New City Catechism - W/B 06/04/20

Monday

Q11 - What does God require in the sixth, seventh, and eighth commandments?

A. Sixth, that we do not hurt, or hate, or be hostile to our neighbor, but be patient and peaceful, pursuing even our enemies with love. Seventh, that we abstain from sexual immorality and live purely and faithfully, whether in marriage or in single life, avoiding all impure actions, looks, words, thoughts, or desires, and whatever might lead to them. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else, nor withhold any good from someone we might benefit.

(Kids) Sixth, that we do not hurt or hate our neighbor. Seventh, that we live purely and faithfully. Eighth, that we do not take without permission that which belongs to someone else.

Bible Reading - Romans 13:9

Teaching Points:- These commandments continue in how we treat other people in the light of how God

treats us.- The sixth commandment teaches us not to harm, hurt or hate people. This is both

physically and in what we say and think about other people. Jesus later said that this commandment goes much further than just physical harm, when he says that whoever is angry or insults their own brother also disobeys God (Matthew 5:22). Our thoughts and words matter to God too. In word, thought and action, we are to be patient, peaceful and even love those we don’t get on with.

- The seventh commandment teaches us to live purely and faithfully in how we treat and think about others. Marriage between one man and one woman is the only safe and joyful setting for sexual intimacy and love - we ought to desire this with anyone else if married, and shouldn't seek this outside of marriage if we are unmarried. Parents of young children - this might be difficult to explain but emphasise that God’s design for marriage is a good thing for our benefit, and that what we should think purely about all people and treat them well, not as objects for our own pleasure, but as people that God made and cares for. It might be helpful to discuss (depending on who us in your house) how marriage and sex are not the end goals in life - living for, glorifying and knowing God is. Again, this commandment goes far deeper than outward purity - it affects what we look at, say, think about and desire.

- The eighth commandment teaches us to not take what is not ours without permission, or to not give to someone what we should give them. This is both not taking and not giving where we ought - respecting other people's stuff and also giving where we should. We know that all things ultimately are given graciously from God, so to take what is not ours or to keep something we shouldn’t is to selfishly steal and withhold what God has given.

Activity - Matching Game

Using cards, write out each of the ten commandments (in Q8), and write out their meaning (in Questions 9-12) on separate cards. Place the first eight commandments face down on the table and mix them up. See if the others can match each commandment to their meaning - test and see whether we can remember what they are and what they mean!

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ChkXiHlUw4&list=PLPwoFK1MBpm4ClBAJbmfp3Lj0Z45yntcH&index=9&t=50s

Tuesday

Q12 - What does God require in the ninth and tenth commandments?

A. Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive, but speak the truth in love. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone or resenting what God has given them or us.

(Kids) Ninth, that we do not lie or deceive. Tenth, that we are content, not envying anyone.

Bible Reading - James 2:8

Teaching Points:- We come to the last two commandments which show us how we are to ‘love our

neighbour as yourself’.- The ninth commandment teaches us to not lie or say what is untrue. We often lie or

tell ‘half-truths’ to get what we want or out of sticky situations or awkward conversations. But God commands us to be truthful, not hiding the truth from people, but being honest with people in what we say and do. We are to speak the truth ‘in love’ (Ephesians 4:15) - we should never think that just because we trust in Jesus or know some things that God says in His Word that we are better than others, but we show love for other people by humbly and gently telling them what is true, because the truth doesn’t come from us but from God!

- The tenth commandment teaches us to be content with what we have and not to be jealous of other people or what they have. We have every reason to thank God - for our homes, families, toys, food, school (even if it’s at home!!), for friends for peace in our land and health and life and breath. He also gave us Jesus, the Son, who lived, died and rose again for our rescue from sin. As someone once said: ‘Who can be angry, jealous, ungrateful in the light of the cross?’ There’s no reason to grumble or moan or be envious, for God has graciously given us more than we deserve. Hos kind is the Lord!

Activity - Matching GameSee if you can do yesterday’s matching game with all ten commandments!

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ChkXiHlUw4&list=PLPwoFK1MBpm4ClBAJbmfp3Lj0Z45yntcH&index=9&t=50sWednesday

Q13 Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly?

A. Since the fall, no mere human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly, but consistently breaks it in thought, word, and deed.

(Kids) Since the fall, no human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly.

Bible Reading - Romans 3:10-18

Teaching Points:- Although we are commanded by God to act according to His ways, we all struggle to

obey and we still sin. - Ever since Adam and Eve first sinned in Genesis 3, every person who has ever lived

has inherited a sinful nature that naturally rejects God and says no to Him. Our Bible Reading explains that every part of our being is corrupted by sin - read the reading and ask yourself (or whoever’s with you) to identify all the different ways we are corrupted by sin.

- The way we speak (‘throat’/’tongues’/’lips’/’mouth’), what we do (‘feet’/’paths’/’the way of peace they have not known’) and our attitude towards God (‘no fear of God’) shows how deep and wide is our sinfulness. We break God’s law in thought, word, and deed.

