The Ten Commandments - Exodus Series
Today, in Calvary Kids, we learned that God's rules are good and important, but we can't keep them perfectly - only Jesus could. Now Jesus forgives us when we mess up and helps us obey because we love Him.
Read Exodus 19:1-25; 20:1-17
Three months after leaving Egypt, Israel arrived at a special mountain - Mount Sinai! This is the same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush! God was going to give His people something very important - His rules, called the Ten Commandments! The Bible tells us that Israel came to Mount Sinai, the same place where Moses saw the burning bush! God wanted to speak to ALL the people, not just Moses. (Exodus 19:1-3). Three months after leaving Egypt, they came to a special mountain! This was the same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush! God had important words for everyone! Sometimes you wonder what God wants you to do, right? God gave His people rules so they would know how He wants them to live! God doesn't leave us guessing - He tells us right from wrong!
The Bible tells us that God reminded them: "I rescued you from Egypt! Now if you obey Me, you'll be My special treasure!" (Exodus 19:4-6) God said, "Remember how I saved you from Egypt!" God gave them rules AFTER He rescued them, not before! They weren't saved BY keeping rules - God saved them FIRST, then gave them rules to show them how to live! God called them His "special treasure!"
God doesn't give you rules to be mean! He gives you rules because He loves you and wants to protect you! When your parents say 'Don't touch the hot stove,' that's to keep you safe, not to be mean. God's rules keep us safe!
This story tells us that on the third day, there was thunder and lightning! The mountain shook! There was smoke and fire! A trumpet got louder and LOUDER! The people were scared! (Exodus 19:16-19) This was SO scary! Thunder! Lightning! Smoke! Fire! The mountain was shaking! God wanted them to know His words were SERIOUS and important and that He is holy and powerful! When God gives us His rules, we need to listen carefully because they matter.
Here is where God gave the Ten Commandments (go over these with your kids).
The Bible tells us that everyone has broken God's rules. We all mess up! But Jesus NEVER broke any of God's rules! (Romans 3:23, Matthew 5:17) Here's something important: we ALL break God's rules sometimes! Have you ever disobeyed your parents? That's breaking rule #5! Have you ever lied? That's breaking rule #9! Have you ever wanted something someone else has? That's breaking rule #10! We ALL need help! We can't keep God's rules perfectly! But guess what? Jesus NEVER broke even ONE rule! Jesus was perfect! When you mess up and break God's rules, you can tell Jesus you're sorry! Jesus forgives you because He took the punishment for all the times we break God's rules. This is why we need Jesus.
Christ Connection:
Key Connection:
The Law shows us we're sinners who need a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior who kept the Law perfectly for us!
How This Story Points to Jesus:
1. The Law was given on Mount Sinai with thunder, lightning, and fear → The Gospel was given on Mount Calvary with darkness, earthquake, and love (Matthew 27:45, 51)
2. Moses received the Law on stone tablets (Exodus 31:18) → Jesus writes the Law on our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10)
3. The Law shows us our sin and condemns us (Romans 3:20) → Jesus takes our sin and saves us (Romans 8:1-3).
4. No one could keep the Law perfectly (Romans 3:23) → Except Jesus Who kept the Law perfectly! (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22).
5. The people were too afraid to approach God at Sinai (Exodus 20:19) → Through Jesus we can boldly approach God's throne! (Hebrews 4:16).
6. Breaking the Law brings death (Romans 6:23) → Jesus died that death so we could have life (John 10:10)
7. The Law demanded perfect obedience (James 2:10) → Jesus fulfilled the Law completely (Matthew 5:17)
8. Israel needed mediators like Moses and priests (Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 9:7) → Jesus is the ultimate Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15).
9. When the Law came down, 3,000 were killed for rebellion (Exodus 32:28) On Pentecost, 3,000 were saved by faith in Jesus (Acts 2:41)
The Gospel Connection: Here's the AMAZING news: Jesus kept the Law perfectly! He never sinned - not once! (Hebrews 4:15) He loved God with all His heart, and He loved others perfectly. He never lied, never coveted, never dishonored His parents, never put anything before God. Jesus fulfilled every single commandment! And then Jesus did something incredible - He took the punishment WE deserved for breaking God's Law! Romans 8:3- 4 says God sent Jesus "to condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us." Jesus died on the cross paying for our sins - all the times we lied, disobeyed, coveted, put other things before God! When you trust in Jesus, God doesn't see your sin anymore - He sees Jesus' perfect obedience! It's like Jesus' perfect report card gets put in your file, and your failing grades get put on Him! That's what makes the Gospel GOOD NEWS!
Read Matthew 5:17 - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly for us! And now, through the Holy Spirit, God helps us obey not to EARN salvation (we already have it through Jesus!), but to SHOW our love for God who saved us!
Application:
1. When you're tempted to do wrong: When you want to lie or disobey, you can remember God's rules show you the right way - and when you mess up, Jesus forgives you!
2. When you realize you sinned: When you know you broke God's rules, you can tell Jesus you're sorry and He will forgive you!
3. When you try to be perfect: When you're trying really hard to be good, remember that Jesus already was perfect FOR you! He loves you even when you mess up!
4. When you want to obey: When you want to do what's right, you can ask Jesus to help you! The Holy Spirit gives you power to obey!
Small Group Questions:
1. Why did God give Israel His Law? What was the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
2. What happened at Mount Sinai when God gave the Law? Why was it so scary?
3. Have you ever broken any of God's commandments? Which ones?
4.Can anyone keep God's Law perfectly? Who is the only person who ever did?
