Copyright ©2010 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org 1

FamilyWorshipGuide–Week20 READ

o Psalm139o ThetextitselfconnectsthispsalmtoDavid,butdoesnotspecifyaneventinhislifetowhichthesethoughtsmaybe

connected.WeknowthatDavidhadhighpointsinfaithandlowpointsindisobedience.Itislikelythatthethoughtsofthispsalmreflecttruthhehadcometounderstandthroughavarietyofexperiences.

o Intheopeningverses(vv.1‐6),thesingerofthissongconfessesthetruththatGodknowsallthings,includingallthingsabouthimself.NotonlydoesGod’sknowledgeabound,butHealsoshowsHiscareforus(v.5).Throughaseriesofquestionsandexclamations,thesingerconcludesthatGodwillcontinuetoknowhimintimatelyregardlessofwhereheis(v.7‐12).TravelingtothehighestheightsorthelowestdepthscannotinhibittheabilityofGodtoknoworthefaithfulnessofGodtolead(v.10).

o God’sveryactofcreation,knittingustogetherinthewomb,isanexpressionofintimacy.Heknewusbeforeweweremade,andHemadeuspersonally(v.13‐16).Thesingerrespondsinverses17‐18byexpressingthehighvalueheplacesonthethoughtsofGodandhisinclusioninthosethoughts.ThesingerrespondstobeingknownbyGodinverses19‐22byjoininginHisthoughts.HetakesGod’senemiesashisown.Inverse19,hisrequestisforGod’sglory,nothisown.

o Thesingerultimatelyrespondsinverse23‐24byaskingthatGodwouldcontinuetosearchandknowhim.HerecognizedthevalueofbeingknownbyGod,andhisbestresponseisaskingthatGodknowhimmore.BottomLine:Godknowsus,andallthings,intimately.Heisgreatandgreatlytobepraised.Questions:WhatkindofthingsdoesthepsalmistsayGodknowsinverses1‐4?Reviewthepsalm.WhichversesnotonlyrecognizeGod’sknowledgeofusbutdisplayHispresencewithus?Thinkaboutthepeopletowhomyoufeelclosest.Dotheyknowmoreorlessaboutyouthanothers?HowclosedoesitmakeyoufeeltoGod,knowingHisknowledgeissocomplete?ConsiderallwehavereadaboutDavid:HewasconsideredagoodkingandamanafterGod’sownheart,butwasnotwithoutfailure.WhatdothetruthsexpressedaboutGodinthispsalmimplyaboutGod’spresencewithDavidinhisgoodandbadtimes?Thinkaboutyourownlife:DoyouacknowledgethatGodknowsallthingsaboutyou?DoyourecognizeHeiswithyouwhenyouarefaithful?DoyourecognizeHeiswithyouwhenyouarenot?DoyoudependonHispresenceandtreasureHisthoughts?

PRAYo ReadWindowontheWorld,pg.66‐67Greeceo UsePrayerCard

SINGo Uselyricsheetandmp3downloadof“HowGreatThouArt”o Psalm139givesusabeautifulpictureofGod'sdeepknowledgeandwisdom.Godknowseverythingaboutus.The

greatwisdomofGodisputondisplayinthecreationofourverybeing.Andsoweexclaimwiththepsalmist,KingDavid,whenhewrites,"Suchknowledgeistoowonderfulforme;itishigh;Icannotattainit."Thisweekourfamilyworshipsongis“HowGreatThouArt”.ItisadeclarationofaweandreverencetowardsGodforthegreatworkofHishandsandthegreatworkofsalvationthatHemadepossibletousthroughHisSon,JesusChrist.

MEMORIZEo 1Chronicles29:11Yours,OLord,isthegreatnessandthepowerandthegloryandthevictoryandthemajesty,for

allthatisintheheavensandintheearthisyours.Yoursisthekingdom,OLord,andyouareexaltedasheadaboveall.

Copyright ©2010 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org 2

SUGGESTIONSThese suggestionswere created by the age‐groupministry leaders as away to help parents better communicate thebiblical truths discussed in the Family Worship Guide. These activities and questions can replace or serve as asupplementtothequestionsunderthe“Read”sectiononPage1.RememberthatthesesuggestionsareintendedtohelpparentsfacilitateGod‐centereddiscussionswiththeirchildren.Parentsshouldprayerfullyusethesesuggestions,andanyothermeansnecessary,tohelptheirchildrendiscoverthetruthsofGod’swordandworshipHimtogether.

Preschool(Birth‐Kindergarten)o Beforeyoubegin,youwillneedtogetamagnifyingglassandseveralitemsyoucanexamine(ex:leaf,pieceoffabric,

thebackofyourhand).o Explaintoyourchildrenthatthemagnifyingglassenlargesitemssotheycanbeseenmoreeasily.Peopleoftenuse

toolslikethesetohelpthemseedetailsinthingstheycouldnotseewithouthelp.o Nowtakeoneiftheitemsyou’vegatheredandlookatitfirstwithandthenwithoutthemagnifyingglass.Askyour

childrenwhatdifferencestheysee.Whatcantheyseeinmoredetailthroughthemagnifyingglass(ex:theveinsontheleaf)?Aretheysurprisedathowmuchmoretheycouldseethroughthemagnifyingglass?

o Goddoesnotneedamagnifyingglass.Heseesandknowsallofthedetailsaboutus.Hecanseeeverythingaboutallofusallthetime,nomatterwherewego.WecanbegladthatourHeavenlyFatherknowsussowell.

Children(Grades1‐5)o Hidesomethingintheroombeforeyouchildrencomein(somethingtheywouldwanttofind).Thentellthemthat

thereisaprizehiddensomewhereintheroomandthefirstonetofinditgetstokeepit.o Aftertheprizehasbeenfound,haveeveryonesitdowntogetherandaskthemwhatitfeelsliketonotknowwhere

somethingis.ThenaskthemifGodeverfeelsthiswayaboutus.ThenreadPsalm139:1‐16,focusingspecificallyonverses13‐16.

o Basedontheseverses:WhereisGod?IstheresomewherewecangowhereHecan’t?Whocreatedus?DoesHeknowus?Howwell?IsthereanywherewecanhidewhereGodcannotfindus?Godknowsusverywell,andwecanbecomfortedthatHeisalwayswithus.

Students(Grades6‐12)

o Mostchildrenenjoyplayinghideandseekwiththeirfriends.Canyourecallagreathidingplaceyouusedasachildwhenplayingthisgame?Wasthereeveraplacewhereyouhidandnooneeverfoundyou?

o Psalm139tellsusthatthereisnoplacewherewecangoandbeoutofthepresenceofGod.HowdoesitmakeyoufeeltoknowthatGod’spresencefollowsyouwhereveryougo?

o Thinkforamomentaboutallofthethoughtsthatrunthroughyourheadandallofthedifferentemotionsyoufeelduringtheday.Aretheypositive?Christ‐like?Unkind?Judgmental?Howwouldyoufeelifoneofyourfriendskneweverysingleoneofthosethoughts?Wouldyoubeembarrassed?Doyouthinkheorshewouldstillloveyou?HowdoesitmakeyoufeelknowingGoddoesknoweverythoughtandfeelingyouhave,evenwhenyoudon’tsaythemoutloud?

o ItisimportanttoknowthatGoddoesnotjustseeusasasmalldotonalargemap.Heknowseachofusintimatelyandstilllovesusdeeply.Histhoughtsofusoutnumberallthesandsonalloftheshores.That’salotofthoughtandlove!WhataresomeofthewaysGodhasshownthisintimatelovethatHehasforus?HowcanweliveinawaythatbringsGodpraiseforHisgreatloveandcare?

Pra

yer

W

eek

20Th

anks

givi

ng

Whe

n w

e pr

ay a

pra

yer

of t

hank

sgiv

ing,

we

are

expr

essi

ng o

ur g

ratit

ude

to G

od.

Pray

ers

of t

hank

sgiv

ing

can

be

lifted

up

in r

espo

nse

to w

ho G

od is

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t H

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ne fo

r us

thr

ough

Chr

ist

and

for

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sing

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ntinu

ally

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s up

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s.

Bibl

ical

Bas

is fo

r Th

anks

givi

ng:

Psal

m 6

9:30

, Psa

lm 1

00:4

, Phi

lippi

ans

4:6,

Rev

elati

on 7

:12

Take

som

e tim

e fo

r ea

ch o

f tho

se g

athe

red

with

you

to e

xpre

ss th

eir

than

ks to

the

Lord

.

Nati

ons:

Gre

ece

Pray

for

God

to

brin

g re

viva

l to

the

coun

try

of G

reec

e; e

ven

thou

gh it

was

eva

ngel

ized

by

the

first

Chr

istia

ns

• th

ousa

nds

of y

ears

ago

, all

of G

reec

e’s

14 p

eopl

e gr

oups

are

con

side

red

unre

ache

d.

Pray

for G

od to

soft

en th

e he

arts

of t

he p

eopl

e in

Gre

ece;

they

are

oft

en s

uspi

ciou

s an

d ev

en a

t tim

es h

ostil

e •

to a

nyth

ing

that

is n

ot G

reek

Ort

hodo

x.So

me

evan

gelic

al m

issi

onar

ies

have

bee

n ha

rass

ed a

nd a

rres

ted

for

proc

laim

ing

the

Gos

pel a

roun

d G

reec

e;

• pr

ay fo

r st

reng

th a

nd c

oura

ge fo

r th

em a

s th

ey c

ontin

ue to

take

God

’s W

ord

to G

reec

e.Pr

ay fo

r bo

ldne

ss a

nd u

nity

for

the

few

eva

ngel

ical

Chr

istia

ns in

Gre

ece.

• Pr

ay fo

r tr

aini

ng a

nd re

sour

ces

for

the

few

eva

ngel

ical

s in

Gre

ece

so th

at th

ey m

ay b

e eq

uipp

ed to

sha

re th

e •

Gos

pel.

Pray

for t

he c

urre

nt e

cono

mic

cri

sis

in G

reec

e. A

sk fo

r God

to s

how

His

sov

erei

gnty

and

pro

visi

on to

the

Gre

ek

• pe

ople

, and

that

He

wou

ld g

uide

the

gove

rnm

ent a

s th

ey m

ake

deci

sion

s fo

r th

e fu

ture

of G

reec

e.

Sour

ce: O

pera

tion

Wor

ld b

y Jo

hnst

one

and

Man

dryk

Scr

iptu

re M

emor

y

Wee

k 20

1 Ch

roni

cles

29:

11 Y

ours

, O L

ord,

is t

he g

reat

ness

and

the

pow

er

and

the

glor

y an

d th

e vi

ctor

y an

d th

e m

ajes

ty, f

or a

ll th

at is

in th

e he

aven

s an

d in

the

ear

th is

you

rs. Y

ours

is t

he k

ingd

om, O

Lor

d,

and

you

are

exal

ted

as h

ead

abov

e al

l.

How

Gre

at T

hou

Art

Wor

ds a

nd M

usic

by

Stua

rt K

. Hin

eVo

cals

by

Char

lie H

all

O L

ord

my

God

, whe

n I i

n aw

esom

e w

onde

rCo

nsid

er a

ll th

e w

orld

s Th

y ha

nds

hath

mad

eI s

ee th

e st

ars,

I he

ar th

e ro

lling

thun

der

Thy

pow

er th

roug

hout

the

univ

erse

dis

play

ed

Then

sin

gs m

y so

ul, m

y Sa

vior

God

, to

Thee

How

gre

at T

hou

art,

how

gre

at T

hou

art

Then

sin

gs m

y so

ul, m

y Sa

vior

God

, to

Thee

How

gre

at T

hou

art,

how

gre

at T

hou

art!

And

whe

n I t

hink

, tha

t God

, His

Son

not

spa

ring

Sent

Him

to d

ie, I

sca

rce

can

take

it in

That

on

the

Cros

s, m

y bu

rden

gla

dly

bear

ing

He

bled

and

die

d to

take

aw

ay m

y si

n.

Whe

n Ch

rist

sha

ll co

me,

with

sho

uts

of a

ccla

mati

onA

nd ta

ke m

e ho

me,

wha

t joy

sha

ll fil

l my

hear

t!Th

en I

shal

l bow

in h

umbl

e ad

orati

onA

nd th

ere

proc

laim

, “M

y G

od, h

ow g

reat

Tho

u ar

t!”

Copy

righ

t©19

53, R

enew

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S.K.

Hin

e (A

dmin

: EM

I Ch

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usic

Pub

lishi

ng)

Due

to c

opyr

ight

lim

itatio

ns, w

e ar

e on

ly a

llow

ed

to p

rint t

he ly

rics

to th

is s

ong

with

no

chor

ds.

We

enco

urag

e yo

u to

dow

nloa

d an

mp3

of t

his

song

from

iT

unes

.

Cop

yrig

ht ©

2010

The

Chu

rch

at B

rook

Hill

s