Dear Parents,
THE LESSON
On Sunday we completed the book of Ecclesiastes by reading Ecclesiastes 12:13-14;
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
After his long search for meaning, Solomon concludes that it is worth it to obey God and a life lived apart from God is the only thing that is meaningless, but a life lived in relationship with God gives ultimate meaning and fulfillment. Solomon is finally able to look at things from an eternal perspective. He acknowledges that we will be held accountable at the end of our lives, and if that’s true, then what we do in this life really matters. God wants us to live in His will and keep His commandments. In Proverbs, Solomon says that to do this is the beginning of wisdom. In his search for wisdom, Solomon has finally placed God in his proper place - as the King of all things. That is what it means to fear God. It means to put Him in His proper place of authority over us. The greatest commandments that we’re instructed to keep are to love God and to love others.
We encourage you to spend a few minutes talking with your teenager about our lesson. Consider building your conversation around these questions:
• Have you considered your life from an eternal perspective?
• Do you experience God as real and do you find love and fulfillment in Him?
• What was your biggest take-out from Sunday’s video? https://youtu.be/9wrF7b5bgf0
ICE-BREAKER QUESTIONS - Here are some fun questions you can use to spark a conversation around the dinner table:
• If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do?
• If you could get a new pet, what animal would you get?
• Fruit of the Spirit question: when have you shared Joy with others?
• What is your favourite smell?
• What is your favourite way to exercise?
• If you could get a tattoo, what would it be and where on your body?
• Finish this sentence; I love ...
THIS WEEK’S BIBLE READING PLAN: We’re starting a 6-week study of the book of Galatians next. Please read Galatians Chapter 1 before Sunday or join the Galatians 1 reading plan on the YouVersion Bible App today.