Family Worship Guide
The following originally appeared as a blog post written by TCT Member Pastor Lance Parrott of Christ Fellowship Church in Bowling Green, KY on March 23, 2020.
We are living in interesting days. These days are like nothing that we have ever experienced. The good news is that the Lord is not surprised by these circumstances. He didn't wake up last week wondering "Where did this virus come from?" The Lord is and always will be reigning on his throne. He is always bringing about his providential purposes for his people.
One of the purposes that I have been pressing is to "be still and present with your family." The Lord in his kindness has given us more time than ever to be present with our families. We have the opportunity to be intentional with our spouses and our children like we never have before.
We want to provide this resource to Christ Fellowship families every week. Maybe family devotions are unsual for your family. That's OK. Use this guide below to help your family focus on the Lord this week. It should take less than 10 minutes. It would be a great tool for around the dinner table or in the living room before bed.
Day 1. Monday.
Have someone read Hebrews 1:1-3.
Discuss these questions as a family:
What are the ways that the Lord spoke to his people in the Old Testament?
How is Jesus the clearest and fullest revelation of God?
What do we learn about who God is and what God is like by looking at Jesus?
Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to show us more of the beauty and glory of Jesus.
Day 2. Tuesday.
Have someone read Hebrews 1:3
Discuss these questions as a family:
What does it mean that "he upholds the universe by the word of his power?"
How do you feel knowing that Jesus is in complete control of everything?
Why is Jesus being in control better than you being in control of your life?
Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to give us peace and trust that he is in control.
Day 3. Wednesday.
Have someone read Hebrews 1:3
Discuss these questions as a family:
What did Jesus do to make you and me clean from all our sins?
How does it give us hope knowing that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God and is reigning as our King?
Close in Prayer: Thank Jesus for his sacrifice for our sins and for him being our King
Day 4. Thursday.
Have someone read Hebrews 1:3-4
Discuss these questions as a family:
Why is Jesus more worthy of praise than anything else in the world?
What are some things that we worship more than Jesus?
How can we as a family focus on Jesus being most important in our lives?
Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to bring about worship of him above everything else in this world.
Day 5. Friday.
Have someone read 1 Peter 5:6-7
Discuss these questions as a family:
How can we as a family humble ourselves under God's mighty hand?
What are the worries and cares that you can "throw on the Lord once for all?"
Close in Prayer: Ask the Lord to take our worries and to carry all of them for us.
Additional Resources
Treasuring Jesus with our Family
Treasuring Jesus with our Family
2019 Eternal Joy Conference, Memphis Session 4
Speakers: Sean Cordell and Bryan Smith
Additional Sessions
TCT National Call with John Piper
On September 4, 2019, we sat with Pastor John via video conference call and he shared some thoughts on maintaining wonder in pastoral ministry and answered a variety of personal questions from TCT pastors and planters.
An Hour with Pastor John
For the video and audio versions of this resource, click on the image below.
Members Only Content. This resource is only available to TCT Members. If you are a member and experiencing difficulty accessing the resource, please view this help.
On September 4, 2019, we sat with Pastor John via video conference call and he shared some thoughts on maintaining wonder in pastoral ministry and answered a variety of personal questions from TCT pastors and planters.
John Piper is known as founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary; however, he’s affectionately known among the network as “Pastor John” who in many ways is the “grandfather” of our network.
For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is author of more than 50 books, including Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist and most recently Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons.
TCT National Calls are hour-long video chats / webinars during which TCT features guest speakers who will share wisdom and focused content from their experience as pastors, planters, or ministry component strategists.
TCT National Call with Dhati and Angie Lewis
Members Only Content. The following resource is only available to TCT Members. If you are a member and experiencing difficulty accessing the resource, please view this help.
On September 12, 2018, we gathered as a network with our friends Dhati & Angie Lewis via video conference call and they shared their collective wisdom on parenting through the unique lens of discipleship. Dhati & Angie are the parents of 6 children.
Dhati is the Lead Pastor of Blueprint Church in Atlanta and the Executive Director of Community Restoration with the North American Mission Board. He earned his Master of Arts in Cross Cultural Ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary and most recently received his Doctorate of Ministry in Great Commission Mobilization from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is most passionate about making disciples, equipping urban leaders, and loving his family. On any given day you might find Dhati changing a plan, coaching his kids in basketball, or strategizing on a whiteboard. He is the author of both the Bible Study and book, Among Wolves: Disciple Making in the City.
Angie is mom to 6 children–-Trinity (8th), Jade (7th), Briaiah (5th), Dhati Jr (4th), Brayden (3rd) and Nathaniel (2nd). Angie invests her time in their local elementary school where she was given a job as parent liaison after volunteering for a semester–her job is to engage parents and the community to help transform the elementary school. The Lewis’ are avid basketball and soccer players with all 6 playing year round.
You can follow Dhati on Twitter @dhati.
The workshops and article below by Dhati have particularly benefited TCT pastors:
Missional Living | LegacyDisciple.org
Don’t Just Start a Church; Establish a Family: The Gospel Makes Us Family | SaturatetheWorld.com
How Should Christians Engage Restoration in Their Communities? | TheGospelCoalition.org
---
TCT National Calls are hour-long video chats / webinars during which TCT features guest speakers who will share wisdom and focused content from their experience as pastors and planters.
Sex and the Supremacy of Christ
The Bible has a way of shocking us. If Americans could still blush, we might blush at the words God uses to describe Sex.
But, of course, sin always tries to trash God’s gifts. So we can’t just celebrate sex for what God made it to be; we have to fight what sin has turned it into. The contributors to this unique volume encourage you to do both: celebrate and struggle.
Edited by: John Piper and Justin Taylor
Download or purchase at DesiringGod
Preparing for Marriage by John Piper
John Piper wants to help you faithfully walk the road to becoming husband and wife. Here you’ll find his counsel on practical topics like engagement, wedding planning, finances, and sex. But most importantly, John shares his single most important word on marriage: a vision grander than many of us have ever dared to dream, about what God is doing in every Christian marriage.
Author: John Piper
Download or purchase at DesiringGod