PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN KIDS & FAMILIES date
1.11
It struck me—God was in this moment, too. Our God is worthy of worship.
Inspire (for parents) I was merging onto the freeway, a worship CD playing in the car, when Jalynn, my twoyear-old daughter, asked me to it turn up. “I know this song from church,” she announced. I turned it up. She began to sing. “Savior, He can move the mountains, my God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.” “Louder!” She shouted. I turned it up. She was getting louder and more passionate with every refrain. I glanced in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were closed; her hands raised. I was suddenly so aware of God’s presence. Somewhere around the third or fourth “Forever, author of salvation,” I started to cry. The song ended about the time we got to our exit. Jalynn asked me to play it again. I didn’t argue. I tried to recreate that moment another day. I selected “Mighty to Save,” turned up the volume much higher than usual, and started singing. Jalynn sat quietly in the way backseat. After about a minute, she started to talk. The only thing she was concerned with was the macn-cheese she spilled on her shorts at lunch. I wanted to turn up the music. Maybe if I raised a hand and looked spiritual enough, she would join me. But
I didn’t. I turned down the music and chatted with Jalynn about her day. As we turned the corner and our house came into view, Jalynn glimpsed my husband’s car in the driveway. She began chanting, “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” Then it struck me—God was in this moment, too. “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise” (Psalm 8:2). Our God is worthy of worship. by Sharron Jackson
rted Getting Sictlea s 28
hron Scripture: 1 C s the Temple) (Solomon Build Our Worship od Is Worthy of Main Point: G your family to signed to allow de is ren ce ur so This re fore your child God’s Word be nts in re e pa r tim fo is ve ha God’s plan se au ec B . ch ildren’s faith, attend chur rers of their ch rtu nu al n tu iri sp ly, your childre to be the u grow spiritual yo as at th ow we kn ally as well. will grow spiritu
Equip (for parents) After the Israelites conquered the Promised Land and all the tribes settled, it was important to centralize the home of God. Because he was a “man of war,” David would not build the temple, but he gathered materials and organized the project (1 Chronicles 22:1–19). The actual work began “in the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel” (1 Kings 6:1). The temple was completed seven years later (1 Kings 6:37–38). Like his father David, Solomon wanted to build a temple to honor God for what He had done. God had provided for the Israelites, protecting and guiding them for many years. David understood the enormity of the task that would lie ahead for his son. “My son Solomon … is young and inexperienced. The task is great, because this palatial structure is not for man but for the Lord God” (1 Chronicles 29:1). The Lord set Solomon up to win as long as he remained “unswerving in carrying out my commands and laws” (28:7). David gave him clear and detailed directions that came from the Lord Himself, and he modeled what sacrificial giving was. He called the community to come alongside Solomon, to give sacrificially of their time, talents, and possessions. David’s dream was to glorify God by building the temple for the Lord. However, he stepped back and prepared his son, Solomon, to fulfill this dream. Imagine the delight that must have filled David’s heart knowing that his son, whom he loved deeply, would carry forth the deepest desires of his father’s heart. Just as David joyfully prepared Solomon to build the temple, ask the Lord how He wants you to usher your children into glorifying God through their lives.
REMEMBER VERSE
“God chose us to belong to Christ [Jesus] before the world was created.” Ephesians 1:4 (NIrV)
Support (for parents & kids) Sometime this week, read the biblical account of David, Solomon, and the temple in 1 Chronicles 29. For your preschooler, highlight verses 1–3, 9, and 16–20. As you get ready to hear God’s Word, pray to God as a family. Ask Him to show you how to worship Him more as you read. Then think of questions that review what you just read such as, “What was Solomon going to build?” or “What kind of things did David and the people offer?” JUST FOR FUN, have your kids gather several of their favorite possessions. After reading, take a few minutes to examine their things. Tell them just as these things are very important to them, David and the Israelites sacrificed valuable things for the temple. Ask them to imagine what it might feel like if God asked them to give Him their most valuable possession. How would they respond? When you’re finished, share with your children that what they just heard is a part of The Big God Story in the Bible, and they’ll hear it in church. Ask your children to share with you something that stuck out to them as you read. Remind them we can still worship God today with our love and sacrifice, just like David did.
© 2010 David C Cook. TruResources are developed in partnership with ROCKHARBOR Church and a national network of family and children’s ministry leaders. All rights reserved.