AUGUST 25, 2024

Parents, what a joy it is to serve your precious arrows on Sunday mornings! The Little Reformers team wants you to always have full visibility to what we are teaching your kids. It is important to us that we be effective partners to you, reinforcing what you work hard to teach your children at home. Each week, we update this section of the website to reflect the lesson, the big truth, gospel point, verse, and catechism your child(ren) will learn while in our care. We hope this resource is a help to you and gives you confidence as you train up your children in the way they should go.

Bible Story: Chapter 15. The Way to Stay Free (Exodus 19-20)

The Big Truth: God gives us his good rules so we can live free lives that reflect him.

The Gospel Point:God didn’t give the Ten Commandments and then save Israel. The order matters. First he saved Israel, then he gave the Ten Commandments. The same pattern is true today. God doesn’t tell us to be good so that he can save us. If he did, we’d all be in a real bad spot. Instead, he saves us first, as a gift. Because of God’s great love, Jesus came into the world to crush the snake. He saves us from the power of the devil and forgave all our sins. All we have to do is believe in the Snake Crusher and we’re saved! But Jesus saves us for a reason. The Bible says that he saved us to be a special people (a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; see 1 Pet. 2:9–10). You see, Jesus didn’t just rescue us from the penalty of our sins. He also saved us from the power of them. When we believe, he gives us new hearts—hearts that want to love God and love others. So when the Bible gives us commands, we don’t see them as a way to earn our salvation. We see them as the good things that the Snake Crusher’s death freed us to do. As God’s special people, Christians have a special job. What a privilege!

Memory Verse: John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him  should not perish but have eternal life.

Catechism: Q: How can you glorify God? A: By loving Him and doing what He commands. (Ecclesiastes 12:13, Mark 12:29-31, John 15:8-10, 1 Corinthians 10:31)

Sources: Bible stories from The Biggest Story Bible Story Book by Kevin DeYoung. Catechisms from Truth and Grace Book 1 by Tom Ascol . The Big Truth and the Gospel Point taken from The Biggest Story Bible by Kevin DeYoung, published by Crossway.