10 Commandments
The Commandments help show us this truth, that we do not always live the way God wants for us.
What is our sin / how we fall short?
The Creed teaches us mainly about this, what God does for us.
What is God’s action / God’s saving work?
The Lord’s Prayer teaches us how to do this with God.
What is pray / have a conversation with God?
Both Baptism and Communion are whose action?
God's.
A person can still have questions or doubts and still be this.
A Good Christian.
The Commandments are not only about rules, they also show what this kind of life looks like.
What is a faithful life / loving God and neighbor?
The Creed tells the story of God. This person of the Trinity guides us in our lives.
What is the Holy Spirit?
“Daily bread” means more than food, it includes these kinds of things.
What are daily needs / what we need for life?
Baptism reminds us of these two truths.
We are God's child and we are forgiven.
A faithful response after messing up includes more than “I got caught,” it includes this.
Confession
If something becomes more important than God in your life, the Commandments would call it this.
What is an idol / false god?
When Christians say Jesus “redeems” us, we mean Jesus does this for us.
What is saves us / frees us / brings us back to God?
When we do not know what to pray, the Lord’s Prayer reminds us Jesus has already done this.
What is given us words / taught us how to pray?
A Sacrament is made up of these two things.
A Command from God and an Earthly Element
If someone is being left out, love of neighbor might lead you to do this.
What is include them / defend them / show kindness / speak up?
Gossip and rumors can break a commandment because they harm your neighbor’s this.
What is their reputation / dignity / good name?
The Creed can comfort us in hard times because it reminds us God is still this.
What is present / faithful / active / with us?
The Lord's Prayer teaches us how to pray. Name the different parts of the Lord's Prayer.
Greeting(Naming God.)
Praise
Request
Praise
Amen. (It Shall be So)
What makes Baptism and Communion a Sacrament?
Water for Baptism. Bread and Wine for Communion. "Go therefore and Baptize..." "Do this in remembrance of me."
A sign of growing faith is not perfection, but a growing willingness to do this.
What is trust God / repent / ask for forgiveness / love neighbor / ask honest questions?
The Commandments show us our sin and how we fall short, but if that is all we hear, we may only feel shame. How can the Commandments also become a gift that leads us back toward God and neighbor?
They tell the truth, lead us to confession/repentance, show us what love looks like, help us repair harm, guide our life, show our need for grace.
If the Creed is about what God does for us, how might that change the way a person thinks about their worth when they feel like a failure?
Worth is rooted in God’s action/grace, not performance; God still creates/loves/redeems them; identity comes from what God says and does, not success or failure.
The Lord’s Prayer includes both “give us” and “your will be done.” What does that teach us about the difference between prayer as trust and prayer as control?
Prayer is not controlling God; it is trusting God, asking honestly while surrendering to God’s will, being formed by God, holding desire and trust together.
Baptism and Communion both point to God’s action and grace. How are they different in what they give us for the life of faith, and how do they work together?
Baptism gives identity/claiming/belonging/promise, Communion nourishes/strengthens/forgives/sustains repeatedly; Baptism begins/marks life in Christ, Communion feeds ongoing life in Christ; both are God’s gifts in community.
A mature faith is not a faith with no questions. So what is the difference between a question that helps faith grow and a question that shuts down conversation, and how can the church make room for both honesty and trust?
Growth questions seek understanding, remain open, engage humbly; shutting-down questions may mock/avoid/listen less, though even hard questions can be welcomed; church makes room by listening, not shaming, speaking truth with grace, admitting mystery, encouraging ongoing conversation and prayer.