70% of children born to offenders will serve time in jail.  According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics: The U.S. incarceration rate on December 31, 2008 was 1 out of every 133 U.S. residents.  If a sixth grade class had 133 students, just one of those kids would go to jail as an adult using the statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Justice. 

If all of those 133 students were children of offenders, then 70% equals 93 of the 133 children would go to jail as an adult. 

Forty (40) kids might get a chance for a normal life.  This should break your heart.  Ninety-three (93) kids do not have a chance and it is all because of their parents.  This is unacceptable.  You can make a difference in the lives of these kids by teaching them the basic principles of God's Word and showing them how to walk by walking with God.  My job as a prison minister is to encourage their parents to seek God's face.

70% of children born to offenders will serve time in jail.
90% of women in prison have been sexually abused as children.
30% of men in prison have been sexually abused as children.
If all 93 children of offenders going to jail were boys, 28 would have been sexually abused.
If all 93 children of offenders going to jail were female, 84 would have been sexually abused.  This should break your heart.  Sin creates destruction.  You invite destruction when you accept sin in your life.  Repent and walk with God. 

Today I want to focus on three key aspects when teaching your kids about God's redemption plan.
1.  The Seed. 
2.  The Lamb.
3.  The Kingdom.
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Seed

Genesis 3:15
And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

As soon as sin and death entered this world, God referenced His plan of redemption.  Always remember that God is in control.  As crazy as our life can become, we must always remember that God is in control.  When you read Genesis and Exodus the overriding theme is that God is in control.  Notice one major point; seed does not come from a female.  That reference to 'her seed' is talking about the virgin birth as seen below in Luke 1:30-35. 

God has always had a plan of redemption.  Peter, James and John were Jesus' closest friends when He walked this earth.  Peter describes God in 1 Peter:1-2 by saying that according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.  The foreknowledge is the plan of redemption for mankind.  In God's Word, He has revealed His plan of redemption for you.
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Lamb

Genesis 22:7-8
Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"  Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together. 

How did Abraham know about offering a lamb or about preparing a burnt offering?  We are not specifically told in scripture, but it must be assumed that God revealed it to Abraham.  When Noah prepared the ark, God instructed him to bring clean animals for an offering afterwards.  Scripture never goes into specifics about what God told Noah or when He told him, but Noah knew.  Abel offered the firstlings of his flock and God accepted his offering and rejected Cain's offering.  Scripture does not specifically state that Abel's flock were sheep, but that is the assumption.  Scripture does not tell us how Abel knew that God required a blood offering and the first fruits of his flock, but God was pleased with Abel.  Do not get wrapped up in what we do not know.  You must deal with what God has revealed. 
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Kingdom

Daniel 2: 44-45
In the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.  Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy." 

How Jewish people can read Daniel and not see Jesus is beyond me.  The dream given to Nebuchadnezzar was a timeline of history.  The stone cut without hands became a great mountain and filled the earth.  Who is the stone?  The stone is Jesus.  Jesus came in the time of the Roman empire just like Daniel predicted.  Open your bibles to . . . 

John 18:36-37
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world.  If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”  Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 

We are told in other parts of scripture that the truth is another name for the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove as a sign to John the Baptist and then Jesus began doing miracles.  The miracles from the Holy Spirit testified that Jesus is the Messiah and Jesus testified to the truth that the Holy Spirit from God was upon Him.  Teach your kids the form and function of the Father, Jesus as the Son and the Holy Spirit.  All three are God, but all three are distinct in form and function. 

Confused?  Then seek the grace and compassion of God in prayer just like Daniel.  We pray to the Father through Jesus because His sacrifice gives us passage to His throne and then our prayer is  interpreted by the Holy Spirit because we are adopted as His children.  You will be reading Daniel in your homework over the next few weeks, so make sure you are reading with your eyes open. 
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Seed

God's plan all starts with basic truths.  Man disobeyed and brought death into this world.  God already has a solution prepared for death and tells Adam, Eve and Satan about the seed in Genesis 3:15.  The seed is God Himself will be entering into His creation.  He was born to a virgin, lived a perfect life and then gave Himself as our offering for sin as the Lamb of God.  Jesus defeated death and was raised on the third day.  That is the gospel.  It all starts with the seed.  As teachers to your kids, you must know the basic gospel. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Genesis 22:18
In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

Here God is telling Abraham about his seed (the one person in a future generation) who will be a blessing to all nations.  Now look at the whole passage and I want to show you something that you need to tell your kids. 

