Confirmation: Wilderness To Land

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Work through the confirmation Lesson below.  Do the best you can on your own.  If you need help, or if you get stuck send me an email, (revrichm@gmail.com), text or call me (610-401-5602).  When you're done, post your answers at the bottom.  When we meet next I will go over this and we'll do an exercise to have some fun with it.  

Wilderness to Land

My Faith Story

Ask yourself this Big Question: I have so many important things in my life; why should I focus on God?

This week's lesson focuses on the importance of remembering what God has done for us so that we can remember always to keep God front and center in our lives. We all are tempted to put other things ahead of God in our lives. It may be our activities in school or sports, social status, material possessions, anything that becomes more important to us than God. Do you have things in your life that makes you want to put in God second place? What helps you keep things in perspective?

Open the Bible

Read Exodus 16:1–15.

Almost as soon as the Israelites are out of Egypt, they begin grumbling. In these verses we see how God provided for the people in spite of their grumbling. God kept his promise, the covenant made several years earlier, to provide for the people, protect them, and bring them to the promised land. God remains faithful despite the erratic behavior of the people.

Q: These verses come right after the people cross the Red Sea. Why do you think the people forget what God has done for them so quickly?

Q: The people keep complaining, but God keeps delivering. What does that say about God?

Try to find a map and look at the area of Sinai between Egypt and Israel.  When Israel left Egypt, they did not go immediately to the promised land. They had a long period, the Bible says 40 years, of wandering in the wilderness before they were able to enter the land God had promised them.

Q: Why do you think it was necessary for the people to wander through the wilderness before getting to the promised land?

Read Joshua 24:14–18.

Moses did not enter the Promised Land with the Israelites. Joshua took over as the leader when Moses' term was finished. Joshua, too, had to deal with the stubborn people who kept forgetting all that God had done for them. In Joshua 24 Joshua is challenging the people to live in obedience to God in the promised land in response to all the goodness and protection that God had provided. Joshua is considered a Bible hero because of his determination and commitment to follow God regardless of what everyone else might say.

Think about what the last part of Joshua 24:15, Joshua's statement of faith, means to you.

Q: How could following Joshua's words be seen as heroic?

Read Deuteronomy 6:4–9. The words in Deuteronomy 6:4–5 are called the Shema. It is foundational for Jews in a very profound way to this day. All obedience, it claims, flows out of a sense of love toward God and dependence on God.

The Great Commandment is found in three of the four Gospels (Matthew 22:37–40; Mark 12:28–31; Luke 10:25–28). Each of these references is directly connected to the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4.

Read Matthew 22:37–40; Mark 12:28–31; and Luke 10:25–37. What does Jesus say about the words in Deuteronomy 6:4–5?

Q: Why is Deuteronomy 6:4–5 called the Great Commandment?

Open the Catechism

What is the point of the Great Commandment?

The point of the Great Commandment is putting God first in our lives. When we put God first, we naturally want to take care of our neighbors and do the right thing.

Here We Stand Student Book page 296: Turn to the Ten Commandments and Luther's explanations of the first three Commandments. How does the Great Commandment sum up the first three commandments? How does Luther explain what our attitude to God should be?

Cartoon Connection

1. What are the things that you are tempted to put ahead of God in your life?

2. Why do you think people have such a hard time putting God first in their lives?

3. Where can you find help to keep your priorities straight today where God is acting to free people from some kind of burden or bondage?

Life Connection

Make a list of 10 things you do every day. Be sure to include “Keep God as the focus of my life” on your list. Then cut those 10 things apart and put them in a hat. Draw them out one at a time and do those things in that order every day this week. How is this different from doing them in a specific, prioritized order? Did it mess with your routine? When did you “keep God as the focus of your life”? When should you do this?

QUIZ SHOW

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The Shema is . . .

     a. what you say to someone who has sneezed.

     b. the name of your pet alligator.

     c. the Jewish understanding of faithfulness, devotion, and love to God.

     d. the newest kind of soft drink to hit the market.

2. Manna is . . .

     a. slang for "banana."

     b. a type of bread that was provided in the wilderness.

     c. the newest dance craze.

     d. the newest kind of soft drink to hit the market.

3. When God makes a covenant, or promise, with people . . .

     a. you can bet that it won't happen.

     b. it is a for a short time only.

     c. God will always keep it.

     d. none of the above.

4. Living for yourself rather than living for God means . . .

     a. God will be very pleased with you and will jump up and down for joy.

     b. you have broken the First Commandment.

     c. your relationship with God will suffer.

     d. both b and c.

  

5. God provided manna and quail for the Hebrew people when they wandered in the wilderness because . . .

     a. God had nothing better to do.

     b. God had a new recipe for a manna and quail hot dish and was eager    to try it out.

     c. it was a reminder that God is always faithful, even if we're not.

     d. manna and quail are well-known desert delicacies.

6. Allowing God to sit in the "driver's seat" means . . .

     a. God wants to take your car out for a spin.

     b. giving God the best seat at the drive-in movie.

     c. God is the one who is steering the bumper car at the arcade.

     d. giving God full reign and full control of your life.

7. Joshua said that he and his house were serving . . .

     a. the latest soft drink to hit the market.

     b. manna and quail hot dish.

     c. the Lord.

     d. whomever they wanted.

8. When asked about the Great Command, Jesus told the parable of . . .

     a. the boy who cried wolf.

     b. manna tree seed.

     c. Little Red Riding Hood.

     d. the good Samaritan.