Week 22: When should I worship?

To answer this week’s question, we need to think about what we’ve learned so far about worship. Each of us should love God with our entire being; with everything we say and do each day. Anything can be an act of worship if it’s done to honor the Lord. Wow – each, every, any, entire – those words leave nothing out! Let’s jump into this week’s devotion and see what other words God uses to describe when we should worship.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

In your own words, try to define always, continually, and constantly. Look up those words afterwards to see how similar your definitions are to the dictionary meanings.

Let’s learn it.

Every word has a meaning. Since God carefully chose each word in the Bible, it’s important for us to know what those words mean. When words with the same or similar meaning show up in more than one place, then we should really pay attention. Check out Hebrews 13:15 and point out which word tells us when to praise the Lord.

Did you say, “continually” or “constantly”? We just learned that those words mean to do something again and again without stopping. But this verse tells us more than when to worship; it gives the reason why our worship should never end. “Through Jesus” the Old Testament sacrifices aren’t needed anymore! Because of His sacrifice on the Cross, we should offer praise to God over and over again each day without stopping. We should worship the Lord without any interruption.

The next word we’re going to look at is in Philippians 4:4. Read that short verse together and find the word that answers, “When?”

God didn’t use the word, “always” by mistake. There is always a reason to rejoice and praise the name of the Lord – as we learned in Hebrews 13:15. Still, when something happens that makes us feel sad, angry, or disappointed, it can pull our focus away from God. So how should we react when bad things happen? Can we really praise God in everything? Let’s look at Habakkuk 3:17-18 to see what the prophet Habakkuk did.

Can you imagine a worse situation than having no food and no way to earn money? Yet during the most difficult time of his life, Habakkuk chose to focus on his Savior. We can learn an important lesson from Habakkuk. You see, our ability to be joyful and worship the Lord isn’t connected to what happens to us. We should praise Him at all times because of who He is – not what He does or does not do.

Since He is always the same, we can always praise Him. Since Jesus’ death paid for every sin, we can honor Him every moment. Since each situation is under His control, we can devote each day to His glory. Since He has absolute power over all things, we can rejoice at all times – even in our very worst moments. Always, continually, and constantly are great words – aren’t they?

Let’s discuss it.

  1. How has this week’s devotion changed your thoughts about a situation that makes you feel sad or disappointed?
  2. Ask family members to share how they reacted during their best and worst moments from the past week. Discuss how God could be honored, praised, and worshipped in each situation.

Let’s do it.

Do you praise God when you’re happy but complain when you don’t get your way?

If we’re going to praise God continually, then we need to start and end each day with thoughts about Him. Do you give yourself time in the morning to read God’s Word, or do you rush out without setting your thoughts on Him? How many times during the week do you have a meal as a family and talk about what has happened during each person’s day? Talk for a moment about ways you can spend more time as a family to help each person focus on worshipping the Lord throughout the day – continually.

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Week 21: How do I worship?

Every family has different traditions – ways of doing things that are handed down from one generation to the next. Traditions in our church family are great, too. But by themselves, religious habits and activities aren’t true worship. Let’s go to God’s Word and learn how to worship Him the right way. 

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

What are your favorite family traditions and why? 

Let’s learn it.

Traditions can make the time you spend together as a family more enjoyable. The same thing is true in your church family. However, participating in religious activities doesn’t automatically mean you are offering worship to God. Religious habits are just empty actions if they aren’t backed up by obedience to God’s commands. That’s exactly what the Israelites did when they entered the Promised Land. Check out Jeremiah 7:22-23 to see what message God sent to His people.

Israel wrongly thought that worship was limited to the sacrifices they made at the temple. Their offerings to the Lord couldn’t be accepted as true worship because they were disobeying God’s instructions at the same time. We also sometimes confuse our church activities and religious habits with worship. Those things certainly can be worship if we’re living the way God has told us to live. The Apostle Paul said something very important about worship in Romans 12:1-2. Ask a family member to read those verses.

