First Grade Catechism Discussion: FebruaryQuestion 24: What is a covenant?Answer: A relationship that God establishes with us and guarantees by his word.

How is a covenant more serious than a promise? (a covenant is to be kept no matter what happens. It is more important and a bigger deal because it is a guarantee.)

What are some covenants in the Bible? (God’s covenant with Noah to never flood the earth again and the sign of a rainbow, God’s covenant with Abraham to make him into a nation that could not be numbered like the stars in the sky…)

Question 25: In the covenant of life, what did God require Adam to do?Answer: To obey God perfectly.

Did Adam obey God perfectly? (no, he sinned) Do you obey God perfectly? What do you do when you don’t? (I ask Jesus to forgive

me and to change my heart)

Second Grade Catechism Discussion: FebruaryQuestion 52: What kind of life did Christ live on earth?Answer: A life of obedience, service and suffering.

How did Jesus obey? (answers will vary) How did Jesus serve? How did Jesus suffer?

Question 53: What kind of death did Jesus die?Answer: The painful and shameful death of the cross.

Why was it painful? (the nails, not being able to breathe, sin being put on him) Why was it shameful? (he was separated from God, he felt wrath of sin)

Third Grade Catechism Discussion: FebruaryQuestion 90: What is the fourth commandment?Answer: The fourth commandment is “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.”Question 91: What does the fourth commandment teach you?Answer: To work six days and keep the Sabbath day holy.

Why do you think God commanded this? (he knows us and knows it would be a blessing/help to us; to help us keep our priorities in check; to provide rest and refreshment)

Question 92: What day of the week is the Christian Sabbath?Answer: The first day of the week, called the Lord’s Day.

When do we usually celebrate the Sabbath? (Sunday) Why do we worship on the Sabbath? (to set the day apart as holy; to focus on God; because it is

Him who brings us rest). What is one way your family can make the Sabbath different from other days in your home?

Fourth Grade Catechism Discussion: FebruaryQuestion 122: What is the fifth petition?Answer: The fifth petition is “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”Question 123: What does it mean to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”?Answer: We are asking God to forgive our sins for Christ’s sake, and to make us willing to forgive others.

Why is it important for us to ask for forgiveness? (so we aren’t putting a barrier up between us and God; so we can recognize our sin and begin to let God change it.)

Why is it important to forgive others? (to restore relationship; because God has forgiven us more than we could ever have to forgive someone else; so we can become more like Christ)

Fifth Grade Catechism Discussion FebruaryQuestion 137: What sign is used in the Lord’s Supper?Answer: Eating bread and drinking wine to remember the suffering and death of Jesus.

Talk about when we take communion at church. What does the pastor usually say? What does the congregation usually do?

Question 138: What does the bread represent?Answer: Christ’s body sacrificed for our sins.

Read Matthew 26:26-29 together. Ask your parents what they think of and how they pray during communion. Why do you think our church asks students to wait until they are members to take

communion? (it is a big deal and is meant only for people who are following Christ. When you become a member, you get to tell the whole church that you have decided to follow Christ and then you are invited to join in communion).

First Grade Catechism Discussion: March

Question 26: What did God promise in the covenant of life?Answer: To reward Adam with life if he obeyed God perfectly

Was Adam able to obey God perfectly? Do you obey God perfectly?Question 27: What did God threaten in the covenant of life?Answer: To punish Adam with death if he disobeyed God

Why do you think God did this? (He knew if Adam disobeyed, he would be separated from their special relationship. Nothing would be right for Adam again.)

Question 28: Did Adam keep the covenant of life?Answer: No. He sinned against God.

How did Adam sin? (he ate the fruit, he believed the serpent, he chose to want to be powerful over his relationship with God)

How do you sin? (anything I do that is against God’s character is sin- being jealous, saying mean things, being unkind, lying, disobeying my parents)

Second Grade Catechism Discussion: MarchQuestion 54: What is meant by the atonement?Answer: Christ satisfied God’s justice by his suffering and death as a substitute for sinners.

