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

FamilyWorshipGuide–Week29 READ

o Isaiahchapters24‐27depictfutureeventsasthewholeworldisincrisisattheendofhumanhistory.ThesechaptersdescribethejudgmentofGodcominguponthewholeworldastheearthisdevastatedandthepeoplesuffer,whileatthesametimethepeopleofGodaresecuredintheirowncity(cf.24:4;25:8;26:19;27:6).Inchapter26Isaiah,theprophet,writesasongthatwillbesungbytheredeemedwhentheMessiahestablishesHiskingdom.IsaiahpictureshimselfstandingintheredeemedlandlisteningtothepeopleexpresstheirthankstoandconfidenceinGod.TheLordistheOnewhoachievestheirfinalandcompletevictory.

o ReadIsaiah26:1‐6o Isaiah26:1–Incontrastwith“thecity”thatwillbedestroyed(cf.24:12‐13;25:2),theredeemedwillhavea“strongcity.”

Throughouttheworld,theredeemedwillliveincitiesandtowns,butthestrongcity(Jerusalem)wheretheMessiahreignspicturesthesecurityoftheworld’sredeemedinhabitants.BecauseoftheMessiah’spresencethere,thatcityisfigurativelysaidtohavesalvationas“walls”and“bulwarks.”

o Isaiah26:2‐4–Thiscitywillbeopenedforthe“righteousnation”,namelythosewhopossessfaithinthepromisesofGod.TheywillenjoyperfectpeacebecauseHeisfirmlikearockandiseverlasting.

o Isaiah26:5‐6–IncontrastwiththerighteouswhoenterthespecialcityofGod,peoplewhoflytodwellinthe“loftycity”(i.e.,whopersistintheirpride)willbehumbled(cf.25:12)becausetheydidnottrustinHim.Thepoorandtheneedywilltrampletheproudwhodwellinthiscity.Thiswasareversalofoutcomes,anactofGod’sjusticeagainsttheproudwhohadtakenadvantageofthepoor.Weseeagainanimportantscripturalprinciple–GodhasspecialconcernforthepoorwhoseekHim(cf.25:4).

o ReadIsaiah26:7‐21o Thesongcontinuesbyexpressingthecertaintythatdeliverancewillnotcomebecauseofthepeople’sownefforts,but

becauseofGod’sworkontheirbehalf.Therefore,theywillcontinuetotrustinHim.o Isaiah26:7‐11–InaconfessionoftrusttheprophetIsaiahaffirmsthatitisgoodforpeopletoliverighteously,becauseGod

levelstheirpath.Atthesametime,Godisthewholehearteddesireoftherighteous–Heisthe“desireoftheirsouls.”o Isaiah26:12‐15–Inthekingdom,believerswillenjoythepeaceGodgivesandwillrecognizeGod’sworkontheirbehalf(v.

12).TheywillaffirmthattheyremainedtruetoGodeventhoughtheywillhavebeenunderthedominationofothers(v.13).ThekeypointinalloftheseversesisthatGodistheOnewhoachievedthevictory,notthepeople.

TheBottomLine:GodistheOnewhoachievesfinalandcompletevictoryforHispeople.Therefore,Heshouldbethedesireofoursouls.Questions:InIsaiah26,thepeopleofJudahgaveGodthecreditforthevictoryandpeacetheyenjoyed.WhatvictoryhasGodaccomplishedforus?(Christ’sworkonthecross)Doyoueverfindyourselftakinganysortofcreditforthisvictory?Ifso,how?ThepeopleclaimedthatGod’snamewasthedesireoftheirsouls.CanyoumakethesameclaimaboutGod?AretherethingsyoudesiremorethanGodandHisglory?

PRAYo ReadWindowontheWorld,pg.102‐102Kyrgyz(Kyrgystan)o UsePrayerCard

SINGo Uselyricsheetandmp3downloadof“Hallelujah”o StevenwrotethesongHallelujahbasedonRevelationchapter5.Inthatchapter,weseeheavenlyworship.Wesee

theimageofChristasalamblookingasifithadbeenslain.WeknowthatindeedChristwasoursacrificiallamb.ThroughHisdeath,HeatonedforoursinsandreconciledustoGod.TheangelssangthesewordstoHim:“WorthyistheLambwhowasslain,toreceivepowerandwealthandwisdomandmightandhonorandgloryandblessing!”Onedaywewillbegatheredwithbelieversfromallovertheworldtoworshiptherisenlamb,JesusChrist.WewillliftourpraisestoHimtogether.Heisworthy!

