Family Worship Guide

Call to Worship: Psalm 147:1–5

Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting. The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. (ESV)

Hymn:‍ Be Thou My Vision

Prayer of Adoration & Lord’s Prayer:

Gracious Father, You are great and mighty in power, and Your understanding is beyond measure. You heal the brokenhearted, gather Your people, and sustain all that You have made. We praise You as the God who knows the stars by name and yet draws near to those who fear You and hope in Your steadfast love. Make Christ our vision, our wisdom, and our treasure. May our hearts seek You above all earthly things and delight in Your Word and Your ways. Be glorified in our worship and in our home, now and forever. Amen. Father hear us as we pray 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.

Response: The Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen, amen.

Confession of Faith: Westminster Confession of Faith

Let’s continue our study of the Westminster Confession as we look at the seventh commandment which reads: Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Question #137

Q. Which is the seventh commandment?

A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Question #138

Q. What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?

A. The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in all our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.

Question #139

Q. What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?

A. The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks; impudent or light behavior; immodest apparel; prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages; allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life; undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust divorce or desertion; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancing, stage plays; all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.

Reading of the Law: Colossians 3:12–15

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (ESV)

Silent Confession of Sin/Confession of Sin:

Father, forgive our sins. Forgive the sins that we remember, and the sins we have forgotten. Forgive our many failures in the face of temptation, and those times when we have been stubborn in the face of correction. Forgive the times we have been proud of our own achievements and those when we have failed to boast in your works. Forgive the harsh judgments we have made of others, and the leniency we have shown ourselves. Forgive the lies we have told to others, and the truths we have avoided. Forgive us the pain we have caused others and the indulgence we have shown ourselves. Jesus, have mercy on us and make us whole. Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Lamentations 3:31–33

For the Lord will not cast off forever, for, though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. (ESV)

Scripture lesson: Mark 6:1-6

Jesus Returns Home

Questions to think about as you read the passage:

How can familiarity with Jesus, the church, or the Christian faith sometimes make us less attentive to who Christ really is?

The people of Nazareth were amazed by Jesus but still took offense at Him. What is the difference between being impressed by Jesus and truly trusting Him?

Where might unbelief be tempting you to demand that Christ act according to your expectations rather than trusting His Word and His wisdom?

Commentary

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth, and on the Sabbath He begins teaching in the synagogue. Those who hear Him are astonished by His wisdom and by the mighty works they have heard about. Yet their amazement quickly turns into offense. They know Jesus as the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon. They know His family and His ordinary background, and that familiarity becomes a stumbling block. They cannot reconcile the Jesus they think they know with the authority and wisdom He now displays.

Their question, “Where did this man get these things?” reveals more than curiosity. They recognize something remarkable in Jesus, but they refuse to receive Him for who He is. Their familiarity with His humanity blinds them to His true identity. Instead of allowing His teaching and works to lead them to faith, they take offense at Him. Jesus responds, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” Those closest to Him should have been among the first to recognize Him, yet familiarity has produced contempt rather than faith.

Mark then gives a striking statement: Jesus “could do no mighty work there,” except for laying His hands on a few sick people and healing them. This does not mean that the unbelief of Nazareth somehow limited Christ’s divine power. Rather, Jesus does not perform signs simply to satisfy unbelieving demands or to overcome resistance through spectacle. His miracles serve His kingdom and bear witness to His identity; they are never tricks designed to force belief.

Mark concludes by saying that Jesus “marveled because of their unbelief.” There is something sobering about that response. These people had heard His teaching and had witnessed the reports of His works, yet they remained unwilling to trust Him. Unbelief is not merely a lack of information; it is a refusal to receive Christ as He has revealed Himself.

The passage also reminds us that rejection does not cause Jesus to abandon His mission. He continues His ministry despite the unbelief of those closest to Him. The Savior remains faithful even when He is not honored, and His authority does not depend upon human recognition. Christ calls us not merely to admire His wisdom or acknowledge His remarkable works, but to receive Him as He truly is and trust His Word.

Discuss these questions from above

How can familiarity with Jesus, the church, or the Christian faith sometimes make us less attentive to who Christ really is?

The people of Nazareth were amazed by Jesus but still took offense at Him. What is the difference between being impressed by Jesus and truly trusting Him?

Where might unbelief be tempting you to demand that Christ act according to your expectations rather than trusting His Word and His wisdom?

Closing Thought on scripture lesson

Nazareth challenges us to consider whether we have become so accustomed to hearing about Jesus that we no longer marvel at who He truly is. Christ does not need to conform Himself to our expectations before He deserves our trust. He comes to us through His Word, often in ways that seem ordinary and familiar, yet the One speaking is the Lord of glory. The proper response is not to demand something more impressive, but to humble ourselves before Him, receive His Word, and trust Him even when His ways are not the ways we would choose.

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

Prayer of Thanksgiving/Supplication:

Gracious Father, we thank You for Your steadfast love and for the many mercies You have shown us each day. Thank You for giving us Christ, for the truth of Your Word, and for the hope and peace we have in Him. As we remember Your faithfulness to us, we bring our needs before You, trusting that You know what is best. Give us wisdom in our decisions, strength in our trials, patience in our waiting, and grace to love and serve one another faithfully. Keep our hearts from unbelief and teach us to trust Your wisdom even when we cannot see Your purposes. Provide for those in need, comfort those who are suffering, and draw us all nearer to Christ. We ask this in His name and for Your glory. Amen.

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 7

My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call insight your intimate friend, to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words. For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple,

I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness. And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart. She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home; now in the street, now in the market,

and at every corner she lies in wait. She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.”

With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life. And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death. (ESV)

Closing Scripture: Romans 16:25–27

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (ESV)