Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 08.30.20

,

A Note before you begin:

 

Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Kayleen in particular who prayerfully discerned this week’s order. While we would love to be together in person and  it may be somewhat difficult or even a little bit uncomfortable to worship from home, we’re reminded of the many believers around the world and throughout time that have worshiped from their homes in the wake of political and religious opposition.

 

Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God. 

 

Call to Worship: 

The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.

 

Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:

 

From Zephaniah 3:14-17
Sing, Daughter Zion;
    shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
    never again will you fear any harm.
On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.
The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

 

 

Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.

 

 

Worshiping in Song:

You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song. 

 

All Creatures of Our God and King

 

 

 

The Lord’s Greeting:

The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From 2 John 1:3:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Greeting One Another:

It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump: 

 

“The Lord be with you!”

 

and in response: 

 

“and also with you!”

 

And if you’re alone:

 

“The Lord is with me!”

 

 

I Stand Amazed

 

 

 

Revelation Song

 

 

King of My Heart

 

Testimony/Family Prayer Time:

 

As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to? 

 

Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.  

 

 

Take a few minutes to pray for your church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads.

 

 

Regular offering:

Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504

 

 

Song of Preparation: 

The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.  Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word. 

 

Turn Your Eyes

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Song of Response:

The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard. Take a moment to ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond and sing in response as you feel led. 

 

 

Ever Be

 

 

The Lord’s Blessing:

The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Closing Song: 

Even So Come

 

/by

Children’s Worship 08.30.20

,

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

GOD MADE A PROMISE

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. Watch the video. Read the conclusion.

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts.

Worship: Singing

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of mankind. (John 1:1–4)

 

The Lord God is the Creator of all things and gives life to all things. He created mankind to be in perfect relationship with Himself for all eternity. When sin entered the world, the harmony of the relationship man shared with God broke. But He didn’t leave us alone. In the moment we sinned, the Lord put in place a plan to restore and heal what had been lost. The great I AM humbled Himself, took on human form, and died the death of sacrifice. He completely redeemed us—bought us back—from death so our relationship with Him could be restored once and for all—for eternity. “For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36).

 

Activity 1:  STORY

 

Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

 

Intro to video: (to read to the children)

God made the whole world and everything in it. Can you name some of the things God made? What was the best part of His world? Yes, the people, Adam and Eve. After God created everything Adam and Eve obeyed God and talked with Him everyday. But one day something happened to change all that. Today we learn what happened in the garden where Adam and Eve lived and about God’s love and how He keeps His promises.

 

Watch video.

 

 

Conclusion:  (read to child/children) 

Is this the end of the story? No, it’s just the beginning. The Big God Story is all about God and His plan to save us from sin. Because Adam and Eve sinned, sin came into the whole world and the Bible says we all have sinned. 


But because God loves us so much, He made a promise to send a Savior who would rescue us from sin. That’s good news! Who is the promised Savior? Yes, Jesus! He is the One God promised to send. God made a promise. And because of that promise, we can be with God forever! 

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

I wonder … What did the garden look like?

I wonder … How Adam and Eve felt after they disobeyed God? 

I wonder … How did Adam and Eve feel when they heard the promise God made?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, take a moment to pray with your group:

 

Dear God, thank you for making our world and everything in it, the sun, the clouds, the animals, and the fish in the ocean and for making us, your people. Thank you for making a very important promise that a Savior, Jesus, would come one day to take away all our sins. 

 

These questions can easily extend into the rest of the week. Look for opportunities to bring conversations about how God Responds into your everyday life as a family.

Worship Songs:

Activity 3:  RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they had to leave Eden. But before they went away, God made a promise. We know that when God makes a promise He keeps it, no matter what. We can trust Him to do what He says He will do. God promised that the Savior would come to rescue us from sin. That Savior is Jesus. Let’s make a picture to remind us that God kept His promise.

SALT PAINTING

Supplies: 

A black piece of construction paper or cardstock.

