8 th Grade Lesson Notes Week 1: Lord s Prayer & 1 st Petition Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

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1 Week 1: Lord s Prayer & 1 st Petition Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Suggested Bible Reading: 1 John 5:14-15 Consider for longer passages of Scripture. Have your students follow along in their Bibles. Preparation: This is the first week, you ll want to spend some time getting to know each other again and reminding students of basic ground rules for your time together each week. Read: Unit Overview (p. 74) and Background (p. 76), they will help you set the tone for the first class. Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, student s Bibles. As each person arrives welcome them and engage in small talk. (10 min)theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask if you can look at their journal which would include the theme verse in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (10 min) Start: Go around the table and have everyone share their name, school, and their favorite place to go and pray (bedroom, church, camp, outside...) and why? Opening Prayer: Adult leader (5 min) Covenant: Talk about the covenant and have each person sign it. Save it in your folder. (10 min) Community Building: Telephone game An adult will begin with a sentence about the best thing they did this summer. It should be a fairly long and complicated sentence whispered to the next person in line. The last person will share their version and you will see how close it is. You could try it a few times with other people in the lead spot. (15 20 min) Applying Luther s Catechism (teacher guide): Into the Lesson: Have students read page 68 in the student manual, especially the Bible readings in the middle of page 68. Next, go through the section entitled more about prayer. See if the students can answer some or all of the questions without using their Catechism. It s not so important that they write down each complete answer, it s more important that they discover that they are familiar with many of these answers without the Catechism. Note the questions they struggle on and go back at those with the Catechism in hand. (5 10 min Break) Encourage students to get up move around, and even go outside for a bit. (10 15 Min) Community Building: Lead the group in a little things prayer. Have each student take out their prayer journal. Tell them that they will have 5 minutes to come up with 5 small things they want to thank God for. These are things that we often forget to thank Him for like clothes, air, shoelaces, leaves ) Then once they ve written each one spend time praying a short prayer thanking God for those little things. As they are praying or after they are done, they can draw doodles or images of those things. Have students go around and share one or two of the little things they chose. Note: This is a good time to make encouraging comments and make sure that no student gets made fun of in a hurtful way. (20 min) Applying Luther s Catechism (teacher guide): Students should complete p. 70 and 71 in their workbook. Whenever possible have the students read the scriptures listed there or from the Catechism. If Extra Time: Work on homework for next week. Theme Verse: Read it once, write in your journal, and draw a picture about it - Lord s Prayer Petition 2 and 3 and the How question that follows in italics. Sermon Notes writing or drawing about major points you remember from the sermon.

2 Week 2: Lord s Prayer 2 nd and 3 rd Petitions Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Suggested Bible Reading: Colossians 1:13-14, John 6:40 Consider for longer passages of Scripture. Have your students follow along in their Bibles. Preparation: In this second week meeting, remind students of basic ground rules for your time together each week. Make sure you spend enough time on defining what God s Kingdom is, and why we are asking for it to come? We have prayed this prayer as long as we can remember, but we don t often take time to think about what we are saying. Read: Familiarize yourself with Into the Lesson, Into the Word, and Into Our Lives (p.80-81), and the same sections on (p ). Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, student s Bibles and Catechism. As each person arrives welcome them and engage in small talk. (10 min)theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask if you can look at their journal which would include the theme verses in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (5-10 min) Start: It s only the second week. If you have any new students, go around the table and have everyone share their name, school, and your most prized possession. (5 min) Opening Prayer: Thanksgiving prayer go around the circle by filling in the two blanks (one of them can be the prized possession mentioned earlier). Lord thank you for blessing me with, and. Have one of the leaders close the prayer. (2 min) Covenant: Talk about the covenant if you need to because of a new student or to set the tone. (10-15 min) Teacher Guide (beginning at p. 80) A lot of times we place a really high value on things that don t have much eternal significance at all (ex. Money). When you die, who would you want to get your prized possessions? Who would you leave an inheritance to? (take a few answers) Most of us would leave our stuff to family and loved ones. Today we are going to be looking at God s Kingdom (s), and were we fit into those. Next, have students open to WB page 72 and begin reading God s Kingdom Trilogy up to the part that says Fo r what do we pray Then have students open their Bibles to Galatians 4:4-7 and discuss these questions. 1. What does it mean to be an heir to God? (we have been given the same grace and love as Jesus) 2. Based on what we ve just learned, why do we want God s kingdom to come? (We would be able to live under his power and love. He would use us to spread his Word to others, and he will return to take us to our home in heaven.) Then read Philippians 3:20 our citizenship is in heaven. 3. Don t worry about filling in the blanks on pp ; you can do that later if there is time. (5 10 min) Community Building: Make a Logo Have students get into pairs and share ideas to come up with a logo design that illustrates God s threefold kingdom (have an adult pair with a student if needed) Refer back to page 72 for more clarity. Once completed, go to break. (5 min) Have student teams describe their logo to the group (20 25 min) Teacher Guide Let s turn to page 74 to learn more about God s will for our lives. (Facilitate What is God s Will and God s Opponents p.75. They can keep the same partners for their partner work. Sometimes we think of God as Santa Claus like he s trying to catch us being naughty so he doesn t have to bring us any nice gifts. What is God s will for us? Let s take a look in His Word to find out. WB p. 74 divide the verses

