Confirmation: 10 Commandments

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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.  

The Ten Commandments

My Faith Story
The Big Question #1: Are the Ten Commandments around just to trip us up and make us feel bad?

Today's lesson focuses on the Ten Commandants. It may be difficult sometimes to see the positive nature of rules and guidelines. It is very easy to see all rules as merely an impediment to freedom. As you think of your own life, can you see how rules and guidelines can actually increase your sense of freedom and enhance life? For example, what would your favorite game be like without rules? How safe would driving be if there were no traffic laws? How safe would food be if there were no food safety laws?

Open the Bible
Read Proverbs 2:1–6. For the writer of Proverbs, true wisdom begins in understanding God's commandments. As you read these verses, think about the words commandments and wisdom. 

Question #2: What is the relationship between true wisdom and God's commandments? Question #3: Where do we find the commandments of God?
Read Exodus 20:1–11. The Commandments can be divided into two groups. The first three deal with how we are to respond to God, and the final seven address how we are to interact with one another. These are guidelines for how God's people can live faithful lives. If we focus on the word not, we can quickly become legalistic and lose sight of what the commandments are really saying.

Lutheran Study Bible page 153: Read the Lutheran Perspectives sidebar "What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?" This is a great explanation of how we are to understand the Ten Commandments in a Lutheran way today. The focus for Luther is always on Christ, not the law. But when we realize what Christ has done for us, we naturally want to live a Christian life of service to God and our neighbor.

Read Exodus 20:12–17. While the first three commandments deal with how we are to live toward God, the final seven deal with how we are to live toward one another. Take the word not out and think of how you would say in your own words each the Ten Commandments. 

Question #4: How do the commandments provide us with a guideline for living a Christian life?
Lutheran Study Bible page 154: You may be surprised to learn that not all people number the Ten Commandments in the same way or in the same order. Look at the chart "Numbering the Ten Commandments" on page 154. Compare the different ways that the Ten Commandments are numbered. 

Question #5: Do they think the numbering matters? Why or why not?
Read Exodus 20:18–26. The giving of the law to Moses is presented in a very dramatic way. The scene of Moses on the mountain is one of the most dramatic stories in the Bible. For an exciting understanding of Moses' trip up the mountain and how it looks today, refer to "Climbing Mount Sinai," chapter 10 in Bruce Feiler's Walking the Bible (HarperCollins, 2004).

Open the Catechism
On a piece of paper, write "Luther's Explanations to the Ten Commandments." In his explanations to the Commandments, Luther provides a great way for us to think about what the Commandments are and how we as Christians should understand them.

Here We Stand Student Book page 296: Turn to the Ten Commandments and Luther's explanations. On your paper, write what you think Luther’s explanation of each of the commandments means to you.

Cartoon Connection

Question #6: What are some rules in your family?

Question #7: How can rules make relationships work better?

Question #8: Where do you really appreciate having rules?

Life ConnectionFind someone in your life (like Mom, Dad, Brother or Sister) who can share with you a story about a time in their life when they messed up but found forgiveness.

Word Search

COMMANDMENTS 

 LORD 

 SABBATH

COVET 

LOVE 

SINAI

FATHER 

MOSES

STEAL

FEAR 

MOTHER 

TEN

GOD 

MURDER 

WITNESS

HOLY

NEIGHBOR

HONOR

REMEMBER