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Theme: Discovering Wisdom - God Calls His People (Genesis-Ruth)
1. The Ten Commandments are God’s good rules. Give an example of a good thing that happens when people follow a good rule.
2. God gave us these commandments as reminders about what is good and right. As you listen to this episode, think about how these commandments ask us to put God first in our lives and to put others first before ourselves.
After you listen
Memory Verse
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Quiz
A: Two examples are when a person uses God’s name as a swear word or carelessly like a joke.
A: Some correct answers are No other gods before me. No idols. Honor God’s name. Remembering the Sabbath day.
Reflect
The Ten Commandments show how to respect God and others. They remind us to put God first in our lives and to put other people first before we think about what we want for ourselves. We need to help and not hurt others.
God is good, and he gives us these commandments because of his love and care for us. These commandments keep people safe.
God knew our hearts. He knew we often make bad choices, sin against him, and hurt others.
Jesus summed up the Law with these two sentences: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39, NIV). I think we can do no better than to follow his example.
Read the story about how God gave Moses the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:1-21. Want to dig deeper and learn more about loving God and loving our neighbor? Check out Luke 10:25-37, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, Matthew 5:43-48, and John 3:16.
Challenge
Here’s the text of the Ten Commandments as given by God in Exodus 20:1-17(CEV). Beside each commandment is a kid-friendly, age-appropriate version of each good rule. Learn each commandment and see if you can list all ten in a row!
Commandment 1
Exodus 20:3: “Do not worship any god except me.”
A good rule explained: “Follow God! Listen to him.”
Commandment 2
Exodus 20:4: “Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth.”
A good rule explained: “Put God first. Other things should not be more important than God.”
Commandment 3
Exodus 20:7: “Do not misuse my name.”
A good rule explained: “God’s name is special, so respect God’s name.”
Commandment 4
Exodus 20:8: “Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me.”
A good rule explained: “Take time to rest and respect God with prayer, reading the Bible, and worshiping God.”
Commandment 5
Exodus 20:12: “Respect your father and your mother.”
A good rule explained: “Respect, love, and care for your dad and mom.”
Commandment 6
Exodus 20:13: “Do not murder.”
A good rule explained: “Respect life. Be patience. Don’t be unfair to others. Don’t hurt another person with your words or actions.”
Commandment 7
Exodus 20:14: “Be faithful in marriage.”
A good rule explained: “Keep your promises. Help other people keep their promises, too.”
Commandment 8
Exodus 20:15: “Do not steal.”
A good rule explained: “Don’t take other people’s stuff. Ask before you take something.”
Commandment 9
Exodus 20:16: “Do not tell lies about others.”
A good rule explained: “Tell the truth. Be honest.”
Commandment 10
Exodus 20:17: “Do not desire to possess anything that belongs to another person.”
A good rule explained: “Be happy with what you have. Leave other people’s stuff alone.”