3 among the students and have them write their answers down then share them with the group. You can have more than one student look up each verse. Note: you may have an opportunity to discuss sanctification and justification. Justified just as if I d never sinned (Justification is the work of Jesus on the cross) Sanctified The process of being made (sacred) or holy (the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds that causes us to want to learn more about our faith). Theme verses - Lord s Prayer Petition 4 and 5 read the How question that follows the petition and make a drawing for each. Sermon Notes writing or drawing about major points you remember from the sermon.

4 Week 3: Lord s Prayer 4 th and 5 th Petitions Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Suggested Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 Consider for longer passages of Scripture. Have your students follow along in their Bibles. Preparation: The theme of the week is trusting in God for our needs every day, and being thankful for His grace and forgiveness. Due to the consumerism in our society and our sinful selfishness we have a hard time with thankfulness and forgiveness. Many students don t realize how much more we have here in the US than most other people in the world. You should be able to have a good conversation about needs vs. wants, being thankful for what you have, and trusting God to give you what you need. Read: Familiarize yourself with Into the Lesson, Into the Word, and Into Our Lives (p.84-85), and the same sections on (p ). Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, student s Bibles one and Catechism. One copy of food waste picture, and 5 copies of the one page skit (you can add a minor prop to each person fun!). (10 min)theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask if you can look at their journal which would include the theme verses in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (5-10 min) Start: If you have any new students, go around the table and have everyone share their name, school, and favorite food. Then do a brief review of what you learned last week. (5 min) Opening Prayer: We ve prayed in some different ways so far. This one should be pretty familiar. Let s bow our heads and say together the Lord s Prayer (use the Catechism if you feel like some students won t know it). Does anyone remember what the word petition means? (Ask, or request). When you pray the Lord s Prayer, which petition do you tend to think about most often? (Take a couple answers). Today we start with the 4 th (10-15 min) Teacher Guide (beginning at p. 85) Our Daily bread: Let s open our Catechism to Questions (not page numbers). Now go to Sharing What We Have top p. 85 Have students tell you what they remember about the story of the feeding of the Then discuss different ways to share through government, church, family and individually. No need to fill in the blanks on this one. (5 10 min) Community Building: Question: Turn to a partner and guess how many pounds of vegetables the average American family of four throws away each month. The one closest to the correct number will win a prize at the break (extra snack, carrot sticks or whatever) Now show the Food Picture and identify the winners. This is all about food. What are some other kinds of items we discard that people in other places would consider valuable? (before the break assign skit parts) (20 25 min) Teacher Guide p. 86 Let s turn to page 78, work through God s Undeserved Forgiveness questions 1 and 2. Skit Look at the story of the unmerciful servant have the people stand up and get into places then begin by saying ACTION! Questions: 1. Which character is similar to God in this skit? (King) 2. What does the skit teach us about how God wants Christians to act? (Show mercy and grace, or receive punishment). Theme verses - Lord s Prayer Petition 6 and 7 read the How question that follows the petition and make a drawing for each. Sermon Notes writing or drawing about major points you remember from the sermon.

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6 THE PARABLE OF THE UNFORGIVING SERVANT (Matthew 18:23-35) CHARACTERS (5) - narrator, Jesus, servant 1, servant 2, king NARRATOR - One of the most important lessons that Jesus taught us was to forgive others. To show his friends the Apostles just how important it is to forgive others, Jesus told them the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. JESUS - The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. They brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents. SERVANT 1 - I have no money. I can't pay back ten thousand talents. KING - Sell him, his wife, his children and all their possessions to pay for what he owes me. SERVANT 1 - I beg of you. Please give me some time and I will pay the debt in full. NARRATOR - The king felt sorry for him. KING - Let him go! I shall forgive him. He no longer owes me anything. SERVANT 1 - Thank you! Thank you, very much! NARRATOR - As this servant left he happened to meet a fellow servant who owed him one hundred denarii. He grabbed the man by the throat and began to choke him. SERVANT 1 - You owe me a hundred denarii. Pay me what you owe me. SERVANT 2 - Please, give me some time and I will pay you back. SERVANT 1 - No! I want my money now! Put him in jail until he can repay me. JESUS - All the other servants were very upset and went to the king and reported what had happened. The king sent for the unforgiving servant. KING - You wicked man. I forgave the whole amount you owed me. Yet, you did not have pity on another fellow servant. NARRATOR - The king ordered that the first servant be punished until he paid all of his debts. JESUS - That is how my Heavenly Father will treat you unless you forgive others from your heart. NARRATOR - We must all look carefully at how we treat one another. It is important that we forgive one another and live together in peace.

7 Week 4: Lord s Prayer 6 th and 7 th Petitions w/ Conclusion And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil, For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory Forever, Amen Suggested Bible Readings: Hebrews 4:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 8:26 Preparation: The major themes for the day are temptation and forgiveness. You ll see a lot of Bible references. An important issue to dig into is the question, does God tempt us or only the devil? It s really important to take some time to define the difference between temptation and testing. Temptation in this instance is leading into sin. Testing provides options that hopefully produce faith. God tests our faith to produce stronger faith like a teacher tests our math skills to produce better mathematicians. The conclusion of the Lord s Prayer looks at the doxology at the end of the Lord s Prayer, where we close by placing everything into God s powerful hands. His kingdom, power, and glory rule over everything on earth. We want to encourage the students to feel comfortable talking to God in any way they can. It should also be mentioned that the Holy Spirit helps us to pray, even when we don t know what to say (Romans 8:26). Read: Familiarize yourself with Into the Lesson, Into the Word, and Into Our Lives (p.88-91). Catechism Questions , and look up Luke 22:54 60 That s where Peter Denies Christ 3 times. He clearly gave in to the temptation to protect himself. Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, student s Bibles one and Catechism. Not much additional today. There is enough to do with all the Bible Readings. (10 min)theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask if you can look at their journal which would include the theme verses in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (5-10 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you learned last week and a lead into this week. (5 min) Opening Prayer: You can chose to do a fun M + M prayer if you like. I ve included that below. Then hold on to the M + M s until the break. Simply go around and let each kid pick one of their favorite color M + M s then use the sheet below to help them direct their prayers. Simply go around the circle and ask each student to share one sentence. (10 min) Teacher Guide (beginning at p. 88) Begin with the We Turn to God s Word Section and discuss this part together. Later on, use a combination reading through these verses together as a larger group, small groups/ pairs, and individual work too. (5 10 min) Community Building Before Tempted by Evil : Question: Turn to a partner and share about a time that you were encouraged/pushed by someone to become stronger/better at an activity. Before you go one of our leaders will share a story My mom made me go to diving lessons when I was in the 4 th grade or something like that. (10 15 min) Split into two groups and one group work on Tempted by Evil, and the other work on Tested by God then have each group share their findings (adults can coach them during these times). (20 25 min) Teacher Guide p. 90 If possible work in the account of Peter s temptation. Even spiritual ROCKS like him give in to temptation. Theme verses The Apostles Creed 1 st Article with the whole explanation have them draw the major concepts they find in the explanation for example He defends me. Sermon Notes writing or drawing about major points you remember from the sermon.

8 Week 5: Other Forms of Prayer Suggested Bible Reading: Hebrews 4:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Preparation: Schedule a time to walk the prayer labyrinth at either Kirkwood Presbyterian or Burke Presbyterian if this works logistically for your class. You may want to meet as a class at one of these locations and then return to the church to continue the lesson afterwards or make this your final stop for the class. See attachment on local prayer labyrinths close nearby to Prince of Peace. Read: Review selections from Praying in Color, Chapters 3-4 to familiarize yourself with the process as well as the author s experience with teenagers and prayer. In the same book, check out pages on praying in color/lectio divina if you have time. Read handouts on Lectio Divina (an ancient form of prayer), Types of Prayer, Prayer Postures, and the Catechism, pages Luther s Morning, Evening and Mealtime Prayers, and Questions about prayer on pages Much of this material may be new to you and to the class. Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, student s Bibles, colored markers in a variety of colors, a whiteboard or flipchart. (5 10 min) Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask if you can look at their journal which would include the theme verse in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (5 10 min) Start and Sharing: Go around the table and ask everyone to share about their preferred way of praying and why they like it. Then ask them to share the most challenging thing for them when it comes to prayer or what type of prayer the least prefer and why. (15 20 min) Community Building/Praying in Color Have students take a look at pages in Praying in Color in advance of today s class if they are able. Take a few minutes to review the process with them together and discuss any questions. Next, after putting together a prayer list for the week, have them pray in color on the white board or flip chart; let each Confirmand add their prayer one at a time until a drawing is complete. Ask each person to explain their thinking and how they felt when they were praying in color. Take a photo of the completed prayer drawing and it to each Confirmand or their family so they can use the diagram to revisit these prayers in the week ahead. (10 15 min) Applying Luther s Catechism: Turn to pages in the Catechism. Have students read questions 193 and 194. Take a look at Genesis 18:22-23 for reference to Abraham praying for Sodom and Matthew 26: What stands out about prayer in each of these Bible stories? Now move to question 198 and explore the question, How should we pray? Notice that we are to pray with faith, with confidence, and according to God s will; the state of the heart is the focus rather than a specific form of prayer. Finally, take a look at questions 202 and 203 about where and when to pray. Point out Luthers Morning, Evening and Mealtime prayers on pages as a resource for specific times of day. Ask students if they recognize these prayers. (5 10 min Break) Encourage students to get up move around, and even go outside for a bit. (10-15 min) Prayer Postures: Take a look at the handout on prayer postures. Find out which postures the group members have used, then walk through the different postures together (make sure you make space in the room for everyone to move around). Which postures ones are unfamiliar? Highlight key points on why/when each posture can be used, noting the scripture references. Ask which postures they prefer most or least and why. (10 15 Min) Types of Prayer: Review the different types of prayer on the Types of Prayer handout. Find out which ones are familiar and which are not. Ask the group to share 1) what types of prayer they prayer most often 2) what types of prayer they might want to try now they are familiar with them. Describe your own experience with any of these forms of prayer. (30 40 Min) Ancient Prayer Exercise

