Leader Guide

Video Leader Guide

Welcome (1 minute)

Welcome back for the last lesson of our Superbook adventure, “Samuel and the Call of God.” Today, we will learn what it means to dedicate your life to the Lord. Hannah, Samuel’s mother, dedicated Samuel to the Lord—even before he was born! Now, let’s worship our amazing God who loves us and works in us as we stand and sing The Salvation Poem!

Play Video 7: (Song) The Salvation Poem (3 minutes)

Be sure to preview the song so you can sing along with the children.

The Salvation Poem

SuperTruth and Discussion (2 minutes)

Our SuperTruth for today is: “I will dedicate my life to the Lord.” Let’s say it together. “I will dedicate my life to the Lord.

What do you think this means?

It means to commit or make a decision to give yourself to God; to honor and serve Him every day. When you dedicate yourself to God, you belong to Him! When Samuel was old enough, Hannah, his mother, brought him to stay with Eli the priest in the Tabernacle.

Read 1 Samuel 1:28:

“Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

Some of you may have been dedicated to the Lord by your parents. Whether you have been formally dedicated in church or not, to dedicate your life to God is an important personal decision for each one of us to make. By doing this, we commit to serve and honor Him with our lives while we are on the earth!

Let’s say the SuperTruth together again. “I will dedicate my life to the Lord.

Introduce Condensed Bible Story (1 minute)

If most or all children watched the Bible story video in a previous lesson, omit it here and go straight to the SuperVerse.

If you saw the full Superbook video in Lesson 1, you’ll remember Chris was disturbed by a dream—yet he tried to downplay or dismiss it. What changed Chris’ mind after meeting Samuel? He saw the impact that a young person could make for God. Chris learned about how God talks to us in different ways and how we must listen and obey.

For those of you who haven’t seen our Bible story yet, we are going to watch a short version now. And if you’ve already seen it, watch again to see how Samuel trusts God when everyone around him is panicking.

Play Video 4: Condensed Bible Story (11 Minutes)

Condensed Bible Story

Superbook takes Chris, Joy and Gizmo to meet the prophet Samuel. He answers God’s call as a child, then grows up to become Israel’s leader. The children discover they’re never too young to serve God!

Play Video 10C: SuperVerse Graphic 3

Graphic loops 3 minutes without audio; turn off or freeze video after children repeat the verse.

SuperVerse Graphic 3

SuperVerse (3 minutes)

Our SuperVerse today is 1 Samuel 3:19:

As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him, and everything Samuel said proved to be reliable.

Let’s have the girls say the first part of the verse, stopping after the word “him.” Then the boys will complete the verse. Are you ready? Go!

Samuel dedicated his life to God. As he grew, God was with him every step of the way. Samuel learned to hear God’s voice and then share with the people what God said. Over time, the people saw that the words Samuel shared with them came true. God fulfilled everything that Samuel said, confirming that he was a true prophet of God.

When you dedicate your life to the Lord, who do you think is with you? God!

Yes, just like Samuel, as you grow, God is with you and will work through you. When you ask Jesus into your heart, He lives inside you by His Holy Spirit. He goes with you everywhere, at all times.

The Holy Spirit lives in all believers. When we dedicate our lives to God, the Holy Spirit empowers us to serve God. He speaks to our hearts and guides us. Then we must do our part to listen and obey! Now, let’s say the SuperVerse again. This time the boys will start and the girls will finish. Go!

Children will have more time to learn the SuperVerse in Small Group. Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Introduce Signposts Video (1 minute)

Samuel lived a thousand years before Jesus was born, yet we can learn a lot about Jesus from Samuel’s life. Let’s watch our Signposts Video to learn how the story of Samuel points to Christ.

Play Video 6: Signposts Video (4.5 minutes)

Signposts Video

Prayer and Send-Off (2 minutes)

Let’s pray before we move to Small Group.

Dear God, thank You that Jesus willingly left Heaven to come to Earth for us. We praise You that He dedicated His life to Your will so completely that He agreed to die on the cross for our sins. Help us dedicate our lives to You in thanksgiving for all You have done for us! In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Today in Small Group, you are going to play a game called “I’m All In.” If you don’t know what that means, you will soon find out!

Teachers take children to Small Group classes for Grades 1–3 and 4–6. If the combined group is small, all children may stay together for Small Group time.

Game

Who can say today’s SuperTruth? “I will dedicate my life to the Lord.”