- Because of this, we are not able to keep God’s law perfectly. - We therefore deserve God’s punishment, which is eternal, never-ending in a place

God calls hell - which is where we are separated from His grace, and know only His judgement. Jesus describes that place in Luke 13:28.

- So what hope is there? Our hope is in Jesus, who was fully-God and fully-man, who perfectly kept God’s law for us. By God’s grace, through faith in Jesus, we not only receive forgiveness of our sin but also Jesus’ innocence and righteousness! How awesome is this!!

- For those who trust in Jesus, the Law no longer condemns us, but shows us who God is, and how we are to live for Him everyday with joy and thankfulness.

Activity Grab two full milk cartons (or similar weighted objects), and challenge each other to hold them out at arms length for 5 minutes (or another unlikely time span). Use this to teach that however hard we try to keep God’s Law perfectly, none of us can. We are sinful - we don’t do what God wants/do what He forbids by nature apart from His grace.

Song:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf7T3tyuky0&list=PLPwoFK1MBpm4ClBAJbmfp3Lj0Z45yntcH&index=10&t=0s

Thursday

Q14 - Did God create us unable to keep his law?

A. No, but because of the disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, all of creation is fallen; we are all born in sin and guilt, corrupt in our nature and unable to keep God’s law.

(Kids) No, but because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve we are all born in sin and guilt, unable to keep God’s law.

Bible Reading - Romans 5:12

Teaching Points- When man was created way back in Genesis, Adam and Eve to glorify God. they

were able to obey Him and enjoy walking with Him in the Garden of Eden!- But they were also able to disobey God. And they did just that when they disobeyed

God’s command by eating the fruit of the tree God had told them not to eat from. Even though God had given them so much, they still wanted what they shouldn’t - that’s sin in a nutshell!

- We are all born with a sinful nature because of Adam and Eve’s sin. It’s like a sickness that we can do nothing about - we are born with it and we can;t get rid of it. While we are still able to do good things, but not perfectly like God requires. Our nature is corrupted so that we are both unwilling and unable to obey God perfectly. (This is really important to get across).

- We are helpless! But the good news is that our help comes from someone else, the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1). He provides Jesus for us to rescue us from our sin. He also gives us the ‘helper’, the Holy Spirit, who makes helpless people like us alive to trust in Jesus by faith, and able to live, however imperfectly now, to God’s glory. God doesn't help those who help themselves: He powerfully helps those who cannot help themselves!

ActivityIf you have dominoes/something similar, you could build a big domino line or shape, tap the first one and watch them fall! Just like the rest of the dominos fell when the first one fell, so we also have been affected and inherited a sinful nature because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi7sjVSwkbs&list=PLPwoFK1MBpm4ClBAJbmfp3Lj0Z45yntcH&index=11&t=0s

Friday

Q15 - Since no one can keep the law, what is its purpose?

A. That we may know the holy nature and will of God, and the sinful nature and disobedience of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior. The law also teaches and exhorts us to live a life worthy of our Savior.

(Kids) That we may know the holy nature of God, and the sinful nature of our hearts; and thus our need of a Savior.

Bible Reading - Romans 3:20

Teaching Points- We have thought over the past week or so about God’s Law, what it is and how we

are to obey. But yesterday we thought about our helplessness, our inability to keep the Law. Why bother then? What’s the point?

- The Bible teaches us that the purpose of god’s commands is to show us what He is like. We are commanded to ‘be holy for I am holy’ (Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:15-16) - notice the reason, because that’s what God is like.

- Remember Q6? This is part of how we glorify God - we show others who God is and how awesome He is by obeying His law, for it also shows us what He is like. Like when God tells us to tell the truth and not to lie (the 9th commandment), it is because God is the truth and He does not lie.

- As we have already seen, God’s Law also shows us our sin. God’s Word is like a mirror, showing us how good and perfect God is, and showing us our sin and where we have gone wrong. It’s a very kind thing of God to do that, because sometimes we don’t see our own failings and think we are better than what we are. It humbles us and reminds us of who we are.

- God’s Law reminds us of our need of a Saviour, so in every corner of His Word, we are pointed to Jesus our Saviour. We are reminded of our great need for forgiveness of our sin, being made right with God, and our need of help to live as His special people.

- A really old guy called John Owen once said these incredible words: ‘Although my memory is fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Saviour’.

Activity - MirrorsOne of the roles of the God’s Word is to show us our sin so that we run to Jesus for forgiveness. You could make a mirror to remind you of this truth so that we would run to Jesus! You’ll need: coloured paper, tin foil, glue, scissors and decorations. Encourage decoration, and you could write Leviticus 11:45 on it to remind us of this great truth.

Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akgrJBj0kFk&list=PLPwoFK1MBpm4ClBAJbmfp3Lj0Z45yntcH&index=11