Why would Jesus do this? (because He loves us, because it was God’s plan, to obey God)

Question 55: What does God the Father guarantee in the covenant of grace?Answer: To justify and sanctify all those for whom Christ died.

What does this mean? (God forgives our sin and when He looks at a believer He sees Jesus’ righteousness and not our sin. He also is making us more like Jesus)

Question 56: How does God justify you?Answer: God forgives all my sins and accepts me as righteous through Christ.

Can you think of a time you’ve needed forgiveness? What happened? How did you feel? Can you think of a time you had to forgive someone else? Was it hard?

Third Grade Catechism Discussion: MarchQuestion 93: Why is it called the Lord’s Day?Answer: Because on that day the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Think about that! What does it mean to us that Jesus rose from the dead? (He beat death, He was able to accomplish what we needed to be made right with God, He broke the chain of sin and death).

Question 94: How should you keep the Lord’s Day?Answer: I should rest from my daily work and faithfully worship God.

Why do you think God wants us to do this? (because He knows what we need, it helps us to remember who God is and what He’s done, it sets a day apart for us to be together as a church family)

Question 95: What is the fifth commandment?Answer: The fifth commandment is “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

What does honor mean? (to give high respect) How can you honor your mom and dad?

Fourth Grade Catechism Discussion: MarchQuestion 124: What is the sixth petition? Answer: The sixth petition is “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

What is temptation (when I feel like I want to sin) How are we delivered from evil? (by depending on what Jesus did for us to make us

right with God)Question 125: What does it mean to pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”?Answer: We are asking God to keep us from being tempted and to make us strong enough to resist when we are tempted.

Read about Jesus being tempted in Matthew 4:1-11. How did He resist? (he used scripture)

How can this help you? (I can replace the temptation with God’s truth and it will help me fight!)

Question 126: How many sacraments are there?Answer: Two

What is a sacrament? (a sign token or symbol to remind us of the grace Jesus gave us) What are the two sacraments? (baptism and the Lord’s Supper)

Fifth Grade Catechism Discussion MarchQuestion 139: What does the wine represent?Answer: Christ’s bloodshed for our sins.

If the wine (juice) represents Jesus’ blood, how do you think we should receive it? (we should think about what we are doing, be thankful, asking for forgiveness, as a HUGE gift)

Question 140: Who may rightly partake of the Lord’s Supper?Answer: Those who repent of their sins, trust in Christ, live a godly life, and profess their faith before the Church.

Why do you think our church has children wait until they have joined the church to take communion? (That way they have made a public confession that they are following Christ. Also, since it is important and symbolizes Jesus’ death, the adults want to make sure the children understand the gift).

First Grade Catechism Discussion: April

Question 29: What is sin? Answer: Sin is any lack of conformity to, or transgression of, the law of God.

What does conformity mean? (fact or state of agreeing with or obeying something) What does transgression mean? (infringement or violation of a law, command or duty) How would you explain sin? (hurting God, yucky stuff in my heart, etc.

Question 30: What is meant by lack of conformity?Answer: Not being or doing what God requires.

In what ways are you not what God requires? In what ways do you not do what God requires? What did God do about this problem (sent Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sin.

Second Grade Catechism Discussion: April

Question 57: How does God sanctify you?Answer: God makes me more and more holy in heart and conduct.

Read 2 Corinthians 3:18 What does this answer and verse mean about us becoming Christ like? (It is a process, it

doesn’t happen all at once, we continue to grow our whole life)Question 58: What must you do to be saved?Answer: I must repent of my sin and believe in Christ as my Savior.

What does repent mean? (to turn away from, go the total opposite direction) What does it mean to believe in Christ as Savior (to believe He came and died on the

cross and took our place, rose from the dead and can forgive my sins.)