Do you remember what it means? To commit or make a decision to give yourself to God; to honor and serve Him every day. When you dedicate yourself to God, you belong to Him!

That’s what it means to “go all in”! No part of your life is held back from God; He has your ALL!

Let’s read something Jesus said about committing yourself to God. Read Mark 12:29–30:

Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”

When we dedicate our lives to God, we are to love Him with every part of our being. Can you remember all four parts of ourselves that the verse named? Heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Jesus also said we must love others. It is not possible to truly dedicate our lives to serve God without loving and serving others. In this game, you will shoot each strip into the box. This represents giving every part of yourself to God; putting ALL of you IN.

Give a Dedication Strip Pattern to each child, along with children’s scissors. Explain that by writing their names on the lines of the first four strips, they are committing or dedicating that part of themselves to God. On the fifth line they are dedicating their service to others to glorify God. Have the children carefully cut out each strip on their sheet and then crumple each strip into a ball.

Divide the children into two equal teams. If teams are unequal, have a leader play. Teams play simultaneously.

The first two players will shoot all of their strips toward their team’s box to try to get them “ALL IN.” If a strip misses the box, the player must quickly pick it up and shoot it from where it landed until the player’s strips are “All In.”

The next player then takes a turn.

Be prepared to help children with special needs.

Conclusion: When we dedicate our lives to the Lord and go “All In” with Him, we all win! Like Samuel, we will grow in the favor of God and others. We will fulfill God’s will for our lives. Let’s go to our Signpost teaching now and learn how Samuel’s life pointed to Jesus!

Teaching

Have a child select the first Signpost card and read it aloud. Tape the card to the wall or prop it up so children can see it. Lead a discussion with the information below. Repeat for the two remaining Signpost cards. Additional material is included for Grades 4–6 to look up and discuss.

Signpost 1 Dedicated to God

Jesus and John the Baptist were cousins. They were both born about a thousand years after Samuel lived—yet all three men have some important things in common. First, all three of their births were miracles from God. Samuel’s mother, Hannah, and John the Baptist’s mother, Elizabeth, were not able to have children. Yet after they prayed, God answered with a miracle and gave them each a son! The birth of Jesus was also a miracle. Through God’s power and the Holy Spirit, Mary became pregnant and then gave birth to God’s Son!

Second, Samuel and John the Baptist were both dedicated to serve God when they were very young. Both of them took a Nazirite vow, setting them aside for God’s service. It was very unusual for a person to take this vow for his entire life. Jesus was dedicated to God in the Temple at a young age. He came from heaven for one purpose—to do God’s will. Jesus dedicated His whole life to obeying God completely—even when it meant taking the punishment for our sins by dying on the cross. When He rose again and then went up to heaven, His mission on Earth was completed.

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Samuel 1:20:

And in due time she gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, for she said, “I asked the Lord for him.”

Luke 1:35–36:

³⁵ The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and He will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she has conceived a son and is now in her sixth month.

1 Samuel 1:11:

And she made this vow: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if You will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to You. He will be Yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut.”

Luke 1:13–15:

¹³But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John. ¹⁴ You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.”

Luke 2:27–28a:

That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there.

John 6:38:

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent Me, not to do My own will.”

Signpost 2 Growing and Serving

Some Bible scholars believe that Samuel was about 12 years old when He served Eli and the Lord in the Tabernacle. As God spoke to Samuel, he would speak or prophesy God’s Words to the people. They knew that Samuel could be trusted because God fulfilled all that Samuel prophesied. The Bible tells us that as Samuel grew up, he also grew in favor with the Lord and with the people. Later, God called him to anoint the first two kings of Israel—Saul and David!

Jesus was 12 years old when His parents found Him in the Temple teaching the priests! He told them He must be about His Father’s business! Whose business is that—Joseph’s? No, God’s.

The Bible says that Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Neither Samuel nor Jesus waited until they were adults to start serving God!

John the Baptist was called by God to announce Jesus as Savior to the people and to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry in the world. John grew up and became strong in the Spirit!

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Samuel 2:18, 26 (nkjv):

¹⁸ But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. ²⁶ And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men.

Luke 1:76, 80:

⁷⁶ “And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High, because you will prepare the way for the Lord.” ⁸⁰ John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel.

