)

If your child is watching the adult service, here is our Harvest Kids Sermon Notes.

How Can I Live Like I Belong to Him?

God is forgiving. You can forgive, too.

Step #1: SAY IT!
It is super-important that you tell someone. Should I say it louder?  “Tell someone!”  Don’t keep it a secret.  You should choose this person wisely.  Your first choice should be a parent.  But if you cannot tell a parent, choose a grandparent, step-parent or teacher.  Say it clearly.  “I am hurt and here’s why…”  You can tell a friend, but your friend probably isn’t old enough to understand what to do with your hurt.  That’s why you should choose an adult.  Sometimes it’s an adult who has hurt you.  So you would need to find another adult you can trust and tell them.  It is also important that you don’t run around telling everyone about how you’ve been hurt.  Maybe the adult you chose didn’t listen to you.  That happens once in a while.  In that case, you would want to pick another adult and that’s okay.

Step #2: LET IT GO!
Sometimes when a person hurts us there are consequences. That’s not up to you or me.  Letting it go means you won’t hold it against them anymore.  The best way to let it go is to talk to God about it.  Tell Him the way you feel.  Tell Him how hurt you are.  Tell Him you are angry.  You can tell God anything you want, anytime you want.  Going to God in prayer and talking to Him about your hurt helps you to trust Him and to not keep talking about it with everyone else.  Don’t skip Step #1 to talk to an adult.  And now you know that God wants to listen to your hurt too.  He is never too busy.  Talk to those two people and then “let it go!”

Step #3: TRUST GOD!
You and I cannot fix anyone.  It’s true!  Only God can fix a person.  God knows how to fix anyone and makes sure everyone pays for the way they hurt someone.  (Kind of scary to think about, isn’t it?)   It is great that our third step is to trust God who loves justice and fairness.  We may not know or see how He takes care of our hurt, but we can trust that He always has and always does.

Step #4: MOVE ALONG!
Have you ever seen a crossing guard or police officer tell a crowd of people to “move along”?  That means, “Hey! Stop watching the accident or crime and keep walking.”  Move along!  You do not need to stand over your hurt and watching it all day long.  Here’s another good thing to know: you don’t need to tell the person that hurt you.  Sometimes, if you have the right relationship with them you should tell them, “You hurt me when you …” but most of the time you should “move along”.  Moving along also means you don’t withhold any kindness to them.  If you can do something nice for them and it doesn’t put you in danger, you should do it.  That’s how you know you are forgiving. 

PRINT THIS REFRIGERATOR REMINDER

READ

The Parent/Caregiver Guide here.