Lesson 5: God Washes Us Clean

Leader Guide for One Room

Classroom: LCC WEB

Psalm 51

01/24/2021

▲ Kids sing songs of praise to God.

▲ Kids watch a video and discuss the Bible point.

Kids clean and recycle marked-up paper into new paper.

Kids use a UV black light to reveal how well they can clean their hands.

Kids make washcloths look fancier.

▲ Kids clean their hands as they pray.

Music Video

[10 min]

God Forgave

Supplies

• “God Forgave” (watch or download here)
• “Rescue Me” (watch or download here)
• “Children of God” (watch or download here)

Tip

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or just purchase this quarter’s DVD here.

Sing Songs to God

            Sing the three songs in any order.

Talk-About Video

[10 min]

Forgiven and Whole

Supplies

• “Forgiven and Whole” teaching video (watch or download here)

Tip

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can download the videos before class using the “download” button at the link provided, or just purchase this quarter’s DVD here.

Discuss and Watch “Forgiven and Whole”

            Say: We’re learning that we are forgiven.

            Ask: • What are some things kids your age might do that need forgiveness?

            Say: Let’s hear what can happen when we do things like that.

            Watch “Forgiven and Whole.”

            Ask: • How did you feel when you watched this video?

            • Why is it important to know that you’re forgiven?

            Say: God wants us to follow his perfect way. But even though we mess up, we are forgiven. We’re not defined by the wrong things we’ve done, and every day is a new start.

Core Bible Discovery

[20 min]

God Washes Us Clean (Psalm 51)

Supplies

• Bible
• paper
• washable markers
• disposable bowls (1 per child)
• 3-ounce disposable cups (1 per child)
• water
• paper plates (2 per child)
• paper towels
• craft sticks

Easy Prep

• Fill each disposable cup about 2/3 full of water.

Mark Up a Paper

            Give each child a piece of paper, and set out markers to share. Say: Today we’re going to learn a psalm, or song, written by a guy named David. David loved God so much! Have kids draw a happy face on their paper.

            Say: But then David did some really bad things. Here’s what he said about it in his song.

            Read Psalm 51:1-2.

            Say: David called his sins “stains.” Let’s stain our papers. Have kids mark scribbles all over their paper, covering the happy face and ruining the paper.

            Say: David’s sin ruined his joy in God and his happy friendship with him. David felt sad and broken about his sin.

            Read Psalm 51:3.

Mash the Paper

            Give each child a bowl, and have kids show how broken David felt by tearing their paper into tiny pieces (the smaller the better), collecting the scraps in the bowl. Our test pieces were about the size of a fingernail. Preschoolers may have a hard time getting them that small, but older partners can help them if needed.

            Say: Then David got to experience something awesome! David learned that we are forgiven. God could wash his sin away!

            Read Psalm 51:7-9, and say: Let’s wash our sin-filled paper! Have kids pour a cup of water into the bowl. Then have kids mash the paper with their fingers until it gets pulpy.

Make New Paper

            Say: David knew that we are forgiven and that his bad choices didn’t define him. He asked God to create in him a new, clean heart.

            Read Psalm 51:10. Say: Let’s make new, clean paper!

            Give each child two paper plates and a paper towel. Have kids pick up the pulpy paper and wring out the water into the bowl the best they can. Next, kids will press the pulpy paper firmly onto a paper plate, making a new, flat piece of paper in the shape of a heart. Kids can use the paper towel to sop up excess water from the top of the paper and dry off their fingers.

            Finally, have kids carefully flip their new, heart-shaped paper upside down onto the second paper plate, sop up any excess water with the paper towel, and leave their paper to dry. Older kids can help preschoolers with any of these steps as needed.

Emboss the Paper

            Say: Because David knew we are forgiven, he knew that God had given him a new heart.

            Ask: • What makes your paper heart so cool?

            • How is being forgiven like getting a fresh, new piece of paper?

            • What evidence is there now of the scribbles you made earlier?

            Say: We’ve all done wrong things. But when God washes us clean and gives us new hearts, we are forgiven! The scribbles on our paper are gone, and so is the sin in our lives because of God’s forgiveness.

            David prayed one more thing about his forgiveness.

            Read Psalm 51:12.

            Say: Let’s finish off our paper by embossing it. Embossing is when there’s a little bit of an imprint in a piece of paper. We’ll use a craft stick to carve a new smiley face to show that we are forgiven and God restores our joy in a friendship with him.

            Have kids press gently with a craft stick to make a smiley face in their paper. As they work, discuss this question.

            Ask: • How does being forgiven bring joy?

            Say: The next time you do something bad, just remember that we are forgiven. You can talk to God and he can clean the sin away and give you a new, clean heart and new joy. The things you’ve done wrong don’t define you, because you are forgiven!

            Kids can take their paper home and let it dry overnight. In about 24 hours, the paper should be dry enough to write on!

Object Lesson

[10 min]

Cleaning Calamity

Supplies

• light yellow washable markers or highlighters (1 for every 2 kids)
• painter’s tape
• small UV black lights (ideally 1 for every 10 kids)
• wet wipes (optional)
• small cardboard boxes (optional)

Easy Prep

• If you can dim the light in your room well, simply tape UV black lights under tables.
• If the light in your room is difficult to dim, tape UV black lights to an inside edge of a box. Then set the box on a table so kids can reach their hands into the box and under the light.

