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Copyright ©2011 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org
Family Worship Guide – Week 39
READ This week we continue our study of First Timothy. Timothy was a young pastor in the church at Ephesus. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy to tell him how he should lead the church. Paul was the missionary who had planted the church at Ephesus and preached there for three years (Acts 20:31). Read 1 Peter 2:18-‐25. Notice the amazing parallels between the submission and humility of Christ and Paul’s instruction for servants. Generally, we find that the instructions given to slaves are applicable to us under any authority. The joyful submission and humility called for, even under unjust treatment, is amazing in light of the example of Christ. Sometimes the best way we can support our proclamation of the gospel when under authority is to joyfully obey. Talk about how these verses can apply to our everyday life. Because we are always interacting with imperfect, sinful hearts, we are constantly faced with the challenge to humbly to submit to one another in love. Talk about what it means to entrust justice to God. We do not need to always defend ourselves or make things right. God executes justice, and he calls us to trust his judgment and to respond in love and humility instead. Spend some time together memorizing this week’s verse. It will be invaluable as you grow to humbly love one another as a family. Questions: Are there areas of your life where you are not being obedient to 1 Peter 2? Discuss as a family how these truths affect even the relationships within a family. Spend some time in prayer as a family for those who are slaves around the world. Explain that slavery is still real, even for children in some places. Cry out to God together that he would bring justice and salvation to those involved. Praise God for sending Jesus to suffer in our place. He has left us a perfect example of how the gospel should change how we submit and endure. Bottom Line: We are to be joyfully submissive and humble to those who treat us unjustly, even those in authority over us, just like our Lord Jesus was.
PRAY Whenever slavery is mentioned in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament letters, many people wonder how these
early Christians viewed slavery, and consequently people wonder what the Bible says about slavery. Consequently, this
week we explore the answer to that question, looking first here in 1 Timothy 6:1-‐2 and then broadening to see an
overall biblical theology of slavery (focusing on how the gospel informs the way we understand and address slavery,
even in the world today). Pray for those caught in the slave trade currently, worldwide. Pray for their release and that
they would hear the gospel from churches in their area. Pray for slave-‐traders that they would repent and turn to Christ
for salvation.
SING This week’s song is ‘Nothing But the Blood’, written by Robert Lowry. A Baptist minister in the late 1800s, Lowry was also a noted writer of gospel music as well as hymns with around 500 compositions to his name. This song is a simple but powerful reminder of our own slavery. Before Christ, we were slaves, unable to “wash away [our] sin”, incapable of making ourselves whole and righteous before God. Now, under the cross of Christ, we have been mercifully released from those bonds and set free to joyfully, humbly and submissively worship our Lord and King. He has
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redeemed us through the precious blood of Jesus – the only thing powerful enough to break us free. Let this amazing gift of redemption turn your heart toward praise as you sing.
MEMORIZE 1 Peter 2:18-‐19 “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.”
SUGGESTIONS These suggestions were created by the age-‐group ministry leaders as a way to help parents better communicate the biblical truths discussed in the Family Worship Guide. These suggestions are intended to help parents facilitate God-‐centered discussions with their children. Parents should prayerfully use these suggestions, and any other means necessary, to help their children discover the truths of God’s word and worship Him together.
Preschool
• Before you begin, find some items in your kitchen that you can use to create a mess. (Example: sprinkle flour on the counter as if you had been baking.)
• Tell your child that earlier when you were baking in the kitchen you created a mess. Explain to them that you are now tired and want them clean up this big mess for you. (Warning: You could hear some complaints expressed!)
• Ask your child if they think it’s fair that you made the mess, but have asked them to clean it up. Are they happy to clean up your mess? Do they think it’s ok to complain about it?
• Respond, letting them know you understand it may not be fair. Then read 1 Peter 2:18 together and ask them to listen for what God says is the right choice to make when things like this happen.
• Explain that it pleases God when we choose to obey the people who God has placed in authority over us, like Mommy, Daddy or teachers. He wants us to obey even when it doesn’t seem fair. He wants us to show love to the very people that seem to be treating us unfairly. Remember that God loves those people too, just like He loves you. So, we should joyfully serve others, help out and obey even when it’s hard and not something we want to do.
• Pray and ask God to help you to all be obedient to those people who God has placed in your lives that are your leaders.
Children • Items needed – umbrella, tape, 5 sheets of paper labeled GOD, PARENTS, PASTORS, POLICE, and TEACHERS. Open up the
umbrella and tape the word “God” on the top. Tape the other four words, POLICE, PARENTS, TEACHERS, and PASTORS to the sides of the umbrella. As you talk, begin with the umbrella open and over your head. When you talk about disobedience, move the umbrella away from your head.
• Ask: Why do we use an umbrella? (To protect us from the rain.) • Explain: The umbrella represents authority. Authority means the power to give commands, take action and make
decisions. People in authority are in charge. They are the boss. We can think of authority as protection. • Show the top of the umbrella. God is the Number 1 Authority. All other authority comes from Him. That’s why we put
Him at the very top of the umbrella. God places people like parents, teachers, pastors and police in authority over us. If we submit to authority it’s like keeping an umbrella of protection over our head.
• Discuss: What are ways we can obey or disobey different authorities? Ask whether it is okay to disobey if you don’t like what you are being told to do.
• God gives authority for protection and for our good. When we joyfully submit to parents, teachers, pastors, police and others in authority we are also submitting to God and He is glorified.
• Pray: Thank God for giving us the perfect example of humble submission, Jesus Christ. Ask God to daily turn your hearts from rebellion to joyful submission.
Students • Begin by having your student(s) read I Timothy 6:1-‐2 aloud. Ask your students to share with the family what they know
about slavery. Then ask what the two verses you just read say about slavery. Draw their attention to “regard slave masters as worthy of all honor,” in verse 1. Ask if it sounds strange to them that the Bible actually teaches slaves to treat their masters as “worthy of all honor?”
• Now read John 8:31-‐36. Ask students if they think these two passages conflict with one another. You may get a long pause, but allow them to really think through this. Students are learning to own their faith and need to be able to think through difficult issues in Scripture for themselves.
• Illustration: If you have access to Youtube you can pull up this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQVihuOUQkU.
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Copyright ©2011 The Church at Brook Hills www.brookhills.org
This is a video of a doctor resetting a broken arm without being too visually graphic. PLEASE NOTE, written comments below the video may not be appropriate, so you may want to have the video on full-‐screen before you begin the Bible study. Ask your student(s) to explain why a doctor would put a patient through this kind of pain. Point out that the purpose is to reset the broken arm and in the end bring healing. So, the pain caused is actually to bring about a really good outcome.
• Now read I Peter 2:18-‐25. Ask the question, “What good came through Christ’s suffering?” Say something like, “If God was able to bring about such amazing healing and good from the suffering of Jesus; what do you now think is the purpose God is using a slave’s obedience to accomplish? Can God use even slavery to bring about someone’s salvation (freedom)?” (If you have time, you can even connect back to the Old Testament in Genesis 37-‐50 to the story of Joseph). Now ask your students to list a couple of people they may be struggling to honor in their lives. This may come in the form of a teacher or coach, but let them share freely about the relationships in which they are struggling. Now write the names of these people on something you can post on your refrigerator. Let this be a family reminder to pray for these people and for God to bring about a redemptive outcome in the relationship. End your time together praying for the names and for your students to realize “to this you have been called, for because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His steps.”
Pra
yer
W
eek
39
Loca
l
Loca
l Chu
rch:
Sou
thsi
de B
aptis
t - J.
Ste
phen
Jone
s
Focu
s: H
eart
s in
Han
ds -
prov
ides
acu
te o
r im
med
iate
phy
sica
l nee
ds, p
artic
ular
ly to
thos
e w
ithou
t fam
ily re
sour
ces,
thro
ugh
nour
ishm
ent,
cl
othi
ng, h
ouse
keep
ing,
yar
d w
ork,
min
or h
ome
repa
ir/c
onst
ructi
on,
etc.
, to
wid
ows
and
thos
e fa
mili
es u
nder
Hos
pice
Car
e.
Mon
day:
Pra
y th
at G
od w
ill g
uide
the
lead
ersh
ip
of H
IH, p
artic
ular
ly F
rank
Bur
der,
a BH
mem
ber
foun
der
of H
IH, t
o le
ad a
nd e
ngag
e in
min
istr
y in
a
way
that
bes
t bri
ngs
glor
y to
Chr
ist’s
Nam
e.
Tues
day:
Pra
y th
at th
ose
who
ser
ve in
this
m
inis
try
will
follo
w G
od’s
lead
ersh
ip, a
nd
that
he
will
pro
vide
the
fund
s an
d w
orke
rs to
ac
com
plis
h hi
s m
issi
on (w
ww
.hea
rtsi
nhan
ds.
org)
.
Wed
nesd
ay: P
ray
for
wis
dom
as
Hea
rts
In H
ands
sc
reen
s po
tenti
al c
lient
s an
d pr
ojec
ts. P
ray
they
w
ill k
now
God
’s w
ill a
s th
ey c
anno
t mee
t eve
ry
need
of e
very
hos
pice
clie
nt in
Bir
min
gham
.
Thur
sday
: Pra
y th
at G
od w
ill g
rant
the
volu
ntee
rs o
ppor
tuni
ties
to s
hare
the
gosp
el
whi
le th
ey a
re in
con
tact
with
eac
h cl
ient
. Pra
y th
at v
olun
teer
s w
ill b
oldl
y pr
ocla
im th
e go
spel
.
Frid
ay: P
ray
that
peo
ple
bein
g se
rved
by
HIH
an
d th
eir
frie
nds
and
fam
ily w
ill s
ee C
hris
t th
roug
h th
e vo
lunt
eers
.
Satu
rday
: Pra
y th
at G
od w
ill o
pen
door
s an
d co
nnec
t HIH
with
the
clie
nts
for
who
m H
e ha
s ch
osen
for
them
to p
latf
orm
His
gos
pel.
Cop
yrig
ht ©
2011
The
Chu
rch
at B
rook
Hill
s
Glo
bal
Shor
t Ter
m T
eam
s: In
dia
and
Nor
th A
fric
a
Part
ner:
Bro
ok H
ills
part
ners
Nat
han
and
Kari
S.
serv
ing
in In
dia
Mon
day:
Nat
han
and
Kari
S. s
erve
in N
orth
In
dia
pour
ing
thei
r liv
es in
to a
nd tr
aini
ng p
eopl
e to
sha
re th
e go
spel
. Pr
ay fo
r w
isdo
m a
nd
disc
ernm
ent a
s th
ey w
ork
on th
e st
ruct
ure
for
disc
iple
ship
am
ong
the
chur
ches
in th
eir
care
.
Tues
day:
The
re a
re o
ver
100
mill
ion
peop
le
in th
e st
ate
Nat
han
and
Kari
live
in, a
nd
appr
oxim
atel
y 47
,000
are
bel
ieve
rs.
Pray
for
Nat
han
and
Kari
’s te
am a
s th
ey p
our
into
10,
000
of th
ose
belie
vers
this
yea
r to
mul
tiply
and
be
frui
tful
so
mor
e ca
n kn
ow C
hris
t.
Wed
nesd
ay: N
atha
n an
d Ka
ri b
oth
have
gr
andf
athe
r’s
that
are
ill b
ack
in th
e st
ates
. Pr
ay
for
them
to h
ave
peac
e as
they
are
aw
ay fr
om
fam
ily a
nd fo
r th
eir
fam
ilies
to fe
el lo
ved
and
supp
orte
d ev
en th
ough
they
are
far
away
.
Thur
sday
: Kar
i wor
ks a
mon
g th
e la
rge
com
mun
ity o
f pro
stitu
tes
livin
g in
bro
thel
s.
They
are
sha
ring
the
gosp
el a
nd p
rovi
ding
th
erap
y to
sup
port
wom
en a
s th
ey le
ave
this
life
be
hind
. Pr
ay fo
r th
e 3
wom
en K
ari i
s di
scip
ling
to k
now
Chr
ist a
nd b
e re
leas
ed fr
om th
e bo
ndag
e of
pro
stitu
tion.
Frid
ay: P
ray
for
Nat
han
and
Kari
’s m
arri
age
to
be s
tren
gthe
ned
and
for
wis
dom
in p
aren
ting
thei
r yo
ung
child
ren
as th
ey s
erve
in m
inis
try.
Satu
rday
: Pra
y fo
r N
atha
n to
kno
w h
ow b
est
to o
ptim
ize
his
team
and
for
God
to s
tren
gthe
n hi
m in
hum
ility
and
dis
cern
men
t as
he le
ads
thos
e th
at h
ave
been
ent
rust
ed to
him
.
Live
s/Ch
urch
Whe
neve
r sl
aver
y is
men
tione
d in
the
Bibl
e, p
artic
ular
ly in
the
New
Tes
tam
ent l
etter
s, m
any
peop
le
won
der
how
thes
e ea
rly
Chri
stian
s vi
ewed
sla
very
, and
con
sequ
ently
peo
ple
won
der
wha
t the
Bib
le
says
abo
ut s
lave
ry. C
onse
quen
tly, t
his
wee
k w
e ex
plor
e th
e an
swer
to th
at q
uesti
on, l
ooki
ng fi
rst h
ere
in 1
Tim
othy
6:1
-2 a
nd th
en b
road
enin
g to
see
an
over
all b
iblic
al th
eolo
gy o
f sla
very
(foc
usin
g on
ho
w th
e go
spel
info
rms
the
way
we
unde
rsta
nd a
nd a
ddre
ss s
lave
ry, e
ven
in th
e w
orld
toda
y). P
ray
for
thos
e ca
ught
in th
e sl
ave
trad
e cu
rren
tly, w
orld
wid
e. P
ray
for
thei
r re
leas
e an
d th
at th
ey w
ould
he
ar th
e go
spel
from
chu
rche
s in
thei
r ar
ea. P
ray
for
slav
e-tr
ader
s th
at th
ey w
ould
repe
nt a
nd tu
rn to
Ch
rist
for
salv
ation
.
Not
hing
But
The
Blo
odby
Rob
ert L
owry
Wha
t can
was
h aw
ay m
y si
nN
othi
ng b
ut th
e bl
ood
of Je
sus
Wha
t can
mak
e m
e w
hole
aga
inN
othi
ng b
ut th
e bl
ood
of Je
sus
O p
reci
ous
is th
e flo
w
That
mak
es m
e w
hite
as
snow
N
o ot
her
foun
t I k
now
Not
hing
but
the
bloo
d of
Jesu
s
For
my
pard
on th
is I
see
Not
hing
but
the
bloo
d of
Jesu
sFo
r m
y cl
eans
ing
this
my
plea
Not
hing
but
the
bloo
d of
Jesu
s
Not
hing
can
for
sin
aton
eN
othi
ng b
ut th
e bl
ood
of Je
sus
Nau
ght o
f goo
d th
at I
have
don
eN
othi
ng b
ut th
e bl
ood
of Je
sus
This
is a
ll m
y ho
pe a
nd p
eace
Not
hing
but
the
bloo
d of
Jesu
sTh
is is
all
my
righ
teou
snes
s N
othi
ng b
ut th
e bl
ood
of Je
sus
Publ
ic D
omai
n
Scri
ptur
e M
emor
y“S
erva
nts,
be
subj
ect t
o yo
ur m
aste
rs w
ith a
ll re
spec
t, n
ot o
nly
to th
e go
od a
nd g
entle
but
al
so to
the
unju
st. F
or th
is is
a g
raci
ous
thin
g, w
hen,
min
dful
of G
od, o
ne e
ndur
es s
orro
ws
whi
le s
uffer
ing
unju
stly
.” 1
Pet
er 2
:18-
19
