Copyright ©2010 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org 1

FamilyWorshipGuide–Week2

READo Genesis15:1‐6,21:1‐7o Inthisstory,weseeGod'sfaithfulnessdisplayed—HemadeapromiseandHekeptit.WealsoseeAbraham'strustin

God'spromise,evenwhenthesituationseemedimpossiblegivenAbrahamandSarah’soldage.BecauseAbrahambelievedwhatGodtoldhim,itwascreditedtohimasrighteousness.Butthestorydoesn'tstopthere.Ultimately,allofAbraham'sdescendantsbecamethechildrenofGod,alsoknownasthenationofIsrael.ThroughIsrael,God'sredemptiveplanwasbeginningtotakeshape.So,God'sblessinginAbraham'slifeultimatelybroughtglorytoGod.NotonlywasAbrahamblessedwiththedeepestlongingsofhisheartbyhavingdescendants,butGodwasalsoglorifiedthroughHisfaithfulprovisionofason. HesworethatHewouldprovideAbrahamasonandHedid.GlorytoGod!Wecanlearnseveralimportanttruthsfromthispassage.WecantrustGod.WhatGodsaysHewilldowillbedone.IfwetrustinGod'spromises,Godcreditsthisasrighteousness.GoddesirestoblessHischildrenforHisglory.TheBottomLine:GodhasswornbyHisnameandcharacterthatHewilldowhatHesays.BecauseHeistruthfulinHis character, He inevitably upholds His Word. Not one promise of God will fall to the ground. His faithfulnessgroundsandencouragesgreatfaithinourgreatGod.Questions:WhataresomethingsGodhaspromisedus?WhataresomethingsthatmakeithardforustotrustGod'spromises?HowisAbraham’ssalvationjustlikeours(seeRomans4:1‐5)?

PRAYo Africa:AfricaisthesecondlargestcontinentintheworldbehindAsiaandismorethanthreetimeslargerthanthe

UnitedStates (includingAlaskaandHawaii). Itaccounts foralmost15%of theworld’spopulation,beinghometoover 970millionpeople. Africa is oneof themost culturally, geographically and spiritually diverse regions in theworld.Sickness,povertyandhungerarewidespreadinAfricaandwithlittleaccesstopropermedicalcare,industryandqualityfoodandwater,theseissuesareatcrisislevels.ChristianityisthesecondmostcommonreligioninAfrica,behind Islam. Whilethecountry iswidelyevangelized, therearestillnumerousspiritualneedspresentwithinthecontinent.

o UsePrayerCard

SINGo Uselyricsheetandmp3downloadof“Redeemed”o DuringthemonthofJuly,2009,ourchurchstudiedthebookofRuth.Thethemeofredemptionispowerfully

displayedinthisbiblicalnarrativeasweseeBoazredeemingRuthandbringingherintohisfamily.AsfollowersofChrist,wearelikewiseredeemedspirituallyandbroughtintoGod’sfamily.

Thewordsofthehymn,“SinceIhavebeenRedeemed”,publishedbyEdwinO.Excellin1884,reallystuckouttousasweconsideredthethemeofredemption.Whatemergedwasahymnrevisionwithmostoftheoriginallyrics,saveforanaddedlineoneachverse/chorusandaddinganewmelody.Wechose“Redeemed”thisweekbecausewearereadingaboutAbraham.Inthisstory,weseeGodlayingthefoundationforHisultimateworkofredemptionasHepromisedAbrahamthatallnationswouldultimatelybeblessedthroughhisoffspring.Fastforwardafewthousandyears,andweseethatthepromiseisfulfilledinJesusChrist,whocamedirectlyfromthelineofAbraham.Today,wecanexperiencetheverysamegraceandfavorthatwasextendedtothepeopleofGodintheOldTestament.Wetrulyareredeemed!Ephesians1:7says,“Inhimwehaveredemptionthroughhisblood,theforgivenessofourtrespasses,accordingtotherichesofhisgrace.”

MEMORIZEo Genesis15:6AndhebelievedtheLord,andhecountedittohimasrighteousness.