Third Grade Catechism Discussion: April

Question 96: What does the fifth commandment teach you?Answer: To love and obey my parents and all others that God appoints over me.

Is this easy for you? Why do you think God wants us to obey our parents? (So we learn to obey Him, because He has

made them responsible over us)Question 97: What is the sixth commandment?Answer: The sixth commandment is “You shall not murder.”Question 98: What does the sixth commandment teach you?Answer: Not to take anyone’s life unjustly and not to sin when I am angry.

How are anger and murder related? (murder comes from anger) How are other sins like this? (sin can be thought, word, or deed. Often the sins we struggle with

have the same “root” as the sins that are a big deal in our society.) Can you think of some examples? (stealing is coveting; murder is anger; etc)

Fourth Grade Catechism Discussion: April

Question 127: What are they?

Answer: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper(see discussion from March)Question 128: Who appointed these sacraments?Answer: The Lord Jesus Christ

Read about Jesus baptism in Matthew 3:13-17 Read about the Last Supper in Luke 22 Why do you think these sacraments were important to Jesus?

Fifth Grade Catechism Discussion April

Question 141: Did Christ remain in the grave after his crucifixion?Answer: No. He rose bodily from the grave on the third day after his death.

What do you think that was like for Jesus followers? Why is it important that He rose? (Our sin caused death to come into the world. When

Christ rose, he showed he conquered death).Question 142: Where is Christ now?Answer: In heaven, ruling his kingdom and interceding for us.

What does interceding mean? (to speak to someone in order to defend or help another person

How does Christ intercede for us? (When we sin, He defends and helps us because He already paid for our sin. We can have relationship with God because of that!)

First Grade Catechism Discussion: May

Question 31: What is meant by transgression?

Answer: Doing what God forbids Transgression, doing what God forbids are all ways to talk about sin. What are some

transgressions? Murder, stealing, lying What are some transgressions you struggle with? (lying, disobeying my parents, being

selfish, thinking I am actually pretty good (pride/self-righteous)Question 32: What does every sin deserve?Answer: The wrath and curse of God.

Do you believe that your sins are actually that bad? Why do ALL sins deserve the wrath and curse of God? (God is Holy. He can’t be

around ANY sin. Any sin separates us from God, sinning just once keeps us from being allowed in heaven. That is why it is so important what Jesus did for us. Without him, even if you sinned just once, you couldn’t be face to face with God.)

Second Grade Catechism Discussion: May

Question 59: How do you repent of your sin?Answer: I must be sorry for my sin, and hate and forsake it.

Repent means to turn away from your sin and go in a different direction completely, God’s direction.…this isn’t always easy. What are sometimes you’ve wanted to do the right thing, but haven’t?

How does the Bible answer this problem? (John 3:16, Romans 3:23-26- We can’t change ourselves. That is why God sent Jesus. He saves us. He gives us victory from our sin).

Question 60: Why must you hate and forsake your sin?Answer: Because sin displeases God.

Once you believe in Jesus, will you stop sinning? (no, I will struggle with sin my whole life)

So what do we do about that? (as we learn about God and Jesus and as we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we begin to want what God wants. So when we do sin, we quickly admit (confess) it, ask for forgiveness and ask God to change us).

Third Grade Catechism Discussion: May

Question 99: What is the seventh commandment?Answer: The seventh commandment is “You shall not commit adultery.”

Marriage is important to God! What are some ways you can support your parents marriage? (encouraging them to spend time together, not complaining when they need to get a baby sitter, letting them have discussions without interrupting)

Question 100: What does the seventh commandment teach you?Answer: To be pure in heart, language and conduct, and to be faithful in marriage.

Sin starts in our heart. It has been said that thought leads to word leads to deed. What are some ways you can keep sin from becoming an action? (catch my thoughts-when I realize I am thinking something that doesn’t agree with God, ask for forgiveness then instead of letting it grow in my heart to an action.)