Did you catch that? Worship becomes an everyday activity when you choose to give what you do to God as an offering. The starting place is in your thoughts and attitudes. It’s much easier for your behavior to please God if you’ve allowed His Word to change how you think. Everything we’ve talked about today can be wrapped up in one verse. Who is ready to read 1 Corinthians 10:31? Go ahead and read that verse now.

Worshipping God isn’t limited to what we do at church. The things that make up your ordinary life can have new meaning when they are done for God’s glory. When you think about bringing glory to God with everything in your daily routine, then you’ve started to develop a lifestyle of worship.

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Name ways that your family enjoys worshipping God together at church.
  2. What everyday activities can you offer to God as worship?

Let’s do it.

Do you remember what we’ve learned so far this month about worship? Worship isn’t just singing praise songs to God or attending a church service. True worship begins by recognizing the Lord as the One and only God and loving Him with every part of who we are. Now we’ve learned how to participate in worship anywhere and at any time. Have you ever thought about the fact that anything you do can be an act of worship? By simply offering God each thought, attitude, and behavior, your life will be an offering that pleases the Lord. Decide on specific ways each member of your family can use what we’ve learned today to worship God this week.

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Week 20: Why should I worship God?

We learned last week that real worship is loving God with all that we are, and that it’s the most important thing we can ever do. That brings up a big question. Why should we worship the God of the Bible instead of gods we hear about in other religions?

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Take turns saying one true statement and one false statement about yourself. Have the other members of the family guess which is true and which is false.

Let’s learn it.

Have you ever taken a “true or false” test? The false statements are sometimes easy to spot because they are so silly. Well, that’s exactly what God’s people – the Israelites – should have seen about giving their worship to anyone or anything other than the Lord. The first answer to the question, “Why should we worship God?” is found in the Ten Commandments. The Lord wanted the Israelites to worship Him alone as the One true God. Go to Exodus 20:2-7 in your Bibles and have a family member read what God expected of His people.

The first three commandments instructed the Israelites to stay away from the gods and idols that other nations worshipped. These so-called “gods” were not real gods at all. They were false. The Lord gave His people a purpose – to recognize Him as the One and only God. Of course that meant worshipping Him the way the only true God deserves to be worshipped and using His name only in an honorable way.

God designed us to recognize who He is so we can have a relationship with Him. Anything that turns your attention and affection away from God and His Word has become like a false god in your life. God’s instructions in the first three commandments teach us to worship Him alone and to treat His name with the respect that it deserves.

Scripture also says that God deserves to be worshipped because He is holy and has power over everything He created. Take a look at the amazing vision of worship that John saw in Revelation 4:1-11. The book of Revelation looks into the future. Even though the events haven’t happened yet, we know they are true because God put them in His Word. One day, the whole world will recognize that God is the only true God. Chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation give an awesome description of the worship that will take place around His heavenly throne when God’s people and all of creation worship Him together.

The God of the Bible is the Creator of everyone and everything that exists. No one created Him or has power over Him. God is eternal, which means that He has always been and always will be. Every other so-called “god” is false. Worshiping the Lord as the One true God is the reason we exist and is the one thing we will do forever in Heaven.

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Ask each person to make a true statement about God. What false beliefs about God have you heard?
  2. How do those true and false beliefs affect a person’s worship of the Lord?
  3. What do you think you would do if you saw God in all of His glory, as John described in Revelation 4?

Let’s do it.

God created us with the desire to worship, but if you have false beliefs, you’ll worship something or someone other than the only true God. Each person has to choose whether he or she will give the Lord the worship He deserves. Is your worship true or false? Ask God to show you if another person or activity has become like a false god in your life. Talk about ways that your family can give God the devotion He deserves. True worship is centered around the Lord God Almighty and His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the One and only God.

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Week 19: What is worship?

Music is usually the first thing that comes to mind when we hear the word “worship.” While it’s true that we can worship God through music, the act of worship is so much more than singing songs on Sunday morning. Let’s look at what God says in His Word about what worship really is.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

How have you shown love for someone this week by doing something that pleased him or her? How has someone shown love to you?

Let’s learn it.

Moses gave the Israelites a simple definition of worship – love God. It’s a two-word command packed with the secret to living a life that pleases the Lord. Turn to Deuteronomy 6:5 in your Bibles and see how Israel was instructed to love God.