MEMORIZEo Isaiah26:8Inthepathofyourjudgments,OLord,wewaitforyou;yournameandremembrancearethedesireofoursoul.

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

SUGGESTIONS

Thesesuggestionswerecreatedby theage‐groupministry leadersasaway tohelpparentsbettercommunicate thebiblicaltruths discussed in the FamilyWorship Guide. These activities and questions can replace or serve as a supplement to thequestionsunderthe“Read”sectiononPage1.RememberthatthesesuggestionsareintendedtohelpparentsfacilitateGod‐centereddiscussionswiththeirchildren.Parentsshouldprayerfullyusethesesuggestions,andanyothermeansnecessary,tohelptheirchildrendiscoverthetruthsofGod’swordandworshipHimtogether.

Preschool(Birth‐Kindergarten)o Beforeyoubegin:Findalargerock.o Giveyourpreschoolertherockandaskthemtotryandbreakitwiththeirhands.Ask,“Areyoustrongenoughtobreakthe

rockbyyourself?No?Thenletmetry.I’msurethatIcanbreaktherockwithmyhands.”Taketherockandtrytobreakit,andremarktoyourpreschoolerthatyouaren’tabletobreakiteither.Thenexplainthatoursinisliketherock.Wecannotbreakitandstopdoingitonourownbecauseitistoohard.Weneedhelpfromsomeonemuchstronger.

o TellyourpreschoolerthatGodisstrongerthananyoneoranythinginthewholeuniverse.Heisall‐powerfulandcanbreakoursinforus.Godhelpsustodowhatwecannotdoalone.HewantsHispeopletoloveHimandtoobeytherulesthatHegavetous.WhenwebecomeChristians,GodsendstheHolySpirittoliveinourheartstogiveusstrengthtobreakawayfromoursinandbecomelikeChrist.HegivesusthepowertoobeyHisrules,becausewearenotstrongenoughtodothatwithoutHishelp.BecauseofHim,wehavevictoryoversin.ThisisagreatreasontodesireHim,loveHimandtofollowHim.

Children(Grades1‐5)

o Beforeyoubegin:Findalargebucketandfillitwithwateroutside.Youwantthebuckettobetooheavyforyourchildtocarryunaided,butlightenoughthatyoucanhelpthemcarryit.

o Headoutsidewithyourchildren,andexplainthatyouwillberunningarace.Setupastartingpointandfinishline,andtellthemthatthey’llhavetocarrythewater‐filledbucketasfastastheycantothegoalwithoutspillingadropofthewater.

o Whentheyhavemadeafewattemptsandbeenunsuccessful,letyourchildrenknowthatthenextpartoftheraceisforyoutojoinwiththem,andasateam,carrythebuckettothefinishlinewithoutspillinganywater.Afteryouhavehelpedthemreachthegoal,sitdownanddiscusswhathappened.

o Explainthatwhenwetrytobegoodandnotsin,itisjustashardasyourchildrentryingtocarrytheheavybucketwithouthelp.Itisjusttoodifficultforthemtoreachthegoalbythemselves.ItistoodifficultforustostopsinningandpleaseGodbyourownefforts.ThehelpyougaveyourchildrenincarryingthewaterbuckettothegoalislikethehelpGodgivesus.HegivesusvictoryoversinthroughChrist’ssacrificeonthecross.WhenwebecomefollowersofChrist,HesendsHisHolySpiritintoourheartstogiveusthestrengthtoturnfromsinandbeabletofollowGod’srulesinoureverydaylives.

o BecauseGodgivesusvictoryoversin,Heshouldbethedesireofourhearts. Students(Grades6‐12)

o Whatarethethingsyouhavedesiredmostinthepast6months?Whyarethesethingssoimportanttoyou?o Studentsareoftensurroundedwithactivitiesthatlendthemselvestocompetition,winners,andlosers.Thispassage

remindsusthattheLordhasalreadybeennamedvictorious.IfyouareafollowerofChrist,youarenolongeronthelosingside.However,sometimeswedon’tlivelikevictors.Doyouthinkthethingswemostdesirehaveanythingtodowiththis?

o Rereadverse8.JohnPiperwrotethefollowingwordsconcerningthispassageinhisbook,Don’tWasteYourLife:“Hereisnotjustabody,butasoul.Notjustasoul,butasoulwithapassionandadesire.Notjustadesireforbeinglikedorforplayingsoftball…Hereisadesireforsomethinginfinitelygreatandbeautifulandvaluableandsatisfying—thenameandthegloryofGod.—‘Yournameandrenownarethedesireofourhearts.’”Discussthisquoteasafamily.PraytogetherthatChristwouldhelpyoupatternyourdesiresafterHisdesires.Asafamily,thinkthoughsomepracticalwaystobeginthisprocess.

