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THIS WEEK:
From the Sermon: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-12
Preacher: Pastor Jon Needham
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
MAIN POINTS: 1) What the Text Assumes 2) What the Text Condemns 3) What the Text Commends 4) How the Text Encourages Us
As we celebrate baptisms this week, we also learned about the importance Paul places on our bodies and what we do with them in chapter 4 of 1 Thessalonians. Paul urges the church to have self-control and to abstain from sexual immorality. He also emphasizes not just what we shouldn’t do with our bodies but what we should do! As Christians, we should be hard workers in all that we do. Using our bodies to work hard to provide for our families glorifies God. God made us in his image for a purpose.
Family Discussion Questions:
1. What’s something that surprised or confused you about this Bible passage?
2. What are some misconceptions regarding the purpose of our bodies? What does God say the purpose of our bodies is?
3. Why is rejecting God’s design for your body immoral?
4. How does our work have an important correlation to our faith?
5. How is change in our lives brought about by the Holy Spirit different than the change spoken of in popular self-help books or social media?
Parent Tip:
· Read the sermon summary together as a family. Build this into your regular 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 of 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:
- Genesis 1:27
- Matthew 22:36-39
- Leviticus 19:18b
- Deuteronomy 22:5
- 1 Timothy 5:8
- 2 Thess 3:10b
- Romans 6:4-6
Parent Tip:
Use these additional scriptures as daily reading. This is also a great way to help your children learn to locate passages in the Bible.
Attribute of God:
TRIUNE: There are 3 persons in one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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:
CHURCH: Spend some time this week in prayer for our church staff: Pastor Jon, Pastor Brandon, Pastor Ryan, Pastor Rusten, Nette, Lyndsey, Krysta, and Mike.
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:
Monthly Song:
Build Your Kingdom Here
Come set Your rule and reign
In our hearts again
Increase in us we pray
Unveil why we’re made
Come set our hearts ablaze with hope
Like wildfire in our very souls
Holy Spirit come invade us now
We are Your Church
And we need Your power in us
We seek Your kingdom first
We hunger and we thirst
Refuse to waste our lives
For You’re our joy and prize
To see the captive hearts released
The hurt, the sick, the poor at peace
We lay down our lives for Heaven’s cause
We are Your church
And we pray revive this Earth
Build Your kingdom here
Let the darkness fear
Show Your mighty hand
Heal our streets and land
Set your church on fire
Win this nation back
Change the atmosphere
Build Your kingdom here, we pray
Unleash Your kingdom’s power
Reaching the near and far
No force of hell can stop
Your beauty changing hearts
You made us for much more than this
Awake the kingdom seed in us
Fill us with the strength and love of Christ
We are Your church
Oh, and we are the hope on Earth
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:
Matthew 22:36-38
“‘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”
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:
Questions 26: What else does Christ’s death redeem?
Answer: Every part of fallen creation.