God’s chosen people were to love Him with all of their heart, soul, and strength. That meant loving Him with all that they had, with every part of their being, with everything they said, and with everything they did. What a big responsibility! If you are a follower of Christ, then you have that same responsibility. As a matter of fact, Jesus quoted Moses’ words when He was asked which commandment was the greatest. Read Matthew 22:36-40 and Mark 12:28-30 to hear exactly what Jesus said.

The most important thing you can do is to love God with your entire being. But how do you know if you truly love God? Let’s explore the four parts of your person that Jesus mentioned. Your heart and soul are your feelings and your desires. They reveal your true inner character. Giving your will to God helps you to follow His instructions instead of your feelings. God’s instructions in Scripture never change, but our feelings change all the time, don’t they?

Your mind is the center of your thinking, remembering, and processing of information. It gives you the ability to make decisions about what you will and will not do. Your strength supplies the energy to carry out those decisions. When your thoughts please God, then your actions will please Him as well.

God wants to create a desire inside of you to honor, glorify, and praise Him with your whole life – the parts that everyone sees as well as the parts of you that only He sees.

True worship shows up in how you live life each day, not just by what you say and do at church. Eagerly obeying God’s instructions without complaining or delaying is evidence of your love for God. Every moment, every decision, and every relationship should reflect how much you love God – that’s worship!

Let’s discuss it.

  1. How can you use each part of your being – heart, soul, mind, and strength – to please the Lord?
  2. Discuss how you can live out the words in your favorite praise and worship songs by what you think, say, and do this week.

 Let’s do it.

When the most important thing in your life is to love God, you’ll want to please Him. If you do your very best at school or at work because you love God, then that is worship. If you obey your parents because you love God, then that is worship, too. When you put someone else’s wants and needs ahead of your own because you love God – it is an act of worship.

But it’s impossible to truly love someone if you don’t spend time with that person. Spending time with Jesus through personal and family devotions will help you to know Him better and fall deeper in love with Him. Do you set your mind on loving and pleasing God first thing each morning? Try to put at least one verse of Scripture into your thoughts as each day begins. Consider playing praise and worship music as your family gets ready for the day. Then make every effort to live out what you have put in. Start this week to develop a lifestyle of worship.

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Week 18: When and where should I talk about Jesus?

So far this month we’ve learned why we should talk about Jesus, what to say about Him, how to share His story, and who to share it with. Let’s tackle two last questions this month: when and where should we share the gospel?

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Take turns describing your normal daily routine. How do you respond when your routine is interrupted somehow? 

Let’s learn it.

Have you noticed that we’ve spent a lot of time reading the book of Acts this month? That’s because Acts tells us how Christians first began to tell the story of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Let’s explore two more true stories of early believers who shared the gospel. Read Acts 8:26-35 to find out what God directed Philip to do.

Even though Philip didn’t know why God was sending him down that particular road, he didn’t ask, “Why?” or “When should I go?” He just went immediately. As Philip obeyed, the Holy Spirit guided him to an Ethiopian man who was a long way from home. He was passing the time in his chariot by reading from the book of Isaiah, but he didn’t understand what he was reading. God put both men in the same place at the same time so Philip could explain the good news of Jesus. If Philip hadn’t gone or waited before obeying, he might have missed a divine appointment! God sent Philip on a journey to meet just one man, but that man took the gospel message back to a whole country.

Followers of Jesus come across people every day, right where they are, who don’t know the Lord. Take a look at Acts 16:6-15 to read about another divine appointment.

Jesus directed Paul, Timothy, and Silas to the exact place He wanted them to go on this mission trip. Paul and His friends were looking for a place to pray on the Sabbath. Most likely they would have asked the Lord for opportunities to tell someone about Jesus on their trip. They could have gotten so caught up in having their prayer time that they might not have noticed this group of women. Instead, they recognized an opportunity to share the gospel right where they were. God interrupted their routine, but He also answered their prayers before they asked! Turn to 1 Peter 3:15 to read how Peter encouraged early believers to share the gospel right where they were.