9 OR A) Have the students use their study Bibles to find the day s scripture in the Lectionary. Pick one of these selections and lead the group in a Lectio Divina exercise using the Scholastic form of Lectio Divina as described in the handout. Once the experience is over, ask the students to reflect on it. What aspect of this form of prayer was new or surprising? How did the experience lead them into conversation with God? B) Visit the prayer labyrinth at Kirkwood or Burke Presbyterian. Ask students to select a scripture verse or prayer need to focus on as they walk the labyrinth. Refer to the handout and any materials available at each location for suggestions on how to use the labyrinth. Once the experience is over, ask the students to reflect on it. What aspect of this form of prayer was new or surprising? How did the experience lead them into conversation with God. Praying in Color From the above exercise, reference the prayer drawing made by the class to continue to pray for those on the class list. Theme Verse Read it once, write in your journal, and draw a picture about it. Sermon Notes writing or drawing about major points you remember from the sermon.

10 Week 6: I Believe (Intro to Creeds)/ 1 st Article I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. Lesson notes: Suggested Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:7, Romans 10:9, Hebrews 11:3, 1 Peter 5:7 Background/Handout: You ll probably want to start this lesson with an intro to what a creed is and where the Apostle s Creed came from. There is a bit of information about that on the handout. The Apostle s Creed was written in the first century after the apostles had all died (John was the last to die, in 100 AD). We Believe: It will also be good to note that the Apostle s Creed is a summary of the Christian Faith. Since the Confirmation process is a process of thinking through one s own faith and what they actually believe, this is a very important part of that process! You can also tie it into their faith statement/project that they will be working o n over the summer, which will be a statement of what they believe and how their faith is a part of their life. As you work your way through the Apostle s Creed, you ll want to really push them to think about what we re saying in the creed. Since we say it so often, and can easily read it or say it without thinking at all about what we are saying. There are many parts of the creed that even adults don t realize are in the creed, despite saying it every week. This will also be a good time to talk about the Trinity, since the Apostle s Creed addresses all three persons of the Trinity. This is a difficult concept three persons but only one God and you will probably have varying levels of understanding within your group. Some helpful examples of 3 in 1 could be a pretzel (the shape) or an apple (skin, flesh, seeds). First Article: The major theme of the first article of the creed is God s all-powerful ability to provide for all of our needs in our life. This has many applications to the life of a teenager, since they often compartmentalize God and faith into the church part of their lives, and possibly one or two other areas. This is a good opportunity to discuss how God is present and provides for them in every aspect of their lives. It s important to note that for some people, picturing God as a father is hard to do as a result of having poor examples in their life of what a father is and what a father should be. Keep this in mind as you discuss this concept. Suggested Bible Readings: 2 Corinthians 5:7, Romans 10:9, Hebrews 11:3, 1 Peter 5:7 Resources: Catechism pg and pg , Applying Luther s Catechism Lessons 15-19, discussion guides (pg. 12, 13, 14, 15, & 16) Journal/Discussion Starter Question: How would you define faith? Handouts: How Early Christians Dealt With Misunderstandings/The Church and the Creeds (pg ) Homework Discussion Questions: Who is someone you admire for having strong faith? Describe them. In what ways does God provide for the needs of our family? Assigned Memory Work: Apostles Creed 1 st Article & Explanation

11 Week 7: Who is Jesus Christ? (2 nd Article) I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. Suggested Bible Readings: Mark 8:27-30 Lesson notes: Scope: We re splitting up the second article of the Apostle s Creed between two weeks, because it s twice as long as the other two articles and contains a lot of information. This first week, we re focusing on the first half, which talks about who Jesus is as both 100% God and 100% man. It also looks at Jesus three roles as Prophet, Priest, and King. God and Man: The question of who Jesus is has been debated by many people throughout the centuries since He walked the earth. Your group may have heard different answers to the question. We often talk about Jesus as God s Son, but the students don t always make the connection that Jesus is God. Also, the concept of being completely human while still being completely God is a difficult one for people at any age and is worth spending a significant amount of time discussing. Don t be afraid to say that we don t completely understand how it s possible. Prophet, Priest & King: In discussing the three offices of Christ, it will be good to note that each of these were included in prophesies in the Old Testament of the coming Messiah. I am more concerned with them having an understanding of who Jesus is, but if they seem pretty solid on that you can spend some time looking at the ways Jesus fulfilled prophesies of the Messiah in these three offices. Coming Up Next: An understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done for us is obviously the central part of Christianity. If there s one thing we want them to get out of Confirmation, that s it! That should always be your main focus while teaching, but even more so in this lesson and the next one as you look more in depth at Jesus and His work. Resources: Catechism pg and 16-17, Applying Luther s Catechism Lessons 20-23, discussion guides (pg. 17, 18, 19, 20) Journal/Discussion Starter Question: If Jesus asked you, who do you say that I am, how would you respond? Handouts: None Homework Discussion Questions: What does faith in Jesus mean to you? How would our family interact differently if we could see Jesus in the room with us? Assigned Memory Work: Apostles Creed 2 nd Article & Explanation