Copyright ©2010 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org 2

SUGGESTIONSThesesuggestionswerecreatedtohelpparentsbettercommunicatetheBiblicaltruthsdiscussedintheFamilyWorshipGuide.Theseactivitiesandquestionscanreplaceorserveasasupplementtothequestionsunderthe‘Read’sectiononPage 1. Remember, these suggestions are intended to help parents facilitate God‐centered discussions with theirchildren. Parents should prayerfully use these suggestions, and any other means necessary, to help their childrendiscoverthetruthsofGod’sWordandworshipHimtogether.Preschool(Birth‐Kindergarten)o Prepareabagwithasmallsurprise(candy,cookie,crayons,etc.).o Say,“Ilovesurprises.Doyou?Ihaveasurpriseforyou,wouldyouliketoseeit?(Showthesurprise)Didyouknow

thatGodhassurprises,too?”o DiscusshowGodsurprisedAbrahambecauseofAbraham’sobedienceandfaithfulness. Say,“SarahandAbraham

wereveryoldandGodsurprisedthemwithababy.Oldpeopledon’thavebabies!ButnothingistoohardforGod.BecauseofAbraham’sobedienceGodgaveSarahandAbrahamababy.”

Children(Grades1‐5)o ReadGenesis15:5‐6again.Toillustratethispoint,showapictureofanightskyfullofstars.Ifyouhavemoretime,

youcanpurchasestick‐on,glow‐in‐the‐darkstarsandput themallover theceilingofachild’sbedroom. YoucanpurchasetheseatWal‐MartandsometimestheycarrythematPartyCity.Ifyouchoosetodothis,haveyourfamilyworshiptimeinthechild’sbedroomandaftersinging,turnoffthelightssoyourchild(ren)canlookupandseethestars.

o To help children understand the concept of God’s promise of making Abraham into a great nation and givingAbraham a lot of descendents (offspring), show a picture of one person, then a picture ofmore people, then apictureofevenmorepeople.

o Ask: Doyouthink itwashard forAbrahamtobelievethatGodwould fulfillHispromise? Why? WhatwouldbesomereasonsthatGodwaiteduntilAbrahamwas100yearsoldandSarahwas90yearsoldtogivethemababyandfulfillHispromisetothem?DoyoubelieveGodcandohardthings?

o Activity:Makeabookletofpromises. You canhavepromises fromScripturealreadyprinted for your children tocolor andmake into a booklet, or read through some promises of God and let your children choose one or twopromisestowriteandhangintheirbedroomsoronthemirrorinthebathroomwheretheywillseethemeachday.

o Somepromises fromScripture: Psalm55:22,Proverbs3:5‐6,Psalm103:11, Isaiah40:31, Isaiah41:10, Joshua1:9,Psalm34:17,Psalm91:14,Jeremiah29:11.

Students(Grades6‐12)o DoyouputyourtrustintheLordlikeAbrahamdid?Whatdoesitlookliketodayforyoutoactivelyputyourtrustin

theLord?o ThewordChristianmeanstobe“likeChrist”.Whatdoesthatmeanforyouwhenitcomestomakingandkeeping

promises?

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pray

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spe

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nd h

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to h

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as r

ight

eous

ness

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ave

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Josh

Poo

re

Vers

e 1:

C

F

GI h

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a so

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love

to s

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f my

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reve

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Vers

e 2:

C

F

GI h

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a Ch

rist

who

sati

sfies

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Vers

e 3:

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witn

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brig

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deem

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Vers

e 4:

I hav

e a

hom

e pr

epar

ed fo

r m

eW

here

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all d

wel

l ete

rnal

lyFo

reve

r ch

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reve

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eeSi

nce

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deem

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ave

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rede

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nce

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deem

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Chor

us:

Hal

lelu

jah,

Yo

ur b

lood

has

pur

chas

ed m

e,

I will

glo

ry in

You

r na

me.

Hal

lelu

jah,

Si

nce

I hav

e be

en re

deem

ed.

Hal

lelu

jah,

Yo

ur b

lood

has

pur

chas

ed m

e,

I will

glo

ry in

You

r na

me.

Hal

lelu

jah,

Si

nce

I hav

e be

en re

deem

ed.

Sinc

e I h

ave

been

rede

emed

.Si

nce

I hav

e be

en re

deem

ed.

Publ

ic D

omai

nN

ew m

elod

y an

d ad

ditio

nal l

yric

s Co

pyri

ght©

2009

Josh

Poo

re

Cop

yrig

ht ©

2010

The

Chu

rch

at B

rook

Hill

s