Family Worship Guide for July 5, 2026
Prepare for Songs and Psalms
A Song to Learn This Week
Practice this hymn with your children, and talk about what it means.
619 | “I Need Thee Every Hour,” Annie S. Hawks, Robert Lowry
From The Sing! Hymnal: “Annie Hawks wrote this hymn in a way she later thought was prophetic, because it was conceived on ‘wings of love and joy,’ and it was later in life when ‘the shadow fell over my way’—the loss of her husband and two of her children. Both can be true for a Christian: We should feel our need for God’s presence at all times and in all seasons.”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 19:7–14
Read the Psalm together. Practice saying it responsively. Try memorizing one or more verses.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Talk About the Songs and Psalms
Choose a verse from a song or psalm. Read it together and discuss these questions using the “Swedish method:”
- What do you notice about these words? What do you like? What is surprising?
- Is there anything you don’t understand? Is there anything you wonder about?
- What do these words tell you about God? What do they tell you about yourself?
- Talk to God together about what you’ve discussed. Praise Him, thank Him, and ask for His help.
Prepare for Children’s Worship
Use this guide to prepare your children for their time learning in the classroom on Sunday morning (and for the Old and New Testament readings).
Unit 12 Memory Verse | Proverbs 3:7 – “Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
Unit 12 Big Picture Q&A | What does God know? | Preschool: God knows everything. | Elementary: God knows everything about the past, present, and future.
Bible Story | “Wisdom of God’s People,” Proverbs 1; 3–4. Read this story to your children from the Bible or from a storybook Bible. Prompt your children to describe the characters and events of the passage.
Christ Connection | Solomon’s proverbs encourage God’s people to trust in the Lord. Jesus trusted in God His Father throughout His life on earth, all the way to His death on the cross for our sins. He rose again and continues to lead us to love and trust God the Father.
Introduction to the Story
God’s gift of wisdom to King Solomon did not end with Solomon; he shared this wisdom through his proverbs. Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1:2 that these words were for learning wisdom and discipline, understanding insightful sayings, receiving instruction, and teaching the inexperienced. Through all the insight he gained as the wisest man on earth, he came back to this truth: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7).
What does it mean to fear the Lord? How can we know that we have true wisdom?
Fearing the Lord means honoring Him as holy and revering Him as God alone. Solomon recognized the folly of a life lived in his own strength and wisdom. He knew that pursuing the Lord through genuine trust and obedience is the only way to live a life that matters. He beckoned readers to trust in the Lord with all their heart and not depend on their own understanding. The proverbs reveal to us that wisdom is not a mere intellectual exercise. Wisdom is a Person, Jesus, and by trusting in Him we find salvation.
Many proverbs offer practical guidance for interacting with the world: avoiding peer pressure, pursuing the path of peace, and treating others fairly. However, all of the practical guidance is grounded in following God’s wisdom above any earthly knowledge. Solomon wrote of the favor God’s people experience when they cling to His ways above all else.
Consider your relationship to godly wisdom. Reflect on the seasons of life that have led you closest to the Lord and in obedience to Him. Remember God’s generosity and kindness toward His followers: “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
Invite the children in your care to see the beauty of pursuing God’s ways and trusting Him, both for the promise of His presence and the wisdom He provides in our everyday lives. Life everlasting begins when we come to faith in Him!
Try this Scripture song to learn Proverbs 3:7
Watch the Biggest Story video about Proverbs
Prepare for Pulpit Ministry
This Week’s Text | Psalm 145:9
Some Context for Adults | From the Gospel Coalition Commentary: “At Sinai God promised Moses, ‘I will make all my goodness pass by’ (Exod 33:19), and when he passed by, he revealed the so-called formula of God’s grace: ‘The Lord is gracious … steadfast love (Exod 34:6).’ This manifestation of God’s grace to sinful Israel is now extended universally: ‘The Lord is good to all (cf. 145:13b–20), and his mercy (25:6) is over all his works’ (translation mine; see 145:10). ‘Work’ is repeated in verse 10 with reference to his saints (cf. Job 14:15).”
COMA Questions
Context, Observation, Meaning, Application
- What is God like? How does He treat people? How do you know?
- What do you notice about this passage? Are there any words you don’t know?
- What do you think is the message or story of this passage?
- What do you think God wants you to think or do after reading this passage?
Pray | After you have read and discussed the passage, thank God for His Word and ask Him to apply it to your life. Ask for the specific applications you identified in your discussion.