White glue

Salt

Watercolor paints

Paint brush

 

Instructions:

Start by “drawing” your picture on your black paper with the white glue. (Keep this to simple outlines. It doesn’t work well when you fill big chunks of the paper in with glue.) Next, sprinkle salt all over the glue.

Then pour off the excess salt. You do not have to wait for the glue to dry before painting.

The reason why you want to use black paper is so if any of the paint gets somewhere that’s not the salt, you don’t see it. Encourage the children to just touch their paintbrushes to the salt and let it spread. You have to be gentle so as not to disturb the wet glue under the salt. These do not last forever so after a few days you may have to gently remove them from the house. 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

As you finish, pray a final prayer of blessing over the children:

May you know that God made a promise to send us Jesus.

May you remember that God is mighty. May you always trust His promises.

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 08.23.20

,

A Note before you begin:

 

Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Marissa in particular who prayerfully discerned this week’s order. While we would love to be together in person and  it may be somewhat difficult or even a little bit uncomfortable to worship from home, we’re reminded of the many believers around the world and throughout time that have worshiped from their homes in the wake of political and religious opposition.

 

Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God. 

 

Call to Worship: 

The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.

 

Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:

 

From Nehemiah 9:5b-6:
Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.
Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.
You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

 

 

Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.

 

 

Worshiping in Song:

You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song. 

 

Holy is the Lord God Almighty

 

 

 

The Lord’s Greeting:

The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From 2 John 1:3:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Greeting One Another:

It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump: 

 

“The Lord be with you!”

 

and in response: 

 

“and also with you!”

 

And if you’re alone:

 

“The Lord is with me!”

 

 

You are God Alone

 

 

 

Heart of Worship

 

 

Revelation Song

 

Testimony/Family Prayer Time:

 

As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to? 

 

Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.  

 

 

Take a few minutes to pray for your church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads.

 

 

Regular offering:

Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504

 

 

Song of Preparation: 

The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.  Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word. 

 

Ancient Words

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Song of Response:

The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard. Take a moment to ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond and sing in response as you feel led. 

 

 

Take My Life

 

 

The Lord’s Blessing:

The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Closing Song: 

By Faith

/by

Children’s Worship 08-23-20

,

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

JESUS IS PREPARING A PLACE IN HEAVEN

OVERVIEW:

Activity One: Do the introduction with your child(ren).  Go over the lesson together, reading and looking at the pictures of heaven provided..(Just a note: the story at the end of the lesson is a continued story and not meant to be part of this lesson.)

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts

Worship: Singing

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

In John 14, Jesus comforts His disciples after they learn of His impending death and departure. He assures them of the promise He is making and likens it to the workings of the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony to explain why He is leaving and how He will return. He says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1–3).

 

Jesus often uses the metaphor of a bridegroom and his bride as a way to describe the relationship between Himself and the church. In ancient Jewish traditions, when a man was to be married, his father would choose the bride for his son. If she accepted the proposal, the bridegroom would then begin to prepare a place for her in his father’s house, where he would bring his bride to dwell with him. The betrothed woman would wait with the oil of her lamp burning as a symbol to her groom that she was faithfully waiting for his return. Once the father of the bridegroom saw that all his son’s preparations were completed, he would send the groom after his bride for the completion of the wedding ceremony.

 

Today, Christ Jesus is preparing a place for us to dwell with Him in His Father’s house. We too must wait faithfully, knowing He will return and bring us to Himself, where we will live with Him for all eternity.

 

Activity 1: STORY

 

Intro:

When Jesus went back into heaven the disciples were sad, their Friend was leaving. But Jesus was going back to heaven where He lived before He was born as a baby. He was going to get a place ready in heaven for the disciples and for us. Do you ever wonder what heaven will be like? It’s hard to imagine what forever is like, and it’s hard to imagine a perfect, beautiful place like heaven. Jesus loves us so much that He left heaven and came into our world to die in our place so we can be with Him forever in heaven. Isn’t that amazing?  Today we are going to find out a little bit about what the Bible says about heaven. 