Luke 2:45–52 (nkjv):

⁴⁵ “So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. ⁴⁶ Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. ⁴⁸ So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” ⁴⁹ And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” ⁵⁰ But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. ⁵¹ Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. ⁵² And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Signpost 3 Fulfilling God’s Call

When the Israelites were in danger, they called on Samuel to pray and intercede for them. Jesus came to Earth to save us! Today, He intercedes for us in heaven!

In the ceremony of repentance for the people’s sins at Mizpah, Samuel poured out water and made a sacrifice before God. This was a symbol pointing us directly to Jesus. The Bible says Jesus poured Himself out as an offering for the forgiveness of our sins.

Samuel answered the call of God when he was a child. His life was a signpost pointing to Jesus, the coming Messiah, and King of kings! God wants to use your life to point to Christ. Are you ready to answer God’s call?

OPTIONAL VERSES FOR GRADES 4–6

1 Samuel 7:5–9:

⁵ Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the Lord for you.” ⁶ So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the Lord. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the Lord. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.) ⁷ When the Philistine rulers heard that Israel had gathered at Mizpah, they mobilized their army and advanced. The Israelites were badly frightened when they learned that the Philistines were approaching. ⁸ “Don’t stop pleading with the Lord our God to save us from the Philistines!” they begged Samuel. ⁹ So Samuel took a young lamb and offered it to the Lord as a whole burnt offering. He pleaded with the Lord to help Israel, and the Lord answered him.

Hebrews 7:25:

Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through Him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

Matthew 26:28:

“For this is My blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many.”

Now, let’s move on to the Discipleship Challenge about dedicating our lives to God everyday!

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Display the sample craft from Lesson 1. Who remembered to get out of bed and step on your Footsteps Pattern first thing in the morning? Did you give your day to God? What happened when you did?

Part of our challenge was to read Proverbs 3:5–6. Lead a discussion with the following questions:

1. Have you ever trusted God with your whole heart in a difficult situation? Would you like to share what happened?
2. Why can’t we always depend on our own understanding?
3. Why is it difficult to let go of what we do understand and trust God completely?
4. What does seeking God’s will have to do with dedicating our lives to the Lord?
5. When we seek God, what will He show us?

Continue using your Footsteps Pattern, and look up the next scripture on your Dedication Card—Romans 12:1–2. Take time every day to dedicate your life to God, and ask Him to help you obey Him instead of copying what the world does.

Give a Footsteps Pattern and Dedication Card to any child who missed the previous lessons.

Optional: if you have time, have the children look up the Dedication Card verses for Lesson 3 and discuss the meaning of Romans 12:1–2.

SuperVerse

Have children sit facing the board. Samuel’s life was dedicated to God. The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up. Samuel spoke God’s Words and they all came to pass. In the Signposts video and our teaching today, we learned about two other men in the Bible who were dedicated to God and served Him from a young age. Who were they? Jesus and John the Baptist.

Jesus and John the Baptist also spoke words that were from God and not their own. They chose to speak only the Truth of God’s Word. Their words were powerful and penetrated into people’s hearts. Jesus spoke about this in John 12:49–50:

“I don’t speak on My own authority. The Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it. And I know His commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells Me to say.”

Say the SuperVerse with the children, reading it from the board, very slowly to begin the activity. Have the children turn their backs to the board and close their eyes as you erase. Then, have the children turn around and raise their hands to tell you what you erased. Write the word/s back on the board as the children answer. As the children become more familiar with the verse, you may decide not to rewrite the erased words.

Suggested words to erase; you may choose to vary the order:

• Samuel
• Grew
• Up
• Lord
• With
• Everything
• Said
• Proved
• Reliable
• 1 Samuel
• 3:19

Conclusion: When we speak God’s Word, our words will be reliable, powerful, and full of life to all who hear!

Younger children may not be able to memorize the entire SuperVerse. They may simply repeat it several times, while older children may memorize part or all of it. Be sure all children understand its meaning.

Prayer

Have children sit around you in a circle. Samuel’s mother dedicated him to the Lord just as she had promised God before he was born. Samuel belonged to God and served Him faithfully for his entire life!

Read Hannah’s words in 1 Samuel 1:28:

“Now I am giving him to the Lord, and he will belong to the Lord his whole life.” And they worshiped the Lord there.

Today, in our prayer time, you will have an opportunity to dedicate yourself to the Lord. If you are participating in the Discipleship Challenge, you have been dedicating yourself to the Lord each day! Even if you have been following Jesus for a long time, you may re-dedicate yourself to God as a reminder of your commitment to your Lord and Savior.

