Teaching

Chris really got his friends into a bad situation. He didn’t think the rules were important enough to follow, and he thought they took away all the fun he had planned. Have you ever chosen to not obey a rule you thought was not needed?

Why do you think God created the Ten Commandments?

Which commandment do you think is most important?

Someone asked Jesus this question. Read Matthew 22:36–40:

“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

There are ten commandments, but we are going to divide them into two sections, as Jesus did—commandments about loving God and commandments about loving others. Today, we will concentrate on the first four, which all focus on our relationship with God. That’s why our SuperTruth today is: “I will love God.”

Hand out materials for children to make their own Commandments Wheels. Display the model wheel you made before class. Demonstrate how to cut and fasten them so they spin.

God gave us His laws for our own good. When we follow God’s laws, we live under His protection and blessing. God places His Holy Spirit inside of us to help us obey His commandments. We should not look at these commandments as a burden, but as a wonderful way to obey and serve the Lord. So, how do we love God?

Read Deuteronomy 6:5:

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”

This means that we are to love God with our heart, our words, our thoughts and actions—our entire being, with all the strength we have! God is worthy of our complete devotion, attention and service.

Let’s read together the first four commandments on the wall poster. What do most of them begin by saying? “You must not.”

Today, we are going to focus on the first four commandments, but we will think of ways to say the commandments in a positive way.

Have the children turn their Commandments Wheels to the corresponding number as you discuss what each commandment means. Ask the children to think of ways to state it in a positive way. Below are examples of the first four commandments stated in a positive way with a brief discussion following.

1.  Worship God alone.

Read Leviticus 20:26:

“You must be holy because I, the Lord, am holy. I have set you apart from all other people to be My very own.”

God is the Creator—the one true God. God is holy and is above all things in heaven and on Earth. We are His and His alone, made in His image. He alone is worthy of our praise and worship!

2.  Focus on godly things.

God deserves our undivided attention. We create idols when we place things above Him and allow them to steal our attention away from God. Read 1 John 2:15–16:

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

Even good things in this world can become idols if we place their importance above God.

3.  Use God’s name for prayer and praise.

God is Holy and His name is to be honored and respected. We are never to use His name carelessly and treat it with disrespect. God has a stern warning for all who do! Read Exodus 20:7: 

The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.

In another Bible version it tells us to not take God’s name in vain. In the Hebrew language, the word vain in this verse basically means “to empty out.” When we misuse God’s name, we empty out of it the glory, power and majesty of His wonderful and powerful name!

4.  Set apart the Lord’s day for worship and prayer.

Read Exodus 20:11:

For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day He rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.

God created the heavens and Earth and then stopped to admire His magnificent handiwork! The fourth commandment sets apart a day to honor God, our Creator. This is a day to worship Him and appreciate His glorious work! It is a day to rest from our labors and “busy-ness” and to allow God to refresh and strengthen us.

Discipleship Challenge/Practical Application

Our challenge for these three lessons is to memorize the Ten Commandments, so let’s start by learning the first four before our next lesson. Take your Ten Commandments Wheels home today as a reminder to work on this. I will give you a chance to say the first four commandments by heart the next time we meet.