Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 10.04.20

,

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 liturgy.

 

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. 

 

 

We will also be celebrating Communion as part of this Liturgy; please make sure that you’ve got your elements ready following the sermon.

 

 

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 29:
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings,
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
    the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
    Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes
    with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
    the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
    and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
    the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
    the Lord blesses his people with peace.

 

Let us worship our King who sits enthroned above!

 

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. 

 

Sing to the 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!”

 

 

 

Come Thou Fount Come Thou King

 

 

Amazing Love

 

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 our 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 4950

 

 

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 Living Breath of God

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

 

 

Communion

If you are a baptized member of a church that declares Jesus is Lord, and if you are walking in the light and in pursuit of righteousness, we welcome and encourage you to join with us as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper! If you are not yet baptized or are not yet walking in the light, we encourage you to take some time to pray and reflect with the Lord or to confess and repent of your sins as His Word promises that when we confess, he is faithful to forgive! We welcome baptized children of believers to the table as parents discern they are ready, and also invite you to pray blessing over your children who are not yet ready to partake. 

Song of Response:

The song of response helps us to receive and apply the words that we’ve just heard through the Word and the meal that we’ve just received. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve just heard and experienced and ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond; feel free to sing in response as you feel led. 

 

Even So Come

 

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 Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

 

 

Closing Song: 

O Praise the Name

/by

Children’s Worship 10.04.20

,

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 Saves: God Is the One True God

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. 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.) 

 

Undoubtedly the mighty hand of the one true God was demonstrated in contrast to the powerlessness of the Egyptian false gods. Prior to the Passover, God declared, “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord” (Exodus 12:12b). Many scholars believe the plagues were directly attacking the ancient Egyptian gods. (We have provided a Plagues and the Egyptian God’s Sheet demonstrating this correlation.)

Plagues and the Egyptian Gods Comparison Chart

In the Bible, even the number of plagues was significant. To the Israelites, the number 10 represented wholeness and completion. For instance, the Ten Commandments are the complete, divine perfection of the Law. By sending 10 plagues, God was stating the Egyptians were completely plagued and completely judged. He was demonstrating His total power as the one true God.

After being set free from slavery, the Israelites celebrated and worshipped the power of the one true God. From this point forward in history, Israel set aside time each year to remember the Passover. At every annual celebration, the people retold how God rescued them. They knew that a crucial part of maintaining faith was remembering the ways God had guided them.

 

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.

Introduction to read to the children: 

God knew how sad His people, the Israelites, were back in Egypt. Pharaoh was mean to God’s people. God told Moses He had a plan to free the Israelites from Pharaoh and give them land of their own. God wanted Moses and his brother, Aaron, to go talk to Pharaoh. God promised Moses He would be with them and help them with the right words. God told Moses that He would show Pharaoh and all the people miracles and wonders so everyone would know He is the one true God! God saved them. Everyone started to celebrate by singing and dancing. They worshipped the one true God—the very same God we worship too. He is the one true God!

 

Watch the video:

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

In this part of The Big God Story, we heard how God showed that He is the one true God through sending the plagues on Egypt and by parting the Red Sea to get His people safely to the other side.

I wonder … What was it like to have to leave Egypt quickly?

I wonder … What would I have said if I had been able to walk through the Red Sea?

I wonder … How do I know God is the one true God?

 

Worship Songs:

 

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY    

When the Isrealites safely made it across the Red Sea they took time to worship God.with musical instruments. Let’s make one and use it to worship God when we sing our worship songs!                                                                                 

Rainstick Craft  – click picture for link to instructions

 Create music like Miriam and the Israelites did when God led them safely through the Red Sea.

Here is another musical instrument craft you may enjoy:

Guitar Craft  – click picture for link to instructions

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

Children, in today’s part of The Big God Story, we saw how our God saved the children of Israel just as He promised. Share the following verse from Psalm 68:20a: “Our God is a God who saves.”

Pray a communal blessing over the children. Encourage children to stand with their hands out, palms up, as a posture of being ready to receive.

May you feel the endless love of the one true God today, tomorrow, and always.

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 09.27.20

,

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 liturgy.

 

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 33

 

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.

 

For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.

 

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the people of the world revere him.
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

 

The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.

 

We wait in hope for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
Let us worship our God of unfailing love!

 

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. 

 

Jesus, Firm Foundation

 

 

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 Never Let Go

 

 

O Praise the Name

 

Great Are You Lord

 

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 our 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 4950

 

 

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. 