Genesis 22:15-18
Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, "By Myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.  In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice."

Do not miss this; the Angel of the Lord just called Himself the Lord.  Then He tells Abraham the three prong promise which is 1) multiple your descendants, 2) give you the land, and 3) in your seed (singular) all the nations will be blessed.  If you did not know, Jesus is the Angel of the Lord.  This is Who talked to Moses from the burning bush, this is Who met Abraham on His way to Sodom with a couple angels, and this is Who entered into the creation He built to save mankind from itself.  Jesus goes by more than just that name, but that is the name for man to be saved.  Jesus is also known as the Word as seen in John 1 and Ezekiel.
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Lamb

Isaiah 53:5-7
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.  All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.

700 years before Jesus was born to the virgin, Isaiah described the Messiah.  How Jewish people can read Isaiah 53 and not see Jesus is beyond me. 
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Kingdom

2 Samuel 7:12-13
When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 

Luke 1:30-35
And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  "And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.  "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; and His kingdom will have no end."  And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"  And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.

Salvation is a God thing, not a man thing.  Ours deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags.  We must come to God in the way that God prescribes.  Again see John 14:6 where Jesus says that He is the way, the truth and the life.  Man's job is to realize that he is lost and needs to be saved.  False religion is all about self righteousness by works and that is not God's plan of redemption.  Open your bibles to Acts 26:17-18 and see again what Jesus said to Paul about where man starts.  Man is under the dominion of Satan in darkness.  Man is sanctified by faith in Jesus and given an inheritance.  For a Christian, this life is just the starting point of our journey with God.  In Genesis 48:15-16, Israel (Jacob) just before his death talks about God being his shepherd and the Angel who has redeemed me.  It took Israel a few years, but he finally realized that he needed a redeemer.  Forever is a very long time and life starts now with Jesus.  All mankind has a ticket to death because of sin.  Repent and find true life in Jesus as your Redeemer. 
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Seed

Did you catch the statement in Genesis 22:15-18 where God says to Abraham 'your only son'?  What about Ishmael?  Ishmael is thirteen years older than his half brother Isaac. 
Open your bibles to . . . 

Genesis 17:17-21
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?"  And Abraham said to God, "Oh that Ishmael might live before You!"  But God said, "No, but Sarah your wife will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.  As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly.  He shall become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.  But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you at this season next year."

God did not forget about Ishmael, but apparently God considers the child from the wife to be the only true son.  Think about Jacob and Leah.  Leah gave birth to six of the twelve tribes and those six tribes play the key roles in the history of Israel.  God also used Joseph from Rachel, but Judah and Levi are from Leah.  Now consider this, the first time we see the Angel of the Lord in scripture is when He speaks to Ishmael's mom Hagar in Genesis 16:7-11. 

Genesis 17:10
This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 

Here is that covenant again.  God refers to it as My covenant and it will be marked by the act of circumcision.  When I teach anything like this in Sunday School with my youth, they will giggle and laugh because it talks about private parts.  God does not giggle, but I think He understands.  God is trying to point mankind to His seed who would be a blessing to the world.  The seed is the singular person referred to in Genesis 3:15 when God announced the seed of woman would crush Satan's head.  That seed is Jesus.

Exodus 4:21-26
The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.  Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.  So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.” 

Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.  Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”  So He let him alone.  At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision. 

Circumcision is a reference to the seed.  I hope you can see that relationship.  Blood is part of the deal.  Blood is not a pretty image, but neither is sin.  Moses had to get himself right before God before God would allow him to get involved in His plan.  Back in Genesis 15:13 before the covenant sign of circumcision was given, God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land and would be enslaved four hundred years.  In Exodus 12:40-41 the nation left Egypt on the very day God prescribed.  God is in control.  Here in Exodus 4:21-26, Moses is about to lead God's people out of bondage, but all mankind must get himself right with God.  In John 14:6 Jesus said He is the way to get right with God.  No one comes to the Father but through Jesus.  When Jesus says no one, that means no one on earth in all of history can come to the Father except through Jesus. 
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Lamb

John 1:29-36
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, 
"Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 
30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, 'After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.' 
31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." 
32 John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 
33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 
34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." 
35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 
36 and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" 
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

In John 1:29 John the Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  That was a huge statement.  Unfortunately today, most people miss it.  The Lamb of God refers to the lamb offered for the sins of the nation once a year on the Day of Atonement by the High Priest.  The Day of Atonement is the most holy of all religious days for the nation of Israel.  Most people today do not realize the significance of that statement by John the Baptist because we are not as familiar with the sacrifices described in the Law.  In the audience that day was Jewish Pharisees, Priests and Levites and they understood what John had just said about Jesus.  When John called Jesus the Lamb of God, John was calling Jesus the Messiah. 

