Family Worship Guide #25
We place a high value on family worship, both for spiritual nourishment and for doctrinal education. However, a lot of people struggle to know how to go about doing family worship. This is meant to be a guide for leading family worship. The plan is to send out an email like this every week so that you have a simple guide to leading family worship. Check out our website page on Family Worship for more resources: restorationhcn.org/family-worship.
Beyond that, the information below will serve as our weekly template. Every week will be based around the catechism question we are on. We’ve added verses to read and discussion questions to make it simple for you to lead family worship! Let me know if you need help!
Family Worship
This weekly guide is meant to help you as you lead your family in worship. We recommend that you visit restorationhcn.org/family-worship for an overview of how to do family worship. The idea is to keep your family in the Word. Keep it simple and interactive. It doesn’t have to last long. 15 Minutes is just fine for young ones. You might take longer for older kids. Be sure to give them the opportunity to ask questions and grow in faith and knowledge. Shoot for 3-5 times weekly, though every day is ideal!
1. Learn Catechism
#25
Q: Does Christ’s death mean all our sins can be forgiven?
A: Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, god will remember our sins no more.
Note: There is a verse and reading(s) in the New City Catechism app. You may consider using the reading (They are usually from key figures in church history or are from recent theologians) as a helpful tool in family worship. They are quite good.
Download the New City Catechism App (FREE)
2. Read/Study Scripture
Note: We have provided a handful of verses related to the catechism question for this week. They can serve as your Scripture for family worship. You could do one per day. We also include discussion questions to help you guide your family in study.
1 Peter 2:24 ESV
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
What does it mean that He (Jesus) bore our sins on the tree?
How is it that we “die to sin”? What does that mean?
What does it mean to be “healed” when it comes to our sin?
Leviticus 17:11 ESV
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
What part of the Bible is this from (Old Testament or New Testament)?
What is atonement? (Atonement=covering, often refers to payment as in “I’ve got you covered.”)
Has blood always been an important part of paying for sins? Can you think of other examples in Scripture?
1 John 2:2 ESV
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
What does “propitiation” mean? (It means “appeasement” or “atonement”)
What does the “whole world” mean here? Is everyone automatically saved whether they believe or not? (No, this passage refers to the fact that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, not just Jews)
Hebrews 9:12 ESV
He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.
(Talk about how priests used to enter the holy of holies only at certain times, based on animal sacrifice. Jesus’s sacrifice was better than any Old Testament sacrifice because He is the perfect sacrificial Lamb. Other sacrifices were temporary. Jesus’ sacrifice is eternal.)
What are the results of “eternal redemption” for us?
Hebrews 9:22 ESV
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Why can there be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood? (God is just and cannot ignore sin. There has to be a payment.)
What does it mean to be forgiven? What are the results?
Isaiah 53:5 ESV
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.
What part of the Bible is this verse in? To whom does it refer?
What is “chastisement” and how does it bring us peace?
What are the wounds that brought us healing? What kind of healing?
Revelation 5:9 ESV
And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,
What is a ransom?
What is important about Jesus ransoming people from every tribe, language, people, and nation?
How does this make Jesus worth to open the scroll?
(Extra: Read this section of Revelation for context.)
1 Peter 3:18 ESV
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
How many times did Christ suffer for our sins? (once) When did this happen? (on the cross)
Do we need to add anything to Christ’s sacrifice since He already suffered once for sins? (No)
What does it mean to be “alive in the spirit”?
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
What does it mean that Christ became “sin”? (He took our sin to die for it)
What does it mean that we "become the righteousness of God”? (Christ gave us His righteousness)
What are the implications of both?
3. Pray Together
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Family
Church
Governing authorities
4. Sing Together
Here are a few songs that fit the theme of atonement:
Nothing but the Blood
Jesus Paid it All
Yet Not I But Christ in Me by City Alight
