CORRESPONDING LEVEL WEB # S Defenders: 040703 Detectives: 030703 Developers: 020703 God s Law MATERIALS NEEDED Bible Teacher Preparation Guide SUGGESTED ORIGINAL KIDS 4 TRUTH SONG Your Law, O God OTHER SONG SUGGESTIONS The Law of God is Good and Wise Blest Are the Undefiled in Heart Older Kids: One God And One Mediator; God s Perfect Lamb; The Law Of The Lord Is Perfect; Be This My Joy Today Younger Kids: Thank You, Lord; Obedience T H E B A S I C S PRIMARY TRUTH God designed the last six commandments to be specifically about our requirements toward other people. PRIMARY SCRIPTURE PASSAGE Exodus 20:12-17 GETTING BACK TO GOD God cares about how we treat others because all people are made in the image of God. All of our human relationships are observed by God. When we follow God s commandments toward others, it benefits all involved. God is kindhearted and loving. He wants the best for us, so He told us clearly how to live. Not only did He tell us, but Jesus came and demonstrated it for us. Jesus perfectly obeyed God s Law in relation to human relationships, and provided a perfect example for us to follow. KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES By God s Grace... The child will learn the last six commandments. The child will understand that God values human life because people are created in God s own image. The child will evaluate his/her own behavior in light of the last six commandments. The child will understand that true obedience to these commandments is fervent, sincere, and especially continual. 1
ATTITUDE OBJECTIVES By God s Grace... The child will reverence God s rules and requirements upon his/her life more than any others. Our business is with God. The child will evaluate his or her own attempts at obedience in light of the Primary Truth. The child will desire to obey God more. *These TTLPs always seek to give glory to God. Since these truths we teach are God s truths, they will all somehow bring glory to God. The question in the teacher s mind should be: How does this truth bring glory to God? P R A Y E R T E A C H I N G P H A S E - I N T R O (about 10-20 minutes) OPENER Review the 10 Commandments using our recommended hand signals. This page shows some creative ways to use your ten fingers to help you remember the Ten Commandments in order. 1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Hold up one index finger for the number one. We worship one God. 2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Hold up two fingers. If you have an idol (something you trust more than, instead of, or alongside God), then you are worshipping another god rather than the one true God. 3. Thou shall not take the Lord s name in vain. Use three fingers to form the letter W, which stands for words. We should be especially careful with that most important kind of word [endash] the name of God. Never use God s name in ways it should not be used. Watch your words! 4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Hold up four fingers, but fold your thumb under your fingers to let it rest. God rested after six days of creating, and He expects us to set aside a day of rest to honor Him. 5. Honour thy father and thy mother. Hold up all five fingers on one hand as though you were taking a pledge to honor your parents. 6. Thou shalt not kill. Pretend the index finger on one hand is a gun that is shooting at the first five fingers of your other hand. 7. Thou shall not commit adultery. The palm of your hand becomes the floor of a church. Two fingers of your other hand stand like a man and woman would stand at a marriage altar in the church, saying their wedding vows to one another. These vows are lifelong promises, and adultery would be breaking them. 8. Thou shall not steal. Hold up four fingers on each hand, for the eighth commandment. If you stretch out your fingers slightly, these become the prison bars that hold someone who has been arrested for stealing. 9. Thou shalt not bear false witness [lie]. Hold up all five fingers on one hand and four on the other. Fold your second thumb under and turn your hand around, so the thumb is hiding. Pretend your thumb is secretly telling the other four fingers on that hand lies and rumors about the five fingers on the other hand. 10. Thou shalt not covet. Hold out your hands, palms up, and wiggle all ten fingers to show a greedy desire to get more. The Last Six Commandments Many Bible scholars believe that God placed the first four commandments on the first tablet of stone, and placed the last six commandments on the second tablet of stone. This may have been done to show the distinction between the first four (commandments about you and God) and the last six (commandments about you and others). 2