Every follower of Christ has a personal testimony about faith in Christ. Believers can share Jesus every day by simply being ready to tell people who Jesus is and how they came to know Him. The people in today’s passages paid attention to the people they met along the way. The message of Jesus didn’t spread across the ancient world by accident. Jesus’ followers shared their faith with anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Think back to the way you described your normal day in Let’s start it. How can you show the love of Christ, right where you are, every day?
  2. When has God put you in the right place at the right time to either tell someone about Jesus or to do something that showed His love?
  3. Take turns sharing your personal testimony of how you met Jesus. Make sure to include how knowing Him has changed your thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

Let’s do it.

We often ask God to give us opportunities to talk about our faith in Christ. The truth, however, is that we are surrounded by opportunities to share the love of Christ each and every day. As we’ve learned how to share Jesus this month, what person has the Holy Spirit prompted you to talk with? Brainstorm with your family how to start the conversation.

As you go out this week, look for natural opportunities to tell someone how He has changed your life. Are you willing to talk about Jesus to anyone, anywhere, and at any time? Close your devotion time by praying for your family members to recognize opportunities to share Jesus and when an opportunity comes … to take it!

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Week 17: Who should I tell about Jesus?

Last week we learned how exciting it is to introduce people to Jesus. But there are so many people – where should we start? The Bible gives us examples of the people that the early Christians told about Jesus. Let’s see what we can learn from Andrew and Peter, two brothers who helped to spread the Gospel of Christ.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Who is the first person you want to tell when something really good has happened? Why do you tell that particular person?

Let’s learn it.

We begin this week’s Family Time with a passage we looked at last week. Check out John 1:35-42 again to remind you who Andrew first told about Jesus.

The first thing Andrew did after meeting Jesus was to tell his brother Peter. That’s how the Gospel began to spread. Jews who believed Jesus was the Savior Israel had been waiting for started telling the people closest to them. However, God had something much bigger in mind. He wanted the Jews to share His love with more than just the people they loved and shared common interests with. Who did God send Peter to talk with in Acts 10:19-23? Why does the Acts 10:27-35 passage say this was so unusual?

God sent Peter to a group of people who were very different than he was. You see, out of all the nations on Earth God had chosen Israel to be His special people. In the Old Testament He gave them commands and laws to follow. Certain animals, people, and situations were considered unclean according to Jewish law (Leviticus 11), but the blood of Jesus shed on the Cross made it possible for both Jews and Gentiles to be clean before the Lord. By sending Peter to the Gentiles, God was showing that He loved all people and wanted to have a relationship with them too.

Andrew and Peter were faithful to share Jesus with the people they were the closest to and people who were very different than they were. In both passages we looked at this week, God used one person’s salvation to affect more people for His kingdom. Think about it. Over 3,000 people in Jerusalem received Jesus as their Savior when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost – all because Andrew told him about Jesus. Then every person in Cornelius’ house received Jesus, and the Gospel began to spread to the Gentiles. God cares about the people who are closest to us, and He cares about people who are different from us. That means we should care about them too!

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Who first told you that Jesus loves you? Who was the first person you told?
  2. Think of people at school, work, or in your neighborhood who are very different from you. How can you show them this week that God loves them?

Let’s do it.

Just like Andrew, the best place for us to start sharing Jesus is with the people we love the most. Who in your family doesn’t yet know Jesus as their Savior? Decide right now to pray for them regularly, and then look for a time to tell them how you met Jesus and how knowing Him has changed your life.

Will you also pray for the courage to witness to someone that you don’t have as much in common with? Make an effort this week to pay attention to people that you might not have noticed before – like someone who eats lunch alone or who others don’t talk with much. God loves that person just as much as He loves you. If you don’t tell him or her about Jesus, who will?

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Week 16: How can I help other people meet Jesus?

Meeting Jesus is exciting and so is introducing Him to other people. The Bible tells us that Jesus’ followers brought people to meet Him. After Jesus returned to Heaven, His followers sent missionaries who were excited to spread the gospel so more people could meet Jesus. Let’s see what we can learn from their examples.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Have each family member think of a famous person; then take turns introducing him or her to the group. How would you arrange the meeting? Describe how excited you would be to meet that person in real life.

Let’s learn it.

The disciple Andrew is known for introducing people to Jesus. Let’s learn how Andrew heard about Jesus and what he did as a result. Open your Bibles to John 1:35-42, and ask a family member to read those verses.

Andrew heard and believed John the Baptist’s message that Jesus was the Christ, the Savior Israel had been waiting for. Andrew was so excited that he brought his brother Peter to meet Jesus. Later we learn that Andrew brought other people to Jesus, too (John 6:8-9; 12:20-22). Do you remember what happened when he introduced the boy with the fishes and the loaves to Jesus? Jesus turned that little lunch into a meal that fed over 5,000 people! All the people saw Jesus do something only God can do. Because Andrew brought the boy to Jesus, they both had a part in showing the crowd that Jesus truly is the Son of God. Can you imagine how excited they must have been?

We’ve already learned in Family Time that Jesus gave His followers the responsibility to go and share His story all over the world. We’ve also learned that the Apostle Paul was a great missionary, but he couldn’t have traveled far or stayed long in the places he went without the help of other Christians. Check out what Paul said about one group of believers in Philippians 4:15-19.

The Philippian church helped Paul by sending money so he could continue to share the gospel of Jesus. The Philippians didn’t help him just once – they made it a habit. In fact, they were so generous that Paul had more than enough to stay on the mission field. Even though Paul was the one who received the gift, it was really an offering to God because it went to God’s work. The Philippians were excited to help Paul introduce more people to Jesus.

Yes, the Bible is full of examples of different ways to share Jesus with people who do not know Him yet. You can bring people to Jesus by inviting them to church so they can hear God’s Word taught. You can also share Jesus by supporting missionaries or by going on mission trips. Your faith may start a chain reaction that points others to Jesus, just like what happened with John the Baptist, Andrew, and Peter. Now that’s exciting!

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Have you thought about inviting someone to a church service or church activity, but haven’t done it yet? Why did you put it off? What can you do to change that?
  2. Ask any members of your family who have been on a mission trip to tell where they went and how they helped to share Jesus with the people there.

Let’s do it.

What activities or worship services do you plan to attend this week? Come up with a plan for family members to invite and bring people with you to church services and church activities. Post your Family Share Plan where everyone can see it.

To help you save for a mission trip or to be more generous in giving to mission work, decide on something you can give up or do without for a period of time. For example, instead of eating out on the weekend or going to a movie, set that money aside for a month. Then remember to pray during your family devotion for the mission work you’re saving for. Your generosity will bless another believer and help introduce someone else to Jesus.

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Week 15: What should I tell people about Jesus?

Most of us want our family and friends to know Jesus too – we just don’t always know what to say. Let’s look at two of the greatest sermons in Scripture to see what Peter and Paul told people about Jesus.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Take turns telling your family about good news you heard or received this week.

Let’s learn it.

Everyone likes to share and hear good news. When Peter preached the first sermon after Jesus’ death and resurrection, he gave the crowd good news. Read Acts 2:22-24 and 36-41 together to see what Peter said to the people in Jerusalem.

Jews had come from all over to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Even though they were religious people, they had not placed their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Peter warned the crowd that their dishonest and wicked behavior displeased God. He pleaded with them to ask the Lord to forgive them, and he promised that the Holy Spirit would help them live to please God. That day, over 3,000 people accepted Peter’s message that Jesus died and came back to life, proving that He was God’s Son and the Savior they had been waiting for. Now that’s really good news, isn’t it?

After the day of Pentecost, the story of Jesus began to spread. The Apostles and other believers shared the same message – Jesus died, was buried, and was raised from the dead for the forgiveness of sins. Before you continue, look to see what word Paul used for this message in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. The word gospel means “good news.” After all, learning that Jesus paid the price for sin is great news!

As a missionary, Paul took long mission trips to share the message of Jesus with people in other nations who worshipped false gods. Ask a family member to read part of Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens, Greece, in Acts 17:22-34.

