commandments we move into the second table of the...

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Opening Prayer: Thank you, Savior, for all the people you’ve put into my life to

bless me. I would really be in trouble if I were all alone! I confess, though, there

have been times when I haven’t always treated them so well. Thankfully, you obeyed

the fourth and all the commandments perfectly in my place. Now, help help me show

my thanks by honoring your representatives. I know the jobs of my parents, my

teachers, my pastors, and even the government isn’t always easy. Help me to show

my love for you by honoring and obeying them. Remind me often how important life

is. Sometimes it seems so cheap and useless…and that’s the way some people treat

their lives. But you’ve told me life is important. All human lives are important

because it’s the only time we have to come to know you and without you, we’re lost.

I don’t want that for anyone and neither do you. Use your Word to teach me more

about a life with you and how I can live my life for you. You will do that because I

pray believing in Jesus Christ. Amen.

With the 4th & 5th Commandments we move into the Second Table of the Law—Love

toward our neighbor/those

God places around us.

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Fourth Commandment

Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy

long life on the earth.

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God that we do not dishonor or anger our parents and others

in authority, but honor, serve, and obey them and give them love and respect.

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God lays out his expectations so that we know what we are to carry out His will in our

lives. God shares His expectations through the authority He gives to parents or His

representatives in the home; to the church—our pastors, teachers, and leaders; and to

government –elected leaders on the local, state, and national level.


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Have youth read this passage.

God gives authority to parents – ―obey your parents ―in the Lord.” I visited a family

in the hospital where God gifted them with their first child. Just like this family—we

all were infants at one time with parents who took care of us, fed, clothed—provided

for our day-to-day needs. God expects that we give our parents honor – namely love

and respect, for the role they have. There are situations where parents adopt children

or parents who have taken the role of foster parents. Despite these different

circumstances God’s expectations in our family relationships do not change.


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Parent read this Bible verse.

God gives people in the church authority over us.

There many different people with different responsibilities in the church. There are

our pastors, Lutheran Elementary School teachers, Sunday School teachers, Youth

Leaders, Executive Board, Leadership Team, circuit pastors, district presidents, and

the like. The important thing for us to remember is that, whatever position they hold,

they have been placed over us by God Himself.

Click to the next slide.

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Youth read this passage.

God gives people in government authority over us.

On November 2nd we held mid-term elections of leaders to many levels of government

– US Senate and House of Representatives on national level as well as many state, and

local elections. There are many offices within these various levels of government—

governor, Senator, representative, judge, major, city councilman. There are others

whom we hire—police officers, fireman, public school teachers, and different people

in local government. We are to obey each and every one of these people to whom

God has given authority over us.

Click to the next slide.

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Youth reads this passage.

Family situations truly vary. Sometimes the Lord takes a family member home to

Himself in heaven – and, in turn, this gives us unique opportunities to put our love for

God into practice. I can remember how my grandmother came to live with our

family after grandpa died. It took some added effort on our part to include Grandma

in our daily activities. If you have a special situation in your family, share it with your

youth and help them to understand why everyone needs to help to make it work.

Bottom line – we gave Grandma our love and respect.


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Have youth record this note.


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Parent and youth read this passage together.

We look at these verses again—2 things need to be noted.

First, we are concerned with the attitude our children portray and our own attitude as

parents. Paul is speaking to us as Christian youth—the Lord gives this command

―obey your parents’ as a way to show our love to our parents. At the same time it is

our love for the Lord, and especially as fathers – to instill spiritual values and

understanding in the hearts and minds of our children—that’s God design for the

family.

Second, the Lord God attaches a wonderful promise as we follow His design—we

will enjoy His blessings in our lives. At the same time we do not want to look at this

promise as a guarantee that every Christian parent will have a long life and reach 100.

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These are similar thoughts to the previous Bible verses. In the Colossian passage the

Apostle Paul goes a step further to speak about masters and slaves. This is no longer

our culture. A helpful parallel may be the work place and the employer – employee

relationship. We can out our responsibilities mindful that the Lord has placed us in

this work environment.


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Youth record this note.


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Scan these verses.

Absalom, son of King David, works to undermine the authority of his father and win

the affection of the people.

Vs. 6 “He stole the hearts of the men of Israel.”


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Scan these verses.

Absalom feeling he has gained adequate support goes to Hebron where he has the

announcement: “Absalom is king!” and he gathers his supporters. Absalom’s

conspiracy gains strength.


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Youth reads these verses.

King David did not want any harm to come to Absalom. Joab, leader of King’s

soldiers, disregards David’s request and kills Absalom. The conspiracy ends.


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Youth reads this Bible verse.

While our authority in home, church, and government comes from God we are not to

use it for our personal advantage. If our parents tell us to personally hurt or harm

someone we are to listen to God as our highest

authority and disregard our parents.


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Parent and youth read this verse.

God’s Word is clear – God desires our highest love. Placing our love for parents or

children over God is contrary to His will for our lives.