 

Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

 

Read the following lesson with your children:

 

http://ubdavid.org/kids-world/best-friends1/best-friends1_1.html

 

Activity 2: DISCUSSION

 

Even though Jesus’ disciples were sad to hear He must leave them, Jesus promised He would be preparing a place for them to be with Him forever. This is wonderful news! Jesus is preparing a place for us too!

I wonder … What kinds of things will not be in heaven?

I wonder … What might my favorite thing about heaven be?

I wonder … What is Jesus doing right now?

I wonder … Whom can I tell about heaven?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, take a moment to pray with your group. 

 Dear Jesus, thank you that you are preparing a place for us in heaven, and thank You that You are also preparing our own hearts right now. As we learn to trust God more and more, and let His Holy Spirit work in our lives, we’ll change from the inside out. We can become more like Jesus and live lives that honor God and show other people God’s love.

These questions can easily extend into the rest of the week. Look for opportunities to bring conversations about how God Responds into your everyday life as a family.

Worship Songs:

Activity 3: RESPONSE 

 

Give each child a blank piece of paper or cardstock. Provide markers, crayons, stickers, baubles, jewels, anything that sparkles and anything you can think of to decorate a picture of heaven. Read the description below and let the children draw their version of heaven.. 

 

Read the following: 

God’s Word, the Bible, is full of promises. One of God’s greatest promises is heaven. The Bible says that no one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9). That means none of us can truly imagine what heaven will look like. We can imagine it and read about it in God’s Word, but until we get there, we will not understand how wonderful it will be. 

 

In the Bible, John describes a vision he had of heaven. He says that heaven was shining with the glory of God. It had a high wall with 12 gates. There was an angel at each gate. The wall was made of jasper, a beautiful stone. The city was made of pure gold. The walls of heaven had every kind of jewel in them: jasper, sapphire, emerald, onyx, topaz, amethyst, and many more. And the gates were made of pearls. The streets of heaven were made of gold. There was no sun or moon to light heaven because the glory of God is the light. In the city was a beautiful river. The river shines like crystal and flows down the middle of the street. The tree of life is on each side of the river. It grows fruit 12 times a year and its leaves have healing power. (from Revelation 21:9–22:2) Wow! Can you even imagine a city like this? How beautiful it must be with all of those jewels sparkling in the light of God’s glory. It must be the brightest, most colorful place ever. And guess what? God has made it for us! What a wonderful promise that we can live in a city like that with all the people we love if we choose to give our lives to Jesus. 

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

As you finish, pray a final prayer of blessing over the children:

May you always remember that Jesus is preparing a place for you to be with Him forever.

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 08.16.20

,

A Note before you begin:

 

Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Marissa in particular who prayerfully discerned this week’s order. While we would love to be together in person and  it may be somewhat difficult or even a little bit uncomfortable to worship from home, we’re reminded of the many believers around the world and throughout time that have worshiped from their homes in the wake of political and religious opposition.

 

Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God. 

 

Call to Worship: 

The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.

 

Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:

 

From Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his;
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

 

 

Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.

 

 

Worshiping in Song:

You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song. 

 

Forever

 

 

 

The Lord’s Greeting:

The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From 2 John 1:3:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Greeting One Another:

It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump: 

 

“The Lord be with you!”

 

and in response: 

 

“and also with you!”

 

And if you’re alone:

 

“The Lord is with me!”

 

 

Jesus

 

 

 

Wonderful Merciful Savior

 

 

Your Great Name

 

Testimony/Family Prayer Time:

 

As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to? 

 

Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.  

 

 

Take a few minutes to pray for your church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads.

 

This morning we also have the tremendous opportunity to give thanks to the Lord for a new member of our church family! Neil and Annah Blake write:

 

Rhys (pronounced Reece) Davis Blake was born at home on Sunday morning, August 9, at 11:40 a.m. He weighed 7 pounds and 14 ounces at birth. The name Rhys means enthusiasm, which certainly fit his in-the-womb personality. Eden is very affectionate with Rhys and he seems to have grown into a boy overnight. We are so grateful for our boys.

 

We give thanks to God for the gift of Rhys!

 

 

Regular offering:

Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504

 

Special Offering for August: Van Fund

Once a month we take a special offering to support special cuases the Deacons have prayerfully discerned. This month’s special offering is the Gold Avenue Church Van Fund. To date, we have received $7,196.70 towards the van fund. We are grateful for these gifts!

 

 The Deacons are expecting a need of $18,000 to replace the vans.

 

The Gold vans are used throughout the year to transport people to and from church, to transport youth to GoldRush youth group, and for many other uses.  As the vans age, the need for an updated model has become apparent, and so we invite you to sow into the purchase of a replacement van. You can give to the special offering by:

1. Text:  send amount space van (ex: 50 van) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely

2. Give online: select special from dropdown menu or type “van” in memo line

3. Check: write “van” in memo line

Song of Preparation: 

The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.  Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word. 

 

Holy Spirit Rain Down

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Responding in Prayer and Song:

Take a few moments to ask the Lord to help you identify your enemies or pressures that you, your loved ones, or the body of Christ may be coming up against. Cry out to the Lord, declare his faithfulness, and ask him for his help.

 

If you’ve got enemies or are coming up against pressure that you’re struggling to fight on your own,  please reach out to Pastor Jaleesa at pastorjaleesa.gold@gmail.com or request a prayer appointment at prayer.gold@gmail.com

 

 

This is How I Fight My Battles

 

 

 

The Lord’s Blessing:

The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Closing Song: 

The Blessing

/by

Children’s Worship 08.16.20

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

God Responds

OVERVIEW:

Activity One: Do the introduction with your child(ren). Watch the video

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts

Worship: Singing

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

The political climate in Judea during the time of the early church was precarious: King Herod was ruling over Judea as a Roman representative. At the time the church was growing and many people were becoming followers of The Way, pockets of Jewish “zealots” were forming in opposition to the Roman rule of Israel. Herod wanted to stop anything that could escalate an already volatile situation. The apostolic leaders were viewed as having the most potential to begin an uprising, so Herod started taking measures that would—by human perceptions—destroy further growth of the church. He began by killing the apostle James (brother of John) in what appeared to be a systematic plan to eliminate the remaining apostles.

Shortly after James’ death, Peter was seized and imprisoned during the Passover Festival. Four sets of four soldiers were placed as guards for this one man. Wanting to appease the Jews during the celebration of their festival, Herod waited to hold a public trial until after the celebrations. Not only would this give the Jews their festival, but it would allow Herod a larger crowd during the trial and execution and make an example of Peter’s death.

As soon as Peter was taken to prison, a group of believers gathered in a home to pray earnestly for him. God then sent an angel to release Peter from jail and lead him to safety. Peter came to where the believers were meeting and knocked on the door. Peter being released seemed so unlikely, it was easier for them to believe he had died and his angel or ghost (as was a customary belief within the Jewish culture) had come to tell them. After realizing it was in fact Peter, the faithful group rejoiced.

“In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter” (Acts 12:18). It was customary that should a prisoner escape, the supervising guard or soldier would then take the punishment intended for the accused. The unnoticed disappearance of one man while being guarded by so many soldiers was very unlikely. Hearing the news of Peter’s escape, Herod commanded a search be made to locate him. When he was not found, the guards were put to death and Herod left for Caesarea.

 

Activity 1: STORY

Intro:

Friends, our God is amazing! Not only is He strong and mighty, but He also loves each of us. He hears our prayers and cares for us. And not only that, but He responds when we pray to him. Respond means “to give an answer.” Before we continue, let’s stop and ask God to teach us more about His love. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

Watch video.

 

DISCUSSION

Today in The Big God Story, God sent an angel to free Peter from jail. He responded to the prayers of His people.

 

I wonder … How did Peter feel when he saw the angel in his cell?

I wonder … What did the people pray for Peter?

I wonder … Whom can I pray for today?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, take a moment to pray with your group. 

Friends, God heard the prayers of His people when they were praying for Peter. And God responded. He loves His children and loves when we talk with Him. He will always respond. Let’s spend some time praying together, just like the church did in today’s part of The Big God Story.