Most Christians do not understand that in the temple each day a lamb was sacrificed in the morning for the nation and another lamb each evening for the nation.  An additional lamb was offered each Sabbath plus another was sacrificed each new moon or each month.  The lamb is also the central element to the Passover celebration another very holy Jewish celebration.  A lamb was slain for each family and at the Exodus from Egypt the blood was used to anoint the door posts of the home.  The animal was then roasted and each individual family members had to part take of the lamb offering. 
 
 

God's Redemption Plan - The Kingdom

Matthew 3:2
(John the Baptist preaching) “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:17
From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Now, I hope you can see by these verses the significance of the kingdom.  As you read your bible I hope you start to see the kingdom referenced everywhere.  When Jesus sent out the twelve to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He told them;

Matthew 10:7
"And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'

When Jesus sent out the seventy to the world they were told;

Luke 10:8-11
(9) ...and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' ...

When Jesus approached Jerusalem for the last time on His triumphal entry notice what the people were crying out.

Mark 11:9-10
And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying out, "Hosanna!  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!"

Ok, at this point you might be asking yourself "Why have I not seen this before?".  Go one step further; highlight every reference of the kingdom in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  You will be blown away by all the references and most of them are by Jesus.  When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray; ... Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done...  Almost all the parables Jesus taught are references to the kingdom.  Why have you not seen this before?  Let me show you why in scripture.

Mark 4:11
And He was saying to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside get everything in parables,...

As I mentioned before, the Messiah was promised to Abraham and the Kingdom promised to David.  In both situations, both men struggled to understand God's method.  Abraham thought God was talking about Ishmael (Genesis 17:15-22), but God corrected him and said the covenant was with Isaac.  David thought the promise was for Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:6-11 and 1 Chronicles 28:1-8), but God corrected him and Solomon is dead and buried just like David.

1 Chronicles 17: 10 (last sentence) - 14
Last sentence where God tells David about a house He will build)  Moreover, I tell you that the Lord will build a house for you. "And it shall come about when your days are fulfilled that you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up one of your descendants after you, who shall be of your sons; and will establish his kingdom.  "He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever.  "I will be his father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My loving kindness away from him, as I took it from him who was before you.  "But I will settle him in My house and in My kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever."

Luke 17:20-21
Now having been questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God was coming, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst.".”

Romans 14:14-19
I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.  For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love.  Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.  Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.  So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 
 
 

Luke 13:6-9
And He (Jesus) began telling this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it, and did not find any.  "And he said to the vineyard-keeper, 'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.  Cut it down!  Why does it even use up the ground?'  "And he answered and said to him, 'Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.

I like to start this section of the class with this parable because I want the inmates to see themselves as the fig tree.  I want this course to be fertilizer and a period for them to grow in their relationship with God.  The fruit in our lives is our impact on other people.  It is common for people to think the fruit refers to good deeds, but it refers to positive relationships with other people which will have good deeds mixed in as we invest in their lives out of love.  God is not interested in works, but in the hearts and lives of man.  Men made in the image of the Living God, but born in darkness.  Jesus is the light. 

Acts 26:18
(Jesus speaking to Paul) . . . to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' 

Our fruit is to present the light of God to the darkness of man in hopes that they will be saved by God's mercy.  God allows us to get involved in His great work.  This statement assumes that your eyes are closed.  This statement from Jesus assumes that mankind is in darkness and in the domain of Satan.  Did you ever stop and just think of your life before the knowledge of who Jesus is as your Christ?  Jesus is your way to the Father and the Holy Spirit guides you along that path.  This is grace.  This is the grace we need to tell our kids about. 
Open your bibles to . . .

Genesis 15:18
On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

Genesis 15 is a very interesting chapter.  Verse 5 is that famous verse where God tells Abram (name not changed to Abraham yet) to count the stars and know that his descendants will be like that.  Verse 6 is the even more famous verse where Abram believed God and God accounted that faith to Abram as righteousness.  Jesus is our righteousness.  Abram had faith in God's Word. 

