Caleb Walker

Resources: Lesson Manuscript, PowerPoint, and Devotional

Franklin Heights Church Connect Groups: https://franklinheights.org/connect/groups/

Review: Last week God called Israel to take the land and take out the idols. Idolatry can’t coincide with obedience. There’s got to be a clear line of demarcation. When we boey God and go forward taking any and all steps of obedience he calls us to willingly, we’re blessed with His the peace of knowing we’re in the center of His will and His presence.

Title: Remember

Text: Deuteronomy 4:1-9, 15-20

Key Verse: Deuteronomy 4:9, “⁹ “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—”

Theme: When we remember how faithful God’s been in the past, it calls us to worship Him in the present. 

Introduction: In this week’s lesson we see that we’re blessed to be called as God’s people, and this calling compels us to obey Him and seek His wisdom.

Context:

Main Points:

1. Obedience (vv. 4:1-4) “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules^[a] that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. ² You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. ³ Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. ⁴ But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today.”

     In chapters 1-3 Moses reminded the people of all God did in their journey from Sinai to Moab. The statutes here refers to the commandments and ordinances that they needed to heed as God’s people. God would give them the land, but they were active participants in that as well. They couldn’t sit back. God wanted to use them. We need to have a serious reverence for God’s Word, not adding to it or taking away from it. Our souls should lean in and seek to know God’s mind and heart expressed in His word, not just add our own spin to it. Verse 3 shows that God means business. Just look back on what he did at Baal-peor. Those under the sound of his voice were commended for not being swept up into the rebellion.

     Application: We’re called to make a choice in our day as well. You can probably look back and recount the faithfulness of God in your life, times where He faithfully guided you step by step. I know I can. God is at work in our lives today and we get to respond to his Holy Spirit’s work as active participants in the growth and process of change He has for us! It doesn’t happen to us if we neglect the word. Let’s spend quality, extended significant time reading, praying -back-to-God, studying, journaling, memorizing, meditating on God’s Word this week, and let’s share His word-especially the gospel with others.

     Let’s recall the times of blessing as well as the times where God’s sobering chastening was witnessed in our lives. And be encouraged. You’re to be commended for the fact that you’re here today kept by the power of God, having pursued Him and not rebelled against Him.

• Wisdom (vv. 5-9) “⁵ See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. ⁶ Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ ⁷ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? ⁸ And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? ⁹ “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children—”

     Moses taught God’s Word as God told him. The Disciple Briefing is primarily for Connect group Leaders, and I want to thank you for your commitment to teaching God’s Word bit-by-bit. The surrounding nations would marvel at Israel’s wisdom only as long as they drew wisdom from the only source of wisdom, our Creator God who wrote this book. Israel had a God who was majestic in His commandments and the word he spoke and then Moses wrote to them, and he is intimately close to His people as well. He exhorts them to keep a close eye out for their soul. We have to do that too, keeping a careful, watchful eye on our souls, diligently. The Christian life takes diligent focus, doesn’t it. The warning is strong here to not let ourselves stray from God and His word. He wraps up this section of Scripture reminding us to teach God’s Word to our kids and grandkids. What will your kids and grandkids say about you someday? I hope mine say, “he loved Jesus and walked closely with Him and loved others.” It’s worth our while to pause and look ahead for the next few years we have before we’re in God’s presence when He calls us home, and it serves us well to think about investing not in the temporal, but in eternity, not just in the here and now.

• Worship (15-20) “¹⁵ “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, ¹⁶ beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, ¹⁷ the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, ¹⁸ the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. ¹⁹ And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. ²⁰ But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.”

     They veered in the past toward straying in their hearts and minds, giving into their uncertainties and fears, and engaging in idol worship, and here they are warned not to repeat it. Idol worship of anything that would be set up as a figure or image of God was forbidden. We must guard our hearts from worshiping only the Creator, not just the creation. Creation is great, don’t get me wrong. But it’s designed to lift our hearts and minds to the infinitely all-surpassing greater One who made it all! Who made us and gave us the chance to behold it in wonder and awe. Verse 20 is like an Old Testament gospel explanation. The Lord took them out of Egypt, and for those who’ve called on Him and entrusted their lives to Him as Savior and Lord turning from sin to Him He has taken us out of our old man that old sin nature and the fiery furnace of eternal separation from Him and He has made us a people of His own inheritance, His family for eternity.

Doctrine: Our key doctrine for this week is The Scriptures.

     Lifeway says, “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.”

Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand forever.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God^[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Gospel:

Gospel Conversation Transition Statement: “I haven’t dealt with that exact consequential circumstance, but I have experienced similar consequences. May I share with you the hope I have found in Jesus?”

Big Takeaway(s): We’re blessed to be called as God’s people, and this calling compels us to obey Him and seek His wisdom.

Discussion Questions:

How can we nurture a heart of obedience this week?
Why is God infinitely set apart from other so-called “gods” on this earth and why?

How do we know when we are worshiping God with genuineness?

What is one of your big takeaways from God’s Word here?

Please share your takeaway within your group and add your takeaway it in the comments.