 

These questions can easily extend into the rest of the week. Look for opportunities to bring conversations about how God Responds into your everyday life as a family.

Worship Song:

 

RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

Friends, God hears each of our prayers. When He responds, it may not be in the way we expect. In fact, it might be quite different than we imagine! But we know that God loves us and responds to the prayers of His people. Let’s make a prayer chain to help us remember to pray for whatever or whoever God tells us and wait for God’s answers.

 

Make a Prayer Chain

Materials You Need to Make a Construction Paper Prayer Chain

construction paper

scissors

a stapler, glue, or tape

dark coloured markers

Just be sure your paper chain strips are wide enough to write on, and not too narrow that you can’t read them, or too wide that they become giant, droopy paper ovals.

 

How to Make a Construction Paper Prayer Chain

  1. Have each child write the things and the people they would like to pray for on their strips of paper.  (One prayer request per paper strip.)
  2. You can guide them to include both things they are thankful for, and things that need prayer (like a sick relative, an upcoming test, etc.).
  3. Have older kids tape, glue, or staple their chains together.  For younger kids, you may need to turn the strips of paper into a chain for them.  (Just staple one end of each strip to the other end, and then loop your 2nd chain through your first before stapling, and your 3rd through your 2nd….)

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

End this time together with a blessing over your whole family:

 

Encourage children to put their hands out in front of themselves in a posture of receiving, demonstrating a readiness to hear God’s Word. Give them a moment to settle their minds, then read 1 John 5:14–15 over the group: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

Children, may you know that God hears your prayers. May you know His power and strength to do far more than we can even imagine.

At Home Weekly Study Page

Here is a page that can be used during the week to prepare for the next lesson!  Please check it out and use it along side your existing family devotions.
At Home Weekly Lesson 12

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Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 08.09.20

,

A Note before you begin:

 

Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Kayleen in particular who prayerfully discerned this week’s order. While we would love to be together in person and  it may be somewhat difficult or even a little bit uncomfortable to worship from home, we’re reminded of the many believers around the world and throughout time that have worshiped from their homes in the wake of political and religious opposition.

 

Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God. 

 

Call to Worship: 

The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him.

 

Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:

 

From Psalm 27:1-6; 13-14
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?

 

When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.

 

Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.

 

One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.

 

Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.

 

 I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.

 

 

Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.

 

 

Worshiping in Song:

You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song. 

 

Build Your Kingdom Here

 

 

 

The Lord’s Greeting:

The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From 2 John 1:3:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Greeting One Another:

It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump: 

 

“The Lord be with you!”

 

and in response: 

 

“and also with you!”

 

And if you’re alone:

 

“The Lord is with me!”

 

 

God is Able

 

 

 

There is a Redeemer

 

 

You are My All in All

 

Communion Note:

Make sure to check out the All Church Email for information and links to our special Zoom Communion Gathering THIS WEDNESDAY, August 12th at 6:30pm!

Testimony/Family Prayer Time:

 

As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to? 

 

Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.  

 

 

Take a few minutes to pray for your church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads. 

Regular offering:

Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504 

Song of Preparation: 

The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.  Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word. 

 

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Responding in Prayer and Song:

Please  consider joining in praying through the prayer requests below
as a response to the sermon:

  • Pray that God would expose the plans of the enemy.
  • Pray that God would give leaders keen discernment.
  • Pray that God would enable leaders to stay focused and to keep from danger.
  • Pray that God would strengthen leaders to speak Truth and trust God with their honor.
  • Pray that God would help leaders dismiss accusations and from getting baited to offense.
  • Pray that God would help leaders and all of us be strong and keep working!