The Bible tells us some sins we think are little are related to other sins we consider bigger. How is murder like anger? Jealousy like stealing? Can you think of others? Remember ALL of these sins separate us from God. They are not little.

Question 101: What is the eighth commandment?Answer: The eighth commandment is “You shall not steal.”

There are obvious ways to steal…what are some ways that you might steal? (not tithing, taking something at home without asking, finding money and keeping it, etc.)

Fourth Grade Catechism Discussion: MayQuestion 129: Why did Christ appoint these sacraments?Answer: To distinguish his people from the world, and to comfort and strengthen them.

How do the sacraments distinguish us? (we are the only ones who do them, so it makes us different)

How do they comfort and strengthen us? (we do them together, so it builds community and reminds us we aren’t alone. It helps us remember who Jesus is and what he did for us. They remind us of God’s promises.

Question 130: What sign is used in baptism?Answer: Washing with water

Have you been baptized? Ask your parents about it and what it means to them. What do you think baptism symbolizes? (that I have been cleaned, that my sins are

washed away, that I am dead to my sin (into the water) and alive in Christ (out of the water)).

Fifth Grade Catechism Discussion May

Question 143: Will the Lord Jesus come again?Answer: Yes! He will return to judge the world on the last day.

What does it mean to judge? (to hear and decide a case, like in a court). What will happen to people who have trusted Jesus during judgment? (Christ has paid

for our sins, so we will be judged on His righteousness).Question 144: What happens to believers when they die?Answer: Our bodies will return to the dust and our souls will go to be with the Lord forever.

What excites you about being with Jesus? What do you think Heaven will be like?

First Grade- JuneQuestion 33: What was the sin of our first parents?

Answer: Eating the forbidden fruit. Why was eating the fruit sin? (they disobeyed God) When is a time you have disobeyed? What happened? How did you feel?

Question 34: Who tempted Adam and Eve to this sin?Answer: Satan tempted Eve first, and then he used her to tempt Adam.

When you are tempted, what can you do? (pray about it, talk to someone about it, replace the lie I am being told in my heart with a truth of God).

Who sinned? Adam or Eve? (both, they were both tempted and gave into the temptation and disobeyed God.)

Is being tempted sin? (no, we are all tempted. It is breaking God’s law that is sin.)

Second Grade- JuneQuestion 61: What does it mean to believe in Christ?Answer: To trust in Christ alone for my salvation.

What is salvation? (Being rescued). What did you need to be rescued from? (life apart from God forever. Our sin leads to

death, but Jesus rescued us from death and gave us Eternal Life with God if we believe in Him).

Question 62: Can you repent and believe in Christ by your own power?Answer: No. I cannot repent and believe unless the Holy Spirit changes my heart.

This means you CAN’T earn salvation! You are not and will never be good enough to obey all of God’s laws. This shouldn’t make you feel bad, it should make us very thankful that Jesus was willing to make us right with God!

So why do we obey if we can’t earn anything? (When we realize how deep God’s love for us is and what Jesus did, we obey out of gratitude and relationship.)

Third Grade- JuneQuestion 102: What does the eighth commandment teach you?Answer: Not to take anything that belongs to someone else.

What if you have broken this commandment or any of the others? (That is why I need Jesus! I ask his forgiveness and help to turn away from my sin).

What should you do about what you have taken? (I should tell whoever I took it from and make it right by paying for it or giving it back.)

Question 103: What is the ninth commandment?Answer: The ninth commandment is “you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

What is “false witness?” (lying about someone else) What are ways we might bear a false witness (gossiping, lying about someone, saying a story that

isn’t true, exaggerating, making up stories to make yourself sound good)

Fourth Grade-JuneQuestion 131: What does this washing with water represent?Answer: That we are united to Christ and cleansed from sin by his blood.

If you are ‘united to Christ” what does that mean about your sin? (Jesus can’t be around sin. So once I am a Christian, if I sin, I need to confess it and ask forgiveness. Baptism represents me being cleansed from my old life and being born into my new life).