12 Week 8: Jesus, My Redeemer (2 nd Article) He suffered Under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried He will come again to judge the living and the dead. Suggested Bible Readings: Philippians 2:5-8, John 3:16-17 Lesson notes: Scope: This second week of the second article focuses on the redemptive actions of Jesus through his death and resurrection, as well as His second coming. It also focuses on the personal connection with God that we have through what Jesus has done, and how that influences our life. My Redeemer: This is one of those concepts that we think that students should know by the time they get to Confirmation, but it doesn t always get through to them by this point. We want all of the students to really understand, in a personal way, that Jesus has taken their place and redeemed them. This is not just a free ticket to heaven; it opens us up to eternal life, beginning now! This changes the way we live our life every day, because we live for God rather than for ourselves. What He did: When you are looking at the state of humiliation and the state of exaltation, they may not have heard about Jesus life in that way before. However, middle school students can easily relate to being humiliated, so there is a connection there. It may be interesting to discuss how Jesus descent into hell was actually part of the state of exaltation rather than the state of humiliation. He went to hell to preach his victory over death. When He comes again: The second coming is probably another thing the students have not thought much about. This can provoke some interesting discussion, especially when you look at the signs Jesus talked about regarding the end times. A few good points to note will be that Jesus told us that only the Father knows when that day will be, and that even though the end times sound scary and disturbing, we have nothing to fear because of our faith in Christ. Resources: Catechism pg and 16-17, Applying Luther s Catechism Lessons 24-26, discussion guides (pg. 17, 18, 19, 20) Journal/Discussion Starter Question: Describe a time where you did something embarrassing or humiliating. Handouts: None Homework Discussion Questions: How has Jesus redeeming love changed your life? How does our family serve Jesus in response to what He has done for us? Assigned Memory Work: No assigned work this week this would be a good time to work on Bible Verses

13 Week 9: The Third Article (The Holy Spirit) and The Third Article (The Holy Christian Church) I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church.. Suggested Bible Readings: John 14, the entire chapter is helpful, but especially note vs 6 and 26. Ephesians 2:8-10 Preparation: This final of the Apostle s Creed looks at the Third Article. The Third Article sort of throws in the rest of the things we believe in quick succession, however, Luther s explanation focuses mostly on the Holy Spirit and His power in our lives to create, sustain, and grow faith. Faith: This is a great week to talk about where faith comes from and how it matures (lifelong journey). We can t always explain it, but the Holy Spirit does the work within us. It s not a matter of us doing enough religious stuff to have a strong faith. Even when we don t feel like our faith is strong, we know that we have the Holy Spirit within us to sustain our faith and help us grow. Applying Faith to Life: Recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a way to put together our own story of faith. God has been working through the details of our entire lives, whether we have realized it or not, so it s helpful to look back and recognize that now, since we may not have realized it at the time. Resources: Catechism Questions (particularly 157), Applying Luther s Catechism Lessons 27 and 28, discussion guide (pp ) Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and Catechism, laptop if you want to show the video about Justification through Christ at this link: (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask to look at their journal which would include the theme verses in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (5-10 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you learned last week and a lead into this week. (1 min) Opening Prayer: Open the Bible to 1 Peter 2:9 Ask one of the students would be willing to lead a prayer inspired by this verse. (10-15 min) Community Building: Have the students use their journal and write a response to this: Share a story about a time in your life when you went through something challenging. How did God use that experience to help develop your faith? Adult leaders can set the tone by giving one more light hearted one and one that is more serious. Then invite students to share theirs with the group. (20 min) Teacher Guide (p. 64 and 65) Don t spend much time on the Trinity, or the whole first page of the workbook. I would focus my attention on the He calls us and He sanctifies us sections. This is a great time to open the Catechism and skim the references for support. (5 Min) Discuss: We just got done talking about sanctification. How would you describe sanctification to a friend? For example being made holy, or the good things we do because the Spirit is at work in us. The reason we come to classes like these, or church Justification and Sanctification go together. They are some of the most important concepts in our understanding of Christianity. Justification is the work of Jesus through His death and resurrection. Our sins are washed away we are made sinless (just as if I never sinned). Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit that leads us to faith and continued discipleship which makes us more holy (godly). Let s take a look at this quick illustration of Justification (50 sec) Video clip It s a cool object lesson if you choose to use it. So 2000 years ago Jesus paid the debt or stood in our place for all the sin of mankind past, present and future.