*NOTE: In the intro we want to recap the primary truth and set the stage to use the Primary Truth to point the learners back to God. * I N S T R U C T I O N & R E I N F O R C E M E N T (about 10-20 minutes) BIBLE TRUTH According to Christ, there are two great commandments. Do you see how these 2 great commandments categorize the 10 Commandments? THE FIRST AND GREAT COMMANDMENT THE SECOND COMMANDMENT Matthew 22:37 -- Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. Matthew 22:38 -- This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:39 -- And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Matthew 22:40 -- On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Which commandments could be classified under the first and great commandment (1-4) Which commandments could be classified under the second commandment (6-10) ABOUT JESUS (Matthew 19:16-24) Jesus recaps the last six commandments. [See if the children can point out which numbers Jesus affirms in Matthew 19:16-19 These commandments that Jesus confronted the young man with were the commandments having to do with his neighbor. The rich young man communicated that he had always kept these commandments. Do you think he had? But then Jesus demanded something from him. What was it? What commandments was this rich, young man breaking in not obeying Jesus specific command to him? ABOUT JESUS Jesus did not give a new law, but he did explain God s Law more fully. John 13:34 -- A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 3
Some might think that Jesus totally changed the Law, but rather He fulfilled it the way God intended it to be fulfilled in and through love. To love is not a new commandment, but to love as sacrificially and completely as Christ loved His Father and others could be viewed as new. Jesus introduced a higher standard, that involved obedience of every part of man. BIBLE DRILL Matthew 5:21-22 (murder point out how Jesus more fully explained this law, and made it tougher to obey. He was stripping any self-righteousness away from the people.) BIBLE DRILL Matthew 5:27-28 (adultery point out how Jesus more fully explained this law, and showed that it is what is on the inside that counts) GETTING BACK TO GOD God commands us to obey Himself for His glory and our benefit. A God that commands this is concerned with His glory, and with our good. The fact that God wants us to honor our parents shows He values the family unit, and has provided an authority structure for us that works! It also shows that God is a God of order that has designed different roles and functions within the family unit, yet each person is as important and necessary as the other similar to the Godhead (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The fact that God forbids murder shows that He values human life. The fact that God forbids adultery shows us that He values commitment and faithfulness. God teaches us about His love for the church (saved people) through the picture of a husband s love for his wife. The fact that God forbids theft shows that God values hard work, diligence, and has provided more than enough for us to be satisfied. The fact that God forbids lying shows that He is a God of truth. The fact that God forbids coveting shows that He is more than enough to satisfy any person s heart and He delights in doing so! *NOTE: Teachers, please remember that this section should include the fruit of your Teacher Truth Time and one or two personal illustrations/anecdotes from the Personalize It! activity. A P P L I C A T I O N & A S S E S S M E N T *INTERNALIZE IT! (from Teacher Preparation Phase) (about 5-10 minutes) You might begin this section by saying: Boys and girls, as I ve been preparing for this TruthTime Lesson, here s what God has been showing me... You might continue by saying: Because of what God is teaching me, here s what is going to be different in my life during this next week... You might finish by saying: Finally, here s what God has taught me about Himself through these truths... 4
Discussion Time Questions Why is God concerned about our human relationships? Which of the commandments that have to do with our relationships with fellow man do you think is hardest for boys and girls to obey? Why? Why does God want us to honor our parents? How can you honor your parents this week? Why is it impossible to obey any of these commandments without love? *In this segment the application primarily happens via the teacher s Internalize It. We want teacher s to model a God-Focused pattern of thinking and applying the truth. The assessment primarily happens via the Discussion Time Questions. A P P E N D I C E S O R I F T I M E (optional) Bonus Questions We know we should obey our parents. But what is something that we can know and believe from God s Word that will help us obey this commandment? We know we should not steal. But what is something that we can know and believe from God s Word that will help us obey this commandment? We know we should not lie. But what is something that we can know and believe from God s Word that will help us obey this commandment? Project Draw the tablets of stone, and the 10 commandments on a sheet of paper. Bonus Kids 4 Truth Activity Play the Ten Commandments game at www.kids4truth.com/chosen. Go to the Mt. Sinai Dynamation, view it, and play the game at the end! Kids 4 Truth Additional Resources Ten Commandments Poster Ten Commandments Coloring Book Chosen Series Dynamations 5