Pra

yer

W

eek

29Pe

tition

Petiti

on is

pra

ying

for y

our o

wn

pers

onal

nee

ds.

Whi

le th

is is

not

the

sole

focu

s of

our

pra

yer l

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, it i

s ap

prop

riat

e to

pra

y fo

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and

desi

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our

hear

t. W

e ar

e to

pra

y fo

r ou

r ne

eds

in ti

mes

of s

ickn

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sor

row

, tri

al a

nd

joy,

so

that

ulti

mat

ely

we

lear

n to

see

k G

od’s

will

in o

ur li

ves.

Thr

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pra

yers

of

petiti

on, w

e co

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to a

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per

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ndin

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’s s

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eign

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ver

all t

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heth

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appe

n th

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ay w

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ould

like

or

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s ab

out

subm

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will

and

tru

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ill g

uard

us

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If y

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esire

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som

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ssag

es fr

om

scri

ptur

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out t

his,

som

e ar

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ted

belo

w.

Bibl

ical

Bas

is fo

r Pe

tition

:Ph

ilipp

ians

4:6

; Jam

es 5

:13-

16; 1

John

5:1

3-15

Take

an

oppo

rtun

ity fo

r th

ose

gath

ered

with

you

in w

orsh

ip t

o m

entio

n sp

ecifi

c pe

rson

al p

raye

r ne

eds

they

may

ha

ve.

Pray

for

each

one

of t

hese

requ

ests

spe

cific

ally

.

Nati

ons:

Kyr

gyz

(Kyr

gyst

an)

Mos

t Kyr

gyz

are

Mus

lim. A

sk G

od to

wor

k in

the

hear

ts o

f the

Kyr

gyz

and

draw

them

to H

imse

lf.•

Conv

ersi

on is

see

n as

a b

etra

yal o

f bot

h et

hnic

iden

tity

and

fam

ily. P

ray

for

Chri

st-f

ollo

wer

s to

per

seve

re.

• Th

ere

are

few

Kyr

gyz

Chri

stian

s an

d on

ly in

itial

chu

rch

plan

ting

amon

g th

em. A

sk G

od t

o ra

ise

up H

is c

hurc

h •

amon

g th

e Ky

rgyz

.Ky

rgyz

stan

is a

n un

derd

evel

oped

cou

ntry

with

alm

ost

40%

of

the

popu

latio

n liv

ing

belo

w t

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over

ty li

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• Pr

ay th

at G

od w

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sho

w H

is p

rovi

sion

thro

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His

chu

rch

that

man

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trus

t in

Chri

st.

Sour

ce: O

pera

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Wor

ld b

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hnst

one

and

Man

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Scr

iptu

re M

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Wee

k 29

Isai

ah 2

6:8

In t

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ath

of y

our

judg

emen

ts, O

Lor

d, w

e w

ait

for

you;

you

r na

me

and

rem

embr

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are

the

desi

re o

f our

sou

l.

Hal

lalu

jah

By S

teve

n Si

vley

INTR

O:

A E

m7

D A

Em

7 D

A

VERS

E 1:

A

G

9

D

A

Our

voi

ces

rais

e to

sin

g a

song

of e

tern

ityA

G9

D

A

Our

hea

rts

unite

to b

ring

our

pra

ise

to th

e Ki

ng o

f kin

gs

VERS

E 2:

We

long

to s

ee th

e fa

ce o

f the

aut

hor

of re

deem

ing

grac

eW

e jo

in in

one

acc

ord

to w

orsh

ip th

e Lo

rd o

f lor

ds

CHO

RUS:

A

Em

7H

alle

luja

h, h

alle

luja

h

D

A

All

the

hono

r an

d gl

ory

and

prai

se

A

E

m7

Hal

lelu

jah,

hal

lelu

jah

D

A

Wor

thy

is th

e La

mb

who

was

sla

in

VERS

E 3:

We

lift o

ur h

ands

in p

rais

e, o

ur li

ps w

ill c

onfe

ss H

is n

ame

We

long

to s

ee th

e La

mb

and

wor

ship

the

grea

t I A

M

Copy

righ

t©20

10 S

teve

n Si

vley

Cop

yrig

ht ©

2010

The

Chu

rch

at B

rook

Hill

s