Series 1 – Salvation • Lesson 3Repentance
U-TURN from Sin to God
Welcome to Trailhead 3 of the Salvation Trek! Explore the complete interactive Teacher’s Guide, Presentation Slides, Signboard Games, Memory Verses, and Printable Craftivities for both Beginners and Primary trekkers.
🌱 Beginners Trail: Ages 4–6
🎯 Primary Trail: Ages 7–15
Key Verses: Acts 3:19 • Luke 15:11–32 • Romans 2:4
Session: ~60 Mins
Trek Mission: What Trekkers Will Discover
Along this trail expedition, young trekkers will discover that:
1. What Repentance Is
- U-TURN from sin to God.
- The act of turning away from and leaving our sins and turning to Jesus, putting our trust in Him and following Him.
- Jesus always forgives us when we repent.
2. Why We Repent & The 3 Steps
The goodness of God leads us to repentance. God’s desire is for all people to come to repentance. We repent so we don’t perish in our sins and we enjoy God’s best for our lives.
1. Recognize • 2. Decide • 3. Act
CHOOSE YOUR AGE GROUP TRAIL OR PRINTABLE PACK BELOW:🌱 Beginners – Teacher’s Guide (Ages 4–6)
Series 1 – Salvation: Lesson 3 – Repentance
Complete step-by-step lesson trail: Worship, Signboard Game, Parable of the Lost Son, Acts 3:19 Memory Verse, Salvation Crown Green Heart Craftivity, and Sinner’s Prayer Guide.
Trail Stop 1
🎵 1. Worship Time
Slide 2: “Lets worshipJesus!”
Begin with worship, motions, and singing aloud to Jesus. Help children follow motions, pick a beat, clap their hands, or just follow along.
Trail Stop 2
🚦 2. Story Time — The Signboard Game & The Parable of the Lost Son
Slides 3–10
Slide 3 • Introduction Game
🚦 Introduction: “Signboard” Game
Print out the pictures from “S1L2 -Beginners-Signboardgame .PDF”. Make the kids stand in a line like in a race. Ask the kids to pretend they are cars. To move, the kids have to obey the signboards as you hold them up one by one. The kids have to make a U-Turn whenever they encounter “Wrong way” or “Dead End”. Make it fun by alternating the pace of the game. Play the game till the kids become familiar with the signs.
After you finish the game explain to them saying – today we are going to see what the word “repentance” is all about. One way of helping you to think of “repentance” is to think about making a U-turn. Like in the game we played, wrong direction or dead end is like sin in all of our lives. Sometimes we tend to go in the wrong direction by making wrong choices. We will just keep going in that direction and never get to the place we need to be as long as we continue on that same road. The only way out is a U-turn. When we understand through God’s word that we are going in the wrong direction and that we need to turn our lives around and serve Jesus, we can pray and ask Jesus to help us. He will then forgive us of our sin and turn our lives around and help us to begin to go in the right direction. This is what Jesus explained to his disciples in a parable.
📖 Story: The Parable of the Man with Two Sons (Luke 15:11-32)
It was a parable about a man with two sons. A parable is a simple story to help people understand something hard to understand – something that is important to understand. In this parable, a man had two sons. The father knew that someday he would get very old and die. When he died, all his money, house, and farm would be given to his two sons. The money and property that children receive from someone who dies is called an “inheritance”.
The younger son was very impatient. He did not want to wait for his father to die to get his inheritance. He wanted his father’s money soon so he could go and spend it. He asked his father to divide the money and give him his part. The father wanted his son to be happy, so he did as his son asked. He divided the money and gave half to his youngest son. The younger son took all the money and left home. He went to live in another country that was very far from his home. He bought everything that he wanted. He spent money on parties and wasteful things. People liked him because he had lots of money and bought things for them. The problem was that soon the money ran out. He had no more money for parties, and his friends stopped liking him. It turns out that they weren’t real friends after all. They only liked him when he bought them things. Now that he had no money, they did not even want to be around him. Soon, the younger son ran out of food and became very hungry. He had to think of a way to earn money, or he would starve!
The situation became even more serious because there was a famine in the country where the son lived. That meant that there was hardly any food for anyone to eat. Many other people were hungry too. A farmer who owned pigs needed a helper, so the son began to work for the farmer. His job was to feed the pigs. The son was so hungry that even the pig food started to look good to him. Finally, the son began to think about his bad choices. He thought about his father and brother. At home, people loved him. At home, there was plenty of food. The son began to realise that he had made a terrible mistake. He should have never asked his father to give him the money early. He should have been patient. If only he could go back in time and be a good son. “But it is too late now,” he thought. “I have done many bad things. I am not good enough to be a son now. My father would never forgive me and take me back.”
But the son had another idea. His father had many workers and many jobs to do. They worked hard but at least they had enough food. If he asked his father nicely, then maybe his father would allow him to be one of the workers. He could take care of the animals and work hard. So, the son decided to return home. The son thought the father would be angry, but as he got closer to his old home, he was shocked to see his father running to meet him.
When the father saw his son coming, he was filled with love for him. He was so happy to see his son that he threw his arms around him and gave him a big hug and a kiss. “My son has returned to me!” his father cried. The son said, “I am sorry, but I have done terrible things. I do not deserve to be your son. I can just be one of your workers.” But the father did not treat him like a servant at all. He welcomed him home as his son. He told the servants to cook a big dinner. He put a beautiful robe on his son. He put a ring on his finger and special sandals on his feet. “I thought my son was dead, and I would never see him again. But my son has come back to me!” the father said. “He was lost, but now he is found.” The father had a special meal prepared, and everyone in the household celebrated.
Almost everyone, that is. When the older son saw everyone celebrating, he became jealous and very unhappy. “This is not fair,” he thought. “I have been the good son all along, but I am not getting the attention. I never left home and spent all the money, but nobody is having a party for me.” But the father went to the older son and told him he loved him too. He explained to the son why he was so happy. “Don’t you understand, son? I am so happy because I thought my son was dead, but now I know he is alive!” “He came back to me. He was lost, but now he is found!” he continued, “Please, let’s celebrate together.”
Jesus told this parable so that people would understand something about God. Sometimes we are like the young son in the parable. We do wrong things. We start to feel very bad. We might think that God would never forgive us. But God does forgive us! When we tell God we are sorry, he is so happy. He is happy because he loves us and always wants us to do the right thing.
• Slide 9: What is Repentance? — U-TURN from sin to God • Turning away from and leaving our sins and turning to Jesus, putting our trust in Him and following Him • Jesus forgives us when we repent
• Slide 10: Why should we repent? So that… We don’t perish in our sins • We enjoy God’s best for our lives
Trail Stop 3
📖 3. Memory Verse Time (Slide 11: Acts 3:19)
“ Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. ” — Acts 3:19
Trail Stop 4
👑 4. Craftivity – Salvation Crown (Slide 12: “Crown of Salvation”)
From the printouts already taken of PDF “S1L1 – BeginnersCrafitivity”. Give each child one heart to stick on the crown base – The heart that says “Jesus will help me learn and grow”. Explain the lines to them and ask them to color the heart “green” like in the picture below. Once we repent of our sins and turn to Jesus, He will help us learn, grow and walk in the right way.
🖤 See my dark heart stained with sin. I need to ask Jesus in.
❤️ Jesus died and shed blood for me / So my dark heart could be clean
🌿 Jesus will help me learn and grow
(The remaining hearts to complete the crown will be stuck in the subsequent weeks)
Trail Stop 5
🙏 5. Prayer Time & Leading to Salvation
Slide 15: “Lets talk to God”
This will be a wonderful time to lead the kids to salvation if you feel they are ready. You may begin by asking them a few questions:
- Do you understand what Jesus did for YOU?
- Why do you NEED Jesus to forgive you?
- Are you ready to turn to Jesus and follow Him?
If so, it is just a matter of talking to God. When you talk to Him, the Bible says you should:
A – Admit that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23).
B – Believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
C – Confess Jesus as your Lord and your Savior (Romans 10:9–10).
What does it mean for Jesus to be your Savior and Lord? For Him to be Savior of your life means that He has saved you from sin and its effects. For Him to be Lord of your life means that He has complete control of everything you do.
A – Admit that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23).
B – Believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
C – Confess Jesus as your Lord and your Savior (Romans 10:9–10).
What does it mean for Jesus to be your Savior and Lord? For Him to be Savior of your life means that He has saved you from sin and its effects. For Him to be Lord of your life means that He has complete control of everything you do.
TALK TO GOD ABOUT YOUR DECISION:
“Dear God,
I know that I’m a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus died for my sins.
I want Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior. I want to follow Him and obey Him. I want Him to be Lord of my life.
In the name of Jesus, AMEN!”
I know that I’m a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus died for my sins.
I want Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior. I want to follow Him and obey Him. I want Him to be Lord of my life.
In the name of Jesus, AMEN!”
Trail Stop 6
📝 6. Summary and Takeaway (Slide 14: “Lets Recap”)
- Repentance is like taking a U-turn. It is turning away from sin and turning to Jesus, putting our trust in Him and following Him
- Jesus always forgives us when we repent
- We should repent so that we don’t perish in our sins and we enjoy God’s best for our lives
🏠 Take-home Activity (Slides 13 & 16: “Activity Sheet” & “God Bless!”)
Take-home Activity – Give each child a printout of “S1L 3 Activity Sheet – Beginners .pdf” and ask them to solve it at home.
Activity Sheet – Beginners (Series 1 – Salvation | Lesson 3 – Repentance):
• “Repent, then, and ________ to God, so that your _______ may be wiped out.” — Acts 3:19
• Does God forgive you when you repent? _________
• “Repent, then, and ________ to God, so that your _______ may be wiped out.” — Acts 3:19
• Does God forgive you when you repent? _________
🎯 Primary – Teacher’s Guide (Ages 7–15)
Series 1 – Salvation: Lesson 3 – Repentance
Complete lesson trail: Road Sign U-Turn Starter, Parable of the Lost Son, Sword Drill Scripture Search, 3 Steps of Repentance, and Signboard Bookmark Craftivity.
Trail Stop 1
🎵 1. Worship Time
Slide 2: “Lets worshipJesus!”
Begin with worship, motions, and singing aloud to Jesus. Help children follow motions, pick a beat, clap their hands, or just follow along.
Trail Stop 2
🚦 2. Story Time — The Lost Son (Luke 15:11-32) & Sword Drill
Slides 3–14
🚦 Introduction: Imagine you are on a long road trip (Slides 3–4)
Imagine you are on a long road trip to visit your grandmother for holidays and you encounter any one of these road signs. (point to the slide) What would be your reaction? What would you want to do in the first place? You would want to take a U-Turn, right?! At that moment in time, the most frustrating road sign in all the whole is “No U-Turns Allowed.” We live in a world where U-Turns are difficult at the times we need them the most, reserving them only for unusual circumstances (for safety reasons, of course).
The good news of the Bible is that we can always take U-Turns when we find we’re going in the wrong direction. In fact, God loves them. In God’s world, U-turns are not only allowed—they are required, encouraged, commanded, and welcomed by the Creator who became our gracious Savior as we saw in the last lesson. And this offer is openly made to men and women, boys and girls—all people of all ages, all colors, and all nationalities. Isn’t that wonderful?
📖 The Lost Son – Luke 15:11-32
Let me tell you a story Jesus once told His Disciples: There once was a father that had two sons. One day the younger son said to his father, "Father, could you give me my inheritance?" (Inheritance is money the father would give his children after he had died.) So, the father thought about it and decided his sons could have the money now, and he split it evenly between them. Very soon after the younger son received the money, he decided that since he had so much money he would move to a different country and have some fun with it.
When he left, he left for good. He took every last thing he had and didn’t plan on returning. He wanted to be grown up and spend all his money how he wanted with no one to tell him what to do. So, he just left. He left a big farm with many hired men with everything he needed, he left his family, and more importantly he left his father who trusted him enough to give him the money. This probably made his father very sad and I’m sure he missed him very much.
While the son was gone he spent all the money he had right away. He didn’t think to save any of it. He ate out every meal every day, he bought fancy cars, he threw wild parties and spent money on many other things that God wouldn’t be happy with. After he had spent all his money, the country he was living in became very poor and they hardly had enough food for everyone. It was even worse for people who had no money because food became even more expensive, so it was very hard for poor people to get any food.
The son was in trouble. He had no money, no place to live, he had nothing to eat, so he had to get a job. The only job he could find was feeding pigs. He was so hungry he tried to eat the food that the pigs were eating but his boss caught him and told him if he ever saw him doing that again he would lose his job. That night as the son was walking home his stomach wouldn’t stop growling, he was so hungry. He saw some people walking towards him and he asked them if they could give him any money for food, but no one would give him anything. Everyone was so poor it was hard to share with anyone.