5. How does the Law point us to Jesus? Why is the Gospel good news?
Memory Verse:
"With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!" - Psalm 119:10
Read Exodus 19:1-25; 20:1-17
Three months after leaving Egypt, Israel arrived at a special mountain - Mount Sinai! This is the same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush! God was going to give His people something very important - His rules, called the Ten Commandments! The Bible tells us that Israel came to Mount Sinai, the same place where Moses saw the burning bush! God wanted to speak to ALL the people, not just Moses. (Exodus 19:1-3). Three months after leaving Egypt, they came to a special mountain! This was the same mountain where Moses saw the burning bush! God had important words for everyone! Sometimes you wonder what God wants you to do, right? God gave His people rules so they would know how He wants them to live! God doesn't leave us guessing - He tells us right from wrong!
The Bible tells us that God reminded them: "I rescued you from Egypt! Now if you obey Me, you'll be My special treasure!" (Exodus 19:4-6) God said, "Remember how I saved you from Egypt!" God gave them rules AFTER He rescued them, not before! They weren't saved BY keeping rules - God saved them FIRST, then gave them rules to show them how to live! God called them His "special treasure!"
God doesn't give you rules to be mean! He gives you rules because He loves you and wants to protect you! When your parents say 'Don't touch the hot stove,' that's to keep you safe, not to be mean. God's rules keep us safe!
This story tells us that on the third day, there was thunder and lightning! The mountain shook! There was smoke and fire! A trumpet got louder and LOUDER! The people were scared! (Exodus 19:16-19) This was SO scary! Thunder! Lightning! Smoke! Fire! The mountain was shaking! God wanted them to know His words were SERIOUS and important and that He is holy and powerful! When God gives us His rules, we need to listen carefully because they matter.
Here is where God gave the Ten Commandments (go over these with your kids).
The Bible tells us that everyone has broken God's rules. We all mess up! But Jesus NEVER broke any of God's rules! (Romans 3:23, Matthew 5:17) Here's something important: we ALL break God's rules sometimes! Have you ever disobeyed your parents? That's breaking rule #5! Have you ever lied? That's breaking rule #9! Have you ever wanted something someone else has? That's breaking rule #10! We ALL need help! We can't keep God's rules perfectly! But guess what? Jesus NEVER broke even ONE rule! Jesus was perfect! When you mess up and break God's rules, you can tell Jesus you're sorry! Jesus forgives you because He took the punishment for all the times we break God's rules. This is why we need Jesus.
Christ Connection:
Key Connection:
The Law shows us we're sinners who need a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior who kept the Law perfectly for us!
How This Story Points to Jesus:
1. The Law was given on Mount Sinai with thunder, lightning, and fear → The Gospel was given on Mount Calvary with darkness, earthquake, and love (Matthew 27:45, 51)
2. Moses received the Law on stone tablets (Exodus 31:18) → Jesus writes the Law on our hearts through the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10)
3. The Law shows us our sin and condemns us (Romans 3:20) → Jesus takes our sin and saves us (Romans 8:1-3).
4. No one could keep the Law perfectly (Romans 3:23) → Except Jesus Who kept the Law perfectly! (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22).
5. The people were too afraid to approach God at Sinai (Exodus 20:19) → Through Jesus we can boldly approach God's throne! (Hebrews 4:16).
6. Breaking the Law brings death (Romans 6:23) → Jesus died that death so we could have life (John 10:10)
7. The Law demanded perfect obedience (James 2:10) → Jesus fulfilled the Law completely (Matthew 5:17)
8. Israel needed mediators like Moses and priests (Galatians 3:19, Hebrews 9:7) → Jesus is the ultimate Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 9:15).
9. When the Law came down, 3,000 were killed for rebellion (Exodus 32:28) On Pentecost, 3,000 were saved by faith in Jesus (Acts 2:41)
The Gospel Connection: Here's the AMAZING news: Jesus kept the Law perfectly! He never sinned - not once! (Hebrews 4:15) He loved God with all His heart, and He loved others perfectly. He never lied, never coveted, never dishonored His parents, never put anything before God. Jesus fulfilled every single commandment! And then Jesus did something incredible - He took the punishment WE deserved for breaking God's Law! Romans 8:3- 4 says God sent Jesus "to condemn sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us." Jesus died on the cross paying for our sins - all the times we lied, disobeyed, coveted, put other things before God! When you trust in Jesus, God doesn't see your sin anymore - He sees Jesus' perfect obedience! It's like Jesus' perfect report card gets put in your file, and your failing grades get put on Him! That's what makes the Gospel GOOD NEWS!
Read Matthew 5:17 - "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly for us! And now, through the Holy Spirit, God helps us obey not to EARN salvation (we already have it through Jesus!), but to SHOW our love for God who saved us!
Application:
1. When you're tempted to do wrong: When you want to lie or disobey, you can remember God's rules show you the right way - and when you mess up, Jesus forgives you!
2. When you realize you sinned: When you know you broke God's rules, you can tell Jesus you're sorry and He will forgive you!
3. When you try to be perfect: When you're trying really hard to be good, remember that Jesus already was perfect FOR you! He loves you even when you mess up!
4. When you want to obey: When you want to do what's right, you can ask Jesus to help you! The Holy Spirit gives you power to obey!
Small Group Questions:
1. Why did God give Israel His Law? What was the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
2. What happened at Mount Sinai when God gave the Law? Why was it so scary?
3. Have you ever broken any of God's commandments? Which ones?
4.Can anyone keep God's Law perfectly? Who is the only person who ever did?
5. How does the Law point us to Jesus? Why is the Gospel good news?
Memory Verse:
"With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!" - Psalm 119:10
Posted in Calvary Kids