 

 

Christ Be All Around Me

 

 

 

The Lord’s Blessing:

The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From Hebrews 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Closing Song: 

A Mighty Fortress is Our God

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Children’s Worship 08.09.20

,

Dear Parents,

Thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

GOD IS LOVE, PART 2: Church in Antioch

OVERVIEW:

Activity One: Do the introduction with your child(ren). Watch the video

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts

Worship: Singing

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

 

EQUIP:  

(It’s the background on the story for you, the parent, to read, so you can be prepared to answer your family’s questions) 

 

In the early days following Jesus’ ascension, many people were coming to faith. The gathering of believers was growing, and true community was developing. A young man named Stephen was among seven men appointed by the 12 apostles to serve communities with the distribution of food and supplies to needy widows. As he served, Stephen was filled with God’s grace and power, performing many miracles in His name. When word of this reached some men of the synagogue, they approached Stephen and began to debate with him. Seeing that Stephen would not back down, the leaders seized Stephen and stoned him to death.

 

Stephen’s death was the first of a great wave of persecution that swept over the church in Jerusalem, and followers of “The Way” scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. These followers preached the Word of God to the Jews. However, some believers went to the city of Antioch and preached the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. “The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21).

 

Antioch enjoyed a prosperous economy due to its strategic location at the crossroads for trade routes south to Palestine and Egypt, east to Persia, and west to the Asia Minor Peninsula. Antioch was ranked the third-greatest city in the Roman Empire, after Rome and Alexandria, with a population of more than 500,000. It was a blend of many cultures, beliefs, and practices. The city, referred to as “Queen of the East,” was also known for its extravagant, wasteful, and reckless behavior.

When the Jerusalem church heard of the growing number of believers in Antioch, they sent Barnabas—a godly and faith-filled man—to visit. During his first stay, Barnabas witnessed the blessing of God upon these believers; many turned and put their faith in the Lord. Barnabas left Antioch long enough to return with Paul—who had once persecuted and killed followers of The Way—and they stayed for a year teaching the Word of God.

 

It’s from this time of God’s Spirit moving in Antioch that we see the beginning of the Gentile movement: the first Gentile church, the first missionaries, and the first act of generous financial giving for another local church community. It’s here in Antioch that believers were first named Christians (christianous or “little Christs”). What citizens of the city may have intended as a coining in jest, the followers of The Way embraced as a fitting title to describe their new identity.

 

STORY

 

Intro:

After Jesus returned to heaven to be with His Father, His disciples were so full of God’s love that they couldn’t help but share it with others. Jesus’ message spread all over the world quickly. Soon there were new churches everywhere. Our lesson today tells how we those new churches helped each other like Jesus helped people while He was on earth. But first, let’s pray and ask God to be the one to teach us. Lead children in a Prayer of Release to pause, be still, and ask the Holy Spirit to quiet their hearts and minds.

 

Watch video.

Today in The Big God Story, we saw that God is love. We also heard about the church in Antioch and how God’s love helped them to share His love with others. One clarifying note: The video mentioned that the believers fed the hungry and “did everything they could to help the sick people feel better.”  In fact, they healed the sick in Jesus’ name, which is one of the things Jesus said his followers would do. It’s a subtle but important difference.

 

I wonder … How did the people in Jerusalem feel when the church in Antioch helped them?

I wonder … Who has shown God’s love to me?

I wonder … Whom does God want me to share His love with this week?

 

DISCUSSION

After discussing the Wonder Questions, take a moment to pray with your group. God’s love is amazing. He gives so much love to us, and He’s always willing to give us more and more! God fills us with His love so we can share it with others.

 

One way we can love others is through prayer. Whom do you know who needs God’s love today? Invite children to respond. Wow! It seems like God has put a lot of special people in our lives to share His love with. Let’s take a moment to pray for those people. Invite kids to take turns praying aloud, even as simple as inviting them to pray: “Father, please show (insert name) Your love, and help me share Your love with her too.”

Let’s continue to talk to God as we pray for one another. 

These questions can easily extend into the rest of the week. Look for opportunities to bring conversations about how God Saves into your everyday life as a family.

Worship Song:

 

RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

Fold a 81/2 x 11 paper like a fan.  Draw a heart shape on one edge starting and ending at the folded edge. Cut out. Open up to the heart chain. You can make more than one and tape them together. Have children brainstorm people to pray for and to show love to as in prayer time above. Write their names on a heart to help remember them.

CLOSING BLESSING 

 

End this time together with a blessing over your whole family:

 

(Child’s name): may you remember that God is love. 

 

May you be filled with God’s love, and may His love pour through you to everyone you know.

 

At Home Weekly Study Page

This week we are starting to include a page that can be used during the week to prepare for the next lesson!  Please check it out and use it along side your existing family devotions.
At Home Weekly Lesson 11

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Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 08.02.20

,

A Note before you begin:

 

Welcome to Gold Avenue Church’s At home Worship Liturgy; we’re so grateful to join together in Spirit as we worship! We want to give special thanks to our worship leaders: Kayleen Jasperse, Derek Sterenberg, and Marissa Walters who have been prayerfully discerning our Orders of Worship and Derek in particular who prayerfully discerned this week’s order. While we would love to be together in person and  it may be somewhat difficult or even a little bit uncomfortable to worship from home, we’re reminded of the many believers around the world and throughout time that have worshiped from their homes in the wake of political and religious opposition.

 

Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them, and that as we enter into his presence and give him praise, that we are each met, blessed, and brought further up and further in to the Kingdom of God. 

 

Call to Worship: 

The Call to Worship serves to focus our attention on the living God who is present with us; it calls us to position ourselves as those who are ready to worship and ready to receive from Him. Read the following out loud as you fix your eyes on Jesus:

 

From Hebrews 4:14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,  Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

 

 

Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with his presence and his peace. Invite him to stir up worship and take time to express your gratitude and thankfulness to the Lord as you feel led.

 

 

Worshiping in Song:

You can access the video of each song by clicking on the video. We invite you to turn up the volume and to participate freely and fully: sing along, dance, kneel, listen and soak, read the included lyrics–however you feel led. You may find it fruitful to listen to a song more than once, to respond between songs with prayer, thanksgiving, meditation, or even discussion about how the Lord is at work in and through the song. 

 

This is Amazing Grace

 

 

 

The Lord’s Greeting:

The Lord’s Greeting serves to remind us that we are in the presence of the living God. It makes space for him to greet us as our loving heavenly father who rules and reigns as the King over all and who is present with us as our loving heavenly father!

 

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From 2 John 1:3:
Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

Greeting One Another:

It might feel a little odd doing this at home, but take time to say these words to greet each other, as you shake hands, hug or elbow bump: 

 

“The Lord be with you!”

 

and in response: 

 

“and also with you!”

 

And if you’re alone:

 

“The Lord is with me!”

 

 

Hosanna Praise is Rising

 

 

 

In Christ Alone

 

 

Lord I Need You

 

Communion Note:

Though it is the first Sunday of the month of August, we will not be celebrating Communion as part of this At Home Worship Liturgy. Make sure to check out the All Church Email for information and links to our special Zoom Communion Gathering on Wednesday, August 12th at 6:30pm!

Testimony/Family Prayer Time:

 

As you transition, take a moment to reflect on how the Lord was ministering to you through song: what lyrics stood out to you? What emotions were you experiencing? What did God reveal to you about who he is? What did God reveal to you about what he says about you? How else were you ministered to? 

 

Share a story with those around you or to the Lord about how he was at work in worship as well as in your week. Give him glory for his goodness. If alone, you could write down your testimony.  

 

 

Take a few minutes to pray for your church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads. 

Regular offering:

Support ministry at Gold Avenue Church by giving to the general fund (Click the picture for more giving options):

  1. Text:  send amount (number only, no extra symbols) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  2. Give online at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online or give through PayPal here.
  3. Mail a check payable to Gold Avenue Church at 49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504 

Song of Preparation: 

The Song of Preparation serves to prepare our hearts to receive the Word of the Lord.  Continue to fix your eyes on Jesus and surrender your attention and heart to him as we transition and prepare to enter into His Word. 

 

Ancient Words

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

 

Song of Response:

The Song of Response serves to make space for us to respond to the message the Lord has given. Feel free to take a moment to ask the Lord how he might be inviting you to respond and follow accordingly. You’re welcome to sing along, to listen and reflect, to pray or journal, etc. 