The son went to bed hungry and when he woke up he realized something. When he lived with his father even the hired men had more food than they needed, and now he was starving to death. At that moment he made a plan. He would go back to his father’s house and say to him, ‘I have sinned against God and against you. I don’t deserve to be called your son, so hire me and I will work for you.’
He knew that if he became like a hired man on his father’s farm he would still be better off than he was right now. He would always have a warm place to stay and food to eat. So, he headed for home. It took the son a long time to get home, he was just hoping that his dad would let him work at the farm and let him be a hired man. The son was walking up the to farm but while he was still a long way off and he could see someone notice him and start to run towards him. He was sure that they must have been expecting someone else, no one would be excited to see him.
As the person got closer he realized it was his father and he was yelling, "My son! My son! You are finally home!" He couldn’t believe it. His father threw his arms around him and kissed him. But the son quickly said, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I don’t deserve to be called your son…" The son wanted to continue but the father said to one of his servants, "Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the biggest calf and kill it. Let’s have a party and celebrate because my son was lost and is found!"
A little while later, the older son was working in the field and heard music and dancing. So he called to one of the servants and asked what was going on. "Your brother has come home and your father is having a party for his return." This upset the older brother and he refused to go join the party. The father heard that he was upset, so he went to talk to him and invited him to join the party. But the son refused saying, "Look! I have been working for you all these years and I’ve never disobeyed you. Yet you never had a big party for me to celebrate with my friends. But now my younger brother has come home, spent all the money you gave him, and you kill the biggest calf for him!" "But, my son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was lost and now he is found."
The father in the story is just like God. This is how God would be if we ran away from him and we started doing things we shouldn’t. He doesn’t give up on us when we do things that are wrong, and he will always forgive us if we’ve truly changed and repent for what we’ve done.
• Slide 10: What is Repentance? U-TURN from sin to God • Turning away from and leaving our sins and turning to Jesus, putting our trust in Him and following Him.
• Slide 14: Luke 15:17-20 — 3 Steps to Repentance:
1. Recognize that you have sinned and moved away from God
2. Decide to leave sin, seek forgiveness and follow Jesus
3. Act on what you’ve decided – turn to Jesus and follow Him
1. Recognize that you have sinned and moved away from God
2. Decide to leave sin, seek forgiveness and follow Jesus
3. Act on what you’ve decided – turn to Jesus and follow Him
Interactive Activity • Slides 11–14
⚔️ Activity: Play Sword Drill with the kids as you teach the remaining lesson
Instructions: The children should have their Bibles closed. Hold up the Bible and say, "Swords up!" The children should now lift their closed Bibles to head level or higher. Say the verse and then shout "go!" The children should bring their Bibles down and turn to the verse as quickly as possible. The child who finds the verse stands up and reads it. The child who finds the most verses first wins.
1. Romans 2:4 – What leads us to repentance?
After a child reads the verse, explain saying that we will truly repent (want to change) only when we know how good God is and how much He loves us. The father ran towards the son, hugged him and kissed him. That’s how much our Heavenly Father loves us too.
2. 2 Peter 3:9 – What is God’s desire for all people?
After a child reads the verse, explain saying that our Heavenly Father patiently waits for all to come to repentance just like how the father in the story waited patiently for his son all those years.
3. Luke 13:3; Acts 3:19-20 – Why should we repent?
After a child reads the verse, explain saying that we should repent so that: We don’t perish in our sins & We enjoy God’s best in our lives.
4. Luke 15:17-20 – What are the 3 steps to repentance?
After a child reads the verse, explain saying that the son first “came to his senses” which means he recognized that he had sinned against his father. Then he decided to turn from his sin and seek forgiveness. He then acted on his decision.
Conclude by saying, “God is so good and will always forgive us when we truly want to change and repent for what we’ve done.”
Trail Stop 3
📖 3. Memory Verse Time (Slide 15)
“Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord!” – Acts 3:19
Trail Stop 4
🚦 4. Craftivity – Signboard Bookmark (Slide 16)
Give each child a copy of “RepentanceSignboardCraft.pdf”. Ask them to fill in the answers, fold the card and stick it together with an ice-cream stick in between the flaps like in the picture below. The bookmark will remind them of what they learnt in the class.
