The Goonies Bible Study on Confession

Goonies Bible Study on Confession. Scenes with Chunk, the Fratellis, and the blender.

So what was Chunk’s problem? Why do you think he told all that he did?
Ever had stuff you’ve wanted/needed to get off of your chest? How did you feel afterward? What makes it so difficult to confess something?

How does confession allow us to enjoy a deeper relationship with God? relationships with other people?

Have you ever confessed to anyone? Parent or friend? What happened and what was the result? Was it something about them or something else that you did? Were you going to get caught anyway?

What do you know about Confession, mainly in the Catholic church. Have they ever seen it on tv, or know of any friends who do it?

Here are some key points on Confession for Catholics.

It is one of the Catholic Church’s 7 sacraments, which were all instituted by Jesus, with Confession happening after the Resurrection when Christ appeared to the apostles. Many Catholics believe it should be done at least monthly. They believe it is necessary to confess as a way of showing an inward sign of grace to reconcile or be ok with God, and an outward sign of grace is to be forgiven, oftentimes through a priest. The belief is if we keep sinning and don’t ask for forgiveness and try to change, it will lead to a downward cycle.

Lastly, 3 things are required:
1. You must be contrite—or, in other words, sorry for your sins.
2. You must confess those sins fully, in kind and in number.
3. You must be willing to do penance and make amends for your sins.

What do you think about this? Does it make sense? Anything you do or don’t agree with? Why?



We cut sheets of colored construction paper in half for each youth to write on and had a drawing of an outline of a large cross on paper taped to the wall.

We then wrote notes of apology to God. They were to think of something they have done wrong recently that might have disappointed God. Then think of one word that represents that sin, and write that word on the inside of the card.

After they wrote, we had groups divide up and read Acts 3:1-19 together and then discuss the following questions.
How does the sin you wrote down compare to the sins Peter was describing?
Do you think your sins are any less “sinful” than the ones described in this passage? Explain.

The Bible says Jesus died on the cross for our sins. That means not only that Jesus died to pay for the sins of the people who crucified him, but also that he died for the sins we commit today—the very sin you wrote on your paper.

What does it mean to repent?
How can you repent of the sin you wrote down?

In this passage, Peter said the crippled man was healed because of his faith in Jesus. It’s through faith in Jesus that we receive forgiveness for our sins. Jesus already paid the price for the sin you wrote down. I’d like each of you to say a silent prayer, confessing and asking for forgiveness for the sin you wrote on your paper.

We then took a few moments for silent prayer.

Then we had them think of one word that describes how they feel knowing that Christ’s death made their forgiveness possible. They wrote that one word on the outside of the card, then taped it to the inside of the cross.

Then they were told to look at the papers on our cross—our sins are covered with words of joy and thanksgiving. That’s what God wants for us. God knows that, just like the crippled man in Acts, we need repentance and faith to be made whole. And it’s the cross that makes that possible. We’re the ones who benefit from repentance. God doesn’t need our apologies to forgive us. If he hadn’t wanted to forgive us, he wouldn’t have watched his Son suffer on the cross. God wants our apologies because he knows that only through our repentance and faith can we be made whole.

Closed with a prayer.