God is Never Tiring

Worship Connection Guide May 27

One truth that we cannot escape each day is, we need sleep. Our bodies get tired. If we do not get rest we can lose energy and become unhealthy. God created our bodies with a need for rest. God also commands us to rest physically as well as spiritually from the busyness of everyday life.

While we rest we are renewed. Our bodies are designed to restore energy while we sleep. God made a way for our bodies to be cared for physically. But God also cares for us emotionally and spiritually. God cares for our hearts when we rest in Him. We talked about Jeremiah and the incredible challenges that he faced telling the rebellious Israel about the commands of the LORD. He was hated, beaten, thrown into a pit, and at one point wished that he had never been born. But God did not leave him. God visited Jeremiah and told him that He would save His people. The people of Israel would not end this way. God was not finished.

We can also rest in the truth that God is not finished. He is doing more among us than we know and we can take comfort in being a part of what He is doing.

God is Omniscient

Worship Connection Guide May 13

Read Together: Psalm 139

Share Together: Go around the room and allow each person to share what is most impacting about God’s knowledge (His knowledge of our innermost thoughts, our actions, the number of days we will live, the purpose we are to serve, or His knowledge of all the good and bad moments of our life).

Discuss Together: Talk about a time when you were glad that God knew more than you did. Maybe a hard day that ended well or a a time when you were worried but everything worked out in the end.

Pray Together: Take turns praying to God for His leadership based on His knowledge. Thank Him that His plans for you include His knowledge of all of the bad days and the good.

Sing Together:

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Get Music Here.

Deuteronomy 33:27

By: Elisha A. Hoffman

Tune: Showalter

 

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Chorus:

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

God is Unchanging.

Worship Connection Guide May 6

Read together: Read Psalm 102:25-27

Share together: Go around the room and allow each person to share one way that they have changes the most (height, weight, hair, ability to play a sport etc.).

Discuss together: Talk with one another about why God would not change. What would it mean for what we know about Him? If He became better then He must not have been the greatest before. What does it mean about His promises?

Pray together: Take turns praying as each person thanks God for being all that He ever can be so that His promises are true and His plans and purposes are sure.

Sing together:

Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

Get Music Here.

Deuteronomy 33:27

By: Elisha A. Hoffman

Tune: Showalter

What a fellowship, what a joy divine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Chorus:

Leaning, leaning,

Safe and secure from all alarms;

Leaning, leaning,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,

Leaning on the everlasting arms;

Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

What have I to dread, what have I to fear,

Leaning on the everlasting arms?

I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,

Leaning on the everlasting arms.

God is a Refuge.

Worship Connection Guide April 29

Read together: Read Matthew 10:26-33

Share together: Go around the room and allow each member of the family to share what they are afraid of the most (heights, spiders, snakes, etc.).

Discuss together: Talk with one another about why Jesus makes the point to say that everyone should fear God more than anything else. Why would a fear of God be appropriate? Why are God’s people not afraid of God? What does this mean for those that you know that do not have a relationship with God through Jesus?

Pray together: Take turns praying together and each one thank God for being a place where His people can hide.

Sing together:

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Get music here.

Psalm 46:1

By: Martin Luther, 1483–1546

Tune: Ein’ Feste Burg

A mighty fortress is our God,

A bulwark never failing;

Our helper He, amid the flood

Of mortal ills prevailing:

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and pow’r are great,

And, armed with cruel hate,

On earth is not His equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing:

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabbaoth, His name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle.

And tho’ this world, with devils filled,

Should threaten to undo us,

We will not fear, for God hath willed

His truth to triumph thro’ us:

The Prince of Darkness grim,

We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo, his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow’rs,

No thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours

Thro’ Him who with us sideth:

Let good and kindred go,

This mortal life also;

The body they may kill:

God’s truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

God is Omnipresent

Worship Connection Guide April 22

There is little else that needs to be said on this to convince people that God is everywhere. We seem to have little trouble accepting that fact of God’s character. There are a few things that could be said about what His presence in all places means.

God’s presence in all place means that He is not confined to heaven. When kids ask “Where is God?” The answer is often, “Well, He is in heaven.” True. But not complete. Jeremiah reminds us in 23:24 that God is as present on earth as He is in heaven.

God is not doing the same things in all places. God is not doing the same thing on earth as He is in heaven (hence the prayer). He is continually worshipped in heaven. On earth He is often dismissed and rebelled against. So His activity among those in heaven is considerably different.

God is present with all people. In Isaiah we see the prophet claim that one day “God will be with us.” To the Israelites that first heard this Isaiah did not proclaim good news. Why? Because Israel was rebellious and saying God would be with them would mean that they would feel the wrath of His anger. They were right. But for those that love God and are called according to His purpose God’s presence is good. It is great. It fuels our prayer and directs our worship.

God will display judgment to those that rebel and protection to those that love Him through faith. The Egyptians and Hebrews both felt the presence of God during the Passover in Exodus. The Hebrews found God’s protection through proclamation and provision that led to their being spared sorrow and pain. The Egyptians also felt God’s presence in the taking of the firstborn from their family. Let that sink in. For the Egyptians, God’s presence meant sorrow and pain.

God will punish evil and protect His people. This is possible because of His omnipresence.

