Stairway+To+Heaven

=STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN=

Mr. Dunn Danny, Miguel, George.



Challenge #1
== 1. Choose a team name. Your team name must have something to do with the themes of the 10 Commandments, The Beatitudes or Good and Evil. (Complete this as a team...) ==
 * See your teacher to create a team page.
 * Type your team name at the top of the page.
 * Type your names under the team name.
 * Write a short explanation,using complete sentences, explaining what your team name means and why you chose it.

Our group, Stairway to Heaven is how we think or what we should do rise to heaven when one day we all join God in his kingdom. People follow what they think to be with god in the afterlife by: Following the 10 commandments, praying, being a good person and many more. The reason why we chose "Stairway to Heaven" as our group name because we believe that everyone deserves to live in the House of god in the afterlife.

2. Think about some laws we have in society today. (Complete this on your own and label your own responses).

 * List 3 - 5 laws that you know of: (laws about stealing, driving, telling the truth in court, etc.)
 * Why do we have laws?
 * How do they help us to live better and more safely?
 * What would life be like if we didn't have laws in society?

1.Some of the modern day laws are:

-Illegal drugs, selling/using. -Murder. -Abusing woman. -Stealing/thievery

2.Why do we have laws?

We have laws against crime to keep people safe, when someone murders another person for example, they are most likely to be put in jail, away from the community keeping everyone else out of harm also keeping the whole community a better place without any threats or harm within it.

3.How do they help us to live better and more safely?

These laws help the society to live better lives because these laws set limits to what the people are capable of doing, and these laws tell everyone to think twice before doing something against the law getting themselves in trouble.

4.What would it be like if we didn't have laws in society?

If our society didn't have laws, people would be in a lot more danger. Having no laws wouldn't tell people to think twice about their actions because with no laws people would think crimes and breaking the law wouldn't be bad to not only the community but what is within this community.

3. Read the following short stories about the exodus from a children's website...these will help you get the background you need to understand the 10 Commandments: (Read through the stories in pairs/groups and disucss your answers, but each of you is to record and label your own response.) [|The Story of Baby Moses] [|Moses the Shepherd] [|Moses and the Pharoah] [|Moses and the 10 Commandments]


 * What do you think a covenant is? Define it - and if you are unsure, read this explanation first: [|Definition of a covenant]
 * Why were the 10 Commandments provided to the Jews at this time?
 * How did having the 10 Commandments help the Jews to live out their covenant with God more faithfully?

1.What do you think a covenant is? Define it

Covenant: A covenant is a serious agreement, example, When Moses promised the land of milk and honey.

2.Why were the 10 commandments provided to the jews at this time?

The 10 commandments were provided to the jews at this time because the jewish people were going through harsh times, Slavery, Persecution

3.How did having the 10 commandments help the jews to live out their covenant with God more faithfully?

The 10 commandments helped the jews to live out their covenant with god more faithfully because they were given rules to abide by, which also helps them to have more beliefe and faith in God.

4. Copy a list of the 10 Commandments to your page.

 * === Which commandments are about God? List these by number. ( As a group) ===


 * === Which commandments are about how we should treat others? List these by number. (As a group.) ===


 * === Make a list of all the commandments which are stated in the negative (eg "Thou shalt NOT") - for each of these, re-write them as a postive commandment to guide us in how we should live today. (As an individual - re-write each negative commandment into a positive and label your own work.) ===

1. Which commandments are about god? List these by number.

1. "I am the lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, ou of the house of bondage. You shall have no other God before me.

2. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments

3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. (God)

4. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. (God)

5. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

6. “You shall not murder.

7. “You shall not commit adultery.

8. “You shall not steal.

9. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

10. “You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”

== 5. For homework, you and your partner must locate images/headlines of people who are NOT following the commandments. Paste the links or images onto your team page and provide an explanation of what the image/headline is telling us about people who have NOT followed the commandments. Explain how a failure to follow the Commandments, in general, impacts on modern society. (Locate images/stories/headlines together, but you each must write and label your own explanations). ==



This image shows us that even young children are capable of committing sins. Children that commit crimes and commit sin are likely to have a bad house hold, they are abused or comes from a poor family, influenced by tv series and other people doing this stuff in the streets and in the neighbourhood.

