confirmation lesson 1 3 b

1

Why Lutheran?

By Grace Alone

INTRODUCTIONDefining God’s grace has caused

divisions in Christian churches. If you get grace wrong, then you will not

properly understand God’s love and salvation. What does the word grace mean? Take a moment right now and

right down your answer. To understand what it means to be a Lutheran Christian,

you need to understand this word.

What does the Bible say about the natural condition of all people?

Romans 3:23for all have sinned and fall short

of the glory of God,

ALL PEOPLE ARE SINNERS. Name some differences between American

people and German people. There may be many differences, but they have one

thing in common — SIN.

Psalm 51:5 Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

PEOPLE ARE CONCEIVED AND BORN INTO SIN. Agree/Disagree: Children are born neutral. They are

a clean slate. They don’t begin to sin until they follow the poor example of

their parents and others.

Genesis 6:5The LORD saw how great man’s

wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts

of his heart was only evil all the time.

ON THEIR OWN PEOPLE CAN ONLY SIN. A two year old cannot pick up a

200 lbs. weight. He can try all he wants, but he will never budge it. No matter how hard he tries, on his own, a sinful human

being can do nothing to please God.

Romans 8:7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does

not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

SIN MAKES US GOD’S ENEMIES. What’s the relationship between a Taliban fighter and a U.S. soldier? They are enemies. They hate each

other. That’s the way things are between people and God because of

sin.

ALL people are sinners. They are born this way.

They are incapable of doing good, and can only do evil.

This makes them God’s enemies.

GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFE

Evaluate: “People are basically good. It would be unfair for God

to hold the few sins they do commit against them.”

STUDYING GOD’S WORD

What do people deserve from God because of their

sins?

Acts 5:3-5 3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have

lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you

think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.” 5 When Ananias

heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

THEY DESERVE TO BE PUNISHED NOW. Sin has

consequences. If you murder someone, you will go to prison

because you deserve this for your crime. For our crimes against

God, we deserve his punishment right now.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our

Lord.

THEY DESERVE TO DIE. Death is ugly and it often involves pain and suffering. The rotting and

decaying of the body happens to all people. At funerals people

often ask why. Can you answer that question?

Matthew 25:41, 46 41 “Then he will say to those on

his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal

fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46 “Then they will go

away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

THEY DESERVE TO SUFFER ETERNALLY IN HELL. When you disobey your parents they

may take away your TV privileges for a while. But the punishment of

hell lasts forever. Can you describe what hell is like?

For their sins people deserve to be punished by God. They deserve to die and to suffer eternally in

hell.


Agree or disagree and why? The Bible tells us that God is loving.

This means that God would never actually send anyone to hell. He

just says that to scare us into being good.


What can people do to solve this great problem?

Ephesians 2:1As for you, you were dead in

your transgressions and sins,

PEOPLE CAN DO NOTHING TO SAVE THEMSELVES. A corpse

can do nothing. It just lies there. In the same way sinful people

can do nothing to save themselves from God’s anger.

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared

righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become

conscious of sin.

PEOPLE CAN DO NOTHING TO GET RID OF SIN. We can’t make up for our sins by doing good. That’s like trying to empty the Pacific Ocean with a thimble. It won’t work, but

will only tire us out

People can do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to solve the problem. Left on their own they are doomed.


Evaluate: “I know I’m not perfect, but I’ve lived a pretty good life. I don’t cheat or steal and I try not to hurt anybody. I’m sure God

will let me into heaven.”

Agree or disagree and why? Jesus proved that it is possible for a person

to keep the commandments if he really tries.


What did God do to solve the problem?

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he

gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not

perish but have eternal life.

HE SENT HIS SON TO SAVE US. Why do you think some people hold up signs with John 3:16 on them at

major sporting events?

1 John 4:9,10

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that

we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and

sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO PAY FOR OUR SINS. When you have a debt the debt must be paid off. No one will simply cancel it. God paid our debt of sin

with the blood of his Son.

God sent his one and only Son to take all our sins

away.


Agree or disagree and why? Jesus died to save all who

believe.

CHRISTIAN VOCABULARY

Grace God’s undeserved love for

sinners.