14 (20 min) Teacher Guide (p. 66 and 67) This is an easier concept than the last lesson. It s the idea that the Holy Spirit calls all Christians (no matter what denomination) to faith in the Savior Jesus. So when we talk about church in this context we are referring to all believers that believe in Christ as their Savior. We are all part of the body of Christ which is the church. Theme verses Write and draw about your understanding of the third article of the Apostles Creed. Sermon Notes writing or drawing about major points you remember from the sermon.

15 Week 10: The Third Article (Forgiveness of Sins) and The Third Article (The Resurrection and Life) I believe in the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, Amen. Suggested Bible Readings: 1 Corinthians 15 Preparation: The first lesson for this week should serve as a review of Justification and Sanctification. For lesson 29 focus on the Into the Lesson section on teacher guide p. 68, then touch on the Justification section in the middle of the left column on the next page. I wouldn t break into small groups for this. I think we want to seriously talk about the cost of sin. God s forgiveness isn t about fairness. It s based on grace (God s Riches at Christ s Expense). Touch on the fact that many religious people in the world aren t given grace. Karma is a good example. It s the Hindu and Buddhist belief that people are punished in this life or the next based on their good or evil actions. The second lesson will dig deeper into what happens when we die. There may be a lot of questions here. First review the Catechism. Spend time in those questions together and highlight words and verses for them in their Catechism. If questions come up that you don t have answers to, feel free to write them down and get back to the group. Then me the questions and I will do my best to get you an adequate answer. Resources: Catechism Questions , Applying Luther s Catechism Lessons 30-31, Applying Luther s Catechism, Lessons 29 and 30, discussion guide (pg ) Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and Catechism. (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Ask to look at their journal which would include the theme verses in preparation for the week and sermon notes. Once you ve seen it, please initial and date it. (5-10 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you learned last week and a lead into this week. (1 min) Opening Prayer: A student should lead this one. Open up to lesson 30 and ask a student to use the verses in the pink box as inspiration for their prayer today. (10 min) Community Building: Open your journal. You ll have about 3 5 minutes to draw a picture of what you think heaven will be like from what you ve heard over the years. It needs to be pretty simple, but you ll have the opportunity to describe it when you are done. (20 min) Teacher Guide (p. 68 and 69) Spend more time on the Into the lesson section and Justification than the other parts of the lesson. (10 15 min) Catechism Questions guide the students through these questions in light of what they shared in their depiction of heaven earlier. (20 min) Teacher Guide (p ) Many of these questions are good for group discussion. It might work well to assign a different person to answer each question first so there is more participation. Remember, if you get a question you aren t comfortable with (like cats in heaven, or who is in or out) please defer to me and I will follow up with you after doing research. No homework we don t meet again until after Christmas break. Theme verses Sermon Notes

16 Week 11: The Bible God s Word to Us Suggested Bible Readings: John 20:31, 2 Tim. 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21, 1 Cor. 2:4-5 Preparation: The first lesson of the New Year should be a time to reconnect with your group, review a general outline of what you ve covered so far. The lesson for today covers the authority of the Bible. Resources: Catechism Questions 2-6, Applying Luther s Catechism Lesson 1 Video: Answering the Bible s Critics session 1 is approximately 18 Minutes It s a little dated, but a good overview video. Here is the link: Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and Catechism a laptop and a video cord if you want to play it on a larger screen. (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: Students may not have any notes, but then just stress to them that we are getting back into the routine of journaling sermon notes and will emphasize the distinction of Law and Gospel. (5 10 min) God Sightings and Opening Prayer: Ask students to go around the room and answer this question. How have you seen God at work in your life this week? It should help to take some of the focus off self and put more on God. Then ask for a student to lead an opening prayer that includes some of the God Sightings (you may want to identify the student before the sharing begins). (10 15 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you ve covered up to this point in the fall. (10 min) Community Building: Open your journal and pick a partner. You ll have 3 minutes to come up answers to the following question. Why do Christians believe the Bible is true? Try and identify at least 5 in three minutes then compare notes and maybe award a prize for the winning team. (15 min) Teacher Guide (p. 10) Many of these questions are good as a refresher then take a break when you get to God s Word Has Power. (20 min) Video: Set the stage with a brief description of what they are about to see. (15 min) Teacher Guide (p. 11) Begin with God s Word Has Power and finish out the lesson (10 15 min) Catechism Theme verses Romans 5:20 God s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God s wonderful grace became more abundant. Sermon Notes Using words, images or both, identify the theme of the sermon. Also write one reference you ve heard about the Law (shows our sin) and one reference you heard to the Gospel (shows our Savior).