Front: U-TURN from S I N to G O D • Repentance (Acts 3:19-20)
Back (3 STEPS):
1. Recognize that I have sinned and moved away from God
2. Decide to leave sin, seek forgiveness & follow Jesus
3. Act on what I’ve decided – turn to Jesus and follow Him
Back (3 STEPS):
1. Recognize that I have sinned and moved away from God
2. Decide to leave sin, seek forgiveness & follow Jesus
3. Act on what I’ve decided – turn to Jesus and follow Him
Trail Stop 5
🙏 5. Prayer Time & Leading to Salvation
Slide 19: “Lets talk to God”
This will be a wonderful time to lead the kids to salvation. You may begin by asking them a few questions:
- Do you understand what Jesus did for YOU?
- Why do you NEED Jesus to forgive you?
- Are you ready to turn to Jesus and follow Him?
If so, it is just a matter of talking to God. When you talk to Him, the Bible says you should:
A – Admit that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23). What are some sins that kids your age might commit?
B – Believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
C – Confess Jesus as your Lord and your Savior (Romans 10:9–10).
What does it mean for Jesus to be your Savior and Lord? For Him to be Savior of your life means that He has saved you from something. That something is sin and spiritual death. For Him to be Lord of your life means that He has complete control of everything that you do.
A – Admit that you are a sinner (Romans 3:23). What are some sins that kids your age might commit?
B – Believe that Jesus died on the Cross for your sins, that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
C – Confess Jesus as your Lord and your Savior (Romans 10:9–10).
What does it mean for Jesus to be your Savior and Lord? For Him to be Savior of your life means that He has saved you from something. That something is sin and spiritual death. For Him to be Lord of your life means that He has complete control of everything that you do.
TALK TO GOD ABOUT YOUR DECISION:
“Dear God,
I know that I’m a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus died for my sins.
I want Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior. I want to follow Him and obey Him. I want Him to be Lord of my life.
In the name of Jesus, AMEN!”
I know that I’m a sinner. Please forgive me. I believe that Jesus died for my sins.
I want Jesus to come into my life and be my Savior. I want to follow Him and obey Him. I want Him to be Lord of my life.
In the name of Jesus, AMEN!”
Trail Stop 6
📝 6. Summary and Takeaway
- Repentance is: U-TURN from sin to God • The act of turning away from and leaving our sins and turning to Jesus, putting our trust in Him and following Him.
- The goodness of God leads to repentance
- God’s desire is for all people to come to repentance
- We should repent so that we don’t perish in our sins and we enjoy God’s best for our lives
- There are three steps to repentance: 1. Recognize – that we have sinned and moved away from God • 2. Decide – to leave sin, seek forgiveness and follow Jesus • 3. Act – on what we have decided: turn to Jesus and follow Him
🏠 Take-home Activity
Take-home Activity – As homework, ask the kids to complete the “Repentance Signboard” bookmark.
🧠 Class Review Questions (Slides 17–18 & Slide 20: “God Bless!”)
1. What did the youngest son decide to do after his father gave him the money?
The younger son gathered up all that was his and left his father’s home. He travelled far away to another country. There he wasted his money and spent everything he had in foolish living.
2. What did the youngest son finally realize?
The younger son realized that He needed to go home and ask for forgiveness from his father.
3. What was the father’s reaction when he saw his son returning?
The father ran to his son, hugged and kissed him. He then celebrated by dressing him in the best robes and killing the fattest calf to eat at dinner.
4. What is repentance?
Repentance is: A U-TURN from sin to God • Turning away from our sins and turning to Jesus, putting our trust in Him and following Him.
5. What leads to repentance and what is God’s desire for his people?
The goodness of God leads to repentance. God’s desire is for everyone to come to repentance.
6. What are the three steps to repentance?
1. Recognize that I have sinned and moved away from God
2. Decide to leave sin, seek forgiveness and follow Jesus
3. Act on what I’ve decided – turn to Jesus and follow Him
2. Decide to leave sin, seek forgiveness and follow Jesus
3. Act on what I’ve decided – turn to Jesus and follow Him
📦 Complete Workshop Printable & Presentation Hub
Download every PDF, signboard game sheet, craft template, and presentation slide deck for Series 1 (Salvation) – Lesson 3: Repentance.
[…] » The New You The New You ← Back to Series 1: Salvation← Lesson 3: Repentance 📂 Open Full Google Drive Workshop Folder ↗🎉 Series Review → Series […]
[…] Lesson 1: The Old Sinful Nature 📂 Open Full Google Drive Workshop Folder ↗Lesson 3: Repentance → Series 1 – Salvation • Lesson […]