HYMNOLOGY: By Grace

I’m Saved (CW 384)


Why did God do this?

Romans 11:35 “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?”

NOT BECAUSE OF ANYTHING WE HAVE DONE FOR HIM.

Sometimes we say to someone who has done something for us, “I owe you a favor.” God owes

us sinful human beings nothing.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been

saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

BECAUSE OF HIS UNDERSERVED LOVE FOR US SINNERS. Imagine

telling a poor, drunk, diseased beggar lying in the gutter who had nothing to give you in return, that you would send your only son to

take his place in the gutter.

1 Timothy 2:4 who wants all men to be saved and

to come to a knowledge of the truth.

BECAUSE HE WANTS ALL PEOPLE TO BE SAVED. A mother

wants only good things for her children, and is often willing to sacrifice her own life to protect them. How much more so does

our God.

God does this not because we deserve it,

but because he is gracious and doesn’t

want anyone to go to hell.


Agree or disagree and why? Some people are more

deserving of God’s grace than others.

CLOSING PRAYERDear Lord, We realize that we act and think in such a way that we are your enemies. We are sinners that are

desperately lost and deserving of hell. Dear God, you did not give us what

our sins deserved, but instead gave up your son Jesus to live and die in our

place. He was punished so we would not be. Strengthen us to change our thoughts and actions to reflect your

love and forgiveness for us in Jesus. Amen.

ASSIGNMENT FOR NEXT TIME

REVIEWING THE LESSON 1. Review your notes; be sure you understand them. Be prepared for a written or

oral quiz. Don’t forget about the vocabulary word! 2. Make a flashcard for and memorize John 3:16. Be able to put the passage into

your own words. 3. Journal Writing: Imagine that while riding bikes with a friend one day you pass

Grace Lutheran Church. Knowing that you are a Lutheran, your friend asks you what grace means. “Isn’t that a girl’s name?” he asks. What would you say to him? Write a paragraph or two in your journal describing your answer.

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LESSON Ask your parents to help you with the following activity: 1. Read Luke 23:32-43 in your Bible. 2. Complete Bible History Worksheet #1. Be prepared to discuss it in class.

2

Why Lutheran?

By Faith Alone

INTRODUCTIONOne night, while Luther was studying in the Black tower of Wittenberg, he came across the words of Romans 1:17 - ”The righteous

shall live by faith.” The Holy Spirit used these words to change Luther’s life forever. He was convinced because of what he was taught by the Catholic Church, that he had to live up to God’s demands to earn his way to heaven.

This passage led him to understand it was not his own goodness that saved him, but the righteousness of God that was his through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is a gift of God. Today, we will discover just like Luther, why

salvation comes to us by faith alone.


What does not qualify as “faith”?

Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did

you doubt?”

FAITH IS NOT DOUBTING – What if your parents offered to help you with a report or science project, but then you remembered how long its been since your parents have been in a science class? Perhaps you didn’t get a good grade on the last report they helped you with and then you begin to doubt their abilities and whether they can help you at all.

Well, your parents can help you, but you aren’t showing faith in their

promise or abilities.

Matthew 8:26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up

and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

FAITH IS NOT FEAR - When my child has faith in me to catch them when

they jump in the pool, they just jump out to me. They aren’t afraid of the water being over their heads or the

possibility of drowning.

James 2:19You believe that there is one God.

Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

FAITH IS NOT A GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF GOD - There is a big difference in just “knowing” about something and actually “believing” in

something. The best way to explain it might be knowing is “head knowledge” and believing is a “heart knowledge”.

Faith does not fear, doubt or have a mere

head knowledge of God.


Agree or disagree and why? Everyone who knows about God and His Word will be saved.

Evaluate: “I must not have faith, because I feel doubts and fears all the time.”


What is “faith”?

Romans 10:10For it is with your heart that you

believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are

saved.

FAITH TAKES PLACE IN THE HEART - Agree or disagree and why? If you have a heart transplant from an

unbeliever you will not have faith. What does God mean by “with your

heart”? Not talking about the heart as a beating organ.

Romans 3:22aThis righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus

Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,

FAITH IS BELIEVING IN JESUS AS OUR SAVIOR - Have you ever told

others something hard to believe just because you heard it from a reliable

source and weren’t even an eye witness? God is such a reliable

source even though we didn’t get to meet Jesus or see him die. We

believe that he died for our sins and rescued us from eternal death and

hell.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

FAITH IS BEING CERTAIN OF WHAT WE DO NOT SEE - If your friend said that they are a perfect shot and can hit the bulls eye every time then split the

arrow of the last shot because they are so precise. You might say. “I’ve got to see it to believe it”. Now if your friend

had no reason to lie and you could trust him absolutely without seeing it, that is

blind faith. We can trust Jesus.

Faith is believing in my heart that Jesus Christ is my Savior even though I cannot

see him.

HYMNOLOGY: Faith Is a Living Power from Heaven (CW 404)


Why is faith the key to salvation?

Philippians 3:8-9 8 What is more, I consider everything a

loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for

whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain

Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in

Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

THROUGH FAITH WE RECEIVE RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD

Imagine your teacher demanding that you get 100% or you will fail the

entire course. Now when you fall short, your teacher gives your grade to someone else and gives you what you didn’t deserve. By faith, we are

given the righteousness God demands even though we don’t

deserve it.

Romans 4:23-24 23 The words “it was credited to him” were written not for

him alone, 24 but also for us, to whom God will credit

righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the

dead.

THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS WE ARE CREDITED RIGHTEOUSNESS This teaching was hard for Martin Luther to understand. He thought

that he had to earn God’s righteousness. God gives it to us as a credit through faith in Jesus. Jesus made good on our debt of sin through his body and blood.

Faith is the key to salvation, because through faith in

Jesus we are credited with the righteousness God

demands.


Agree or Disagree and why? Christ’s redemption is worthless without faith.


Can we choose to come to faith?

John 15:16aYou did not choose me, but I chose

you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the

Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

WE CANNOT CHOOSE TO HAVE FAITH, WE ARE CHOSEN - How likely

is it that if a dead person made a choice to live, that he would start

living? The Bible tells us that we are dead spiritually. We cannot choose to

believe and expect to then begin believing. Jesus chooses us and

gives us spiritual life.

1 Corinthians 12:3b Therefore I tell you that no one who is

speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say,

“Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

WE CAN’T BELIEVE IN JESUS UNLESS THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKS IN US - Talk about the specific work of the Father, the Son and now elaborate on the specific work of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot chose to come to faith, rather God chooses us

and the Holy Spirit works faith in us.

CHRISTIAN VOCABULARY

Faith - trust in God and his promises

Righteousness - the holiness and perfection that God demands of us.

Credit - being given something that you didn’t earn or deserve

GOD’S WORD IN MY LIFEWhich is the most important? The fact that God created you, Jesus redeemed you, or the Holy Spirit brought you to faith.

Agree or disagree and why? I am saved the minute that I decide to accept to call Jesus into my heart.


What does God use to bring you to faith?

Romans 10:17Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard

through the word of Christ.

GOD USES HIS WORD - SPECIFICALLY, THE MESSAGE OF

CHRIST– God doesn’t talk to people from the clouds nor does he

enter into hearts by means of surgery or the blood stream. God

uses his Word, the message of Jesus, to work faith. If you aren’t

hearing the gospel, faith cannot be produced.

1 Peter 3:21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the

removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection

of Jesus Christ,

GOD BRINGS US SAVING FAITH THROUGH BAPTISM - In the

sacrament of Baptism, the gospel message of Jesus is accompanied with an outward thing that we can

see and feel. The water of baptism does nothing in and of itself. When

connected to the Word and promises of God, the Holy Spirit

uses baptism to create saving faith.

God brings us to faith through the message of Christ in His Word and through the sacrament of

Baptism


Agree or disagree and why? We have the power to keep our faith strong.

CLOSING PRAYERDear Lord,

We realize that we act and think in such a way that we are your enemies. We are sinners that are desperately lost and deserving of hell. You did not give us what our sins deserved, but instead gave up your son Jesus to live and die in our place. He was punished so we would not be. Strengthen us to change our thoughts and actions to reflect your love and forgiveness for us in Jesus. Amen.


