Reminder: if weather is bad enough, church services or other events may be canceled. We communicate cancelations at least an hour before the service. If you are wondering if it’s canceled, check:

  • Wood TV 8 – https://www.woodtv.com/weather/closings/  or search google for “Woodtv8 closings”
  • Facebook – search Gold Avenue Church and you’ll find our page which will have a “closing” post
  • Text Message – if you are in our directory you’ll receive a text message. It will come from 87447. You can also text “START” to that number to subscribe to messages. Try that if you didn’t get the closure text from November 19, please try the subscribing method, or reach out to your phone provider and ask them to make sure to not block messages from 87447.

Further questions can be directed to: goldavechurch@gmail.com

A Note Before you Begin:  

 

This service was prayerfully planned and coordinated with worship planner, Marissa Walters,  in conjunction with Worship Coordinator, Kayleen Jasperse, and the pastors.

 

Our prayer is that this liturgy helps us to create cultures of worship in our homes or wherever we utilize them. May the Lord bless you as you enter into his presence and give him praise. May we each be met, blessed,  challenged, and encouraged to grow as disciples and disciple makers of  Jesus Christ.

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 our Lord.

 

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

 

From Colossians 1:15-22

 

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
    He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
 for through him God created everything
    in the heavenly realms and on earth.

 

He made the things we can see
    and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
    Everything was created through him and for him.

 

He existed before anything else,
    and he holds all creation together.
Christ is also the head of the church,
    which is his body.

 

He is the beginning,
    supreme over all who rise from the dead.
    So he is first in everything.

 

For God in all his fullness
    was pleased to live in Christ,
and through him God reconciled
    everything to himself.

 

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
    by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

 

 

This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault.

 

Pray for the Lord to fill you, your household, and your home with His presence and His peace.  Fix your eyes and the focus of your heart on Him.

 

Worshiping in Song:

 

Our God Saves

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 these words from of Jesus John 10:10 aloud:

 

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 

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.

 

Consider sending a greeting text message to a church family member.

 

“The Lord be with you”

 

and in response: 

 

“And also with you”

 

And if you’re alone:

 

“The Lord is with me”

 

You Have Won Me

 

Yet Not I but Through Christ in Me

 

Testimony/Family Prayer Time:

 

 

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

 

Consider asking a church family member how you can be in prayer for them, or invite a church family member to pray for you.

 

 

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 4950

 

Special Offering for May: Bridge Street Ministries

Once a month we take a special offering to support special causes the Deacons have prayerfully discerned. This month’s special offering is for Bridge Street Ministries. Please read a bit about BSM from Derek Sterenberg below:

Bridge Street Ministries exists to build bridges between the streets and the church. We are a Christian based ministry operating and serving in the West Side of Grand Rapids. We provide the youth of our neighborhood with a safe place to grow socially, spiritually and academically. We believe that young people today will grow to become leaders in our community, and this is why we follow a Discipleship Pathway that begins in middle school and continues into college years. We firmly believe that God is actively manifesting His kingdom in our neighborhood and our desire is to see His shalom felt throughout Grand Rapids.

You can give to the Special Offering by:

  • Text: send amount space “special” (ex: 50 special) to (616) 319-2259 and follow prompts to give securely
  • Give online: at https://goldavenuechurch.breezechms.com/give/online select special from dropdown menu or type “special” in memo line
  • Check: write “special” 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. 

 

Wonderful Merciful Savior

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Our current sermon series is written in connection to and alongside a helpful tool that we have developed called the Gospel Tool. Disciple Groups at Gold Avenue Church are working through lessons that are based upon the Gospel Tool, and we want to make this resource available to every listener. Click here to check out the Gospel Tool, the Visual Gospel overview, statements, & scriptures.

 

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Song of Response:

The song of response gives opportunity to consider, apply, and respond to what we’ve just heard from the Word. If you need to and are able, take a few minutes to process what you’ve just heard and experienced and how the Lord may be inviting you to respond. Sing in response as you feel led.

Living Hope

The Lord’s Blessing:

The Lord’s Blessing serves to make space for us the Lord to bless us to continue to walk in faithful obedience and to grow up into maturity.

 

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

This is My Father’s World

Special thanks to Gold Avenue Church Worship Leaders Kayleen Jasperse and Marissa Walters for their prayerful work on this Liturgy.

 

Welcome!

 

Good Friday is a day where we remember and reflect on a pivotal point in Christian history: the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ that atoned for the sins of the world. 

 

As you walk through the different sections of this liturgy, you’ll be invited at different times to read, sing, worship, reflect, and pray. Please note that a variety of scripture translations have been utilized throughout this liturgy; feel free to look up your preferred translation as you feel led. It may be helpful to read scripture slowly and to linger in or repeat certain passages as you feel led. 

 

As a visual, we also invite you to light a candle before you begin that you can then extinguish when directed at the end of the liturgy to represent the death of Jesus.

 

May the Lord bless you richly as you spend time with him reflecting on his tremendous sacrifice.

 

Open by  reading this question and answer from the Heidelberg Catechism out loud about the significance of Jesus’ suffering and death:

 

Q&A 40:         

Q.

Why was it necessary for Christ

to humble himself even unto death?

A.

Because of the justice and truth of God 

satisfaction for our sins

could be made in no other way

than by the death of the Son of God. 

 

Gen 2:17.

Rom 8:3; Phil 2:8; Heb 2:9, 14, 15.

 

Take a moment to silence your thoughts and your heart and prepare for worship.

 

Opening Prayer: 

 

Read this prayer aloud as you invite the Holy Spirit to move in your heart as we reflect on the suffering and death of our savior, Jesus Christ

 

God of all hope,

we gather today deeply aware

of the world’s grief and pain –and our own. Send your Holy Spirit here among us and comfort us with the sure knowledge

that our Lenten journey will end in Easter joy. Amen.

adapted from ​The Worship Sourcebook, J.1.4.9; u​sed with permission

 

Opening song: 

Feel free to join in song, to listen to, and or meditate on the words of this song where we remember the love of Christ displayed for us on the cross.

 

 

Preparation: the Traitor

 

Read out loud from Matthew 26:17-30 :

On the first of the Days of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare your Passover meal?”

He said, “Enter the city. Go up to a certain man and say, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I and my disciples plan to celebrate the Passover meal at your house.”‘” The disciples followed Jesus’ instructions to the letter, and prepared the Passover meal.

After sunset, he and the Twelve were sitting around the table. During the meal, he said, “I have something hard but important to say to you: One of you is going to hand me over to the conspirators.”

They were stunned, and then began to ask, one after another, “It isn’t me, is it, Master?”

Jesus answered, “The one who hands me over is someone I eat with daily, one who passes me food at the table. In one sense the Son of Man is entering into a way of treachery well-marked by the Scriptures—no surprises here. In another sense that man who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man—better never to have been born than do this!”

Then Judas, already turned traitor, said, “It isn’t me, is it, Rabbi?”

Jesus said, “Don’t play games with me, Judas.”

During the meal, Jesus took and blessed the bread, broke it, and gave it to his disciples:

Take, eat.

This is my body.

Taking the cup and thanking God, he gave it to them:

Drink this, all of you.

This is my blood,

God’s new covenant poured out for many people

    for the forgiveness of sins.

“I’ll not be drinking wine from this cup again until that new day when I’ll drink with you in the kingdom of my Father.”

They sang a hymn and went directly to Mount Olives.

 

 

 

Confession: Peter’s Betrayal

 

Read out loud from John 18:15-18 and 18:25-27

 

Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in. “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” she asked Peter. He replied, “I am not.” It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.

Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” He denied it, saying, “I am not.” One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?” Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

 

Spend a few minutes alone or as a family inviting the Holy Spirit to bring to mind any times in the past week when you have denied Jesus. When in this past week/few weeks have I denied the opportunity to share the good news about Jesus? How else have I denied, turned away from, ignored Jesus…? Take time to confess to the Lord anything that comes to mind.

 

 

 

Remembering:

 

Read aloud from Matthew 27:1-56

Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners. That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.”

 

(Jesus Before Pilate)

Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer. Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.

Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. At that time they had a well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” For he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.

While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.” But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.

“Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked the governor. “Barabbas,” they answered. “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your responsibility!”  All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”

Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

 

(The Soldiers Mock Jesus)

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand. Then they knelt in front of him and mocked him. “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

 

The Crucifixion of Jesus

As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).  There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the king of the jews.

Two rebels were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him.  “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.  He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”  In the same way the rebels who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

 

The Death of Jesus

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,[c] lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people. When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee’s sons.

 

Questions and Reflection: 

 

Reflect on our Father’s forgiveness toward us because of Christ’s sacrifice. Take time to  journal or talk about your feelings/heart/ emotions as you read about Jesus’ crucifixion and death using the following prompts:

 

What does it mean for Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior? 

 

Think about where you would be without this sacrifice; remember who you were and what you were like before Jesus rescued you.  

 

Reflect on the freedom and forgiveness you have because of Christ’s sacrifice. 


Lament:

 

Jesus cried out in lament to His Father from the cross (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). His spirit was troubled. He was in a place of feeling forsaken. He was expressing His pain through lament.  Lament is born out of moments where things are not as we would hope or desire them to be, or when things do not seem to reflect God’s Kingdom; to lament is to bring our pain to the Lord honestly and vulnerably while still acknowledging His goodness and his sovereignty even when we do not understand. Good Friday gives us an opportunity to participate with God in His ministry of lament, as we remember the suffering and sorrow of Jesus in His death.

 

Read aloud from Psalm 22

 

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

    Why are you so far from saving me,

    so far from my cries of anguish?

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,

    by night, but I find no rest.

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;

    you are the one Israel praises.

In you our ancestors put their trust;

    they trusted and you delivered them.

To you they cried out and were saved;

    in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not a man,

    scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

All who see me mock me;

    they hurl insults, shaking their heads.

“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,

    “let the Lord rescue him.

Let him deliver him,

    since he delights in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;

    you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.

From birth I was cast on you;

    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

Do not be far from me,

    for trouble is near

    and there is no one to help.

Many bulls surround me;

    strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.

Roaring lions that tear their prey

    open their mouths wide against me.

I am poured out like water,

    and all my bones are out of joint.

My heart has turned to wax;

    it has melted within me.

My mouth is dried up like a potsherd,

    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;

    you lay me in the dust of death.

Dogs surround me,

    a pack of villains encircles me;

    they pierce my hands and my feet.

All my bones are on display;

    people stare and gloat over me.

They divide my clothes among them

    and cast lots for my garment.

But you, Lord, do not be far from me.

    You are my strength; come quickly to help me.

Deliver me from the sword,

    my precious life from the power of the dogs.

Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;

    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.

 

Reflection for lament:

Do any of the feelings that are expressed in this Psalm resonate with you right now? Read the following questions, and choose 2-3 of them to journal about or share with those around you:

 

Is there something the Lord may be inviting you to lament over with Him? 

 

In light of the suffering and death of Jesus, what grieves you? 

 

In light of what is going on in the world right now, what is your heart broken over? 

 

Where do you long for Jesus to manifest his Kingdom in your life or in the lives of those around you?  

 

The beauty of lament is that when we take our pain and struggles to our God, He promises to bear our burdens and make things right in His own perfect timing. Because of His sovereign goodness and because of His victory on the cross, we can exchange our pain for His healing, our burdens for His strength, our worries for His peace and provision.

 

The psalmist wrote of this glorious exchange when he completed the Psalm that you’ve just read.

 

Read aloud the rest of Psalm 22:

 

I will declare your name to my people;

    in the assembly I will praise you.

You who fear the Lord, praise him!

    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!

    Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!

For he has not despised or scorned

    the suffering of the afflicted one;

he has not hidden his face from him

    but has listened to his cry for help.

 

From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;

    before those who fear you I will fulfill my vows.

The poor will eat and be satisfied;

    those who seek the Lord will praise him—

    may your hearts live forever!

 

All the ends of the earth

    will remember and turn to the Lord,

and all the families of the nations

    will bow down before him,

for dominion belongs to the Lord

    and he rules over the nations.

 

All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;

    all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—

    those who cannot keep themselves alive.

Posterity will serve him;

    future generations will be told about the Lord.

They will proclaim his righteousness,

    declaring to a people yet unborn:

    He has done it!

 

 

 

Throughout this service we have walked through the final days of Jesus’ life and His suffering and death. We participated in His suffering as we too grieved the brokenness of our world and our lives as we long for His Kingdom to come. We conclude this Good Friday Service in a place of lament and yet a place of faith  as we meditate on the burial of Jesus and anticipate His glorious resurrection.

 

Burial of Christ:

 

Read aloud from Matthew 27:57-61 

As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus.  Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting there opposite the tomb.


Responding:

 

 

As the liturgy concludes, feel free to sing along with or just linger in the song below; if you chose to light a candle at the beginning of the liturgy, you may extinguish it at the conclusion of the song.

 

Make sure you join in on Easter morning for the rest of the story. 

 

 

Were You There?

 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. 

Were you there when they crucified my Lord? 

 

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? 

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? 

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. 

Were you there when they nailed him to the tree? 

 

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? 

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? 

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. 

Were you there when they laid him in the tomb? 

 

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? 

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb? 

Oh, sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. 

Were you there when God raised him from the tomb?

 

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