17 Week 12: The Purpose of the Law - To Bring us Back to God Sin Our Problem; Forgiveness God s Solution Preparation: God is perfect and he has given us Ten Commandments to show us how He wants us to live. However, due to our sinful nature, we can never fully keep the Ten Commandments. God knew we could never live up to the Law, so He sent Jesus to take the punishment that we deserve for our sins. That set us free to obey God s will as a loving response to His grace and gift of salvation. Jesus is the only one who kept the Law perfectly, and He did that in our place so that we can be covered by His righteousness. Law: It s not necessary to spend too much time on the Civil Law or Ceremonial Law. It would make sense to have a modern day equivalent a worship example might be going through instruction before receiving communion. It will probably be helpful to review the three purposes of the Law: as a curb, mirror, and guide. See if they can remember them without looking at the workbook. These are helpful in understanding why God gave us the Ten Commandments and Luther s explanation of them. The Law serves to remind us that we need the Savior. God s Love: An important point to make in this lesson is that God gives us both the Law and the Gospel because He loves us. Just as parents give their kids rules to protect them and teach them how to live godly lives. God gives us victory in Jesus and he calls us to live as victorious people through the power of the Holy Spirit. Resources: Catechism Questions and associated Scripture, Applying Luther s Catechism Lesson 13 and 14 Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and Catechism small stones (one for each participant). (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: (5 10 min) God Sightings and Opening Prayer: Ask students to go around the room and answer this question. How have you seen God at work in your life this week? Then ask for a student to lead an opening prayer that includes some of the God Sightings (you may want to identify the student before the sharing begins). (10 15 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you covered last week. (10 min) Community Building: Give a small stone to each student. Have each student place the stone in their shoe and walk around the room a little (about 10 steps should be good). Then sit down, remove the stone and answer these questions: In what ways did the stone create problems for you? How is the stone like sin? Irritates, causes pain, gets worse the longer it stays in place (20 min) Teacher Guide (p ) Focus on the Moral Law section. (20 min) Teacher Guide (p ) Spend most of the time in this lesson on the Defining Sin section and finishing up with the yellow box on top of student page 33. (10 15 min) Catechism - take a look at questions and spend more time on issues that may have come up in class. Theme verses Exodus 20:3-4 Sermon Notes Using words, images or both, identify the theme of the sermon. Also write one reference you ve heard about the law (shows our sin) and one reference you heard to the gospel (shows our savior).

18 Week 13: The First Commandment- You shall have no other gods. The Second Commandment-You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. Suggested Bible Readings: Deuteronomy 5:6-21, Exodus 3:12-15 Preparation: Last week we looked at the three uses of the Law. In each of the commandments we want to emphasize practical examples of curb, mirror, and guide for the students. This helps them to see the commandments not only as a list of rules, but also opportunities for Christian love. It s important to note that different Christian traditions number the commandments differently. They are not numbered in the Bible, and different denominations have simply grouped them differently. The first commandment will be divided into two and the 9 th and 10 th will be combined into just the 10 th. Please make sure you explain to your group that there are different numbering systems, and for the purposes of Catechism memory work, you ll be using the numbering system in the Catechism. The concept of having other gods may be limited to other religions in the lives of your students. However, the meaning here is much deeper than that. Anything that comes before God in your life is an idol, because God wants to be our number one in everything. This is a good opportunity to discuss what it means to put God first in life. It s important when talking about the commandments to remind your students that none of us follow these perfectly. This is how God desires us to live, so we strive for it. The Second Commandment: God knows the power of names, and as a way of fearing, loving, and trusting God, we honor His name and treat it with respect. This means we do not use it to swear, to practice any sort of satanic arts, to lie, etc. Instead, God asks us to use His name to pray in good times and in bad times. Resources: Catechism Questions and associated Scripture, Applying Luther s Catechism Lesson 3 and 4 Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and Catechism. (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: In particular check for the law/gospel understanding. If needed give a few examples so the others in class can hear. (5 10 min) God Sightings and Opening Prayer: Give the students an option of answering one of the following questions with the group: 1) What did you find out about God last week? 2) What s God trying to have you pay attention to? Once they ve answered one of the leaders should offer to pray about the things that were just shared. (5-10 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you covered last week. (20-30 min) Teacher Guide (pp ) I especially like the acrostic activity, you may want to do this as a class on a whiteboard. (20-30 min) Teacher Guide (pp.16-17) Deut. 18:10-12 is an important verse when it comes to satanic arts. (10 15 min) Catechism - take a look at questions and spend more time on issues that may have come up in class. Theme verses 3 rd commandment and its explanation (top of p. 68) Sermon Notes Using words, images or both, identify the theme of the sermon. Also write one reference you ve heard about the Law (shows our sin) and one reference you heard to the Gospel (shows our Savior).

