The Rap Sheet

Game · Upper elementary · 10 min

Bear Valley Community Church

POWERED BY KIDOLOGY

GAME · Ages 9–11 · 17-24 MIN · Genesis 45:1-15; Genesis 50:15-21

The Rap Sheet

BIG IDEA

Joseph forgave his brothers without pretending they were innocent — he said out loud exactly what they did, and was kind to them anyway.

  GENERATED WITH 1 EDITOR NOTE · READ THEM AT THE END BEFORE YOU TEACH

SUPPLIES · 1 ITEM

A Bible

HOW TO PLAY

YOUR NOTES

2-3 min

Listen Fast

DO	Get everyone sitting on the carpet, close together. Tell them you're going to tell them a true story, fast, and they just need to listen — no acting, no questions yet.

SAY

Joseph's brothers hated him. He was their dad's favorite, and he had this incredible coat — a robe that showed everyone he was special. One day his brothers grabbed him, ripped it off him, and threw him into a pit in the middle of nowhere. Then they sold him — for twenty pieces of silver — to a group of traders heading to Egypt. And then they took his coat, ripped it up, poured animal blood on it, and told their father Joseph was dead. He wasn't. He was in Egypt, a slave, and then he got thrown into prison for something he didn't even do. Years went by. Years.

DO	Don't announce a game is coming. Just move straight into the next step while it's fresh.

3-5 min

Round 1: Name What They Did

SAY	Okay — quick game. Going around the circle, I want each of you to name one thing the brothers did to Joseph. Just heard the story, so it should be fresh. No repeats — if someone already said it, you need a different one.

DO	Go around the circle fast. Keep a running tally out loud as you go — 'that's five... that's nine... come on, keep going.' If a child gets stuck, let the rest of the room shout hints. Nobody is out and nobody loses — they're racing the pile of things to remember, not each other.

DO	Expect this round to move fast and get loud. That's the point — let it. If you run out of new answers before everyone's had a turn, that's fine, just call time and move on.

3-5 min

Round 2: The Harder Half

SAY	New round. Same game — but now I want you to name something Joseph said or did once he was finally the one in charge, with all the power. Before we start, let's find out what he actually said.

DO	Open your Bible to Genesis 45 and hold it up so the kids can see you reading from it. Read Genesis 45:4-5 aloud.

SAY	"I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now don't be grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life." — Genesis 45:4-5, World English Bible

DO	Turn to Genesis 50 in the same open Bible and read verses 19-21 aloud.

SAY	"Don't be afraid, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore don't be afraid. I will nourish you and your little ones." — Genesis 50:19-21, World English Bible

DO	Go around the circle again the same way, tallying out loud. Expect it to go slower and quieter than round one — let the silence sit for a second instead of rushing to fill it. If kids stall, you can prompt: 'What did he do with Benjamin? What did he promise to give them?'

2-3 min

The Thing They Notice

SAY	Did you notice that? Round one was easy — you were shouting over each other. Round two was harder. It's always easier to remember what someone did wrong than what they did right.

SAY	Here's what gets me about Joseph. He never said 'oh, it was nothing' or 'don't worry about it.' He looked straight at them and said, 'whom you sold into Egypt.' He had the whole list — same list you just made. He didn't pretend it didn't happen. He said it out loud, and then he fed them anyway.

SAY	The Bible doesn't tell us that Joseph stopped hurting from what they did to him. It doesn't say the brothers ever really understood how badly they'd wronged him. Forgiving them didn't erase any of that. He forgave them anyway, kindly, on purpose.

SAY	God forgives us the same way. He's not confused about the real list of things we've done. He sees all of it — and he loves us anyway. That's why we forgive people: not to earn anything, but because we've already been forgiven ourselves.

1-2 min

One Name, Before Wednesday

SAY	Nobody has to say this out loud. Just think of one person — someone who's hurt you, said something mean, or done something you're still kind of mad about. Picture their face. You could probably list three things they did, easy, just like round one.

SAY	Here's what I want you to do. Tomorrow, if you see them, just say their name and one normal, friendly sentence — 'hey, nice shot' or 'want to sit here?' Nothing big. If you won't see them, tell God the whole list tonight, and ask him to help you be kind to them anyway.

DO	Close in prayer using the prayer provided. Don't ask anyone to share who they thought of.

THE PASSAGE · Genesis 45:1-15; Genesis 50:15-21

Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave and lied to their father about it. Years later, Joseph ends up ruling Egypt, and his brothers come to him for food during a famine, not knowing who he is. Joseph reveals himself, weeps, and instead of punishing them, tells them not to be afraid — he forgives them and takes care of them. Later, after their father dies, the brothers are still scared Joseph will finally get his revenge. He tells them plainly: they meant to hurt him, but God used it for good, and he will keep taking care of them.

TALK ABOUT IT · PICK ONE OR TWO

YOUNGER

What do you think it felt like to be one of the brothers, standing in front of Joseph, waiting to find out what he was going to do to them?

Do you think you can forgive someone and still remember what they did? Or does forgiving mean forgetting?

OLDER

Why do you think it was so easy to remember everything the brothers did wrong, but so much harder to remember what Joseph did once he had the power?

Joseph says 'you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.' Does that mean what the brothers did wasn't really wrong?

STILL BEING FINISHED · 1 EDITOR NOTE

This piece is usable as it stands. An editor has flagged the points below — read them before you teach, and use your judgement where they apply.

NOTE

The 'discussion' array (four questions tagged 'older'/'younger') is never woven into the numbered steps or given a place in the run order. A volunteer running this alone, cold, from the page has no cue for when — or whether — to ask them, and the 'audience' tag is never explained anywhere in the piece. Either fold each question into the specific step it belongs with (e.g. the 'forgetting vs forgiving' question into 'The Thing They Notice') or cut the block; as written it is orphaned content a solo leader cannot place.

BEFORE YOU TEACH IT

Please review and adapt all generated content before use.

Bear Valley Community Church · GAME · The Rap Sheet KIDOLOGY.ORG

Want the whole thing?

Create a free account and add 3 pieces to your own library — or pick a plan and make your own.

Create Your Account Already a member? Sign in

Back to everything