 

Yes and Amen

 

 

The Lord’s Blessing:

The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us to receive the Lord’s blessing to equip and empower us to receive his word, to be obedient to it, and to walk it out in his grace and favor.

Fix your eyes on him as you read the following out loud:

 

From Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you 
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace

Closing Song: 

 

Doxology

 

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Children’s Worship 08.02.20

,

Dear Parents,

Welcome back and thanks for joining us again as we do Children’s Worship from home!  It’s August already, so we’re back with this resource that we hope blesses you and your family.  We hope that you will use it and that it will spark discussions throughout the week with you and your children, as you raise them up as disciples of Jesus Christ!

Note: Please let us know about how your family is enjoying Children’s Worship! Take some pictures of your family participating in Children’s Worship or share a story. You can post to the Gold Avenue Church Facebook page or send by email at goldavechurch@gmail.com

OVERVIEW:

Activity One: Do the introduction with your child(ren). Watch the video

Activity Two: Discuss the story using provided questions as prompts

Worship: Singing

Activity Three:  Respond to the story by doing the activity. 

Activity Four:  Bless your children 

 

EQUIP:  

(It’s not an activity, but just a little background on the story for you, the parent, to read.) 

In Acts 9, after Christ met Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul found himself blinded for three days. He spent these days fasting and in prayer, meditating on what he had seen and heard. This sort of consequence would have had major significance to a man like Paul. However, in a strange way, this was actually God’s way of blessing Paul.

As we know, Paul was a Pharisee. Pharisees were the strictest, most-devout religious leaders. They rigidly followed several hundred laws. In fact, they even created “hedge” laws that protected them from ever stumbling into sin. Their legalism distanced them from the poor, the sick, and the lower classes. Ironically, blindness had huge social repercussions in the first century, especially to the Israelites. The Jews believed that most illnesses and deformities were the result of a sinful life. A Pharisee could not be blind; it would register him as unclean. Clearly, after this incident, Paul couldn’t simply go back to his old life. His physical impediment would not allow him to. But it was his conversion to Christ, far more than his blindness, that kept him from returning to his former life. Therefore he was forced to wait, pray, and think about what had happened.

Ironically, rabbis called themselves “a guide to the blind.” There is no doubt that physical blindness would have drawn this to Paul’s mind. God knew that Paul’s heart had been hardened to His voice. Creating blindness in Paul created an opportunity for Paul to draw near to God once again.

Paul’s entire identity was transformed. In everything that Paul did, he was an obedient servant of God. He went on to spread the good news to thousands of Gentiles. He encouraged them and helped their churches flourish. He was so transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit that it affected every facet of his life. God’s love changed (and still changes) everything.

 

Activity 1: STORY

 

Intro: People change in some ways as they get older, don’t they? Most people get taller, and they look older. They also learn more and more and get smarter! No one is exactly the same as they were when they were younger. Today we’re going to hear about a man who was changed by God’s love.

Watch video.

DISCUSSION

In this part of The Big God Story, we heard about a man named Paul who wanted to stop the disciples from talking about Jesus. But God is love, and His love changed Paul’s life.

I wonder … How did Paul feel when Jesus was speaking to him on the road?

I wonder … What does God want to say to me today?

I wonder … How does God want to change me with His love?

 

After discussing the Wonder Questions, you’ll have the opportunity to pray with and for each of the children in your group. God is love, and His love changed Paul’s life. After Jesus appeared to Paul, he went out and served God by telling others about God’s love. Let’s take some time to talk to God. Let’s praise Him for His love, and let’s ask Him to help us show His love to others. “God, I thank You for Your love. Please help me show Your love to others so they can be changed too.” Allow children time to participate. Encourage them to speak their own words or repeat the words you offered. Close as the Holy Spirit directs you.

 

These questions can easily extend into the rest of the week. Look for opportunities to bring conversations about how God Saves into your everyday life as a family.

Worship Songs:

RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

(Child’s name): may you remember that God is love. 

 

End this time together with a blessing over your whole family:

God is love, and He loves you very much. May you remember to love others as God has loved you.

 

Have a blessed week and we’ll see you back here next Sunday!

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