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THIS WEEK:
From the Sermon: "Truly, I Say to You, Today You Will Be With Me in Paradise."
Preacher: Pastor Rusten Harris
Scripture: Luke 23:35-43
MAIN POINTS: 1) The Mockery of the Christ, 2) The Miracle of Repentance, and 3) The Mercy of the Crucified King
This week we began our series leading up to Resurrection Sunday by looking at Jesus’ words on the cross to the repentant thief, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” As most mocked him, this thief saw the one, true King hanging beside him on that cross. By God’s grace and mercy, the thief who had lived a wretched life and was about to die, saw Jesus as his Savior and was promised to be with him in paradise. His hope is our hope, that Jesus lived a perfect life and died for our wretched lives so we may be with him forever.
Family Discussion Questions:
- What’s something that surprised or confused you about this Bible passage? (Look back at your Sermon Notes for help remembering!)
- How are you like the soldiers, rulers, and the other thief on the cross who mocked Jesus?
- What is repentance? How do we know the thief’s (and our) repentance is real?
- How does Jesus’ promise in this passage show us we don’t suffer without hope?
- What can we learn from the two thieves on the cross?
Parent Tip:
· Read the sermon summary together as a family. Build this into your normal routine, perhaps reading together around the table during a meal.
· There are five questions, each with a different theme. You can choose one night a week to go over all five, do a couple questions a few times a week, or discuss one question per day.
· Each question is meant to be a conversation starter. Model for your children how to answer these questions by sharing your own personal insights.
· Even if your conversations don’t go as planned, don’t be discouraged. ALL time spent talking about and reading God’s word is valuable!
· The more consistent you are in having these discussions, the more fruitful they will be. As this becomes part of your weekly rhythm, your kids will anticipate the questions and listen more attentively at church.
Other Scriptures:
- John 12:27-28a
- Isaiah 53:4-7
- 1 Corinthians 1:18
- Ephesians 2:4-10
- Galatians 3:13
Parent Tip:
Use these additional scriptures as daily reading. These are also a great way to help your children learn to locate passages in the Bible.
Attribute of God:
WISE: God is not just all-knowing, but he uses his knowledge to do exactly what is right in every situation. God’s wisdom is demonstrated in all of creation.
Parent Tip:
We focus on a new attribute of God each week to discuss as a family. Use this time to discuss who God is, answer questions the kids might have, and talk about what that week’s attribute means to each person in your family.
Prayer Focus:
REPENTANCE: This week, pray for a repentant heart concerning your unbelief.
Parent Tip:
Each week of the month has its own prayer theme: Church, Family, Community and Repentance. Use these themes to show your children how to pray. It can be helpful to add this to an already existing routine like at bedtime or when you’re in the car together.
THIS MONTH:
Beautiful Scandalous Night
Go on up to the mountain of mercy
To the Crimson perpetual tide
Kneel down on the shore,
Be thirsty no more
Go under and be purified
Follow Christ to the Holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul,
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all
At the wonderful tragic
Mysterious tree
On that beautiful scandalous
Night you and me
Were atoned by his blood and
Forever washed white
On that beautiful scandalous night
On the hillside you will be delivered
At the foot of the cross, justified
And your spirit restored
By the river that pours
From our blessed Savior’s side
Parent Tip:
Each month we highlight a different song for you to sing together. Singing is an integral part of worship! Singing as a family helps teach the kids how to worship at church, and as they learn more songs, they will be able to participate more on Sunday mornings. You can practice your songs in the car, at the dinner table, when you wake up, or at bedtime! You can also check out our playlist on Spotify and sing along with your favorite worship songs.
Memory Verse:
Ephesians 6:12
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Parent Tip:
This is the same memory verse that the whole church is learning and it rotates monthly. Practice reciting it as a family each day at least once. Dinner time is a great opportunity to practice together.
New City Catechism:
Question 13: Can anyone keep the law of God perfectly?
Answer: Since the fall, no human has been able to keep the law of God perfectly.