What does “cleansed by His blood mean?” (God requires sacrifice for our sin. Being cleansed by Jesus’ blood means that I believe He lived a perfect life on my behalf and died as the sacrifice for my sins. I depend on His record and not mine.)

Question 132: Into whose name are we baptized?Answer: Into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

What is a Father to you? What is a Son to you? What do you know about the Holy Spirit? What does it mean to you that God is all at once all of these things? Pretty amazing, huh?

Fifth Grade- JuneQuestion 145: What happens to unbelievers when they die?Answer: Their bodies will return to dust also, but their souls will go to hell.

The worst part of hell is the separation from God. When people reject being saved by Jesus, they are making it where God cannot be around them because they are still covered with sin.

Read 1 Timothy 2:4-6. What does God desire for all people? Question 146: What is hell?Answer: Hell is an awful place, where unbelievers are separated from God to suffer for their sins.

Read Matthew 28:16-20. What does Jesus tell his disciples to do? How does this relate to us and knowing unbelievers will go to hell? What is one way you can share Jesus this week?

First Grade- JulyQuestion 35: How did Adam and Eve change when they sinned?Answer: Instead of being holy and happy, they became sinful and miserable.

Has your sin ever made you miserable? What happened? Discuss with your family how gracious it is that God didn’t leave us sinful and miserable.

Imagine what it will be like when we are once again holy and happy!

Question 36: Did Adam act for himself alone in the covenant of life?Answer: No. He represented the whole human race.

Who sins? (everyone) How do you know? (The Bible says so, see Romans 3:9-20 for one example)

Second Grade- JulyQuestion 63: How can you get the help of the Holy Spirit?Answer: God has told us to pray for the Holy Spirit’s help.

Question 64: How long ago did Christ die?Answer: About two thousand years ago.

Third Grade- JulyQuestion 104: What does the ninth commandment teach you?Answer: Never to lie, but to tell the truth at all times.

What happens when you mess up? (I admit I sinned and ask Jesus to forgive me).

Question 105: What is the tenth commandment?Answer: The tenth commandment is “ you shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, no his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

What does covet mean? (to desire wrongly) What word do we often use instead of covet? (jealousy)

Fourth Grade- JulyQuestion 133: Who are to be baptized?Answer: Believers and their children.

Ask your family about baptism. Have you been baptized? When? What was that day like? What did your parents promise?

When were your parents baptized?

Question 134: Why are we baptized even as little infants?Answer: Because God includes the children of believers in his covenant and marks them in baptism.

Here is the vow your parents take in our church when they baptize you:Do you acknowledge your child’s need of the cleansing blood of the Lord Jesus Christand the renewing grace of the Holy Spirit?

Do you claim God’s covenant promises on his behalf, and do you look to the LordJesus Christ for his salvation, as you do for your own?

Do you unreservedly dedicate your child to God, and promise, in humble reliance upon divine grace, that you will endeavor to set before him a godly example, that you will pray with and for him, that you will teach him the sacred Scriptures, and that you will strive, by all the means that God provides you, to bring him up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

Discuss with your parents what this vow means to them.

Fifth Grade- JulyQuestion 147: Will the bodies of all the dead be raised again?Answer: Yes. At the last day some will be raised to everlasting life and others to everlasting death.

See 1 Corinthians 15 to read about us being raised to life.

Question 148: What will God do to unbelievers at the last day?Answer: He will judge them, and condemn them to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire with Satan and his angels.

See Revelation 21:8 See Revelation 20:11-15…this is heavy stuff. The Bible tells us everyone will have the

chance to believe and that God doesn’t desire anyone to perish. However, He cannot be around sin and there cannot be sin in Heaven. It is important for us to share the good news because the Bible promises us that each of us will be judged. Those who trust in Jesus will have eternal life, but those who reject him will be punished.