The most valuable thing that we can ever give God is our life. Let’s bow our heads and think a moment about all God has done for us.

Now, let’s close our eyes and pray. Repeat after me if you want to dedicate your life to the Lord today—whether it’s for the very first time, or you want to re-dedicate your life to Him again. Or, you may pray silently—He will hear you!

• Dear God …
• Samuel was dedicated to You as a young boy. …
• He served You when he was young, …
• He served You when he was old. …
• I want to serve You now …
• And for the rest of my life. …
• Beginning today, …
• I dedicate myself to You, …
• To thank You for all You’ve done. …
• Holy Spirit, thank You for giving me the power …
• To faithfully serve God …
• And to be an example to others. ...
• In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

How wonderful to hear you pray and dedicate your lives to God! Let’s celebrate by giving God a standing ovation!

If any children prayed to accept Jesus as Savior for the first time, be sure to follow up with them. Encourage them to download Gizmo’s Bible Adventures, a free 30-day devotional for children and their families. Visit Superbook.CBN.com/Pages/Discover/KidsDevo/Gizmos-Bible-Adventures.

Holy Spirit Game

Samuel’s life was dedicated to the Lord. The SuperVerse tells us that the Lord was with Samuel as he grew up. When we dedicate our lives to the Lord, He is with us as we grow! It isn’t always easy to live a life dedicated to God. These balloons represent different parts of our lives. Hold up the balloons and briefly discuss them.

We will face many pressures, temptations and choices in each area of our lives as we grow up. We can trust that God is with us every step of the way because the Holy Spirit lives inside every believer. He leads, guides and reveals God’s truth to us. With His help, we have the strength to stay dedicated to God’s purpose and plan for our lives, which is known as His will!

Did you know that the Holy Spirit is represented as the wind many times in the Bible?

The Hebrew word for “Spirit” actually means “air in motion.” You will play a game based on wind or air in motion. This rug represents God’s will for our lives. So, the goal is to move all of the balloons, which represent important parts of our lives, onto the rug. The good news is that you will have help from the wind to move the balloons! Demonstrate how to use the plate to create the wind to move the balloon onto the rug.

• Place the balloons near the walls around the room.
• Divide the children into pairs. Try to pair older children with younger children.
• Have the pairs give their team a name and write it on the board.
• One pair plays at a time, trying for the fastest time to move all six balloons onto the rug.
• Give plates to the first pair, say “Go!”, and start the timer.
• Each pair takes a turn. The team with the fastest time wins. The object of the game is to move the balloon along the floor to the opposite end only by the wind.
• Players create the wind by moving their plate behind the balloon.
• The plate cannot touch the balloon at any time! If it does, the player must move the balloon back to the starting position.
• When all the balloons rest on the rug, stop the timer and record the time on the board.

Conclusion: We saw how the wind helped. Even though the game was just for fun, the help of the Holy Spirit in our lives is real. He will help us stay strong in our dedication to God and His purpose for our lives.

Word Game

This is the last lesson about Samuel, so let’s play a game to review the Bible story. We’ll do this by guessing words that we have heard in these three lessons.

• Divide the children into Team 1 and Team 2. Mix older and younger children on each team.
• Each word is worth five points per letter: 3-letter word = 15 points; 9-letter word = 45 points, etc. Teams alternate turns. The first player for Team 1 selects the top card on the pile and gives it to the leader, then sits down.
• The leader selects a word from the matching category on the Word List.
• The leader writes the first letter of the word on the board and a blank line after the first letter for each remaining letter of the word. Example: SERVE = S _ _ _ _.
• The player who drew the card gets one chance to guess the word for the full value of points.
• Give hints or clues as desired or necessary; especially for younger players.
• If the guess is incorrect, the second letter is added for the first player on Team 2. Each time a letter is added, the point value reduces by five points.
• No points are scored if all letters are revealed for any word.
• After each word is guessed or revealed, discuss how it was used in the story.
• Select another card. Use as many words as time allows. The team with the most points wins.

