Week of 1.9.2022 | Day Three
We can group the Ten Commandments into two categories: The first four deal with a person’s relationship with God (love God), and the last six deal with a person’s relationship with others (love others). These laws encompassed every part of the Israelites’ lives and showed what righteous living looks like.
Some people think of the Ten Commandments as a burden, but God’s rules are good and are meant to help us. The Bible is clear that we are all sinful and fall short of God’s standard for holiness. Why should we seek to obey God? Consider Jesus’ words: “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15).
Read the Ten Commandments with Jesus in mind. When we are in Christ, our obedience cannot earn us God’s favor, and our disobedience does not separate us from Him. God is pleased with us because He looks at Jesus, who never sinned.
Because of Christ, we have a right relationship with God. He gives us power through the Holy Spirit to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37,39).
Weekly Challenge
Memorize the 10 Commandments and talk about how knowing them and trying to obey the law fully isn’t what makes us righteous, our faith in Jesus is!
Big Picture Question
What is worship? Worship is celebrating the greatness of God.
Christ Connection
God’s law shows us what He requires. Our sin separates us from a holy God, but Jesus came to bring us back to God. When we trust in Jesus, He takes away our sin and gives us His perfect righteousness.
Key Passage
Come, let’s worship and bow down; let’s kneel before the LORD our Maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, the sheep under his care.
Psalm 95:6-7
Read
Matthew 22:34-40 and Isaiah 43:6-7
Discuss
Why does God want us to love Him?
Explain that God created us to love and worship Him. Because He is our Creator and King He knows what is best for us. Remind them that loving God and obeying Him is the only way to find true and lasting joy. Everything God does is for His glory and our good, and so the first four commandments all focus on how we can worship God by lovingly obeying Him.
Why does God want us to love other people?
Help your kids understand that God made each and every person, and we are all made in His image. We are like God in ways nothing else in creation is. Remind them that we can reflect His glory more fully than anything else, and that is what God created us to do. God loves us all unconditionally, and He wants us to show one another His love by loving one another as He does. That’s why the last six commandments focus on how people should treat one another with respect and kindness.
Do you think it’s easier to love God or to love people?
Encourage the kids to answer honestly and talk to them about why they feel that way. Be prepared to share your thoughts on the question. Help the kids understand that when we truly love God, His love will overflow from us to help us love people too.
Pray
God, we glorify You! We are in awe of your wonder and how you chose to create us for your glory, to share your infinite love with us! We want to love you as you have loved us. Help us to know you more. Help us to obey your commands because we love you. Help us to show others your love, by obeying your commands. Be glorified in us, oh God!