First Grade- AugustQuestion 37: What effect did the sin of Adam have on you and all people?Answer: We are all born guilty and sinful.

Do you believe your sin is bad? Have you ever seen a little kid throw a tantrum, lie, take something that isn’t theirs? How does this show you that everyone has sin?

Read Psalm 51 together. What is David saying about how often/early we sin?

Question 38: How sinful are you by nature?Answer: I am corrupt in every part of my being.

The Bible says that even the righteous things we do are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). Why do you think this is true? (since I am sinful in nature, my own reasons for doing things are always mixed. Can you think of an example of this? Parents? Like when you do something good to get attention from someone else or when you are prideful about not doing something bad).

The fact that we are corrupt shows us how very much we need a Savior! Why don’t you thank Jesus now for doing what you (we) could not do…living a perfect life and saving us from our sin.

Second Grade- AugustQuestion 65: How were sinners saved before Christ came?Answer: By believing in the promised Messiah.

What is a prophesy? (When God would give someone information about something that would happen in the future).

Did you know there are lots of prophesies about Jesus that all came true? (born of a virgin, in Bethlehem, from David’s family, be killed, ride on a colt, etc, etc).

How can this encourage you as you believe in God’s future promises? (If He did what He promised before, He will do what He has promised to us in the future!)

Question 66: Before Christ came, how did believers show their faith?Answer: By offering the sacrifices God required.

Believers had to offer sacrifices over and over again. What do you think this would have been like?

The sacrifices involved the priest killing an animal. What do you think that would have been like to watch and know the animal died because of your family’s sin?

Third Grade- AugustQuestion 106: What does the tenth commandment teach you?Answer: To be content with whatever God chooses to give me.

What does content mean? (satisfied with who you are/what you have) Why do you think it is important to be content? (thankful for God’s gifts, because we

never really know what someone else’s life is like, so when we are jealous, we probably don’t know the whole story, because we deserve death and separation from the Lord…remembering this helps us be more thankful for what we have).

Question 107: Can you keep the ten commandments perfectly?

Answer: No. Since the fall of Adam, the only One who has been able to do this is Jesus. Do you usually think of yourself as a good kid or a bad kid? If no one keeps the commandments perfectly, what does that mean about being

good/bad? (all of us are sinners, so it isn’t good/bad that is important! If I believe in Jesus, when God looks at me, He sees Jesus’ good, not my sin anymore! This gives me freedom to do good things because I am loved and He already sees me as clean).

Question 108: Of what use are the Ten Commandments to you?Answer: They teach me what is pleasing to God, and how much I need a Savior.

How do they teach you why you need a savior? (since I cannot keep them perfectly) How do they teach you what is pleasing to God? (the commandments tell us how to

Love God and Love others. They are show us what it would look like for things to be right, if we were all keeping them.)

Fourth Grade- AugustQuestion 135: What did Jesus say about little children?Answer: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.

Have you ever thought about how much Jesus loves you? Talk about it with your parents. How does it make you feel that someone so important, someone who created everything, knows and loves you.

What does it mean to hinder? (to prevent from doing, acting, happening; to stop). How can you be hindered? How could you hinder someone else?

Question 136: What does baptism call you to be?Answer: A true follower of Christ.

What does it mean to you to be a true follower of Christ? (to believe He is who He says He is and died to save me from my sin. To trust Him for that salvation and to confess and turn away from my sin. To become more like Jesus.)

Why is baptism important? (it is a sign that reminds me of my relationship with Jesus and shows my belief to others).

Fifth Grade-AugustQuestion 149: What will God do for believers at the last day?Answer: He will give them a home with him in the new heaven and the new earth.

See Revelation 21:1-8 to read about what it will be like for us when Jesus comes back.

Question 150: What will the new heaven and the new earth be like?Answer: A glorious and happy place, where the saved will be with Jesus forever.

see above and talk about this with your family!