RELIGIOUS VIRTUE GROUP

Because I value my relationship with God, I choose to know His character and respond to Him in my worship and life.

 

How To Be Like Jesus

Reverence

God only is holy and good. He is great and wonderful. His name is holy. His Bible and His church are holy because they belong to Him. I show reverence to Him by how I pray, speak His name, treat the Bible, and act in meetings where He is worshiped.

I choose to show God reverence.

Definition

Reverence related virtues: Holy awe.

Reverence means: Recognizing the presence of God.
Speaking quietly in church;
Treating the furniture, books and other things of church as sacred property of God;
Focusing on spiritual things; keeping secular books and magazines and eating out of church.
Recognizing the sacredness of God’s Word, the Bible, by handling it with respect and not placing other books on top of it;
Showing respect for a holy place by doing, according to the culture, such things as taking off your shoes at the door; acknowledging God’s presence in church by saying a prayer as you enter;
Keeping the subject of any talk on spiritual matters;
Choosing clothes that would be your best for a visit with a most honored person;
Speaking about God’s church and church leaders with respect to their sacred office;
Focusing on worship activities as a way of showing your worship, praise and thanksgiving to God
Making each part of the program your personal communication with God.


Artwork Music

See flipchart

Click picture below:

Be silent, Be silent, SDAH 479
Before Jehovah’s Awful Throne, SDAH 82
Holy, Holy, Holy, SDAH 73
Holy, Holy, is what the Angels Sing, SDAH 425
Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence, SDAH 662
Arise, My Soul, Arise, SDAH 38
Lord in the Morning, SDAH 39
Dear Lord and Father (Chorus) SDAH 480
Dear Lord and Father, SDAH 481

Student Life Applications

1. People sitting in church pews with bowed heads, their eyes may be open
2. A row of children sitting in church doing various things:
one is unwrapping candy to eat, one is reading secular material, two are talking,
one sits in the middle with his Bible in his hand and is listening to the Pastor
3. Two students sitting in church are talking, a third student has fingers to lips for “shhhh”
4. Student placing his Bible on the TOP of a short stack of books
5. Student taking off their shoes as they enter the church
6. People bowing in prayer position (hands, eyes, head, bowing)
7. People wearing their best clothes to church
8. Walking quietly in church
9. Showing what NOT to do in church:
putting feet on pews, running on the platform, playing with the microphones
10. Isaiah says “our God is high and lifted up”
11. Student bowing his head in prayer upon entering his pew
12. Family walking to church carrying their Bibles passing a group of children who are playing in play clothes
13. A composite showing different forms of worship: Student bowing to floor, standing with eyes upward to God, kneeling with head down, shoes off before the entering church.
14. Angels bowing before the Throne of God (a brilliant light, gold throne, rainbow, etc.)
15. Two small children walking to the church pew, one is holding her finger to her lips and saying, “Shhh”.
16. Student alone, reading own Bible and looking up

Bible, E.G. White


Duet. 10:17 For the Lord your God is God of gods
Reverence for the church: Lev. 19:30; 26:2; Ecc. 5:1; Hebrews 2:20; Psalm 89:7
Reverence for His name: Hebrews 12:28; Psalm 111:9; Ezekiel. 44:23;
Habakkuk 2:20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.
Hebrews 12:28 Let us . . . worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
Psalm 89:7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him.
Exocus 3:5, 6 Moses takes his shoes off at burning bush
Exodus 19:12 At Mt. Sinai people prepare to have God speak to them
Exodus 20 3rd Commandment
Psalm 33:8 Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him

“ . . . the child who by trust and submission and reverence toward his earthly protectors learns to trust and obey and reverence his God.” Ed 245
“Angels delight in a home where God reigns supreme, and the children are taught to reverence religion, the Bible, and their Creator. 5T 425
“The hour and place of prayer and the services of public worship the child should be taught to regard as sacred because God is there. And as reverence is manifested in attitude and demeanor, the feeling that inspires it will be deepened.” Ed 242-3

 

Reinforcing Stories

"Proud of It", Book Five, Great Stories for Kids by Jerry D. Thomas, pg. 104

 

Student Activities


Why do Adventist use the term Pastor rather than Reverend for our church leaders? Does that mean that we don’t need to show respect for God’s appointed leaders?
Discuss which of the following would or would not be allowed if you were to visit the head of your country as compared with visiting God in church. (Whisper or talk and joke with friend; eat snack, wear casual clothes; do other things when he is speaking; walk out in the middle of the visit to go to the bathroom; read a magazine; Play on the stage or chair where he/she will be; etc.)
Discuss how we can show reverence to God in the following situations:
a handle His Holy Bible;
b our posture in prayer;
c speak the name of God;
d reaction when someone uses God’s name in a curse or slang;
e How we act in Sabbath school and church;
f How we treat the furniture and property at church;
g How we treat the things that God has made;

 

Links to the Curriculum
Math and Science: Much of our natural world operates on systematic ways that can be understood by mathematics. Sound, light, music, gravity, stars and planets, ocean tides, temperature etc. Man is only discovering and classifying in mathematical terms what God created. Realizing how great our God is leads us to treat Him with reverence.
Biology: When we look at all living things from the smallest cell to the largest tree or animal we can see a wonderful
master design that could not have happened by chance even after a very long time. When we think that God carefully made these living things we are compelled to praise Him and show Him reverence more than the respect we would show to even the greatest scientist or discoverer.
Language Arts: Capitalize names of people. God has more names than anyone and the Hebrew name for God is written all in capital letters.
Social Studies: Government protocols for visiting dignitaries demand high respect, certainly we can give reverence to the King of the Universe.

Resources

Great Stories for Kids, by Jerry D. Thomas, PPPA, 1999

Evaluation

Compare how student show reverence before and after the values lesson.
Notice how students act during prayer;

Primary:
Tell or write about a time when you saw someone show reverence.
Tell two ways that you can show reverence.
What is the opposite of reverence? Who makes us act that way?
How do you think God feels when He sees people who are reverent?
How do you feel when you show reverence?
What makes you want to show reverence?
Finish the sentence: We can show reverence when we..........

Middle:
Why does God care if I am reverent?
What difference does it make whether I show reverence or not?
What effect would it have on my future if I did not choose to be reverent?
How would people treat me differently if I did or didn’t choose to show reverence?
How would I feel about myself if I did or did not choose to be reverence?
Give some reasons why you think it is best to show reverence. Why would someone do differently?
What makes choosing to be reverent better than the opposite?
List some ways that a person might be reverent without anyone noticing?
Is it possible for a person to get better at being reverent? Explain.
Can you think of someone who seems good at showing reverence? What makes them better at it?
How could you learn to be better at being reverent?
How often do you show reverence? Think of the last three times and tell me.
Do you like to join in when people are being reverent? How have you joined in?

High school:
Would you practice reverence if no one was checking on you? Your parents, school, or the law?
What is the alternative to reverence and what do you see as the results of that choice?
Would you recognize it if someone was not fully reverent? How?
Would you keep quiet if someone paid you a lot of money not to be reverent?
Are you proud to be reverent and willing to tell others how you feel?
If someone in a group spoke out against reverence would you speak up to give the other side?
Are you willing to put some of your money toward supporting reverence in your city, class, work?
Can you say that showing reverence has become a habit? How often are you that way?
Do you see your family practicing reverence? How about your church, city, or nation? Does it make much difference if they do?
What do you think should be done to promote reverence in your family, friends, church, city, and nation?