All Clear! An Elementary Children’s Message About Forgiveness

Teach your elementary kids about forgiveness using this children’s message based on Isaiah 43:25. All you’ll need is a calculator and a Bible!

Theme: Forgiveness

Bible Text: [The Lord says,] “I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them again” (Isaiah 43:25).

You’ll need:

• Bible
• 5-7 hand-held calculators

All Clear! An Elementary Children’s Message About Forgiveness

Ask: Raise your hand if you recognize this little machine. Hold up a calculator and allow kids to respond.

Say: It’s a calculator. The calculator is a fantastic invention!

Ask: What can you do with a calculator?

Say: You can use a calculator to add and subtract without counting on your fingers. Some friends have lent me their calculators for our message today. Does anyone here know how to work a calculator? You may have used one on a smartphone instead of a calculator like these, but they work the same.

Some children may hold up their hands. Invite them to take a calculator. Keep one for yourself and complete the following addition problems with the children.

Say: Let’s see if we can do some addition with these calculators. If you don’t have a calculator, look at one with a friend sitting nearby. Pause while kids scoot together. Let’s add 3 + 3 + 4 + 4 + 5+ 6 + 7. Say the numbers slowly so kids can enter them as you speak. What did you get? 32! That’s what I got, too. 

How about 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8? What did you get this time? 35! Me, too. Calculators make adding so simple. Now let’s add 7 + 9 + 4 + 6. What did you get? Kids will likely say “26.” Did you get 26? Oh, I must have added wrong. I got 25. Hmm, I’ll just push the “clear” button. Now I’ll add it again. Yep. You’re right. It’s 26!

That little clear button is one of my favorite things about calculators. If you make a mistake, it just clears the screen and you can start all over again. This reminds me of one of my favorite things about God. Listen to this!

Connecting It to the Bible

Read aloud Isaiah 43:25.

Say: The Bible says that God is the one who forgives all our sins, which are the things we all sometimes do or say that disobey God. After we’re forgiven, God won’t even remember our sins. It’s like God has a clear button for each one of us, and with just a touch of his finger, all our sins are gone forever.

But when it comes to God, that “clear button” isn’t really a clear button at all. It’s Jesus!

God sent his only Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for us. Jesus died for our sins, but his death wasn’t forever. He came back to life! And now, when we choose to be friends with Jesus, all our sins are forgiven by God. God has wiped them away—just like I cleared my mistake on this calculator. 

Have kids return the calculators and thank them for their help. Then close in prayer thanking God for his forgiveness and for his help in showing forgiveness to others.

Looking for more children’s messages? Check out these posts!

Do you have kids of all ages in one classroom? Explore the new All Together Sunday School series for a year’s worth of lessons that are mindfully built to engage and teach kids from preschool through elementary.