The Church at Eastern Oaks Family Worship Guide
Song of the Week: To God Be The Glory
To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Scripture Memory for the week:
“I rejoice at Your Word, as one who finds great spoil.” (Psalm 119:162)
Suggested Catechism Question:
Does Christ’s death mean all our
sins can be forgiven?
Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more.[1]
Devotional 1 – Joseph Points to Jesus
Read: Genesis 41:1-13
For Adults: When have you attempted to offer help to no avail?
Older Children: Why could no one interpret Pharoah’s dream?
Younger Children: When was the last time you had a bad dream?
Family Application: “God glorifies Himself by exalting His humbled servants. Christ suffered from His people’s envy and false accusations. He went down into humiliation, even an accursed death on the cross. But just as Joseph’s enslavement and imprisonment prepared for his service as Pharaoh’s vizier, so Christ’s suffering for our sins laid the foundation for His exaltation as the living Savior reigning at God’s right hand. Let us praise the wisdom of God for the strange yet necessary humiliation of His Son, for without it no one would ever be saved.”[2]
Pray: Lord show us that you make even our greatest sufferings good.
Meditate: Write this week's memory verses on a whiteboard in your home and/or on index cards that each family member can carry with them during the week.
Devotional 2 – Man Frustrated
Read: Genesis 41:14-25
For Adults: Is v.25 scary or comforting to Pharoah? To you?
Older Children: How does Joseph point Pharoah to God?
Younger Children: Why do you think Joseph shaved and changed his clothes?
Family Application: “Both the dream and its interpretation are from God (40:8 and note). Joseph is inspired by God; he does not act as an Egyptian priest. Neither Pharaoh nor his officials are in control; God and His servant are in charge, as they will be centuries later in the time of Moses (Ex. 7:1–5).”[3] It is not happenstance that the efforts of man are often impotent. We need help from outside of us or else we will always be those that grope around in the darkness (Job. 12:25). God is good and faithful to hear your cries for help. Will you be obstinate or finally seek and find help in God? What a comfort v.25 was to a troubled Pharoah that God has spoken to him. God speaks to us and we do not have to have a prophet, pastor, or teacher to know it; we have been given the Bible, the revelation of God. Is the Bible sufficient for all your problems?
Pray: God thank you for Your Word, help us to treasure it.
Meditate: See if anyone in the family can quote this week's memory verse. Make new note cards of any of the cards from Day 1 that may have been lost.
Devotional 3 – Sure Hope Amid Dubiety
Read: Genesis 41:26-36
For Adults: Would you be as direct as Joseph in v.32-36?
Older Children: How is Joseph bold? What are you bold about?
Younger Children: What do the cows mean?
Family Application: “We cannot be sure that to-morrow shall be as this day, or next year as this. We must learn how to want, as well as how to abound. Mark the goodness of God in sending the seven years of plenty before those of famine, that provision might be made. The produce of the earth is sometimes more, and sometimes less; yet, take one with another, he that gathers much, has nothing over; and he that gathers little, has no lack, Ex 16:18. And see the perishing nature of our worldly enjoyments. The great harvests of the years of plenty were quite lost, and swallowed up in the years of famine; and that which seemed very much, yet did but just serve to keep the people alive. There is bread which lasts to eternal life, which it is worthwhile to labour for. They that make the things of this world their good things, will find little pleasure in remembering that they have received them.”[4] But we who have made God our greatest pleasure will never find the Bread of Life incapable of satisfying our hungry souls.
Pray: God You are so good to us, allow us to be satisfied in You.
Meditate: See again if anyone in the family can quote this week's memory verse. Talk about any ways that this verse has encouraged or taught you this week.
[1] New City Catechism, Question 25.
[2] The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible, 69.
[3] The Reformation Study Bible, 77.
[4] Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, Ge 41:9.
Song of the Week: To God Be The Glory
To God be the glory, great things He hath done,
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life our redemption to win,
And opened the life-gate that all may go in.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Oh, perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Great things He hath taught us, great things He hath done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport when Jesus we see.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice;
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice;
Oh, come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory; great things He hath done.