Tips

• It’s okay if more than 10 kids need to use one UV black light. Kids will just have to wait longer for their turn to see their hands under the light.
• If it’ll be difficult to allow your group of kids to wash their hands with soap and water at sinks, you could supply wet wipes for hand cleaning instead.

Reveal Messy Hands Under UV Black Light

            Say: Today we’re learning that we are forgiven. Let’s explore more of why we need God’s forgiveness with a cool experiment that will light up the answer right in front of our eyes!

• Form mixed-age pairs, and give each pair a marker.
• Have partners take turns using the marker to color the fingertips of one hand—paying special attention to thoroughly cover their fingertips, fingernails, and even under the fingernails. You can assure anyone who’s concerned about coloring on their hands that the marker is washable and yellow doesn’t show up much anyway.

• When everyone has finished, have pairs take turns looking at their hands under the UV black light to see how much marker is actually on their fingertips (it’s more than what it may seem under normal light). Connect the mess on their hands to the mess sin makes in our lives as pairs take their turns examining their hands.

            Say: When we do or say wrong things, that’s called sin, and our sins can make a big mess in our life. For example, gossiping about a friend or taking something that belongs to a friend could hurt or even end a friendship. Sin also separates us from our perfect God, who never ever sins. Sin is a big problem, so let’s see what happens when we try to clean up the mess our sin makes all on our own.

Clean Hands Twice and Check Effectiveness

• Have kids go to available sinks and wash their hands with soap and water and dry them. Their hands should look clean under normal light.

• When everyone has returned with cleaned hands, allow pairs to take turns examining their hands with the UV black light again. It will reveal a surprising amount of marker remains that can’t be seen without the help of the black light.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What surprised you about seeing your washed hands under the UV black light?

            • What does this tell us about our ability to get our hands truly clean?

            Say: Even if you thought you washed your hands well, you probably could still see marker under the black light. The same is true about our ability to clean up the mess of our sin. We can try our best on our own, but the truth is we still sin and it still leaves a mess. Not one of us can clean up our sin all on our own—and that can sometimes make us feel like the wrong things we’ve done are a part of who we are.

            Ask: • What do you think God’s forgiveness does to our sin mess?

            Say: When God forgives us, all traces of the forgiven sin are gone. It would be like holding your hand under the light and not being able to find the tiniest amount of marker left. God cleans us completely of our sin and we are forgiven! The stain of our sins is gone!

Craft

[20 min]

Forgiven Facecloths

Supplies

• new washcloths or dishcloths (1 per child) (we found 4-packs at our local dollar discount store)
• scissors
• fabric ribbon (3-6 feet per child)
• hem tape

Easy Prep

• Make a sample craft to show kids.
• For preschoolers, pre-cut the slits in the washcloth so they can just do the weaving.

Tip

• Child-safe scissors may not be able to cut through the fabric. Test your scissors to ensure they work for this craft.

Make Washcloths

            Show kids the sample craft you made. Say: When we clean ourselves, we use washcloths! But sometimes they look so plain and boring. We’re going to spruce ours up so they’ll remind us of how God washes us clean.

            Give each child a washcloth. Set out the remaining supplies to share, and have kids follow these steps to decorate their washcloths.

• Cut intermittent slits along one edge of the washcloth, just wide enough for the ribbon to fit through. (This is already done for preschoolers.)
• Weave a ribbon in and out of the slits, then tuck it around the back and use hem tape to secure the ends in place. (Preschoolers may need help with the hem tape.)
• If time allows, do the same on the opposite edge of the washcloth, and make a second row above the first on each edge.

Talk About It

            Ask: • What’s so special about the washcloth you just made?

            • What’s special about the way God forgives us?

            Say: We are forgiven. And God didn’t forgive us in some plain, boring way. He gave something very precious—his Son, Jesus. Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment so that God can forgive us! Your fancy washcloth can remind you as you clean that God gave his best to clean our hearts.

            Have kids take their crafts home and use them to clean their faces or in the bath or shower. They can tell their families how the washcloths remind them that we are forgiven.

Life Application Wrap-Up

[5 min]

Clean and Forgiven

Supplies

• wet wipes
• trash can

Clean and Pray

            Say: Let’s close our time with a prayer for forgiveness. We know that when we tell God we’re sorry, we are forgiven. He cleans away our sins.

• Give each child a wet wipe.
• Have kids scrub their hands well as they silently talk to God about what they need his forgiveness for.
• Walk around with a trash can to collect the wet wipes when kids have finished praying.
• Pray: God, thank you that in your eyes, we are forgiven. We’re not defined by the wrong things we do; you give us a new start and wash us clean. We love you! In Jesus’ name, amen.
• Thank kids for coming, and encourage them to come back next week.

Foundations of Faith, Lesson 5: God Washes Us Clean, Design and base content Copyright © Group Publishing, Inc. Licensed for use with 1-20 students. Permission to reproduce granted for local church use only.