REVIEWING THE LESSON 1. Review your notes; be sure you understand them. Be prepared for a written or oral

quiz. Don’t forget about the vocabulary words! 2. Make a flashcard for and memorize Hebrews 11:1 & Romans 10:17. Be able

answer specific questions about each passage. 3. Journal Writing: Write a paragraph to finish these two thoughts: Sometimes it is difficult to have faith because… If I had more faith I could... PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LESSON Ask your parents to help you with the following activity: 1. Read Acts 16:22-34 in your Bible. 2. Complete Bible History Worksheet #2. Be prepared to discuss it in class. 3. Read pages 20 - 22 (up to the “Luther’s 95 Theses”) in your catechism on the

history of Martin Luther.

3

Why Lutheran?

By Scripture Alone

INTRODUCTION In Martin Luther’s day, there was a real shortage of

Bibles because it cost too much to produce them by hand. The Bible that Luther used was in the library and it was chained to the desk so that it couldn’t be checked out.

The other problem was that the Bible was only written in Latin and

the language of the people was German. Most people couldn’t read at all so they had to depend on the priest for everything. Give some reasons why this would have a negative impact on the spiritual

conditions of the day.


Who is the author of the Scriptures?

1 Thessalonians 2:13

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you

accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God,

which is at work in you who believe.

THE BIBLE IS NOT THE WORD OF MEN BUT THE WORD OF GOD -

When you think about man’s words, they are pretty predictable and they

are changing all the time. When you think of God’s Word, remember that “God’s ways are higher than man’s ways, His thoughts higher than our thoughts” God’s Word does not

change.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed

and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and

training in righteousness,

ALL OF THE SCRIPTURES ARE WRITTEN BY GOD - When

someone has been under water too long and is no longer breathing, you do mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Your breath fills their lungs. God

breathed into these men to write his word. This was not with the literal

breath, but the Holy Spirit filled their minds and hearts to write every

word. (VERBAL INSPIRATION)

2 Peter 1:20-21

20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came

about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never

had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were

carried along by the Holy Spirit.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT USED MEN AS INSTRUMENTS TO

WRITE THE SCRIPTURES - This isn’t like a secretary taking notes

from her boss and going back and rewriting the letter. God used their individual talents and writing styles while making sure that they wrote exactly what he wanted them to.

(VERBAL INSPIRATION)

God is the author of the Scriptures. God inspired men

to write every single Word.


Agree or disagree and why? The Bible contains the Word of God.

Evaluate: “I believe that the Bible is God’s Word because it makes so much sense.”


Why is it important to know that God is the author of the

Scriptures?

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word

is truth.

I CAN BE SURE EVERYTHING IN THE BIBLE IS TRUE - If you look at your

school books, you probably have books that have been revised, edited and you have the latest edition. The reason that

they have to do that is because of mistakes, inaccuracies, contradictions

and new things need to be included. Not so with God’s Word. It is all true and

unchanging.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie,

nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak

and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

I CAN BE SURE THAT ALL THE PROMISES WILL BE KEPT - Have

you ever had a friend make a promise that you are going to a movie, or out to the mall and then they didn’t keep their promise or did something with

someone else? Didn’t you feel betrayed? Well you can be sure God will never betray you. He keeps all of His promises that he has given in the

Bible. As God he can’t break a promise.

It is important to know because we can be sure that God will

keep all of his promises because the Scriptures are all

true.


Evaluate: A friend of yours insists that the Bible does not have to be correct in areas of science or history as long as it’s correct about things regarding God and His promises?

How can you tell if it is from man or from God?

(put God or man in the blank)___ The way to heaven is a free gift given to you through faith in Jesus.

___ You have to figure out what to believe and what not to believe in the Bible.

___ Getting to heaven is a life long process of doing the best you can.

___ Getting to heaven is a life long process of doing the best you can.

___Jesus hates your sin, but he loves you so much he willing died for you.

___ Every religion ultimately leads you on a different path to the same place.

(Notice that man focuses on what YOU have to do, God focuses on what HE

did for you.)


What are the two main messages of the Scriptures?

John 1:17 For the law was given

through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus

Christ.