Worship Notes Fill in:

1. Everywhere

2. Same

3. Different

4. Escape

5. Trust

God is Trinity

Worship Connection Guide April 8

Easter weekend and we come to understand God more fully than perhaps ever before. For many we can take for granted all of the things that have been told to us as we have grown. Many children view the cross of Christ as defeat, darkness, and doom. Or they have been told that Jesus is a superhero so a hero that hangs on a cross is confusing, confounding, and contradictory. So we approach Easter through the path of the Trinity.

God is one. This is an indisputable truth that sits at the center of all that God’s people have believed about him from the beginning. They even had the “Shema” as a confession of faith.

We are also told that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God.” That the “fullness of God” came to dwell in him. Jesus is the “Son of God.” So we also see God as Father. Jesus is called the “Word.” “The Word was God.” Jesus is “God with us.”

When Jesus leaves this earth to ascend into Heaven to be with God the Father he encourages his followers with the promise to send a comforter, a guide, and a source of power to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth. Peter viewed that lying to the Holy Spirit was equal to lying to God.

So here we have God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. God is three persons and each of these persons is fully God. Yet God is one. Why do we claim such a confusing truth?

Worship. We cannot worship without understanding God as our creator, Father, and sovereign LORD. We cannot worship without the ministry of our intercessor, Jesus, to anchor us to the presence of the Father as the great high priest. We cannot worship without the guidance of the Holy Spirit without whom we would not know what to say but He speaks for us by speaking through us.

We know God as Trinity as we worship him.

God is Self-Sufficient

Worship Connection Guide March 11

After spending time contemplating tall of the things that God provides for His creation. After looking at all of the needs that I have in my life and God’s image bearers have in every area of their lives. It is a bit odd to see that God needs nothing.

God is the supplier of all things. He is the supplier of air, He created it, therefore He existed before air. The same is true of water, food, or anything else in creation. God supplies these needs therefore He does not need them. God does not need anything.

God also provides for our hearts. God is love. God is the supplier of love and therefore does not need love. God wants us because of His mercy but He does not need us in any way. He does not need us to worship Him or need us for fellowship. God does not need anyone.

God alone is enough for God. God supplies His own needs (in His trinitarian relationship) for love and fellowship. God is the only one that fully satisfy God. All we can do is depend on God for our needs. Even the need for fellowship with Him. He supplies these to us through His Spirit and His Son.

This week talk about church as something we need. Worship is a need that God supplies to us because He set eternity in our hearts. The fellowship of believers is something we need. The church is not a building but the people of God whom depend completely on Him for all things.

Worship Notes Fill in:

1. Belong

2. Anything

3. Anyone

4. God

5. Depend on

God is Provider.

Worship Connection Guide March 4

A God that is in charge of all creation and has the right to do anything that He wants also cares for His creation. He provides the air we breathe, the water we drink, and even the creation of beauty to sustain our deepest needs. We often walk through each day without thinking much about God providing for us. We remember to thank God for a day that is full of sun and the right temperature but we do not thank Him for the rainy day.

Both the day of sun and the day of rain are God’s provision for us. He cares for all of His creation by balancing the forces of nature and keeping them in His hands. We cannot make it through a day without the provision of a mighty and glorious God.

But God provides more than air and water for us. God provides for our hearts as well. God provides a source of love. We find true love in the provision of God and we reflect that love to others. We cannot be emotionally sustained without the love of a God that seeks to provide for His creation.

This week, seek to find things to thank God for His provision. Look for things that would not normally be something you would thank Him for. Talk with your kids about God’s perfect provision and how your love for your children is a reflection of God’s love for His creation.

God is Sovereign.

Worship Connection Guide February 26

There is one truth that is abundantly clear from the very first verse of Scripture. God is in charge. The earth, the heavens, and the universe that surrounds them are all in the hands of a mighty and glorious God. Nothing happens within the confines of this universe without the knowledge and outside of the power of God.

Since this is so much a part of who God is there is another truth that we must explore; God has the right to do whatever He wants. He is the only one with true and complete freedom. All of our desire for freedom comes from Him as our source (we are in His image). Just like our love pales in comparison to His love so our freedom pales in comparison to His freedom.

Since He is free to do what He wants it serves us to know that He is wise enough to plan what He wants and powerful enough to do what He wants. However, we know that because He is a good and merciful God that He does all things for His glory.

Knowing God in this way can be difficult yet comforting. Wrestling with a God that is in control is not new and we will continue to allow God to help open our eyes to His plans that are made possible through His wisdom and power.

God is Almighty

Worship Connection Guide February 19

There are many uncertains in this world. We are left with many questions about many things. There are a couple of things beyond question; God has a plan and God has the power to complete the plan. Knowing God as almighty is an important truth. It means that we can rest in the power of a God that accomplishes anything that He wants to accomplish. It also means that nothing happens that is outside of His knowledge and power.

Do you feel powerless at times? Do you feel that God is not working to make His plans come true in your life? Rest in this, every breath, every wink of an eye, every green thing growing around you, every star in the sky remains by the power and the will of an Almighty God.

We find encouragement when we see God obviously working in our lives but we can find the same strength by resting in His power to sustain every moment of our existence.

Talk with your kids this week about the evidence of a powerful God around us. Look at the stars, talk about the power of the wind, the river, or animals all around us. Talk with them about an entire creation that has but one source of power; our Creator.