Family Worship Guide for July 12, 2026
Prepare for Songs and Psalms
A Song to Learn This Week
Practice this hymn with your children, and talk about what it means.
415 | “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” Anonymous, Indian folk melody
From The Sing! Hymnal: “When Jesus asked people to follow him, they did not always say yes—as with the wealthy man, for instance, who ‘went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions’ (Mark 10:22), or those in Jerusalem who ‘were not willing’ (Matt. 23:37). The hymn seems to draw from Jesus’ cautionary words in Luke 9:62, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’ May we all answer positively and without hesitation.”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 23
Read the Psalm together. Practice saying it responsively. Try memorizing one or more verses.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
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 13 Memory Verse | 1 Kings 8:60 — “That all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other.”
Unit 13 Big Picture Q&A | How many gods are there? | Preschool: There is one true God. | Elementary: There is one true God who alone deserves worship.
Bible Story | “The Kingdom Divided,” 1 Kings 11–13. 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 | Rehoboam rejected good advice, and his foolish pride led to a divided kingdom. Jesus, the truly wise King, unites all who trust in Him and brings them into His kingdom forever.
Introduction to the Story
While King Solomon was known for his wisdom, he did not leave his kingdom better than he found it, for “when he was old, his heart turned to other gods” (1 Kings 11:4). In fact, the kingdom would now be divided because of his unfaithfulness to God. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king and was confronted with a request from the people: to lighten their labor. Rehoboam sought wise counsel from those who served with his father and asked a group of peers for advice.
King Rehoboam sought wise counsel but then chose to ignore it. The elders that served with his father advised him to be a servant to the people and speak kindly to them. Surely this approach would have reestablished trust. However, Rehoboam disregarded the elders’ input and chose to listen to a young group of friends instead. Their suggestion was to tell the people that he is even more powerful than Solomon and will make their lives more difficult.
This oppression of course is not well received, and the people rebelled against Rehoboam. Rehoboam’s selfish pride resulted in the rest of Israel seeking Jeroboam as their king, and the kingdom was divided just as God said. Rehoboam sought to be served instead of choosing to serve the people.
Service is true leadership. Jesus willingly chose to serve us while we were still far from Him. As Romans 5:8 tells us, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Have you ever completely disregarded sound wisdom or godly advice? Who we listen to matters. As you prepare to teach, pray for God to help you listen to the wise counsel of His Holy Spirit. Remind kids that we can choose to follow God’s ways through faith in Jesus. Pray for boys and girls to know the one true God, and to look to Christ as the ultimate example of true, selfless leadership.
Watch the Biggest Story video about Rehoboam
Prepare for Pulpit Ministry
This Week’s Text | A guest is preaching this week; the sermon text will be announced.
COMA Questions
Context, Observation, Meaning, Application
- 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.
