The document discusses family worship, which it defines as an act of obedience to God's commands to teach one's children about scripture. It notes that family worship provides a time for intentional spiritual formation of children and can involve simply reading scripture, singing, and praying together. The document outlines reasons why family worship is biblical, theological, historical, and practical. It also addresses common obstacles like fear, lack of time, and inexperience, noting the importance and benefits of the spiritual influence of family worship.

1. An opportunity to grow
together as a family, centered around
your faith, hope & trust
in God through Christ Jesus.

2. What is Family Worship?

3. What is Family Worship?
 An act of obedience to God’s commands to us in
scripture

4. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 ESV
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is
one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your
might. [6] And these words that I command you
today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach
them diligently to your children, and shall talk of
them when you sit in your house, and when you
walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when
you rise. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your
hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
[9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your
house and on your gates

5. Genesis 18:19 ESV
[19] For I have chosen him, that he may command
his children and his household after him to keep
the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and
justice, so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what
he has promised him.”

6. Psalm 78:5-7 ESV
[5] He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers
to teach to their children,
[6] that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
[7] so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;

7. What is Family Worship?
 An act of obedience to God’s commands to us in
scripture
 A time to be intentional about the spiritual
formation of your children

8. Where our kids spend their time:
Time at Church Time with Family
 1 ½ to 4 hours/week  164 to 166 ½ hours/week
 1st hour Sunday School  (OK, 56 or so is spent
 2nd hour Sunday sleeping)
School/worship time  Still leaves about 110 hours
 AWANA
 Mid-week activities
Who has the most
real influence?

9. What is Family Worship?
 An act of obedience to God’s commands to us in
scripture
 A time to be intentional about the spiritual formation
of your children
 Family Worship can be as simple as reading
scripture, singing together and praying for each
other

10. Why Family Worship?

11. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical

12. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 The original church was the family and the original
worship was family worship

13. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 The original church was the family and the original
worship was family worship
 Before public worship was instituted under Moses -
all worship was family-based worship

14. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 The original church was the family and the original
worship was family worship
 Before public worship was instituted under Moses - all
worship was family-based worship
 Even after the establishment of public
worship, families continued to be directed to “teach
the commandments to your children” (Deut. 6:7)

15. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 It’s Theological

16. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 It’s Theological
 David based his personal devotional practices on that of
the temple and applied the language of sacrifice in the
Psalms. So started the new testament worship practice
of “a sacrifice of praise...the fruit of our lips” (Hebrews
13:15).

17. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 It’s Theological
 It’s Historical

18. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 It’s Theological
 It’s Historical
 Protestants built on the Medieval Church practice of
daily mass, and moved daily worship into the home -
where godly fathers served as priests.

19. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Biblical
 It’s Theological
 It’s Historical
 It’s Practical

20. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Practical
 Daily opportunity to model humble dependence on
God,

21. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Practical
 Daily opportunity to model humble dependence on
God,
 Ensures daily intercessory prayer on behalf of the
family’s needs

22. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Practical
 Daily opportunity to model humble dependence on
God,
 Ensures daily intercessory prayer on behalf of the
family’s needs
 Provides a daily setting for reading and instruction
from the Bible

23. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Practical
 Daily opportunity to model humble dependence on
God,
 Ensures daily intercessory prayer on behalf of the
family’s needs
 Provides a daily setting for reading and instruction from
the Bible
 Provides a forum for reinforcing scripture
memorization

24. Why Family Worship?
 It’s Practical
 Daily opportunity to model humble dependence on
God,
 Ensures daily intercessory prayer on behalf of the
family’s needs
 Provides a daily setting for reading and instruction from
the Bible
 Provides a forum for reinforcing scripture memorization
 Draws the family together at least once daily

25. Let’s Try out Family Worship!
 We will hand out a sample Family Worship Outline
 Now let’s split up into our assigned “family” groups
and give it a try!

26. Obstacles to Family Worship

27. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Fear of failure

28. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Fear of failure
 “My kids will be bored and won’t want to participate”

29. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Fear of failure
 “My kids will be bored and won’t want to participate”
 “My kids will ask me questions I can’t answer”

30. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Fear of failure
 “My kids will be bored and won’t want to participate”
 “My kids will ask me questions I can’t answer”
 But in reality…

31. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Fear of failure
 “My kids will be bored and won’t want to participate”
 “My kids will ask me questions I can’t answer”
 But in reality…
 Your kids will see their parents reading the Bible and
discussing the truths contained in it and will be much
more likely to understand, accept and follow your
beliefs. They will become more interested, not less.

32. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Fear of failure
 “My kids will be bored and won’t want to participate”
 “My kids will ask me questions I can’t answer”
 But in reality…
 One of the greatest things we can do for our kids is
spend time with them learning about and discussing
the Bible, our beliefs, and our view of the world through
those beliefs. They will appreciate the fact that we
might not always have the answer, but we will take the
time to find the answer together.

33. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Not Enough Time

34. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Not Enough Time
 “We don’t have any extra time to spend in
Family Worship”

35. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Not Enough Time
 “We don’t have any extra time to spend in
Family Worship”
 But in reality…

36. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Not Enough Time
 “We don’t have any extra time to spend in
Family Worship”
 But in reality…
 We all find ways to make time for things we find
important

37. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Not Enough Time
 “We don’t have any extra time to spend in
Family Worship”
 But in reality…
 We all find ways to make time for things we find
important
 We schedule and prioritize important things in
our life. We can schedule time for Family Worship
the same way we schedule Dr. Appts, sports
practices, school work, etc.

38. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Never Done it Before

39. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Never Done it Before
 “We’ve never done it before, I wouldn’t know what to do”

40. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Never Done it Before
 “We’ve never done it before, I wouldn’t know what to do”
 But in reality…

41. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Never Done it Before
 “We’ve never done it before, I wouldn’t know what to do”
 But in reality…
 It probably will be difficult at first. But it’s not
really that hard - just read, sing, pray - that’s all
there is to it. No special training is required.

42. Obstacles to Family Worship
 Never Done it Before
 “We’ve never done it before, I wouldn’t know what to do”
 But in reality…
 It probably will be difficult at first. But it’s not
really that hard - just read, sing, pray - that’s all
there is to it. No special training is required.
 Persevere! Ask God for grace and patience and
don’t begrudge your family the jarring sense of
change. But they’ll adjust.

43. Benefits of Family Worship

44. Benefits of Family Worship
 An opportunity for obedience - God clearly
prescribes and commands family worship in His
Word.

45. Benefits of Family Worship
 An opportunity for obedience - God clearly prescribes
and commands family worship in His Word.
 A chance for you to become the primary spiritual
influencer in your child’s life and an integral part
of their spiritual formation as you are meant by
God to be.

46. Benefits of Family Worship
 An opportunity for obedience - God clearly prescribes
and commands family worship in His Word.
 A chance for you to become the primary spiritual
influencer in your child’s life and an integral part of
their spiritual formation as you are meant by God to
be.
 An opportunity to fulfill your responsibility to
teach the next generation in the ways of the Lord.

47. Benefits of Family Worship
 An opportunity for obedience - God clearly prescribes and
commands family worship in His Word.
 A chance for you to become the primary spiritual
influencer in your child’s life and an integral part of their
spiritual formation as you are meant by God to be.
 An opportunity to fulfill your responsibility to teach the
next generation in the ways of the Lord.
 An opportunity to become a closer, more Christ-
centered family - easier to comfortably pray together
and for each other and discuss spiritual, scriptural
matters together.

48. Family Worship
Make a commitment
today
to give it a try!