Since these men were not Jews, they didn’t know about the God of Israel as the crowd in Jerusalem did. So starting with creation, Paul filled them in on who God is and why He is the only One who deserved their worship and loyalty. Paul begged them to ask God’s forgiveness for their sins, because God will judge each person for either receiving or rejecting His Son. Even though some of them laughed at his message and only a few people in Athens decided to follow Jesus, Paul didn’t stop sharing it wherever he went.

When you tell friends about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, you are giving them good news. Our families and friends need to know that their sins can be forgiven, and they can have a relationship with God, who created them and loves them. Isn’t that the best news you can give anyone?

Let’s discuss it.

  1. How would you share the good news of Jesus with a friend who doesn’t know much about the Bible or God?
  2. Discuss ways you can start conversations about the Lord with friends.
  3. Brainstorm short phrases you can use to share your faith while waiting in line, checking out, or getting a haircut. Where else can you be a witness for the Lord?

Let’s do it.

The best news in the world is that God loves us and sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. Write out John 3:16 on index cards or sticky notes and place them where family members can see them throughout the week. If you don’t already know that verse from memory, make an effort to memorize it this week. Then you’ll have the good news on the tip of your tongue, ready to share with the people you meet.

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Week 14: Why should I tell people about Jesus?

Jesus has a personal relationship with each of His followers, but that relationship isn’t meant to be a secret. He wants us to tell our friends and family what He is like and how we met Him. Let’s look at what the Bible says about why we should tell other people about Jesus Christ.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Take turns telling one another about a friend. How did you become friends? What is that person like? Why is he or she a good friend?

Let’s learn it.

Telling your family about a good friend is fun, isn’t it? Well, talking about Jesus brings us joy, too. As a matter of fact, Jesus gave His disciples the job of talking about Him. Look at what He told them in Matthew 28:18-20. Christ’s followers still have the responsibility to share His story so others can follow Him, too. Check out what the Apostle Paul wrote about that in 2 Corinthians 5:20.

If you have made the decision to follow Jesus, then you are one of His representatives – you speak and act for Him in your school, neighborhood, and community. You might think that most people have already heard about Jesus, but many people still don’t know that He can save them from their sin. How did Paul say in Romans 10:13-15 that people are saved from their sin?

People can’t believe what they haven’t heard. That makes sense, right? They can’t choose to follow Jesus unless someone tells them, so preachers must go and give God’s message. Paul could not imagine anything more beautiful than the person who takes the story of Jesus to other people. Have you ever considered yourself a preacher? You don’t have to stand on a stage in front of people to preach. You preach the good news of Christ every time you tell a friend that Jesus loves him and wants to be his Savior. Even before Jesus’ death and resurrection, He modeled how to preach the good news of God’s kingdom. How did He act toward people in Matthew 9:35-38?

Jesus was brokenhearted when He saw how helpless and aimless people were without Him. As His followers, we should have the same compassion for people that Jesus showed when He lived on the earth. When you leave home each day, you enter a mission field. As Christ’s followers we should use our feet to go, our mouths to tell, and our hands to help people in need so they too can meet our friend, Jesus.

Christ gave His followers the responsibility to tell His story and to be His faithful representatives on Earth until He returns. Nothing else you ever do will matter as much as helping someone to begin a personal relationship with God. That’s why friends of Jesus tell their friends about Jesus.

Let’s discuss it.

  1. Look again at the questions in Let’s start it. This time answer those same questions about your friendship with Jesus.
  2. How could your answers from question #1 help you to talk about Jesus with someone else?
  3. What opportunities does your church offer for you to share Jesus’ story and love in your community or in other countries? How can you help?

Let’s do it.

Which door does your family use most often to come and go from your house? Consider making a sign that says, “You are now entering the mission field” to hang over that door. Think about who is in your mission field, and make a list of people who don’t know Jesus as their friend. These may be people that you see every day at school or at work. They might also be the people you see often because they work in your community at a grocery store, a hair salon, or a doctor’s office. Remember, people can’t choose to know and follow Jesus unless someone tells them. How will you look for God-given openings this week to tell others about Jesus and how they can know Him as their Savior?

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