Does God Care How We Worship Him? Exodus 20:4-6 Summary: Does God care how we worship him? Do you think it matters? Yes it does! God's second command tells us that He does not want us to try to make up an image of Him for worship. Israel often made these idols, and worshipped them as false images of God. Let's think about how this applies to us today: Outline: 1. God does care HOW we worship Him? a. The command b. The reason c. The warning d. The promise 2. The point: worship Jesus, the image of God Verse: Exodus 20:4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image...5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them... Questions for Family Worship and Devotions: 1. Why do you think God gave this command to Israel? What happens when we try to reduce God to a carved image or an artist's rendering of God? How does it reduce our view of God? 2. What about Jesus? Since Jesus had a body, is it acceptable for us to make images of Jesus? What is the danger of using those images of Jesus to help us worship? 3. In John 4, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that true worshippers worship

John 7:37-52 NRSV

Romans 8:12-17 Heirs with Christ, Adoption

Exodus 20:3 God Refuses to Share Summary: Have you ever had something so important that you knew you should not share it with someone else? Maybe someone told you a secret, or it was a valuable possession. There are some things that God doesn’t share as well. He tells us in the Ten Commandments, “You shall have no other gods before me.” He wants our hearts completely, and does not want us to share that worship and love with anyone or anything else but Him. Let’s think about it: Outline: 1. The command: To God alone be the glory 2. The danger: our hearts will worship something 3. The hope: The Gospel of Jesus breaks the chains of idolatry Verse: Exodus 20:3 (ESV): You shall have no other gods before me. Questions for Devotions and Family Worship: 1. Why do you think this was the first command God gave to Israel? Why was it so central for them and now also for us? 2. What things or people in your life might be taking the place of God, possibly becoming an idol for you? How does God want us to respond to these things? 3. Since Jesus came to fulfill the law, how did He do that with this first command? How can the Gospel of Jesus help break the chains of idols in your life?

John 5:35-59 NRSV

Exodus 20:1-2 Matthew 5:17-20 Restoring the Law's True Intent Summary: Did you know Jesus spoke a lot about God's law? In fact, he wanted us to know that God's law is still important, even though it was given so long ago. If we want to understand why God's commands are important, we need to go to God's Word, and we'll see how they point us to Jesus. Let's think about it: God's law is: 1. Fulfilled by Jesus 2. Upheld by Jesus 3. Enforced by Jesus 4. Clarified by Jesus Verse: Matthew 5:17 (ESV): Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Questions for devotions and family worship: 1. What did Jesus mean when he said

No condemnation in Christ Jesus

John 5:1-18 NRSV

Exodus 20:1-2 What Motivates You to Obey God? Summary: What makes you want to obey? When your parents or your teacher tell you to do something, do you want to obey, or is it usually a struggle? When God gave us the Ten Commandments, he told Israel powerful words to help them obey joyfully and willingly. Let's think about it: 1. God's sovereignty 2. God's covenant promise 3. God's redemption Verse: Exodus 20:2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Questions for Devotions and Family worship: 1. Which one of the truths about God in this passage motivates you the most to obey Him? What aspects of God’s authority, God’s covenant and God’s redemption do you find most compelling? 2. Why is it so important to read and understand these verses before studying the Ten Commandments?

can't do the things I want

Soon after Pentecost , the apostles began to be persecuted for preaching the truth.

Exodus 19:16-25 The Terrors of Sinai Summary: Have you ever been so afraid of something that it made you tremble? Long ago, God came down in fire and smoke on a mountain to meet with his people. When he came down, God's glory was so awesome that the people trembled with fear! And yet, in Jesus, God has made a way for us to draw near and know God. Let's think about it: Outline: 1. A consuming fire 2. A dire warning 3. A better mountain Verse: Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God... Discussion Questions: 1. Exodus 19 shows us a glorious and even terrifying scene when God descended on Mt. Sinai. What does this moment show us about God? 2. Why did God give a second warning for the people to not come on the mountain? 3. Read Hebrews 12:18-29. How does the work of Jesus bring us to a

Exodus 19:9-15 Get Ready to Meet God What do we need to do when we get ready to meet God? When do we do that? We meet God when we first come to faith in Jesus. But then, every week we meet Him in worship on Sundays. And yet we also can meet with God at any moment of the day. In Exodus 19, God's people are getting ready to formally meet with God on Mount Sinai for the first time. How can they do that? Today, let's listen to hear about God's holiness. Let's also listen to hear about how we need to prepare ourselves to draw near to a holy God. The only way we can do that is through Jesus! Let's think about it: Outline: 1. God is coming down- and He wants to meet us 2. His Holiness is dangerous, and our sin puts us at risk 3. We need a mediator so we can draw near to God Verse: Exodus 19:9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud...

Judges 4

Exodus 19:1-8 A Kingdom of Priests Summary: Do you know what God thinks of you? Sometimes we might wonder. Especially when we sin, we wonder if God still loves us. When hard things happen, we think God might not care. But the Bible tells us what God thinks of us. When God's people met him at Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19, He told them:

Romans 2:1-11 God's Righteous Judgment Verse: Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

John 1:19-34 NRSV

The Joy and Pain of Christmas Malachi 3:1-6 Summary: I hope you had a wonderful celebration of Jesus' birth yesterday! Let's keep thinking about the birth of Jesus today, as we look at another prophet from the Old Testament that tells us more about why Jesus came to this earth. Let's think about two things: the joy and the pain of Christmas. Let's listen to God's Word to find out what this means: 1. Christmas is a day of delighting in Jesus 2. Christmas is a day of pain because Jesus came to remove sin from us Verse: Malachi 3:1 Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Questions for Devotions and Family Worship: 1. Is Christmas always a day of joy for you? Why or why not? What pains might it bring up? What are the joys of this celebration for you? 2. How does Malachi announce the coming of Jesus? According to Malachi, who will announce the Messiah's coming? 3. Why is his coming to be a cause for joy? How do you personally seek to make the celebration of Christmas a cause for joy? 4. Why does Malachi 3 call the Messiah a

Isaiah 11:1-9 The Branch Summary: Have you ever pulled up a plant or tree, only to find out that you did not get all its roots? What happens? Eventually a shoot springs up from the tree stump or the ground. As we continue to get ready for the celebration of Christmas we are going to see a picture like this in Isaiah. Isaiah told God's people that a

Isaiah 40:1-5 The Glory Revealed Summary: It is the time of year when we get to think more about the birth of Jesus, and why it is so important for us. We're going to look all the way back to the prophet Isaiah. He lived hundreds of years before Jesus, and yet God used Isaiah to predict so much about Jesus. Let's listen to Isaiah describe the glory of God being revealed in Jesus' coming to save us: 1. Christmas is about God's promise of comfort 2. Christmas is about the revelation of God's glory Verse: Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Discussion Questions: 1. Read Isaiah 40: 1-5 again. What is the word of comfort Isaiah gives to Israel? How does it also apply to us? See especially vv.1-2. 2. What is the