LESSON 13 CONNECTIONS

1. LESSON 13 CONNECTIONS • Why does God say that it’s right for children to obey their parents? God has placed them over us. God blesses us through them. Our parents seek our good.

2. LESSON 13 CONNECTIONS • Why do parents have the authority to make rules for us to live by in our homes? God gives them the responsibility of training us spiritually and preparing us for life.

3. LESSON 13 CONNECTIONS • Who are some other whom God has placed in authority over us? Leaders in community = Town Chairman/Mayor, Police, Teachers, County officials, Governor, Congressmen, President. Leaders in church = Sunday School teachers, elders, councilmen, pastors

4. LESSON 13 CONNECTIONS • How does God bless us through these representatives? They teach us that Jesus is our Savior. They give us an education centered on God’s Word. They discipline us when we are sinning against God or doing anything that endangers our souls.

5. THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT Honor your father and mother, that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. What does this mean? We should fear and love God that we do not dishonor or anger our parents and others in authority, but honor, serve, and obey them, and give them love and respect.

6. LESSON 14 CONNECTIONS • How do we sin against God’s representatives? When we dishonor and anger them and cause them grief.

7. LESSON 14 CONNECTIONS • In what ways did Absalom sin against his father? He caused the people to lose respect for his father and then he tried to take his father’s kingdom by force.

8. LESSON 14 CONNECTIONS • Why should those in authority over us discipline us when we do wrong? God gives them the responsibility to protect others and to keep us from doing what is harmful and wicked.

9. LESSON 14 CONNECTIONS • Identify two of God’s representatives, and describe how we sometimes dishonor them.

10. Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

11. THE 4TH COMMANDMENT:HONORING GOD’S REPRESENTATIVES Lesson 15 Faith Foundations Course One

12. WE THANK GOD FOR HIS REPRESENTATIVES How do we honor God’s representatives?

13. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Recall what happened in Genesis 46:26-29; 47:7 when Joseph saw his father after having been separated from him for many years. How did Joseph show that he honored his father? He was happy when they reunited, and proudly presented his father to Pharaoh.

14. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Read Genesis 47:11,12. What actions of Joseph showed that he respected his father? He provided a place for his father and family to live and took care of them by providing food.

15. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Honoring our parents includes obedience and respect. 1 Timothy 5:4 shows another way that we honor our parents and grandparents for their love and devotion to us. Explain how we can do that. By caring for the elderly in our family who cared for us when we were young.

16. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Sarah’s refusal to help with the household chores and her constant complaining about meals caused her mother a lot of grief. What kinds of things could Sarah have done instead that would have shown a change of heart—a desire to honor her mother? She could have told her mother she loved her and appreciated all she did for her, she could have helped with the housework voluntarily and even cooked a meal once in a while.

17. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Read Ephesians 6:2,3. What does God promise in order to make us eager to honor our parents and his other representatives? God promises us a long, full life and many blessings.

18. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Explain why the following actions either honor or dishonor God’s representatives: a. I always try to call home if I’m going to be late. Honor—shows respect for parents’ rules and for their feelings.

19. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Explain why the following actions either honor or dishonor God’s representatives: b. I’ll take out the trash—but only if Mom gets me something at the store. Dishonor—isn’t done out of love but for a selfish desire to get something.

20. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Explain why the following actions either honor or dishonor God’s representatives: c. I’m nice to my younger sister why my parents are around so they don’t yell at me. Dishonor—not showing respect, only trying to avoid trouble.

21. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Explain why the following actions either honor or dishonor God’s representatives: d. I listen to my parents’ advice and try to obey them. Honor—shows respect for parents’ advice and acknowledges that they deserve our obedience.

22. HONORING WITH OUR ACTIONS • Explain why the following actions either honor or dishonor God’s representatives: e. I won’t join in when my friends make fun of or tell dirty jokes about our country’s leaders. Honor—shows respect for God and for our leaders, God’s representatives.

23. KEY POINT #1 We honor God’s representatives… with our actions by serving and obeying them.

24. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12,13. This passage speaks of two ways that we honor the people God has chosen to be in positions of authority over us. What are they? Respect them and hold them in the highest regard.

25. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • If Tyrone had honored his mother also in his heart, what might he have done for his mother? He might have volunteered to help make the meal or clean up afterwards. He might have also thanked God for his faithful mother.

26. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • Recall the account of Ruth from Ruth 1:1-18. Why do you think Ruth was determined to go with her mother-in-law rather than to go back to her own relatives? She loved and respected Naomi and knew Naomi had no one to care for her. She also respected the true God she had learned about through Naomi.

27. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • Read Colossians 3:23 and 1 Peter 2:18. What attitude are Christians to have toward their employers? Respect them and be willing to work diligently as if we are working for the Lord.

28. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • Christians desire to honor God by respecting their employers because of the blessings God give through the employers. What are some of those blessings? Putting our time and abilities to good use, earning wages to provide for ourselves and our family.

29. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • What will our attitude be regarding our… a. Teachers? Thankful to God for giving us teachers who prepare us for life. Showing love and respect for their work.

30. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • What will our attitude be regarding our… b. Pastors? Respectful because we know they watch over our souls as they bring us the Word of life.

31. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • What will our attitude be regarding our… c. Police officers? Mindful that God uses them to keep us safe and to keep order in our society. Respectful of their work.

32. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • What will our attitude be regarding our… d. Governor and President? Thankful for officials who rule over us to ensure our freedoms. Glad to pray for them and speak well of them.

33. HONORING IN OUR HEARTS • Our sinful nature makes it particularly difficult to honor those who discipline us. Yet, because of Christ’s forgiveness and the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we can do that. How do we show love & respect for a parent or teacher who disciplines us? Acknowledge when we’re wrong, apologize & accept whatever consequences result. In the future, obey them cheerfully. Ask God to help us recognize the discipline as a blessing so that rather than being angry with God’s representatives, we sincerely love them.

34. KEY POINT #2 We honor God’s representatives… in our hearts by loving and respecting them.

35. HOW DO WE HONOR GOD’S REPRESENTATIVES? • We honor God’s representatives with our actions by serving and obeying them. • We honor God’s representatives in our hearts by loving and respecting them. SUMMARY We honor God’s representatives by serving and obeying them and by loving and respecting them.