OPTION 1: IT’S AGAINST THE LAW

While the theme today is “The Covenant of Love” which gives special focus to the 10 commandments, every group of people has laws that make sense to them, at least at one time. But laws that get passed sometimes quit being enforced. That can happen because they become outdated or lose their meaning.

Here’s a collection of some odd laws different states in the U.S. have passed. We doubt that very many of them are still enforced, but they must have made sense in a particular context at some time in that state’s history.

Print a copy for each person and have the youth guess which state has which law. There are 20 examples, plus a separate page with the answers. And there’s a short version with only 10 examples. These come in Word format so you can cut and paste or edit as you choose. They’re also in PDF format if you just want to print it off as is.

OPTION 2: IN MY FAMILY

Each family has their own sets of rules, even if they aren’t spoken or written. It’s just the way things are. Print “In My Family” from either PDF or Word format. Use this as a launchpad to discuss rules and how each family has rules even though they may differ from one family to another, and also at different times in a child’s life. It also makes a difference whether there’s one child or four children in the family; whether there’s a single parent, a blended family, or any type of family structure. It also differs based on levels of control, expectations, how family members relate to each other, and even temperaments. What are the rules in your family?

TRANSITION

As we consider “The Covenant of Love” today, let’s watch a video clip and answer some follow-up questions.

OPTION 1

Create a video clip that illustrates God’s covenant of love as presented from Mount Sinai. The 10 commandments are pretty comprehensive, but certainly not all that God shared during the 40 days Moses spent with him on the mountain. You may choose to focus on one or all 10 or additional laws or the concept of covenant. Ask someone in advance to create follow-up questions based on this video clip.

OPTION 2

Check out this information-packed clip from The Bible Project. (Time: 5:27)

QUESTIONS

• Before seeing the video clip, what came to mind when you would hear the phrase “the Law of God”? What comes to mind after seeing this clip?
• What’s an example of a ritual law? What’s an example of a social justice law? What’s an example of just being a part of society? What’s an example of a moral law?
• Are we to obey some or all of these laws? If the answer is “some,” how do you know which ones still apply to us and which ones don’t?
• What is the purpose of “the Law”? How did Jesus “fulfill the Law”? If Jesus fulfilled the Law, how are we supposed to relate to it now?
• If “hard hearts” are the problem that leads people to keep breaking God’s Law, how can one’s heart become softer? What has worked for you? What hasn’t worked for you?

OPTION 3

The iBelieveBible series of videos prepared by the Adventist Learning Community includes this segment on the Law of God as “natural law” throughout the world. (Time: 2:22)

• Give two or three examples of laws that seem present no matter where you go in the world. If you asked people in these different places where these laws came from, what would be their answer(s)?
• Does a moral compass ever change? Explain.
• What’s an example of a law God wrote on stone, and it’s also written in your heart? Have you ever broken a law that has been written in your heart?
• What’s an example of a law God wrote on stone, but it’s not written in your heart? Have you ever kept a law that wasn’t in your heart?
• The first four commandments deal with our relationship to God. What could be dropped and what could be added to make those better for you? The last six commandments deal with our relationship to others. What could be dropped and what could be added to make those better?
• If God’s grace (which is a gift) is what saves us (and not our obedience to God’s laws), why should we even bother with God’s laws?