Devotional: How to Experience God’s Blessing on your Group Discussion

     We are not to superimpose “our take” on truth. We are not to hyper-project our 2025 cultural “two cents” onto Scripture. Rather, we are to come to the Scripture, read the text, study the cross references, consult scholarly resources, look at the original meaning of the passage, study the original word meaning, careful look at the context in which the text was written. The best Bible studies are inductive, searching and studying the text for the meaning as God intended. I am a huge proponent of Connect Group studies that are discussion-oriented. I am not a huge proponent of Bible studies that are discussion-based.

     Here’s what I mean: All discussion needs to be based in the Bible, not in the impressions, intuitions, or compulsions, or ideas, or personal feelings of the group participants. Rather than superimposing our take on the text, we need to submit ourselves to the text and let the text govern and direct the discussion and apply to our lives and change our  impressions, intuitions, compulsions, ideas, personal feelings, affections, and behaviors as a result of having genuinely sought God’s wisdom from His word. Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

     The Bible teacher has a responsibility to guide the discussion to be Bible-centric, Bible-applicational, and to redirect to the Bible as needed when the discussion starts veering off the rails. How can a teacher/facilitator/Connect Group Leader guide discussion effectively for God to accomplish a greater work in hearts?

(1) Keep Discussion Bible-centric:

• In your own words, how would you summarize this passage/verse?
• In your own words, what are the principles/truths expressed in this passage?
• Could someone look up and read for us x, y, r z cross reference for us to gain a better understating of other relatable verses to this one?
• How does this verse impact our lives so that we are changed more into Christlikeness?

(2) Keep Discussion Bible-applicational:

• What questions does this Bible passage raise in your heart and mind?
• What was something new you see from this passage that you never knew before?
• What is one area of your life that this passage speaks into/calls for transformation in?
• How do you see that change happening in practical ways/in real life?
• How can we all pursue that type of change?
• How would you encourage another brother or sister in Christ to apply this passage this week?

What is one shared goal we can all do to apply this passage into our lives this week?

(3) Keep Discussion Bible-redirected: In the event the discussion goes into feelings-based, impression-based, idea-based, or away from the Bible, here are some helpful ways to steer the conversation back to God’s Word.

• Thank you for sharing that input. From what you have shared, what Biblical support are you basing those ideas on?
• Thank you for sharing that. Look at verse _____. How does this apply to what you’re sharing?
• Thank you for sharing that. You said something that God’s Word speaks to in ________ passage; let’s look at that and then I want us to discuss verse _____ from our passage.

How to deal with erroneous ideas expressed by a group member: *What should you do if someone is saying things that are doctrinally unsound, mystically impressionistic rather than biblically sound, or are off-in-left-field in some way? I’m glad you asked. You do not want to be unkind, but do need to be clear and point them to the Bible. Sometimes, these situations are blessings because as the person is sharing, others will be nodding and agreeing along. Chances are they would be just as easily swayed in a setting outside of your group, so the Lord has blessed you with being made aware of this individual’s error. Coming straight out with, “That’s not biblical” may not be the best way to respond in a way that will encourage a receptive listening response from the individual.

     While the person is sharing, if you hear the response and need to do some on-the-fly research on your laptop consulting with a commentary, Blue Letter Bible, or Got Questions.org, assure the individual you’re listening to them, but want to double check what they’re sharing with Scripture. This prepares them for your reponse, let’s them know you’re listening, reassures them that they can keep sharing, but also reminds them that all discussion and influence that comes from that discussion will be tested by Scripture, and you do this in a gentle way.  You don’t have to be unkind, but you do need to.

So here are some recommended response statements:

• I hear what you’re saying, Scripture gives us clarity on these thoughts from _______ passage explained by __________reliable scholarly source.
• I hear what you’re saying. Let’s all look at _________ passage that will shed some light on this topic.
• I appreciate you sharing your heart. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what I feel about this topic, but what God’s word says, and I’m thankful that we all are here to search for God’s truth on this matter. Please turn to ______ passage, which will give some clarity.

     As you get to know the people in your group in and outside of Connect Group you will be able to better disciple them and discuss any erroneous ideas they may have in those settings, as well. The leader needs to be asking himself as he or she approaches teaching a lesson, what are the potential false ideas this passage confronts? That way you’re prepared for the potential for the conversation getting off the rails, and you can steer it back. Some folks see the Bible through a hyper-grace (which is really no grace at all) lens vs. a legalistic lens, a passive lens vs. aggressive lens, a free will vs. a sovereign grace lens, and they need a leader is a prepared and prayed-up Biblicist.

     This can feel a little awkward, but if you have your redirecting statements prepared, you can be ready. You as the Bible teacher have the responsibility to guide and steer the discussion time as well as the study time. Another recommendation to keep your group Bible-centric:

• Have people bring their Bibles.
• Have some Bible copies on hand for visitors, as well as study guides.
• Use a solid curriculum to provide parameters and keep your group on course.
• Have extra copies of the Study Guide on hand for visitors to use.
• Have some spare pens available.
• Read the passage from your hard copy of the Bible, not off some device. That exemplary visual impact as people see you as the facilitator/leader reading the Bible will make an impact.