Fri Apr 25

For Sermon prep / review notes: worshipconnected.org/posts/daily/fri-apr-11/

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words gospel and word.

Reading

1 Thessalonians 2:1–13—When you received the word of God…

Optional Reading

2 Chron 36:1-14

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

We should pay attention to the word of God preached.
Preaching should give encouragement, comfort, & direction.
Faithful preaching is to be received as God’s word.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

What did you have for breakfast today?
What was the sermon about last Lord’s Day?
How is preaching the word of God?

Notes

“What was the sermon about yesterday?” “Yesterday? I can’t even remember what I had for breakfast this morning!” We’ve probably heard, or even said, things like that. Of course, other than possible health consequences, what we had for breakfast this morning (for me: ham and cheese and pineapple omelet, cottage cheese, English muffin, coffee) makes little difference. But remembering the sermon(s) we just heard is of vital importance for the Christian.

The Westminster Larger Catechism calls for attending to and examining the Word preached and receiving the Word preached. This receiving is to be marked with “faith, love, meekness and readiness of mind.” We are told in Hebrews 11 that without faith it is impossible to please God. And without faith it is impossible to receive the preached Word for good. But when given the gift of faith to believe in God through Christ for salvation, we are also given the faith to believe God’s Word. As Vos puts it, we should have a receptive attitude toward the truth, not an attitude of stubborn resistance to it. Such a receptive attitude can exist only by the special work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s heart and mind. Yet we want the listener to cultivate this receptive attitude in responding to the Word preached. As doctrine is preached, Vos notes, the only question that really matters is are these doctrines scriptural?

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday reading for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 119n, 10a

Prayer

Pray that God will help you hear the word preached weekly.
Pray for the hearing of God’s word preached this Sunday.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.