As teens enter the classroom, ask them to share about a time when they were young and “found out” in something they did wrong—some way they misbehaved, but hoped to get away with without being noticed. Be prepared to share your own experience. Ask them to share how they were discovered and what the consequences were. After everyone has shared, discuss:
- Do you think that the outcomes of these situations would have been different if you had confessed? (Answers will vary.)
- Why didn’t you confess what you had done when you had the chance? (Answers will vary. Some may say they were afraid of getting in trouble or that what they didn’t think the offense was worth worrying about, etc.)
Read the following article to your students:
Bay County teen arrested in alleged online threat against student
When you’ve finished reading the article, discuss the following questions together:
- The nature of the teen’s threats makes it hard to deny his crimes. Why? (Answers will vary but might include that anything posted online can be traced and seen by others.)
- Some actions aren’t as visible, and it’s easier to hide a wrongdoing. What are the pros and cons of confession vs. cover-up? (Allow students to share; accept all reasonable answers without comment.)
Just as it’s impossible to deny posting things online, it’s also impossible to hide anything from God. Today we’re going to talk about one of the main benefits of confession—forgiveness.