What about the land?  God said the descendants could have from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates.  Israel has never occupied that land mass.  Think about that in relation to your Christian walk.  God has promised you a great life mass.  What are you occupying?  If you look at a map, God gave these people what later was discovered as the largest oil rich location on the planet.  If Israel could have walked in faith like Abram and took hold of the land, today they would be the most powerful and blessed nation in all human history.  Think about that in relation to your Christian walk.  Have you occupied the life mass God intended for you to have?
Open your bibles to . . .

John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me. 

As our kids are bombarded with scientists in school who tell them they evolved from slime or a fish, we must remind them that they are made in the image of the Living God.  Our kids will be told everything except truth so we must teach our kids the basic principles like Jesus is the solution to the problem of this world.  Jesus is the seed promised to Adam and Eve when sin entered this world.  Jesus is the seed promised to Abram who would be a blessing to the world.  Jesus is the Messiah or Christ to redeem man and God.  Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  That's not all. 

In John 1:19-25 John the Baptist is talking to the priests and Levites and they asked him if he was the prophet Moses talked about.  This was a big deal to the Jewish community.  The Jews were looking for the Messiah (Christ).  They were looking for the prophet.  They were looking for the Son of David to take the throne.  They did not realize Jesus was all this and more.  Jesus is God.  Jesus entered into His creation for our redemption by His power.
Open your bibles to . . . 

Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law. 

To us and to our sons forever assumes that fathers are instructing their children.  All ministry is God's ministry.  Your job as an instructor is not be be entertaining or super smart, but obedient.  Your job is to walk the Word in your life each and every day.  When you do open the Word of God, your life should reflects what God is teaching. 
Open your bibles to . . . 

Daniel 2:17-18
Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

When you pray, do you approach God in this manner?  Do you seek the compassion from the God of heaven who made you in His image?  Prayer is more about how we approach God than the words used in prayer.  God already knows your words, He wants to see your approach.  Are you coming to God on your own righteousness or are you walking in the shadow of Jesus? 
Open your bibles to . . .

Daniel 2:27-28
Daniel answered before the king and said, "As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.  However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. 

God is in control.  This vision is not just for the kng, but for mankind to see the hand of God working in the lives of men.  Open your bibles to . . .

Open your bibles to . . . 

Deuteronomy 18:15-18
“The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.  This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’  The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 

Luke 9:35
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”

This is not the first time God spoke from above to mankind.  In Luke 3:22 a voice came out of heaven when Jesus was baptized and said "Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased." 

Psalm 25:14 (4-14)
The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant.

Hebrews 4:6; Rest . . .  some enter . . . failed to enter . . .  disobedience . . .
 
 

Deuteronomy 2:2-6
And the Lord spoke to me, saying, 'You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north, and command the people, saying, "You will pass through the territory of your brothers the sons of Esau who live in Seir; and they will be afraid of you. So be very careful; do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.  You shall buy food from them with money so that you may eat, and you shall also purchase water from them with money so that you may drink.

Deuteronomy 2:9
Then the Lord said to me, 'Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.' 

Deuteronomy 4:1-4
"Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.  You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.  Your eyes have seen what the Lord has done in the case of Baal-peor, for all the men who followed Baal-peor, the Lord your God has destroyed them from among you.  But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.

Deuteronomy 4:9-10
"Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.  Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when the Lord said to me, 'Assemble the people to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'

Deuteronomy 4:27-31
The Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord drives you.  There you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.  But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.  When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the Lord your God and listen to His voice. For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. 

Deuteronomy 5:28-29
"The Lord heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.  Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!

Deuteronomy 6:4-7
"Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!  You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 

Deutereonomy 7:12-16
"Then it shall come about, because you listen to these judgments and keep and do them, that the Lord your God will keep with you His covenant and His lovingkindness which He swore to your forefathers.  He will love you and bless you and multiply you; He will also bless the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, your grain and your new wine and your oil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock, in the land which He swore to your forefathers to give you.  You shall be blessed above all peoples; there will be no male or female barren among you or among your cattle.  The Lord will remove from you all sickness; and He will not put on you any of the harmful diseases of Egypt which you have known, but He will lay them on all who hate you.  You shall consume all the peoples whom the Lord your God will deliver to you; your eye shall not pity them, nor shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you. 

Deuteronomy 18:9-14
"When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the detestable things of those nations.  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For whoever does these things is detestable to the Lord; and because of these detestable things the Lord your God will drive them out before you.  You shall be blameless before the Lord your God.  For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you to do so. 

Deuteronomy 31:12-13
Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law.  Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess."