Honor is a small word that contains a lot of action. In Deuteronomy 4:1-9, Moses gives us a list of actions that will help us learn how to best honor God. The approach taken in this week's Downloadable Teaching Ideas focuses on looking at the passage in its entirety, identifying the actions that will honor God, and then discussing how they apply to us.
Opening Illustration
Consider using the following illustration to begin the discussion on the subject of honor:
Has anyone ever heard of Mess Attendant 2nd Class Doris Miller? He was a black American sailor who fired back on Japanese planes with a machine gun on December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. At the time, black Americans were not allowed to man a gun in the Navy; yet he stepped up and did what needed to be done on that fateful day.
In honor of his heroism, he was the first black American to receive the Navy Cross for valor. Sadly, he didn’t survive the war, being pronounced dead at sea when the ship he was on was attacked by a Japanese submarine during the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
This past Monday (January 20, 2020), the Navy announced it will name its new $12.5 billion aircraft carrier after Miller in honor of his service and heroism.
(Source: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/navy/478953-new-aircraft-carrier-to-be-named-after-1st-black-american-that-received)
List of Actions to Discuss
Below are the list of actions. Be sure to check out all the discussion points regarding each of these actions in the downloadable teaching ideas.
- Listen - Deuteronomy 4:1
- You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it - Deuteronomy 4:2
- Your eyes have seen (Remember) - Deuteronomy 4:3
- Carefully follow them - Deuteronomy 4:6
- Be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves - Deuteronomy 4:9
- Teach them to your children and your grandchildren - Deuteronomy 4:9
DOWNLOAD THE SUPPLEMENTAL TEACHING IDEAS