Letter Game Words:

3–6 letters: 1. Obey 2. Serve 3. Voice 4. Life 5. Speak 6. Faith 7. Love 8. Purity 9. Hannah 10. Vow 11. Eli 12. Samuel 13. Priest 14. Favor 15. Wicked 16. Poured

7–8 letters: 1. Dedicate 2. Example 3. Reliable 4. Promise 5. Servant 6. Offering 7. Presence 8. Sinning 9. Stature 10. Faithful 11. Sleeping 12. Prophet 13. Pleaded

9+ letters: 1. Tabernacle 2. Believers 3. Sacrifice 4. Repentance 5. Listening 6. Worshiped 7. Discipline 8. Frightened 9. Intercede

Craft

When Samuel grew up, he faced a big challenge at Mizpah. What was the challenge? The Philistines were coming to attack the Israelites.

Samuel became Israel’s judge that day at Mizpah. See 1 Samuel 7:6 (nlt, nkjv). This is another important responsibility God gave to Samuel. A judge made decisions and rulings for the people in important matters. Samuel had gained the favor and trust of God’s people because they saw how God’s Spirit was upon him and how he spoke God’s words. When we dedicate our lives to God, and serve Him obediently, God will anoint our lives to do even greater things for Him!

Samuel led the Israelites in a ceremony to repent of their sins and to serve God again. The people put their trust in Samuel to plead to God to save them from the Philistines. As the Philistines arrived to attack the people, God spoke with a mighty voice of thunder from heaven. What happened? The Philistines were confused and ran away. See 1 Samuel 7:5–11.

Let’s read what happened afterward. Read 1 Samuel 7:12:

Samuel then took a large stone and placed it between the towns of Mizpah and Jeshanah. He named it Ebenezer (which means “the stone of help”), for he said, “Up to this point the Lord has helped us!”

Give each child a Mizpah Coloring Page and a stone. Have them color their page and put their name on the back. Then have them glue the stone in the appropriate place on the drawing. If you are not using stones, that area can be colored instead. Allow time for the glue to dry before children take their crafts home.

Conclusion: Your pages look great! Samuel used the rock to remind the people that God helped them that day. You can use your craft as a reminder that—as you dedicate each day to the Lord—He will help you and empower you to do great things for Him!

Bible Study

Have children look up and read the Bible passages aloud. Then lead a discussion using the comments and questions below.

1. Romans 12:1:

And so, dear brothers and sisters,I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.

• Who are we to give or dedicate our bodies to? God.
• What is the reason or motivation for doing this? Because of all He has done for us; to thank Him.
• What did God do for us? God loved us so much that He sent His only Son into the world. Jesus willingly came from heaven to the earth and died on the cross for us.
• What does it mean to give our bodies? To give our entire being, our whole self to Him. To place our lives in His hands.
• Who was the only perfect sacrifice without sin? Jesus. See John 1:29.
• How can we be a living and holy sacrifice? By dedicating our lives and living for Him according to His Word and will instead of our own. By trusting in Jesus we become holy in Christ. God sees Jesus’ holiness not our sin. Our self-righteousness efforts are not acceptable to God; only in Christ are we acceptable to Him. See Hebrews 10:10.
• What is true worship to God? Living for Him and following Christ. Submitting ourselves to Him.

2. Romans 6:13:

Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

• What are some other things that people can dedicate themselves to, besides God? Careers, money, athletics, talents, gifts, or abilities, other people, worldly causes, or charitable purposes. These can be good, but in balance, and not to take the place of God. Some people spend their lives doing worldly or evil things.
• If we give most of ourselves to God, is that okay? Why or why not? No, God wants and deserves all of us, our entire being, every part of our lives. Jesus gave Himself completely for us; we need to do the same.
• When Jesus died for us, what did He give us? New life in Him, the ability to freely serve God, forgiveness of our sins, eternal life, the promise of heaven, etc.
• What are we to use our bodies for? As instruments to do what is right for God’s glory.
• How can we allow God to use us as an instrument? Give or dedicate ourselves to Him.

3. Acts 2:42–43,46–47:

⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. ⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— ⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

• Name some things that believers in the early church devoted or dedicated themselves to doing. The apostles’ teaching of God’s Word, fellowship or spending time together, eating together, communion and worship, prayer.
• What were the results of their dedication? A greater understanding of God; a deep sense of awe—reverence and respect; miraculous signs and wonders; generosity and joy; goodwill or favor of the people around them. The church grew as God added believers.
• Do you think this can happen today when believers dedicate themselves to the Lord? Please explain.

Conclusion: People can dedicate themselves to many different thingsother than God. Because of what Jesus did, it is right to dedicate ourselves to Him above all and to serve Him. When we do this, we will grow in favor and bring glory to Him.