Challenge #2

2. Read "The Beatitudes" as found in Matthew 15: 1 - 12 [|The Beatitudes: Matthew 5: 1 - 12]. Also, read through the two explanations of the Beatitudes found on the wiki's "Beatitudes" page.
 * Discuss what you have read in your team.
 * As a team, construct a list of synonyms for the words "Blessed" and "Happy" - you can make two separate lists, upload a table, or do a word web or mind map - be creative! You can start with what is in your heads, and add to this using an online tool such as[|Synonyms online].
 * __ Explain __ what the Beatitudes mean. You must write in complete sentences and use some of your synonyms in your response. (Individually, what does each Beatitude mean? As a whole - What do they mean for us as Christians?...) (Type and label your own answer).

3. With this step you have two choices (you must do your own work here...) :
 * Read this passage "The Widow's Offering" and __ explain __ in a short paragraph which Beatitudes are illustrated through this passage: [|The parable of the Widow's Offering Mark 1: 41-44] [|Explanation of the parable] (You will receive a C or less on this part of the criteria if you choose this option).
 * OR using your bibles, or searching online, locate a parable or other passage in the New Testament which illustrates one or more of the values from the Beatitudes. Try this as a starting point: [|List of parables] . __Describe__ in your own words which Beatitudes are illustrated in your chosen parable. (for an A or B you must do this option).

4. What does it mean to be marginalised or outcast? As a team make a Venn Diagram or other chart which compares who the outcasts or marginalised were in Jesus' time, and who are those left on the margins of society today. (for example... a widow or a tax collector was an outcast in Jesus' time - today, it might be the homeless or refugees...)

5. Here again, you have two choices: (complete on your own and label)
 * Read one of the scenarios about Human Rights and Children from Amnesty International linked here: [|Scenarios] . __ Explain __ in a short paragraph how this relates to the Beatitudes today. (C response...)
 * OR think about society today - write your own __ description __ of a real life situation where someone is outcast or marginalised. Then, explain how this situation illustrates or relates to the Beatitudes today.

To complete this challenge, you must write two longer pieces of text:

 * an __ "explanation" __... to explain is to make the relationship between things clear, or to provide how/why (Question 2, Question 3, Question 5).
 * a __ "description" __... to describe is to provides characteristics and features of something (Question 3, Question 5).

1. Beatitudes: Blessed are the poor Blessed are they who mourn Blessed are the meek Blessed are they who hunger Blessed are the merciful Blessed are the clean of heart Blessed are the peacemakers Blessed are they who are persecuted

Blessed: Happy: consecrate blissful sanctify captivated beatified cheerful laud content anoint delighted <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">commend joyful <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">thrilled

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">2. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Jesus Christ gave us the eight Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mountain. The Beatitudes of Jesus provide a way of life that promises salvation. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This first beatitude means that for those who have given up and their spirit has been saddened, their spirit will rise to the Kingdom of Heaven. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." This second beatitude means that for those who suffer from sadness over the death of someone, they will be comforted. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." This third beatitude means that for those who are humbly patient and kind, they will be the rulers of earth. "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." This fourth beatitude means that for those who strive and fight for what is right and good, they will achieve what they stand up for. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." This fifth beatitude means that for those who show mercy to others, they will receive it back. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." This sixth beatitude means that for people who have a good heart, who are kind and do good, they will see the power of God and all his glory. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."This seventh beatitude means that for those who make and practise peace, they will be the ones who will be called God's creation. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The meaning of this final beatitude is that for the people who are treated unfairly and unjustly, your belonging in life will be in the Kingdom of Heaven.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Matthew 18:23-35: The Parable of The Unforgiving Servant

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">In this parable, a servant owes his lord a large sum of money. His lord tells him that he must pay his debt back, or else he will sell him, his wife, his children and all that he had. The servant knelt down and begged to his lord to have patience, so that he can repay him. The lord, moved with compassion, forgave the servant, and let him go. But then this servant went out and found another fellow servant, who owed him money, and demanded it back. This servant begged to him to have patience so that he could repay him. But the servant would not let him go, and instead put him into prison until he repaid his debt. Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?' His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds. This parable shows us the fifth beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." The servant who was showed mercy first who did not show mercy to others was then not shown mercy.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 29px;">3. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant Matthew 18:23-35 - Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants. When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But because he couldn’t pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him, saying, ‘Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!’ The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, who owed him one hundred denarii, and he grabbed him, and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will repay you!’ He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should pay back that which was due. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him in, and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me. Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, even as I had mercy on you?’ His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors, until he should pay all that was due to him. So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don’t each forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds.