RECEIVING FORGIVENESS TALKING TO GOD Silently confess the things you have done that are hurtful to others. Ask God for forgiveness. Then thank Him for forgiving you. DIVING IN At your next family meal, have everyone wear earplugs or earphones but talk as usual, without trying to help each other hear what you are saying. Also wear them as you clear the table as a family. GOING DEEPER When you don't come to God to be forgiven, it is as if you refuse to listen to Him. By not hearing God, you separate yourself from Him, just as you did when you suddenly could not hear your family well. Read Psalm 32:5, "I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord' — and you forgave the guilt of my sin." When you ask for forgiveness, God forgives you. It is as if He removes the earplugs from your ears, and you can hear Him again. TALKING TO EACH OTHER - Have you ever kept something you did wrong a secret? If so, how did trying to hide this secret make you feel? - What might keep you from going to God and confessing a sin? - How do you feel when someone forgives you for something you've done wrong?