Family Worship Guide

Scripture Reading:
#1. “And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” (Acts 2:44-45)

#2.: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his deed.” (Proverbs 19:17)

Prayer of Praise: Refer to the verses above and hymn below.

Hymn: Psalm 8

Reading of the Law: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8)

Silent Confession of Sin/Confession of Sin: Heavenly Father, we come before You knowing that we have not loved You with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, nor have we loved our neighbors as ourselves. We have sinned in our thoughts, words, and actions, and we ask for Your mercy. Forgive us for the times we have ignored Your commands and followed our own desires. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) Cleanse our hearts, Lord, and help us to trust in Your grace through Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose to give us new life. Amen.

Reading of the Gospel: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1John 2:1-2)

Heidelberg Catechism: Lord’s Day 48

Question #123

Q. What does the second petition mean?

A. “Your kingdom come” means: Rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that more and more we submit to you. Preserve your church and make it grow. Destroy the devil’s work; destroy every force which revolts against you and every conspiracy against your holy Word. Do this until your kingdom fully comes, when you will be all in all

Prayer of Thanksgiving: Thank God for Westminster Church and our growing church family.

Prayer of Supplication: Ask our Father in heaven for healing mercies for those in our church who are suffering and that all of our members who work outside the home would have good jobs that so they can support their family and church.

Bible reading and commentary: 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

Paul turns in this section to the theme of Christian generosity, using the churches of Macedonia as an example of grace-filled giving. What stands out immediately is Paul’s framing: generosity is not a human achievement but a work of God’s grace (v.1). The Macedonians—marked by “severe affliction” and “extreme poverty”—nevertheless overflowed in “the wealth of their generosity.” In Paul’s logic, grace produces fruit even in unlikely soil. Their giving does not arise from surplus but from joy rooted in Christ.

In verses 3–5, Paul emphasizes that the Macedonians gave “beyond their means,” but crucially, not recklessly or under compulsion. Their giving was voluntary, a sign that their hearts had first been devoted to the Lord. This is a significant Reformed insight: stewardship flows from regeneration. Where the Spirit renews the will, believers freely delight in sacrifice.

Paul then encourages the Corinthians to “excel in this act of grace also” (v.7). He does not command them by law but appeals to them by gospel logic: “I say this not as a command, but to prove…your love” (v.8). The ground of Paul’s exhortation is Christ Himself: “though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor” (v.9). The incarnation is the model for Christian giving. Calvin wonderfully captures this thought when he writes, “For we are not our own; therefore, neither our reason nor our will should guide us in our thoughts and actions. We are God’s; let us therefore live for Him and die for Him.” (Institutes 3.7.1). Christ’s self-emptying does not merely inform generosity; it creates it. The believer’s giving is a small echo of the redemptive grace he has received.

In ver)ses 10–12, Paul addresses the Corinthians’ prior eagerness to contribute to the Jerusalem collection. Desire must give way to completion, but again the governing principle is proportionate generosity: “if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.” God does not demand equality of amount but equality of sacrifice. This guards Christian giving from legalism on one side and apathy on the other.

Finally, in verses 13–15, Paul appeals to the principle of fairness. He does not advocate enforced redistribution but mutual care in the body of Christ. The quotation from Exodus 16:18 (regarding manna) reinforces the theme: in God’s economy, He provides so that none lack what is necessary. Christian stewardship participates in that divine provision. Wealth is never merely personal property; it is a trust to be used for the good of the saints.

This passage teaches that generosity flows from grace, is modeled by Christ, is proportionate to ability, and binds believers together in mutual love.

Closing Hymn: The Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heav’nly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Closing Scripture: You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake. (Deut. 15:10)

The Lord’s Prayer (together):

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen