This lesson teaches children that when we do wrong, we can tell God we are sorry, and God forgives us, even when the wrong has hurt other people. It works well for children ages 5 to 11 and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to teach.
Big Idea
When we are sorry and tell God the truth, God forgives us. He still loves us, and He keeps His promises even when we make bad choices.
Memory Verse
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you. I didn’t hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
(WEB)
Have the children cup their hands together in front of their chests, then open them up and lift them high, like a gift being given away. Say the verse together while you open your hands, so the motion reminds them that God forgives freely.
The Story: 2 Samuel 12 for Kids
King David had a lot of sheep and cows, and so did a rich man who lived in his kingdom. A poor man in the same town had only one little lamb. He loved that lamb very much. It ate from his own plate, drank from his own cup, and slept in his arms like a child.
One day a visitor came to the rich man’s house. Instead of using one of his own many animals for dinner, the rich man took the poor man’s little lamb and cooked it. That was not fair at all.
King David was very angry when he heard this. “That man deserves to be punished!” he said. He did not yet know that he was the one being talked about.
God sent a prophet named Nathan to David. Nathan told David a story about the rich man and the poor man’s lamb. Then Nathan looked at the king and said, “You are the man!” God had given David everything, but David had done something very wrong. He had taken another man’s wife and had that man killed.
David felt terrible. He said, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan told him that God had forgiven him, so David would not die. But because David’s sin had caused people to speak against God, the baby born to David and Bathsheba would become very sick and die.
David prayed and fasted for his baby for seven days. When the baby died, David stopped crying, washed himself, and worshiped God. Later, God gave David and Bathsheba another son named Solomon, and God loved him.
Read It Together
2 Samuel 12:7
Nathan said to David, “You are the man. This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
(WEB)
Point out that Nathan said “You are the man” because David needed to hear the truth. Explain that God sent Nathan with a message of love, not just anger, and that God reminds David of all the good things He had already given him.
2 Samuel 12:13
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin. You will not die.
(WEB)
Show the children that David did not make excuses. He said plainly, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Ask them what David did right when he admitted his mistake, and why being honest matters.
2 Samuel 12:20-23
20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the LORD’s house, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.” 22 He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
(WEB)
Help the children see that David washed, changed his clothes, and went to worship God after the baby died. Explain that David trusted God even in his sadness, and that God is still good when life is very hard.
Talk About It
- What did David do when Nathan told him the story about the lamb?
- Why do you think David was so angry about the rich man taking the poor man’s lamb?
- How did David show that he was sorry for what he had done?
- Why do you think God still loved David, even after David did something so wrong?
- What is one way you can tell God you are sorry when you have done something wrong?
Activity Ideas
Lamb Picture Craft
You will need paper plates, cotton balls, glue, markers, and craft sticks. Have each child glue cotton balls onto a paper plate to make a lamb, then draw a face with markers. Attach a craft stick to the back so the lamb can be held up while you retell the story of the poor man’s little lamb.
Forgiveness Hand Game
You will need a clear open space in the room. Have the children stand in a circle. When you say “sorry,” they take one step toward the center, and when you say “forgiven,” they open their arms wide and step back. Repeat a few times, then talk about how God is always ready to forgive us.
Take-Home Promise Card
You will need index cards, a pencil, and crayons. Have each child write or draw one way they can say sorry to someone this week. Encourage them to take the card home and place it on the kitchen table or in their backpack as a reminder that God forgives us when we are sorry.
Teacher Notes
This chapter shows that God sees sin clearly and speaks the truth, yet He also offers forgiveness to those who confess. David’s repentance is real, but the consequences of his sin still follow him, which reminds adults that forgiveness and consequences can both be true at once. God’s faithfulness continues even through loss, and He keeps His covenant promises to David and his family.
With children, avoid overstating the idea that the baby died as a direct punishment that every child should expect when they sin. The text presents the death as the consequence of David’s sin in a specific situation, not a pattern for how God treats all children. Keep the focus on God’s forgiveness and His love, and let the older children ask deeper questions as they arise.
A Prayer to Close
Dear God, thank You that You forgive us when we say we are sorry. Help us to tell You the truth about the wrong we do, just like David did. Thank You that You love us even when we make mistakes, and that You keep Your promises to us every day. Amen.
