Youth Sermon: The Promise of Forgiveness

Object Lesson

Bring out a big red button labeled Reset. Talk about how video games or computers have reset buttons to start over when things go wrong. Explain that God's forgiveness is like the ultimate reset button for our lives.

Story

Share a personal experience of messing up and experiencing God's forgiveness.

We All Mess Up

We all have something in common: we all mess up and need a do-over. The Bible says we've all missed the mark because none of us are perfect. But the good news is, Jesus has made a way for us to hit the reset button and start fresh.

[Read Romans 3:23]

We all mess up and do things that hurt God. But the first step to hitting the reset button is admitting our mistakes to God. Jesus, who never messed up, stands up for us and makes it possible for us to approach God's throne of grace with confidence.

[Read Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:16]

God's ultimate desire is to show grace and mercy to people like us who mess up. We need to recognize when we've messed up, admit it to God through prayer, and then it's time to hit the reset button.

[Read 1 John 1:9]

We all have something in common: we all mess up and need a do-over.

God's Forgiveness Changes Us

Sometimes, even after we ask for a do-over, we still feel guilty and condemned. But that voice is not from God. Jesus showed us this when He forgave the woman caught in adultery. He didn't condemn her but told her to stop messing up.

When we understand God's voice, we start to believe that a do-over is available to us. It's not just for others; it's for all who come to Jesus and accept it. We are washed clean by Jesus' sacrifice, and He is the Savior of all.

We are cleaned up when we accept God's forgiveness. God promises to wash away our mistakes and make us clean. He invites us to talk it out with Him and promises to make our mistakes as white as snow.

[Read Isaiah 1:18]

God's forgiveness changes us. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross makes it possible for our mistakes to be forgiven. As we walk with Jesus, we will grow in doing what's right and move away from messing up.

God promises to never leave us or ditch us. He wants to walk with us and help us live clean lives. We needed Jesus to make a way for us to be forgiven and have a restored relationship with God.

Is there a cooler promise than a do-over? To know that we are forever forgiven and restored in our relationship with God is mind-blowing. God forgets our mistakes and remembers them no more.

This Week's Challenge

This week, when you mess up, remember the reset button. Admit your mistake, ask God for forgiveness, and believe that He forgives you. Then, make a change to avoid making the same mistake again.

Prayer

God, thanks for the ultimate reset button. Help us to admit our mistakes, accept your forgiveness, and live clean lives. Amen.

Small Group Breakout Questions

1. Why is it important to confess our sins to God?

2. How does it feel to know that God promises to forgive us when we confess our sins?

3. How can we extend the same forgiveness we receive from God to others?

4. What does it mean to live a pure life because of God's forgiveness?

Get the Full Youth Group Plan

• Icebreaker: Forgiveness Charades
• Group Activity: Confession and Forgiveness
• Youth Challenge: Living in Forgiveness