Loving God and Passing Faith: Lessons from Moses

The holiness of God stands at the center of our lives and our faith. From the repeated refrain of “Holy, holy, holy Lord,” we are reminded that God is utterly set apart, unique, and worthy of all our worship. This holiness is not just a distant attribute but a reality that shapes how we live, love, and pass on faith. As Moses addressed the new generation of Israelites in Deuteronomy, he called them to remember God’s faithfulness, to keep His covenant, and to live with His Word at the very center of their lives. The Shema—“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and might”—is both a daily prayer and a radical declaration of loyalty to the one true God in a world full of competing voices.

This call is not just for ancient Israel but for us today. We are to keep God’s Word front and center, teaching it to our children, letting it shape our homes, our conversations, and our daily routines. When we lose sight of God’s Word, we drift into darkness and confusion. But when we listen, obey, and pass on what we have received, we participate in God’s ongoing story of salvation. Jesus Himself affirmed the Shema as the greatest commandment, and He added that loving our neighbor flows directly from loving God. Our faith is not a private possession but a gift to be shared, a legacy to be passed on.

As Deuteronomy closes, Moses stands on Mount Nebo, glimpsing the Promised Land but not entering it. This moment is both poignant and instructive. Moses, despite his faithfulness, does not see the fullness of God’s promise in his lifetime. This teaches us that God’s plans are always bigger than our individual stories. Like Moses, Abraham, David, and Peter, we play our part in God’s grand narrative, often only glimpsing the impact of our faithfulness. We may never see the full fruit of our prayers, our witness, or our service, but we trust that God is weaving all things together for His glory.

Our calling is to love God wholeheartedly, keep His Word central, and pass faith on to the next generation. We are part of a story much greater than ourselves, and one day, in God’s presence, we will see how our small acts of faithfulness fit into His eternal plan. Until then, we live by faith, trusting that the greatest things we do are often those whose results we may never fully see.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s Holiness Demands Our Wholehearted Devotion The repeated declaration of God’s holiness is not just a statement about who God is, but a call to respond with our entire being. To recognize God as holy is to set Him apart in our hearts, to let His character shape our worship, our priorities, and our daily lives. This is the foundation for everything else: God is holy, and we are called to be His holy people. [29:06]
• 2. The Shema: Keeping God’s Word Front and Center Moses’ command to love God with all our heart, soul, and might is more than a rule—it is a way of life. The Shema calls us to saturate our homes, our routines, and our relationships with God’s Word, teaching it diligently to the next generation. When God’s Word is central, it becomes the plumb line that keeps us aligned with His purposes, preventing us from wandering into spiritual darkness. [36:49]
• 3. Faithfulness Means Passing On What We’ve Received Our faith is not meant to be hoarded or hidden; it is a legacy to be shared. Like Moses, we are called to remind, teach, and encourage those who come after us, passing on the story of God’s faithfulness. This is not just about biological children, but about everyone God places in our path—friends, neighbors, coworkers—anyone who needs to see and hear the love of Christ through us. [41:19]
• 4. We Only Glimpse the Fullness of God’s Promises in This Life Moses’ view of the Promised Land without entering it is a powerful reminder that God’s plans are bigger than our lifespans. We may see glimpses of God’s kingdom breaking in—answered prayers, transformed lives—but the full story is beyond us. Our role is to be faithful in our part, trusting that God is weaving our small acts into His grand design, even if we never see the end result. [48:50]
• 5. Our Greatest Achievements Are Often Unseen The most significant things we do—helping others know the Lord, sowing seeds of faith, loving sacrificially—are often things whose impact we may never fully witness. Like Abraham, Moses, David, and Peter, we play a part in a story that stretches beyond our generation. One day, in God’s presence, we will see how our faithfulness contributed to His eternal purposes, but until then, we live by faith, not by sight. [55:08]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [28:56] - Holy, Holy, Holy Lord
• [31:13] - The Exodus Generation and the Covenant
• [32:51] - The Shema: Deuteronomy 6
• [33:56] - The Danger of Forgetting God
• [34:33] - The Shema as Daily Prayer
• [35:42] - Radical Monotheism in a Polytheistic World
• [36:49] - Keeping God’s Word Central
• [38:48] - Jesus and the Greatest Commandment
• [40:04] - Passing Faith to the Next Generation
• [41:43] - The Body of Christ and Our Shared Mission
• [43:20] - Moses’ Final Words and Legacy
• [44:23] - Moses Glimpses the Promised Land
• [48:19] - The Limits of Our Perspective
• [51:31] - Our Part in God’s Bigger Story
• [54:46] - Awaiting the Fullness of God’s Promises
• [56:39] - Closing Prayer

Bible Reading

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (ESV) — > “Hear, O Israel: The Lord 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. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, 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. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

Deuteronomy 34:1-8 (ESV) — > Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land, Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negeb, and the Plain, that is, the Valley of Jericho the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar. And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not go over there.” So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. And the people of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

Matthew 22:36-40 (ESV) — > “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Observation Questions

1. In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, what specific instructions does Moses give the Israelites about how to keep God’s Word central in their lives and homes?
2. According to Deuteronomy 34:1-8, what does God allow Moses to see before he dies, and what is significant about this moment?
3. When Jesus is asked about the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:36-40, how does He summarize the law, and what does He add to the Shema?
4. The sermon mentions that the Shema was both a daily prayer and a declaration of loyalty. What practices did Jewish families use to keep the Shema at the center of their lives? [[34:33]]

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does Moses emphasize teaching God’s commands to children and talking about them throughout daily life? What does this reveal about the role of faith in the family and community? [[36:15]]
2. Moses only gets to glimpse the Promised Land but does not enter it. What might God be teaching us through this part of Moses’ story about our own lives and faith journeys? [[48:50]]
3. Jesus connects loving God with loving our neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). Why do you think these two commands are inseparable, and how does one flow from the other? [[39:27]]
4. The sermon says that our faith is not a private possession but a legacy to be shared. What are some ways faith can be passed on beyond just our biological families? [[41:19]]

Application Questions

1. The Shema calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, and might. What is one area of your life where you find it hardest to love God wholeheartedly? What practical step could you take this week to surrender that area to Him? [[36:15]]
2. Moses urges the people to keep God’s Word “front and center.” What are some distractions or routines in your daily life that push God’s Word to the margins? How could you intentionally bring Scripture into your home or daily schedule? [[36:49]]
3. The sermon highlights the importance of passing faith to the next generation. Who is one person (child, friend, neighbor, coworker) you could intentionally encourage or share your faith with this month? What might that look like? [[41:19]]
4. Moses never saw the full result of his faithfulness. Are there areas in your life where you feel discouraged because you don’t see the fruit of your prayers or service? How does Moses’ story encourage you to keep going? [[48:50]]
5. Jesus says loving our neighbor flows from loving God. Think of a neighbor, coworker, or acquaintance who is hard to love. What is one specific way you could show them Christ’s love this week? [[40:04]]
6. The sermon says our greatest achievements may be things we never see the results of. How does this perspective change the way you think about your daily acts of faithfulness—at home, at work, or in church? [[55:08]]
7. The pastor mentioned that God’s plans are always bigger than our individual stories. How does knowing you are part of God’s bigger story affect your sense of purpose and the way you approach challenges or disappointments? [[51:31]]