Preparing for Sunday | July 9
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Be Lifted High | [listen]
Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Jess Cates, Wade Joye, Jane Williams
John 3:30
This I Believe (The Creed) | [listen | lyrics]
Ben Fielding, Matt Crocker
Romans 1:16
What A Beautiful Name | [listen]
Ben Fielding, Brooke Ligertwood
Hebrews 1:3
Your Great Name | [listen + lyrics]
Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff
Philippians 2:10-11
Your Promises| [listen]
Chris Brown, Mack Brock, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
2 Peter 1:3-4a
SERMON TEXT
James 1:2-4
Family Quest: A Heart of Wisdom, Lesson 3
LESSON 3: GOD IS A TRUSTWORTHY GUIDE
Spiritual G.P.S. The God Positioning System. Just like our geographical GPS requires three parts to function correctly, a satellite system, a receiver, and a reliable digital map, so does our spiritual GPS. It begins by having a connection to our heavenly Father through his Son, Jesus. The next piece is the indwelling Holy Spirit to quicken our conscience and open our spiritual eyes. Finally we need a reliable map; God’s living and powerful Word. With these 3 pieces our guidance system is complete.
Any GPS system is only useful if we have it turned on and actually follow the instructions given. However, while global positioning systems have gotten very sophisticated and much more reliable, they can still fail. Not so with our God guidance system. It is completely dependable and rejecting its guidance is the height of foolishness. Why you say? Let’s go back and look at its parts. The character of our heavenly Father, his all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present, and all-loving nature make Him 100% reliable over and against our “own understanding” of our circumstances and the world around us. His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours. Then there is the submissive obedience of the Spirit to the Father and Son. This reassures us that He will only provide the guidance that the Father has spoken. Because they are one in three persons there is no chance of a communication breakdown. Finally, the living and active Word of God, divinely inspired, infallible, and protected through the ages, is given to us as God’s primary means of transforming our hearts and renewing our minds into the image of the Son. We have a reliable road map.
This spiritual GPS is worthy of our complete trust. Don’t second guess it with your own “understanding.” Put it to the test and you will see that it is truly wise to place our faith (confide = with faith) in the guidance of our God. Better yet, encourage the children to do the same and you will have an impact on eternity!
BIG IDEA: Trust in God’s wisdom and He will guide you.
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 3:1-12
SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10
LESSON VERSE:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. – Proverbs 3:5-6
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Read Proverbs 3:1-12 out loud and discuss, verse by verse.
- What are we told to do with God’s words?
- What does it mean to trust? Who is someone you trust? Why?
- How can you apply what you learned in Quest this week?
– – –
ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader. In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.
KIDS CAMP VIDEO: The Righteous League, Episode 5
Preparing for Sunday | July 2
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Great And Mighty King | [listen]
Chris Brown, Zachary Kale, Brett Younker
Psalm 145:3
Christ Is Enough | [listen + lyrics]
Reuben Morgan, Jonas Myrin
2 Corinthians 12:9
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us | [listen + lyrics]
Stuart Townend
1 John 3:1
Nothing But the Blood
Robert Lowry
Hebrews 9:22
SERMON TEXT
Psalm 78
KIDS CAMP VIDEO: The Righteous League, Episode 4
KIDS CAMP VIDEO: The Righteous League, Episode 3
KIDS CAMP VIDEO: The Righteous League, Episode 2
KIDS CAMP VIDEO: The Righteous League, Episode 1
Preparing for Sunday | June 25
SONGS WE’LL BE SINGING TOGETHER
Holy Spirit | [listen]
Bryan and Katie Torwalt
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Great Are You Lord | [listen]
Leslie Jordan, David Leonard
2 Corinthians 4:6
Come Thou Fount | [listen]
by Robert Robinson (1873)
Psalm 16:11
Only King Forever | [listen]
Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Steven Furtick, Wade Joye
1 Timothy 1:17
Jesus Is Better | [listen]
Aaron Ivey, Brett Land
Mark 9:24
SERMON TEXT
Psalm 42
Family Quest: A Heart of Wisdom, Lesson 2
LESSON 2: DON’T BE A FOOL, LISTEN TO THE WISE
What is one of the most often lamented or joked about attributes of youthful thinking? We all know the old adage, “The older I get, the wiser my father becomes.” The foolishness of youth leads us to believe that we know everything and that our way is better. “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes.” Sadly, this foolishness, if not lovingly corrected in our children, often continues on into
adulthood and creates ever increasing heartache along the way as the consequences of our foolishness grow more serious. “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to
death” (Prov. 14:12).
How is this foolish tendency remedied? What is God’s plan for His children? There are two main parts; the content and the delivery mechanism. The first part, the content, is the revealed word of God. If a Christian ever hopes to share the mind and attitudes of Christ then they must immerse themselves in knowing Him. “Blessed is the one…whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who
meditates on his law day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2). The writer of Hebrews tells us we must be “transformed by the renewing of your mind,” in order to understand and share the mind of Christ.
This occurs through exposure to His Word. But there is a second piece of the puzzle.
“Turbulence ahead.” Have you ever wondered how pilots know ahead of time to have you buckle up in preparation for turbulence? The answer is simple. Pilots talk to one another. Pilots further along a flight path will report turbulence back to those who are following behind. In a very real sense they’ve been where the other pilots are heading. God places us in families, both biological and
spiritual, for many reasons. Not least of these is for the purpose of imparting wisdom to those following behind us. Those of us who are more wise and experienced are able to lovingly point out
the coming turbulence and, more importantly, the solution to life’s turbulence in the living Word of God. It is vital that we echo and magnify the Bibles’ exhortation to the young to “pay attention and turn your ears to the sayings of the wise.” Do not be discouraged. Though it will often seem like you are talking to an impenetrable wall, God’s word is “sharper than any two-edged sword,” and can be trusted to penetrate the heart of our kids if we are faithful and do not give up in our task of graciously and lovingly pointing them to the way, the truth, and the life.
BIG IDEA: Listen to the wise and wisdom will protect you.
MEDITATING ON THE WORD:
Proverbs 2:1-11
Proverbs 22:17-19
Proverbs 1:8-9
Psalm 1:1-3
SECTION VERSE:
Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. – Proverbs 2:9-10
LESSON VERSE:
Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach. – Proverbs 22:17
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- Read aloud Proverbs 2:1-11
- What does God want us to do with His wisdom?
- Where does wisdom come from? (verse 6)
- What good things will wisdom bring us?
- How can you apply what you learned in Quest this week?
– – –
ABOUT FAMILY QUEST: At Reston Bible Church, we firmly believe that parents are a child’s first and most important spiritual leader. In order to support you that mission, we have created a parent devotional and some discussion starters to go along with each lesson your grade school age children are learning at Quest on Sundays. Our hope and prayer is that this material will help you to engage with your children around the topics they are learning on Sunday mornings, answer their questions, go deeper with them, and find real, day-to-day applications. We are honored to be able to partner with you in the critical task of sharing Christ with the next generation.