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The 4th Commandment is the one commandment that includes a promise of God’s

blessing for our obedience.


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Parent and youth read passage together.

God’s promise is two-fold. First that our life – whether it be in the home, in the

workplace, in the neighborhood, or at church – all works out well. The Lord is

guiding our life with his protecting hand of love and care.

Second, God adds the promise of long life; namely, a full and complete life. There

are indicators that Christians on the whole live longer compared to other people. (The

purpose in stating this is not the reason we become Christians—it is the reality of

God’s blessing on us.)


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Youth records these notes.



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You shall not murder.

What does this mean?

We should fear and love God that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his

body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need.

God through this commandments want to protect human life.


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Think about the gift of life. Driven by our heart, six liters or so of blood makes a

round trip in our body every minute. In the span of 24 hours our heart receives and

pumps between 7,000 and 9,000 or more liters of blood. In a lifetime of 70 years the

heart beats

Some two and a half billion times, without a single shutdown for repairs.

God created our bodies. He gave us life, and He has the authority over it. By this

commandment he protects and cares for our earthly life that He has given us and all

people..


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God views life as sacred – as a gift from God – and He wants to protect life as a

precious gift. Further, our lifetime is our opportunity to know God and His salvation

in Jesus Christ. Therefore, we do not want to cut short or limit a person’s time to

know God.


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Scan these verses.

Hezekiah, King of Judah, became seriously ill. Hezekiah too this matter to the Lord

in prayer and God answered through the prophet Isaiah.

Read vs. 5: "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD , the God of your

father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add

fifteen years to your life.”

God add 15 years to King Hezekiah’s life.


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Youth reads this verse.

God impressed on His people from the beginning that the life of a person is connected

with his/her blood. God’s Law clearly laid out that shedding the blood—taking the

life of another being—had the consequence of losing one’s own life. Why? To

safeguard our life and our opportunity to know God.

Man is the foremost of God’s creation—given body and soul—and made in the image

of God.


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Parent reads this passage.

God has given government the authority to protect human life. God has given

government the responsibility to set up laws to protect life and punish the

wrongdoing. Through the sword—the threat of punishment—government works to

ensure peace and good order.


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Youth records this note.


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Our lifetime is our opportunity to know the Lord. This is an important time and we do

not want to limit or shorten this opportunity.

Click to next passage.

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Youth and parent read this passage.

We noted this important Bible truth earlier.

There are many applications to this truth and we want to keep God’s principles in

mind.

Some examples are:

abortion – the ending of life while the mother is pregnant; some want to define a

time of human life being viable—able to live on its own power. Human life begins at

conception.

suicide – the taking of one’s own life

mercy killing or euthanasia – deeming a person is so seriously ill that one can have

his/her life ended of their or their doctor’s determination


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Have youth record notes 3 & 4.


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Youth reads this verse.

God’s Word takes this commandment further by identifying ―Hating our Brother.” Listen to Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:21-23

21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

When we get angry and upset with people we can and do things that we regret – yes, easily breaking the 5th Commandment. When these things happen we need to work to resolve these things speedily.


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Parent reads this verse.

Our sinful human nature likes to keep track or take score of how others treat us.

Rather in the spirit of Christian love we need to let go and let God deal with these

issues.


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Scan these verses.

David was given the opportunity to kill Saul, the King of Israel. In fact, King Saul

had tried on several occasions to take David’s life.

What does David do? David recognizes Saul in his God-appointed position and

refuses to use the opportunity to his advantage. David gives the matter over to the

Lord to work out in His time and His way.


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Parent and youth read this slide.

A spirit of Christian love and compassion is to be shared in our relationships with

others.


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We need to model Christ’s self-giving love and be willing to make sacrifices for

others.


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Have your youth complete the ―Assignment for Next Week”.

We have finished our third unit. Memory Work with the Commandments is much lighter amount than with the Apostles Creed. But I

learned from experience that one tends to follow the path of lower expectations. I pray that we are conscientiously partnering with.

our youth.

We are approaching the half-way point of our Confirmation Lessons. Patterns of behavior have become evident to me. Some parents and youth are being very conscientious in our PETT approach. What a blessing as we pass His Word on to our youth—we have more influence on them then we sometimes realize.

Some parents and youth are being inconsistent. I’m concerned that our youth are being short-changed. Just as they can’t get behind the wheel because of their youthfulness so they can’t get the help, instruction, and direction for their lives from God’s Word because they need their parents to show the way. I pray that you as parents see that this is ―too valuable of a time in your son or daughter’s life” to let confirmation take the back seat to other activities. If you are struggling with these issues—by all means– let me know and collectively we can be mutually informed and make some contingency plans.

December 8th, is a little more than a week away. I ask you to encourage your son or daughter to start preparing for it.

Questions: Please e-mail me at: [email protected]

Phone: 612-889-1789

The same is true for your youth. Have them get in touch with me.

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