Lesson 14

What does God teach us about his wonderful gift of life?

Why is the gift of life very important Genesis 2:7 The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. It’s a precious gift given to me by God.

Why is the gift of life very important 2 Corinthians 6:1-2 As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. It’s a precious gift given to me by God.

Why is the gift of life very important Hebrews 9:27 Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment… It’s a precious gift given to me by God. It’s the time for me to come to faith in Jesus.

Key Point #1 What I’ve learned: The gift of life is important because God gives it to me as a time of grace.

Who alone has the right to determine when God’s gift of life should end? Deuteronomy 32:39 “See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.”

You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.” Who alone has the right to determine when God’s gift of life should end? Psalm 90:3 You turn men back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, O sons of men.” God

God’s representatives in government Who alone has the right to determine when God’s gift of life should end? Romans 13:4 For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. God’s representatives in government

Anyone else who takes my life will have to answer to God. Who alone has the right to determine when God’s gift of life should end? Genesis 9:5-6 And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made man. Anyone else who takes my life will have to answer to God.

Key Point #2 No one has the right to take a life except God and his representatives in the government.

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? Proverbs 23:20,31-33 Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat…Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly! In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper. Your eyes will see strange sights and your mind imagine confusing things. Harm my own body

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? Matthew 27:5 So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. Commit suicide

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? Genesis 4:2-15 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” But the LORD said to him, “Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? 2 Samuel 11:2-17 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house. When David was told, “Uriah did not go home,” he asked him, “Haven’t you just come from a distance? Why didn’t you go home?” Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? Exodus 21:29 If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned up and it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned and the owner also must be put to death. Murder

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? Exodus 21:18-27 If men quarrel and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist and he does not die but is confined to bed, the one who struck the blow will not be held responsible if the other gets up and walks around outside with his staff; however, he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time and see that he is completely healed. “If a man hits a manservant or maidservant in the eye and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the eye. And if he knocks out the tooth of a manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free to compensate for the tooth. Harm someone else

How do we sin against God’s precious gift of life? 1 John 3:15 Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. Hate others

Key Point #3 We sin against God’s gift of life by hating or harming a person or by causing his or her death in any way.

How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. be patient and kind

How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. be forgiving

How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? Luke 10:33-35 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ be helpful

How does God want us to honor his precious gift of life? Matthew 25:35-36 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ be friendly

Key Point #4 What I’ve learned: God teaches us that we should honor life in what we think, say, and do.

Smoking cigarettes or eating too much is just like committing suicide. Agree or Disagree? Smoking cigarettes or eating too much is just like committing suicide.

Agree or Disagree? Watching a TV show with murder and hatred as a part of the story is a sin.

Lesson 14 God teaches us that we should honor his gift of life in everything we think, say, and do, because he gives it to us as a time of grace.

The period of time God gives us to come to faith in him. Vocabulary… “Time of Grace” The period of time God gives us to come to faith in him.

taking another person’s life Vocabulary… “Murder” taking another person’s life

Vocabulary… “Suicide” taking your own life

the murdering of an unborn child Vocabulary… “Abortion” the murdering of an unborn child