Dear parents,

This Sunday we start a new small group series focused on the Old Testament Law and the Prophets. Our key verse from this week's lesson (Proverbs 1:7) reminds us that knowledge begins with fear (awe, respect, reverence) for the Lord. God's audible delivery of the Ten Commandments to the Israelites included a reminder of how they had been freed from slavery. From Exodus 20, we can see the importance of several priorities: being in constant awe of God (vs. 2, 20), giving God top spot in our lives (vs. 3-11), treating others with love and respect (vs. 12-17), and keeping our motives pure (v. 17).

We reminded the students that although most of the Commandments are worded "negatively," we must not forget the "flip side." For example, the flip side of "You shall not murder" is "Love one another." The absence of murder is only half the story to living a God-honoring life.

During the next few days, consider asking your teenager some of these questions:

• When have we seen God at work in our family? (Consider building an "altar of remembrance" to help honor the times you saw God at work in your family.)
• On a scale of 1-10, how do you think we do as a family in putting God first? Why?
• What are some things we can do together to show love and respect for neighbors?

Thanks for your prayers for our student ministry. It's great to see what God is doing in our teenagers' lives!

Chris