ONE OF THE MAIN MESSAGES IN THE BIBLE IS THE LAW - There are many laws at school. No running in the halls, no weapons allowed, no

speeding in the parking lot, no cheating, etc. These protect students and help to keep order. God has his

own set of laws for our lives which are summarized for us in the Ten

Commandments.

Galatians 1:11-12

11 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12 I did

not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I

received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.

THE OTHER MAIN MESSAGE IS THE GOSPEL - Think of a magic

motion baseball card. At one angle the player is pitching. At another

angle he is swinging a bat. It depends on how you look at it. Both

messages are in the Bible.

Old Testament New Testament

LAW

GOSPEL

The two main messages of the Scriptures are the Law and the

Gospel.


Agree or Disagree and why? The only two teachings of the Bible that I need to know are the Law and the Gospel.

HYMNOLOGY How Precious is the Book Divine

(CW 284)


What is the main purpose of the Scriptures?

Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death, but the

gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

THE LAW TELLS US THE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN - Just like

there is a consequence for disobeying the laws of society,

there is also a consequence when we disobey God’s laws. That is we

will die & go to hell.

John 20:31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the

Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

THE SCRIPTURES LEAD US TO BELIEVE IN JESUS - Many books were written to tell people how to

invest, eat right etc. The Scriptures were written for one purpose: to

lead us to believe in Jesus

Romans 15:4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that

through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we

might have hope.

SCRIPTURES ENCOURAGE US IN OUR DAILY LIFE - Drivers ed. is no fun

but you know what happens at the end. You get your license, freedom, etc. Life is hard, but heaven is the

end.

The main purpose is to tell us the reality of sin and our need for Jesus who opens the door

to heaven.

CHRISTIAN VOCABULARYScriptures - the word means “Writings”

Verbal Inspiration - God caused men to write the Bible using the very thoughts and words he wanted them to.

Prophet - One who speaks God’s Word to God’s people

Gospel - the “good news” that Jesus is our Savior from sin


How do I treat the Scriptures since it is God’s Word?

Deuteronomy 4:2

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep

the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

AVOID ADDING TO OR SUBTRACTING FROM IT -

Imagine if I was going to make you some fresh lemonade but I

subtracted sugar from the recipe and I added boiling water instead of icy cold water. What would that lemonade taste like? Why? You ruin God’s Word when you add to or subtract from it. Leave it alone

or suffer the consequences.

2 Peter 3:16b He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some

things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people

distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

AVOID CHANGING THE MEANING - Usually people distort

things for no good purpose. A bank robber will change his

appearance by covering his face so that he can’t be recognized.

People who change the meaning of God’s Word are up to no good.

The devil gets them to do this to try to keep people from learning the

truth about their salvation.

I will avoid adding or subtracting from Scriptures or change the meaning in

any way.


Agree or disagree and why? Some of the teachings of the Bible are out of date like no sex before marriage, same sex relationships,

Christianity is the only way to heaven, etc. These teachings no

longer apply to our society.

CLOSING PRAYERDear Lord, We thank you for giving us the Scriptures in a language that we can understand and read. Unfortunately, our sinful nature gets bored with your Word and doesn’t like to take any time reading or studying it. Help us to take advantage of every opportunity you give us to study and memorize your Word. We know that through the Scriptures alone you strengthen our faith and we grow in the knowledge of your love for us in Jesus. Your Scriptures open our eyes to the plan you have for us in heaven. We praise you for giving us your Scriptures. Amen.


REVIEWING THE LESSON 1. Review your notes; be sure you understand them. Be prepared for a written or oral

quiz. Don’t forget about the vocabulary words! 2. Make a flashcard for and memorize John 20:31. Be able answer specific questions

about each passage. Also see #3 below - memorize the six chief parts of the catechism.

PREPARING FOR THE NEXT LESSON Ask your parents to help you with the following activity: 1. Read Matthew 16:5-12 in your Bible. 2. Complete Bible History Worksheet #3. Be prepared to discuss it in class. 3. Read pages 22 - 25 in the front part of your Catechism - memorize the six chief

parts of the Catechism (page 24).

confirmation lesson 1 3 b

Spiritual

sins people

gods word

american people

german people

funerals people

way sinful people

gift of god

glory of god