 

When We See Your Face

 

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 reflect on the questions posed and ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond; feel free to sing in response as you feel led. 

 

Even So Come

 

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 Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

 

 

Closing Song: 

He is Lord

/by

Children’s Worship 09.27.20

,

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 Saves: Moses Becomes the Leader of God’s People

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. 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.) 

 

Exodus chapter 3 is a very significant point of transition. It begins with the revelation of God to Moses from the midst of the burning bush. It develops with the commissioning of Moses to go back to Egypt and the Pharaoh and to deliver God’s people from their oppression and bondage. It ends with the beginnings of Moses’ reticence and resistance toward the task which God has given him.

In this message we will focus on the revelation of God to Moses, which, I believe, is the basis for all that is to follow. It is the basis for Moses’ obedience, as well as for the entire nation. It is also the basis for all of God’s actions with regard to Egypt and to His people. In many ways, this chapter is more than just the account of a life-changing incident in the life of one man; however, it is a crucial turning point in the history of the nation Israel. The burning bush marks the beginning of God’s direct intervention into the affairs of history. It is the basis for the call of Moses to return to Egypt as Israel’s deliverer. It is the beginning of the end of Egyptian oppression.

 

The burning bush made not only a profound impact upon Moses and the nation Israel, but it also continued to serve as one of those key events in history—the significance of which was not lost on Israel in the generations which followed. This passage of Scripture is one that must have been well known to the Jews of Jesus’ day. The account of the “burning bush” was so central to the thinking of the gospel writers, Mark and Luke, that they (perhaps like most men in their day) came to call this section of Scripture “the bush” portion (Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37).

incident of the burning bush is critical to our understanding of God.

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.

 

When Moses was a baby, God saved him from the pharaoh’s evil rule that all Israelite baby boys must die. When Moses was a grown-up, he became a shepherd. Who knows what a shepherd does? You’re right! A shepherd takes care of animals. A shepherd uses a staff to care for and guide animals. Do you know what a staff looks like?

 

Now you can watch the video that tells the story of what happened to Moses when he was a grown-up and how God chose Moses to be the leader of His people.

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

 

Today in The Big God Story we saw how God talked to Moses and chose him to go to Pharaoh..Moses wasn’t eager or happy to be used by God, but He learned to trust God and obey Him. God used Moses and kept His promise to save His people. He will save us too!

 

  1. I wonder … How did God talk to Moses?
  2. I wonder … How did Moses feel when God talked to him? What were some excuses he gave to God?
  3. I wonder … When are some times that I don’t want to do what God wants me to do?

 

Songs:

 

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

 

Easy Burning Bush Craft

 

Supplies:

  •     Construction paper
  •     Markers
  •     Glue stick

If you are looking for a SUPER simple craft for Moses’ encounter with God talking to him through the burning bush, here is one that Morgan and I made a few weeks ago when we were talking about this story. 

If you have smaller kids you will need to draw the bush (without the leaves and fire). If your child is older, let them draw it.

I also put a title at the top, and drew Moses’ sandals that he took off because he was on “holy ground.”

Now, find you some green, yellow, orange and red construction paper. You can let your child tear or cut out small pieces of all four colors and then glue them on.

I included the green paper to show that even though the bush was on fire it was not burning down, but was still intact.

This is a great visual to keep on the fridge to remind your kids about the story and ask them questions about it to review. 

From  simplybaggett.wordpress.com

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

Children, in today’s part of The Big God Story, we saw how our God chose Moses and turned him into the leader to save God’s people from King Pharaoh. God’s Word promises us that God has the power to save. Share the following verse from Psalm 68:20a: “Our God is a God who saves.”

Let’s pray those words as a blessing over each other this week. Invite kids to stand in a line and take turns passing the blessing down the line. Ask each child to place a hand on the next one’s shoulder as she speaks the words, “May you know our God is a God who saves” over him. 

When everyone has had an opportunity to participate, pray a communal blessing over the group. Encourage children to stand with their hands out, palms up, as a posture of being ready to receive.

May you know God cares for every part of your life. He will save you. 

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 09.20.20

,

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 liturgy.

 

We will also be given the opportunity to participate in Communion coming out of the sermon as part of this liturgy, so please make sure you’ve got your bread/crackers and juice/wine ready so that you’re ready to partake!

 

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 Colossians 3:1-4

 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 

Let us worship our risen 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. 

 

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!”

 

 

High and Lifted Up

 

 

 

Come Thou Fount Come Thou King

 

 

It is Well

 

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 our 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 4950

 

Special Offering for September: 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.  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. 

 

Living Hope

 

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 reflect on the questions posed and ask the Lord how he might be asking you to respond; feel free to sing in response as you feel led. 

 

Even So Come

 

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 Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Closing Song: 

Doxology/Amen

/by

Children’s Worship 09.20.20

,

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 Saves: Baby Moses Is Protected

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. 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.) 

To be sure, our God saved Abraham and blessed him with many descendants. God kept His covenant with Abraham. The book of Exodus opens by listing the sons of Jacob (Israel) who brought their families to Egypt to escape the famine in Canaan. It’s possible that in Egypt they were doubling their population about every 25 years. This is the same rate of growth we are currently experiencing worldwide.

This population explosion amongst the Israelites concerned the pharaoh. His fear led him to devise a plan to enslave the people and destroy newborn Hebrew boys. Two Hebrew midwives outsmarted the pharaoh. They told him the Hebrew women were just too strong and were able to deliver the babies before they could arrive. When Pharaoh realized he’d been deceived and his attempts had failed, he ordered his people to act as spies and cast any male babies into the Nile River. (Some commentators have suggested this order applied specifically to male babies of the Israelites.)

In the midst of it all, a son was born into the tribe of Levi. Trusting in God, the child’s parents defied Pharaoh’s edict and hid their son for three months. Ironically, it was Pharaoh’s daughter who rescued the baby and named him Moses. God then used Moses’ sister to help the princess arrange for a nurse, the child’s own mother, to care for him. The child was able to grow up in the home of his parents during his early years, receiving the strong inculcating of Hebrew traditions. Moses’ foundation of faith was received at his parents’ knees. Jewish mothers would, from the time a baby was first cradled in their arms, begin to whisper in their ears, “Jehovah is God.” 

God is a God of salvation. He delivered Moses and set a course for him to deliver a nation. It is through this nation (specifically, the tribe of Judah) that salvation came to the world through Jesus Christ. Our God saves! 

 

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.

 

Hi, friends! God is kind, gracious, and merciful. He is our Savior! Do you know what that word means—savior? It means that God saves us. When sin first came into the world, God promised to send a Savior. God keeps all His promises.

 

That reminds me of our Remember Verse from God’s Word. Let’s read it together. Our verse says, “The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does” (Psalm 145:13b). That means He is always good and will do what He says in His Word He will do. That’s comforting, isn’t it?

 

Now you can watch the video that tells the story of what happened to Moses when he was a baby, and how God saved him!

 

 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

 

Today in The Big God Story we saw how God saved Moses from the pharaoh’s plans. Moses’ mother placed him in a basket on the river, not knowing exactly where he would go, but trusting God to save him. God saved Moses and kept His promise to save His people. He will save us too!

 

  1. I wonder … How did Moses’ mother feel when she put baby Moses in the basket?
  2. I wonder … How did Moses’ mother feel when she was later called upon to care for her baby?
  3. I wonder … When are some times that I’m scared and need God’s help?

Song:

 

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

Woven Prayers

Moses’ mother wove a basket of reeds to save her son from Pharaoh. Today, children will weave construction paper strips into poster board as they respond to the ways God has saved them.

SUPPLIES

  •       Poster board 
  •       Pencil 
  •       Ruler
  •       Construction paper (1 sheet for every 10 children)
  •       Scissors 
  •       Markers
  •       Optional: glue sticks, worship music (suggestion: “I May Be Small,” TruWorship Sincerely Yours)

PREPARE AHEAD

Cut the construction paper lengthwise into strips one inch wide and eight inches long. Use a pencil and ruler to mark parallel straight lines every three inches across the poster board. Then, saving a two-inch-wide border around the poster board, cut on the lines. Children will weave strips of construction paper through the slits in the poster board. 

RELATE

Invite children to dance away any extra energy before sitting down. When Moses was in danger, God helped his mother weave a special basket out of grasses and put him in it to keep him safe. Our God is able to rescue and save us. When was a time that you needed God to help you because you were scared? Invite responses.

Give each child a strip of colored construction paper. Invite children to take a moment to sit silently and pray. They might want to ask God for help this week or thank Him for His power in their life. Let children know they can draw an expression of thanks on their strip of paper or simply write their name. You may want to play some soft worship music in the background during this time.

After children have an opportunity to pray, invite them to take turns weaving their construction paper strips into the poster board slits. You may want to use glue sticks to secure the paper strips to the poster board. When we look at this poster board, we can remember that God is so good! Even when we’re afraid, unsure, or scared, we can remember that our God saves. 

(Optional) Nile River

God saved Moses when Moses’ basket boat was on the Nile River. In this fun game, children will work together to emulate the movements of the Nile River using a parachute or large bedsheet.

SUPPLIES

  •       Parachute or bedsheet (large)

RELATE

When Moses’ mother placed him among the reeds or tall grasses in the river, she didn’t know what might happen to him. At any time, he could’ve been swept away by fast-moving water or caught in the tall grasses along the edge. In the end, Moses stopped in the reeds.

Let’s play a game where we use a parachute to show how the Nile River flows. Pull out the parachute and have children gather around the edge; spread out as much as possible. Now, imagine that this parachute is like the basket where Moses was placed. I’ll call out different ways the water is moving such as, “The water is peacefully moving slowly” or “Beware of fast waters.” When I want you to freeze I’ll say, “The basket is caught in the reeds!” Continue playing until your group makes a variety of motions with the parachute.

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

Children, in today’s part of The Big God Story, we saw how our God saves in situations that seem scary or impossible. God’s Word promises us that God has the power to save. Share the following verse from Psalm 68:20a: “Our God is a God who saves.”

Let’s pray those words as a blessing over each other this week. Invite kids to stand in a line and take turns passing the blessing down the line. Ask each child to place a hand on the next one’s shoulder as she speaks the words, “May you know our God is a God who saves” over him. 

When everyone has had an opportunity to participate, pray a communal blessing over the group. Encourage children to stand with their hands out, palms up, as a posture of being ready to receive.

May you know God cares for every part of your life. He will save you. 

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 09.13.20

,

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 liturgy.

 

We will also be given the opportunity to participate in Communion coming out of the sermon as part of this liturgy, so please make sure you’ve got your bread/crackers and juice/wine ready so that you’re ready to partake!

 

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 91
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

 

Let us worship our God who is our refuge and our strength!

 

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. 

 

Come Now is the Time to Worship

 

 

 

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 Ephesians 6:23-24
Peace to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying 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!”

 

 

Behold Our God

 

 

 

What a Beautiful Name

 

 

Christ is Enough

 

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 our church family, neighborhood, and the world as the Lord leads. Pray that we would be people of the gospel who build lives that embody, proclaim, and advance the Kingdom of God!

 

 

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. 

 

Build My Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZeiMogG6IE

 

The Preaching of the Word:

Access the audio of the sermon here: Sermon Audio Recording

Communion

If you are a baptized member of a church that declares Jesus is Lord, and if you are walking in the light and in pursuit of righteousness, we welcome and encourage you to join with us as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper! If you are not yet baptized or are not yet walking in the light, we encourage you to take some time to pray and reflect with the Lord or to confess and repent of your sins as His Word promises that when we confess, he is faithful to forgive! We welcome baptized children of believers to the table as parents discern they are ready, and also invite you to pray blessing over your children who are not yet ready to partake. 

 

Song of Response:

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

 

 

We Will Not Be Shaken

 

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 Philippians 1:9-11
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Closing Song: 

A Mighty Fortress

/by

Children’s Worship 09.13.20

,

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 WITH US: The Story of Joseph & His Brothers

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. 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.) 

Through the life of Joseph and his myriad struggles, we can learn about God being with us and working through us. So much so, biblical scholars make a case for Joseph being an Old Testament antetype of Jesus Christ. Both were obedient sons who were beloved by their fathers. Joseph was rejected and sold into slavery by his brothers. Similarly, the Jewish community rejected Jesus and the message He brought. Both were falsely accused and unjustly punished. Yet in the end, both were elevated to a place of powerful position and saved their people from death.  

God went before Joseph, preparing the way for the restoration of His people. At this time in God’s grand narrative, His chosen people in Jacob’s family were the faith community. As a result of sin within the family, pain and brokenness permeated it. For Joseph, his father, and his brothers, God used a devastating famine to bring healing and restoration of relationships. 

The sin and brokenness within Joseph’s family is present throughout all of humanity. But God Himself is with us. He has made a way for all who would receive Him to be adopted into His family. In God’s family we’re part of a faith community that stretches beyond our own lifetime, into eternity past and present. 

 

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.

 

Joseph started his life as his father’s favorite child. Life looked good until his brothers sold him

to some travelers who were on their way to Egypt. Once he was in Egypt, Joseph found himself working as a slave to an Egyptian man, and then in jail for something he didn’t do. But God was with him. One day, Joseph was brought before the king of Egypt— the pharaoh— to help him understand his dreams. God showed Joseph what the dreams meant, and Joseph told the pharaoh. Because of this, Pharaoh made Joseph the second-in-command over all of Egypt! No matter what happened in Joseph’s life, God was with him.

 

Story Song: 

Activity 2:  DISCUSSION

The following passages have been provided for you to model to your children how to look for truth in Scripture. Some verses may be engaging for your children while others may simply aid in your preparation to lead this time of discussion. Alternatively you can watch the longer video and ask questions after that.

 

  1. Read Genesis 37:26–34. After Joseph’s brothers sold him to the travelers, what did they tell their father had happened to him? (They tore his coat and put goat blood on it. The brothers said they found the robe and let their father think a wild animal had killed Joseph.)
  2. Read Genesis 39:3. How did Potiphar (Joseph’s boss) see that the Lord was with Joseph? (The Lord made Joseph successful in everything he did. Everything Joseph did turned out well.)
  3. Read Genesis 41:15–16. What was one of the ways Joseph knew that God was with him? (He knew God would help him tell Pharaoh the meaning of the dreams.)
  4. Read Genesis 46:1–4. How did God show Jacob (Joseph’s father) and his family that He was with them? (God spoke to Jacob and told him not to be afraid to go to Egypt.)
  5. I wonder … How does it feel to know that God is with me?

 

Below is a link to an animated video (approx 26 minutes long) from The Beginners Bible.

 

 

Worship Songs (from movie Joseph the Dreamer):

 

Activity 3: RESPONSE ACTIVITY 

Today we heard about many ways God was with Joseph. In good times and bad, God was always there. We know God is with us too. Parent: Share a time when you experienced God being with you. Ask Children: Would anyone like to tell us about a time when you knew God was with you? Or maybe you’re having a hard time right now. We can pray that you’ll know God is with you. It’s okay if you don’t want to share out loud. You can talk to God in your heart too. Tell Him how you feel to know He is always with you. Give children a minute to think and then allow them to share their thoughts and experiences. After a child has shared or had a moment to quietly respond, stop and pray for any requests or worries mentioned. 

 

Invite children to draw a picture of their family and write the words “God Is With Us” on top of the page. Then write each person’s name near their picture.

 

Friends, I’m glad to hear about all the times you knew God was with you. One of the great things about coming together as a community like we do here is that we can share stories and remind each other of things that are true—like God is with us. Now we have a picture to remind us that God is with us, and we have each other.

 

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

 

Friends, God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to be with us. Jesus is called Immanuel, which means “God is with us.” Because of Jesus, we know God isn’t far away; He is here, with us. Always. You’re not alone. One at a time, speak the following words over each child: 

 

(Child’s name), God is with you today and always.

 

End your time by speaking a Scripture and prayer over your family. Invite children to cup their hands and hold them out as if they’re receiving something valuable. Read the following words from John 1:14:

 

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

Dear ones, may you know today, tomorrow, and always that God is with you!

 

/by

Gold Avenue Church At Home Worship Liturgy 9.6.2020

,

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. 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 24
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it on the seas
and established it on the waters.

 

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,

who does not trust in an idol

or swear by a false god.

 

They will receive blessing from the Lord

and vindication from God their Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek him,

who seek your face, God of Jacob.

 

Lift up your heads, you gates;be lifted up, you ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.

 

Who is this King of glory?The Lord strong and mighty,the Lord mighty in battle.Lift up your heads, you gates;lift them up, you ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in.

 

Who is he, this King of glory?The Lord Almighty—he is the King of glory.

 

Let us worship our King of glory!

 

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. 

 

O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing

 

 

 

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!”

 

 

Come Thou Fount Come Thou King

 

 

 

Sing to the King

 

 

You Are God Alone

 

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

 

 

Reading and Song of Preparation

 

This week as you prepare to receive the Word of the Lord, please read the Question and Answer taken from the Heidelberg Catechism below. You can read it out loud alone, together, or designate someone in your home to read the question and others to read the answer.

 

From Exodus 20, the 4th commandment:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

 

 

Q. What is God’s will for you
in the fourth commandment?
A. First,
that the gospel ministry and education for it be maintained,1
and that, especially on the festive day of rest,
I diligently attend the assembly of God’s people2
to learn what God’s Word teaches,3
to participate in the sacraments,4
to pray to God publicly,5
and to bring Christian offerings for the poor.6
Second,
that every day of my life
I rest from my evil ways,
let the Lord work in me through his Spirit,
and so begin in this life
the eternal Sabbath.7
1 Deut. 6:4-9, 20-25; 1 Cor. 9:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:13-17; Tit. 1:5
2 Deut. 12:5-12; Ps. 40:9-10; 68:26; Acts 2:42-47; Heb. 10:23-25
3 Rom. 10:14-17; 1 Cor. 14:31-32; 1 Tim. 4:13
4 1 Cor. 11:23-25
5 Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:1
6 Ps. 50:14; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8 & 9
7 Isa. 66:23; Heb. 4:9-11

 

 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. 

 

Give us Clean Hands

 

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. 

 

 

Refiner’s Fire

 

 

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: 

Build Your Kingdom Here

 

 

/by

Children’s Worship 09.06.20

,

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 KEEPS HIS PROMISES

OVERVIEW:

Activity One:  Read the intro. 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 LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:1–3)

Out of the land of Ur and the worship of false gods, the Lord God called Abraham into relationship with Himself. His purpose was to establish a holy nation for the holy God. This would be a nation of people whose hearts and lives were committed to the Lord. The people were to live in such a way that the nations would know the God of Abraham was the one true God—the holy God.

Qadowsh is the transcribed Hebrew of the word “holy.” To be holy is to be set apart—removed from anything that acts as a contaminant. To be holy is to be pure and without blemish. Sacred. The very core of God is holiness. To know God is to first know He is holy. The complete and total “otherness” of God does not allow for comparison to anything or anyone else. The call to holiness was to be the distinctive of His people.

God promised Abraham, “I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17a). Salvation would come to the world through this chosen family. Jesus Christ is the Promised One who would redeem and restore mankind to God. The descendants of Abraham would stretch far beyond his human genealogy. All who call Jesus Lord and Savior have been adopted into this family through grace.

 

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: (read to children) In the Big God’s story today we learn that God promised Abraham that his family would grow big and important. God said Abraham’s family would be so big it would be like trying to count all the stars in the sky. Have you ever tried to count the real stars in the sky? There are so many we could never even count them all! God also promised Abraham that someone special would come from his family and that someone special was Jesus! But Abraham had a problem. How could this happen? It didn’t seem possible! He was too old to have children!  Let’s listen and find out if God kept His promise!

 

Watch video.

Activity 2: DISCUSSION

In The Big God Story, we heard how God promised Abraham He would give him such a big family that he wouldn’t be able to count them just like he couldn’t count the stars. God kept His promise! God has a great big family too, and He promises that anyone who believes in Jesus can be a part of that family.

 

I wonder … What was it like for Abraham when God spoke to him?

I wonder … What do I like about being part of God’s big family?

I wonder … Who is the special person God promised would come from Abraham’s family?

 

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

 

Dear God, thank you for keeping your promises to Abraham. Thank you for sending Jesus to save us from our sins and then to make us part of God’s family.

 

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 

Make a 3-D star wreath.

Needed: colorful paper, 10 inch piece of cardboard, scissors, glue gun, ruler, scissors

 

Using your scissors/cutting tool/machine, cut out 12 {5″} stars. The number of stars you will need can vary, but for a 10″ wreath, 12 stars is a nice amount to start with. You can layer it more or less from there.

 

Score your star 5 times. Once for each point. Start at the point and score directly across to the center between the two bottom points. Rotate star and score again until each point has been scored.

Fold each scored line and crease firmly.

There is your 3-D star! Now finish up the rest of them and you’ll be ready to assemble your paper wreath.

Cut out a 10″ ring for your wreath base using thin cardboard.

Hot glue the stars to the ring and each other. Since they stick out, you can’t glue them flat, so just apply a small amount of glue to the points where the stars overlap each other. Don’t skimp on the glue.

Attach a ribbon for hanging.

Activity 4: CLOSING BLESSING 

Bless the children together with the following words:

May you be filled with joy today and every day as you share God’s promise with others.

 

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