FAITH CHALLENGE

Living Faithfully in the Promised Land

Listen, Israel—Lesson 3

Scripture:          Deuteronomy 30:11-20

 

Memory Verse:        “Choose life!  Be completely faithful to the LORD your God, love him, and do whatever he tells you.”  Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (CEV)

 

Concepts:

  • Knowing God’s word by heart helps us make right choices.
  • God gives us the freedom to choose to obey God or disobey God.

·        Obeying God leads to a full life, but disobeying God takes life from us.

 

Objectives:

·        Students will learn the background for Moses’ speeches in Deuteronomy.

·        Students will recognize that God encourages us to choose to follow God’s laws.

·        Students will discuss choices they face as to middle school students.

 

Gathering Time/Introductions (Coach):

The Coach leads the opening routine: snack, fellowship, Prayer Wall activity, and Prayer Chain.  Nametags are available. Introduce the Guide for this lesson

 

Workshop Lesson Procedure: (Guide takes over from here)

Scripture/Bible Story:

1.      While the class is assembling, randomly hand out strips of paper on which you have copied the “history of Israel” (attached). Ask students to lay these out on a table or the floor in the correct order.  Note to guide:  The historical events are in the correct order as written in this lesson. 

2.      When all students have gathered, review the order of events in their proper sequence.  Spend enough time so it seems students recall this history and understand the time of Deuteronomy in relation to the history. 

3.      Ask students if they can relate the Israelites’ punishment (40 years in the desert) to anything in their own lives.  Accept any answer, but if it not mentioned, suggest to the class that perhaps it is like being grounded by your parents for being disrespectful.  Suggest that a way to interpret what happened is that the Israelites had been disrespectful to God and God did not allow them to go where they wanted to go (they were grounded) for 40 years. 

4.      Ask the class what they might imagine their parents would do at the end of a punishment time (grounding).  Again, accept most answers, but if it not mentioned, suggest that parents might want to review the rules and suggest the youth follow them to avoid future punishment. 

5.      Explain this is what is happening in Deuteronomy.  Moses is meeting with the Israelites at the end of their punishment, just before they will be allowed to enter the Promised Land.  In Deuteronomy Moses is reminding the Israelites how much God loves them and how many good things God has done for them.  Moses also advises them to make the good choice to follow God and God’s rules. 

6.      Ask the class to turn to Deuteronomy 30:11-20.  Take turns reading these verses aloud. 

7.      Spend a few minutes reviewing what has been read so that students recognize that God has given God’s people the rules they are to follow and that Moses is encouraging the people to make right choices.

 

Application:

  1. Brainstorm ideas with the class about choices they face as middle school students.  Write a list on the dry erase board or flip chart paper.  Some ideas might include:  popularity, cruel insults, pursuit of possessions, worrying about grades, worrying about winning, self-image, busy schedules, sharing/generosity, taking up for the underdog, being faithful to family and friends, or bullying.

 

  1. Ask students to break in to groups of 2 or 3. Give each group a copy of the “choices chart”.  Ask them to choose at least two of the issues from the brainstormed list above and discuss a “right” choice about how to handle the issue and its consequence and a “wrong” choice and its consequence.  List these on the chart.

 

  1. Tell the groups they will share one issue, the choices, and the consequences with the whole group by acting it out.  Remind them to spend a few minutes preparing how they will act this out. 

 

  1. After about 15 minutes call the groups together.  Ask each group to act out one issue, the choices, and the consequences.  A large “choices chart” could be filled in by the guide on flip chart paper as the groups give their presentations. 

 

 

Wrap-up:

  1. After each group has presented, summarize the lesson by reminding the class that God allowed the Israelites choices, just as God allows us choices.  Each choice has consequences and God hopes we will make the choices that are in line with God’s laws.

 

  1. Ask students to tidy up.

 

  1. Remind students to work on their memory verse.

 

 

Closing (Coach):

1.       The Coach conducts the closing prayer time.

2.      Close/lock the door and turn off the lights.

 

Guide preparation in advance:

1.      Check out the city room before your first Sunday and set it up with chairs.  No tables are needed for these lessons.

2.      Copy the “history of Israel” and cut into individual strips of paper.

3.      Make 10 copies of the “choices chart”

 

Supply List

Clip boards, pencils, Bibles, flip chart paper

 

References

 

Susan Mazzara’s Bible Study Notes on Deuteronomy, May 2003.

CEV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HISTORY OF ISRAEL

 

Abraham and his descendents become God’s chosen people.

 

 Abraham has a son, Isaac, who has a son, Jacob. 

 

One of Jacob’s twelve sons (Joseph) is sold by his brothers and taken to Egypt.

 

After a time, Joseph convinces the Egyptian government to save food for a famine. 

 

The whole family moves to Egypt to survive the famine.

 

The family is renamed and becomes the twelve tribes of Israel. 

 

Four hundred years later, the tribes of Israel are slaves in Egypt. 

 

God chooses Moses to take the Israelites out of Egypt. 

 

Moses leads the Israelites to the Promised Land.

 

During their travels, the Israelites are critical of and doubt God.

 

As punishment, God delays the Israelites’ entry into the Promised Land for 40 years.

 

 

CHOICES CHART

 

Issue

“Right” choice

Consequence

“Wrong” choice

Consequence