Family Worship Guide for October 11, 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 | “Ezekiel Gave Hope,” Ezekiel 37. 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 | God breathed life into dead bones in front of Ezekiel. The apostle Paul said that we are dead in our sins, but God gives us new life in Him when we trust in Jesus. God will forever be the God of all people who trust in Jesus.
Introduction to the Story
Have you ever had a lingering question or been in a difficult situation in which you knew only the Lord could truly answer or provide clarity? God presented an interesting question to the prophet Ezekiel amid a dire setting. The Spirit of God took Ezekiel to a valley of bones and asked him, “Son of man, can these bones live?” Ezekiel replied, “Lord God, only you know.” (Ezekiel 37:3).
God then instructed Ezekiel to speak to the bones, saying, “Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live” (Ezekiel 37:5). Ezekiel did as God said, and as the prophet was speaking, the bones began to rattle and reconfigure into human bodies. After that, God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the breath, commanding it to breathe life into the dead bodies. Ezekiel did as he was instructed, and the beings came to life.
Ezekiel’s prophecy was a picture of the people of Israel. They were like dead bones with no hope, but God would give them life. God would make the way for those dead in their sin to have life resurrected.
Then God had Ezekiel take two sticks—one for Israel and one for Judah. He told Ezekiel to take the sticks in front of all the people and join them to make one stick. Through this imagery, God was demonstrating how He was going to take the Israelites out of the nations where they were scattered and bring them into their own land. God was going to unite His people and give them one King to rule over them.
Ezekiel reminded the people of the promise God had made to David hundreds of years before. The new King would come from the family of David, and He would have the power to raise dead, sinful people to life.
Without Jesus, we are like the dead bones with no future hope. We are dead in our sins. But by faith in Jesus Christ, we are made alive (Ephesians 2:1–5). God’s promise to Ezekiel remains true: King Jesus will unite all who trust in Him, and through the Holy Spirit we will walk in His ways.
Thank God for the hope we have because of Jesus. Remind boys and girls of the new life Jesus gives to those who trust in Him. As you point boys and girls to the God who can make dead bones come to life, pray for each kid to understand that nothing is too difficult for God.
Watch the Biggest Story video about Ezekiel
Prepare for Pulpit Ministry
This Week’s Text | 1 Corinthians 10:31
Some Context for Adults | From the Gospel Coalition Commentary: “Paul assumes that in eating, the Corinthians acknowledge God as the giver of the food and express thanks to him. This means the one who prays with thanks is eating with a clear conscience toward God’s approval of the meal. The believer should be able to enjoy food without fear of having his/her faith questioned. Before unbelievers, one can do so in wisdom toward acute situations. The measure of conscience the Corinthians should use is whether they can participate in any activity and glorify God in the endeavor. Paul’s directive covers all activities in the world, not simply eating meals and drinking drinks. The Corinthians had a means under Christ’s Lordship to act with freedom of conscience in matters of liberty.”
COMA Questions
Context, Observation, Meaning, Application
- Are you aware of any Bible rules about what we can eat or drink?
- 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.
