Family Worship Guide for September 27, 2026
Prepare for Songs and Psalms
A Song to Learn During TGP Unit 15
Practice this hymn with your children, and talk about what it means.
45 | “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” Henry Van Dyke, Ludwig van Beethoven
From The Sing! Hymnal: “Tertius Van Dyke, son of Henry Van Dyke, beautifully explained what these words meant to him: ‘My father’s hymn . . . is a vital and happy expression of the cheerful note that is the heart of the Christian religion. It begins, as Christianity itself began, in a whole-souled and hearty yes to life as Jesus lived it in God. It is the natural paean that leaps to the lips of a man who receives his life at God’s hands and purposes to live that life in Christ’s law of liberty.’”
Responsive Reading: Psalm 100
Read the Psalm together. Practice saying it responsively. Try memorizing one or more verses.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!
Know that the Lord, he is God!
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!
For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
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 15 Memory Verse | Psalm 145:9 — “The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.”
Unit 15 Big Picture Q&A | What is God like? God is holy, good, and loving.
Bible Story | “God Promised a New Covenant,” Jeremiah 17; 31. Read to your children from the Bible or from a storybook Bible. Describe what a covenant is and why a new one was needed.
Christ Connection | Like God’s people, we all have sinful hearts that do not obey God or love Him rightly. Through Jesus’ death on the cross, God made a new covenant. Those who trust in Jesus have their sin forgiven and have the law written on their hearts.
Introduction to the Story
The prophet Jeremiah was a priest sent to speak the word of the Lord to His people. Jeremiah taught plainly about sin and how our disobedient hearts cannot be trusted. Jeremiah predicted God’s judgment on Judah’s sins through the nation of Babylon. Yet, Jeremiah also declared how God would make a new covenant with His people.
The people of Judah faced the same problem we face today: sin. Their failure to abide by and uphold the law was a constant reminder that they were sinful and fell short of God’s standards. Jeremiah told the people that those who put their trust in mankind are cursed because men are sinful and imperfect. He also said that people cannot save themselves. But Jeremiah shared good news. He told the people that the person who trusts in the Lord will be strong and healthy, like a tree planted by water (Jeremiah 17:8).
Through Jeremiah, the Lord spoke of His everlasting love toward His people. He shared the promise of gathering His people, watching over them, and turning their mourning into joy. God promised His people a new covenant and eternal forgiveness of sin.
The old covenant required complete obedience to the law; yet no one can be justified by the law (Galatians 2:16). In His grace, God did what we cannot do. He promised a new covenant which would be accomplished by Him. Jesus is the fulfillment of the new covenant; He fulfilled the requirements of the law on our behalf. As Paul wrote, “For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering” (Romans 8:3).
Forgiveness that lasts forever only comes through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:11). As you prepare to teach on God’s promise of a new covenant, take time to thank Him for His forgiveness in your life. Remind boys and girls of how God changes believers’ hearts to hearts that love and obey Him.
Watch the Biggest Story video about Jeremiah
Prepare for Pulpit Ministry
This Week’s Text | John 8:39–47
Some Context for Adults | From the ESV Study Bible: “Jesus had just agreed that they were physically descended from Abraham (v. 37), but now he denies that they are truly Abraham’s children, for their behavior contradicts their claim. This implies that Abraham’s true children are only those who believe in Jesus (cf. Rom. 2:28–29; 9:6–8). What Abraham did most prominently was believe God (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3; Gal. 3:6; James 2:23). Similarly, the Jews who are speaking here should believe in Jesus, for he comes from God and is speaking the very words of God.”
COMA Questions
Context, Observation, Meaning, Application
- What do you remember from the previous story in the Gospel of John?
- 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.
