Welly Church Kids Lessons

Kids · 4-8 · Lesson 12

God Gives Good Instructions

Exodus 20:1-17; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 22:34-40

God's instructions showed His people how to love Him and one another.

Teach the lesson

Goal: Children explain that God gave His rescued people good instructions for loving Him and one another.

Pick how long you want to teach. The plan updates to fit.

Short · 25 minutes
  1. 3 min
    Connect

    Use the opening prompt from the Teach Now card.

  2. 8 min
    Read

    Read Exodus 20:1-17 in selected sections, beginning with God's rescue statement and grouping commands by God and neighbour.

    Ask: What does God say before giving the commandments?

  3. 5 min
    Understand

    Sort the instructions and explain why rescue before law matters.

    Ask: Which commands focus directly on loyalty to God? · Which commands protect relationships with people?

  4. 6 min
    Do

    Complete the Love God and Love Others Sort activity.

    Activity: Love God and Love Others Sort

    Printable: K1-L12-P01-love-god-love-others-sort

  5. 3 min
    Respond

    Repeat the take-home line and close in prayer.

    Ask: When should a child tell a safe adult instead of following an instruction?

Standard · 35 minutes

  1. 4 min
    Connect

    Use the opening prompt and invite two or three brief responses.

  2. 4 min
    Context

    Introduce the passage setting, speaker or main characters, and genre in age-appropriate language.

  3. 8 min
    Read and observe

    Read Exodus 20:1-17 in selected sections, beginning with God's rescue statement and grouping commands by God and neighbour.

    Ask: What does God say before giving the commandments? · Which commands focus directly on loyalty to God?

  4. 7 min
    Discuss

    Sort the instructions and explain why rescue before law matters.

    Ask: Which commands protect relationships with people? · When should a child tell a safe adult instead of following an instruction?

  5. 8 min
    Activity

    Complete the Love God and Love Others Sort activity and review what it demonstrates.

    Activity: Love God and Love Others Sort

    Printable: K1-L12-P01-love-god-love-others-sort

  6. 4 min
    Respond

    Review the objective, repeat the take-home line, and pray.

Extended · 45 minutes
  1. 4 min
    Connect

    Use the opening prompt and identify the question the lesson will answer.

  2. 6 min
    Context

    Locate the passage in the whole-Bible story and explain its literary setting.

  3. 9 min
    Read closely

    Read Exodus 20:1-17 in selected sections, beginning with God's rescue statement and grouping commands by God and neighbour.

    Ask: What does God say before giving the commandments? · Which commands focus directly on loyalty to God?

  4. 8 min
    Interpret

    Sort the instructions and explain why rescue before law matters.

    Ask: Which commands protect relationships with people? · When should a child tell a safe adult instead of following an instruction?

  5. 7 min
    Activity one

    Complete the Love God and Love Others Sort activity.

    Activity: Love God and Love Others Sort

    Printable: K1-L12-P01-love-god-love-others-sort

  6. 7 min
    Activity two

    Complete the Helpful, Human, or Unsafe? activity and compare the results.

    Activity: Helpful, Human, or Unsafe?

  7. 4 min
    Respond and assess

    Use one quiz item orally, repeat the take-home line, and pray.

Close the class

Memory verse: Exodus 20:2

Prayer: Thank God for rescue and ask for truthful love toward God and neighbour.

Take-home line: God gave His rescued people instructions for loving Him and one another.

More help: full script, questions, and printables

A word-for-word way to run the lesson, plus every question, activity, and printable.

Teach now

Children explain that God gave His rescued people good instructions for loving Him and one another.

Read
Exodus 20:1-17, selected verses
Opening
Ask: What makes an instruction helpful rather than random?
Say
  • God first reminded Israel that He had rescued them from Egypt.
  • Then God gave instructions for life as His people.
  • Some instructions focus on loyalty and worship toward God.
  • Other instructions protect people through honour, truth, faithfulness, and respect for what belongs to others.
Ask
  • What had God already done for Israel?
  • Who gave the instructions?
  • Which instructions concern God?
  • Which instructions concern other people?
Do
Sort example cards under Love God and Love Others.
Close
Pray: God, teach us to love You and treat people truthfully and well.
Materials
  • Bible
  • Love God and Love Others sorting cards

Discussion questions

  • What does God say before giving the commandments?
    Simple answer: He brought Israel out of Egypt.
    Going deeper: Explain how the prologue shapes the meaning of obedience.
  • Which commands focus directly on loyalty to God?
    Simple answer: No other gods, no idols, honour God's name.
    Going deeper: Explain why worship belongs to covenant loyalty.
  • Which commands protect relationships with people?
    Simple answer: Honour, do not kill, steal, lie, or take what belongs to others.
    Going deeper: Connect truth and respect to love of neighbour.
  • When should a child tell a safe adult instead of following an instruction?
    Simple answer: When someone asks for harm, unsafe secrecy, or wrongdoing.
    Going deeper: Distinguish legitimate authority from abusive misuse of authority.

Activities

Love God and Love Others Sort · 9 min

Materials: Command summary cards; Two heading cards

  1. Place Love God and Love Others headings.
  2. Read one child-safe command summary at a time.
  3. Sort the card and explain the relationship it protects.
  4. Notice that some commands affect both headings.

Low-resource option: Draw two columns and write or point.

Helpful, Human, or Unsafe? · 8 min

Materials: Fictional instruction cards

  1. Read a safe household or classroom instruction.
  2. Read a neutral preference that is not a Bible command.
  3. Read an unsafe secrecy scenario without graphic detail.
  4. Choose follow, discuss, or tell a safe adult.

Low-resource option: Discuss three teacher-created examples orally.

Printables

Prepare before class (optional, about 25 minutes)

Passage context

The commandments are given after the Exodus and at the formation of the Sinai covenant. Exodus 20 begins with God's identity and rescue before listing obligations. The lesson should neither detach the Decalogue from Israel nor reduce it to arbitrary rules.

  • The prologue names God and the Exodus before the commands.
  • The first commands address exclusive loyalty and worship.
  • Later commands address family honour, life, marriage, property, truth, and desire.
  • The commands are brief; later Torah material applies them in Israel's covenant life.
  • Use child-safe summaries while retaining the biblical reference and sequence.
  • Do not treat every Mosaic civil application as a direct rule for a modern child.
  • Jesus summary of love for God and neighbour helps children see the moral shape without erasing the original covenant context.

Keep it faithful

  • Do not teach that children earn salvation or God's love by perfect rule-keeping.
  • Do not use honour or obedience language to require silence about abuse, unsafe touch, secrecy, or wrongdoing by an adult.
  • Do not imply that all human instructions carry God's authority.
  • Do not overstate: Do not present obedience as the price Israel paid to make God rescue them.

Questions children may ask

Do Christians have to keep every Old Testament law?
Should I obey every adult?

Every child can join in

  • Show the sequence visually.
  • Allow pointing, drawing, or one-word responses.
  • Give one direction at a time.
  • Participation must not require loud noise, touch, or public performance.
  • Read all Scripture aloud.
  • Use pictures, objects, or gesture-supported retelling.
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