19 Week 14: The Third Commandment-Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy. Suggested Bible Reading: Leviticus 23:3 Preparation: You will notice that from here on out you ll have individual lessons from the teacher guide. This could free up your group to catch up on things that your class fell behind on, make up for snow days, or just spend a little more time with the Catechism. Each one of these commandments could be taught for multiple weeks, so there should be plenty of content, but also room for a simpler pace. The Third Commandment tells us to take a Sabbath day, and this is for two purposes. The primary purpose is to have a day set aside for God. Just like friendships grow by spending time together, our relationship with God does as well. This includes going to church, praying, and reading the Bible. The second purpose is to remind us that we all need rest. God took a day off when He was creating the world not because He needed rest, but because He was showing us that we need rest in our lives. Every week, we need a day off. This is something that we have trouble with. It s worth having a discussion about how to create margin in our lives so that we have time for God and for the rest we need. A lot of times church, Sunday school, and youth group can seem like work rather than rest. Do your best to help students see Sabbath rest as finding rest with the Lord of their lives. Resources: Catechism Questions and associated Scripture, Applying Luther s Catechism Lesson 5 Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and catechism. (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: In particular check for the Law/Gospel understanding. If needed give a few examples so the others in class can hear. (5 10 min) Opening Prayer: Today ask the students to think of a friend or family member that is in need of prayer. Now write their name in your prayer journal. Write in whatever style you like, bubble letters are fine. As you are writing their name, be praying for the issues they have going in their life. Then you may want to add simple pictures or words to accent things that God in bringing into your mind. Give them 5-6 minutes with this. (5-10 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you covered last week. (5 min) Question: Describe a place that helps you feel close to God? What is it about that place that makes it so special or spiritual? (20 min) Teacher Guide (p. 18) Take a look at the Leader notes in the Background section on page 18. Ask the students to look up the three verses mentioned there. See if they can recognize where they have heard those things before. If they mention worship, see if they can narrow it down. We want then to identify that how much of worship is directed into the Word and Sacrament ministry. You can even have them look up words like Kyrie, Introit, and Sanctus on their phone if you like. Then start working through p. 18 and take a break at God s Family Reunion. (20-30 min) Teacher Guide (p ) Finish the lesson. (10 15 min) Catechism - take a look at questions and spend more time on issues that may have come up in class. Theme verses 4 rd commandment and its explanation (top of p. 74 in the Catechism) Sermon Notes Using words, images or both, identify the theme of the sermon. Also write one reference you ve heard about the Law (shows our sin) and one reference you heard to the Gospel (shows our Savior).

20 Week 15: The Fourth Commandment-Honor your father and mother. Suggested Bible Readings: Ephesians 6:1-4, 1 Samuel 20: Jonathan disobeys his father Saul to do follow God and protect David. Preparation: This commandment is one that is particularly difficult for middle school students, and will likely spark a lot of discussion. God commands us to honor our parents and all others in authority, and we generally do not like it when others are in authority over us especially if we want to do something and they won t let us! Luther tells us that all of those in authority, parents included, are placed in those roles by God and they are God s representatives. Since people are sinful, they aren t always good representatives, but God calls us to honor them even when we think they are not being good representatives. Discussion: There are situations where those in authority are actually endangering those under them. This is a good discussion topic and you will likely get the group fired up if you get going on the topic. It s important to remember that we serve God above all others, including those in authority. This commandment is the only one with a promise attached. God promises that if you do this, it may go well with you and you may enjoy long life on earth. Resources: Catechism Questions and associated Scripture, Applying Luther s Catechism Lesson 6 Supplies: Paper, pens or pencils, Bible and Catechism. (10 min) Arrive Early to check Theme Verse and Sermon Notes: In particular check for the Law/Gospel understanding. If needed give a few examples so the others in class can hear. (5 10 min) Opening Prayer: (ask one student to read this for the class) Heavenly Father, I thank you for my Father and Mother, and for our home. Bless us all, and help us to love you more. Let us serve one another as Jesus taught us to do. Bless my parents with your wisdom, strength, love and understanding. Give our family strong faith, health, and protection from evil. In Jesus name, Amen (5-10 min) Start: Do a brief review of what you covered last week. (5 min) Question: Think about your favorite TV shows growing up; describe how parents and their kids interact with each other on the show. What s the mom s role? How about the dad? Take a few examples (Often dads are a joke and somewhat detached and moms assume the role of a nag or the buddy). How does this reflect the 4th Commandment? (20 min) Teacher Guide (p. 20) after you complete page 20 you may want to ask this question What if your parents are asking you to do things that are not of God? What does the Bible say about that? That s when you can get into the David and Jonathan verses mentioned above. (20-30 min) Teacher Guide (p.21) you may want the students to come up with some of their own Examples of Honoring on the bottom of student page 17. They could use their journals here. (10 15 min) Catechism - take a look at questions and spend more time on issues that may have come up in class. Theme verses 5 th commandment and the explanation (top of p. 77 in the Catechism) Sermon Notes Using words, images or both, identify the theme of the sermon. Also write one reference you ve heard about the Law (shows our sin) and one reference you heard to the Gospel (shows our Savior).