Scripture Memory for the week:
“I rejoice at Your Word, as one who finds great spoil.” (Psalm 119:162)
Suggested Catechism Question:
Does Christ’s death mean all our
sins can be forgiven?
Yes, because Christ’s death on the cross fully paid the penalty for our sin, God graciously imputes Christ’s righteousness to us as if it were our own and will remember our sins no more.[1]
Devotional 1 – Joseph Points to Jesus
Read: Genesis 41:1-13
For Adults: When have you attempted to offer help to no avail?
Older Children: Why could no one interpret Pharoah’s dream?
Younger Children: When was the last time you had a bad dream?
Family Application: “God glorifies Himself by exalting His humbled servants. Christ suffered from His people’s envy and false accusations. He went down into humiliation, even an accursed death on the cross. But just as Joseph’s enslavement and imprisonment prepared for his service as Pharaoh’s vizier, so Christ’s suffering for our sins laid the foundation for His exaltation as the living Savior reigning at God’s right hand. Let us praise the wisdom of God for the strange yet necessary humiliation of His Son, for without it no one would ever be saved.”[2]
Pray: Lord show us that you make even our greatest sufferings good.
Meditate: Write this week's memory verses on a whiteboard in your home and/or on index cards that each family member can carry with them during the week.
Devotional 2 – Man Frustrated
Read: Genesis 41:14-25
For Adults: Is v.25 scary or comforting to Pharoah? To you?
Older Children: How does Joseph point Pharoah to God?
Younger Children: Why do you think Joseph shaved and changed his clothes?
Family Application: “Both the dream and its interpretation are from God (40:8 and note). Joseph is inspired by God; he does not act as an Egyptian priest. Neither Pharaoh nor his officials are in control; God and His servant are in charge, as they will be centuries later in the time of Moses (Ex. 7:1–5).”[3] It is not happenstance that the efforts of man are often impotent. We need help from outside of us or else we will always be those that grope around in the darkness (Job. 12:25). God is good and faithful to hear your cries for help. Will you be obstinate or finally seek and find help in God? What a comfort v.25 was to a troubled Pharoah that God has spoken to him. God speaks to us and we do not have to have a prophet, pastor, or teacher to know it; we have been given the Bible, the revelation of God. Is the Bible sufficient for all your problems?
Pray: God thank you for Your Word, help us to treasure it.
Meditate: See if anyone in the family can quote this week's memory verse. Make new note cards of any of the cards from Day 1 that may have been lost.
Devotional 3 – Sure Hope Amid Dubiety
Read: Genesis 41:26-36
For Adults: Would you be as direct as Joseph in v.32-36?
Older Children: How is Joseph bold? What are you bold about?
Younger Children: What do the cows mean?
Family Application: “We cannot be sure that to-morrow shall be as this day, or next year as this. We must learn how to want, as well as how to abound. Mark the goodness of God in sending the seven years of plenty before those of famine, that provision might be made. The produce of the earth is sometimes more, and sometimes less; yet, take one with another, he that gathers much, has nothing over; and he that gathers little, has no lack, Ex 16:18. And see the perishing nature of our worldly enjoyments. The great harvests of the years of plenty were quite lost, and swallowed up in the years of famine; and that which seemed very much, yet did but just serve to keep the people alive. There is bread which lasts to eternal life, which it is worthwhile to labour for. They that make the things of this world their good things, will find little pleasure in remembering that they have received them.”[4] But we who have made God our greatest pleasure will never find the Bread of Life incapable of satisfying our hungry souls.
Pray: God You are so good to us, allow us to be satisfied in You.
Meditate: See again if anyone in the family can quote this week's memory verse. Talk about any ways that this verse has encouraged or taught you this week.
[1] New City Catechism, Question 25.
[2] The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible, 69.
[3] The Reformation Study Bible, 77.
[4] Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary, Ge 41:9.