Family Worship Guide

Call to Worship: Psalm 81:1–3

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song; sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. (ESV)

Old Testament Reading: Proverbs 5

My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps follow the path to Sheol;

she does not ponder the path of life; her ways wander, and she does not know it. And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed, and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors. I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.” Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray. (ESV)

Prayer of Praise: Refer to the Call to Worship and the OT Reading above and the hymn below.

Hymn:‍ It Is Well

Reading of the Law: Romans 12:1–2

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

Silent Confession of Sin/Confession of Sin:

Almighty God, we are unworthy to come into your presence, because of our many sins. We do not deserve any grace or mercy from you, if you dealt with us as we deserve. We have sinned against you, O Lord, and we have offended you. And yet, O Lord, as we acknowledge our sins and offenses, so also do we acknowledge you to be a merciful God, a loving and favorable Father, to all who turn to you. And so we humbly ask you, for the sake of Christ your son, to show mercy to us, and forgive us all our offenses. Forgive the sins of our youth, and the sins of our old age. By your Spirit, O God, take possession of our hearts, so that, not only the actions of our life, but also the words of our mouths, and the smallest thought of our minds, may be guided and governed by you. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, now and forever. We pray in Jesus’ name Amen.

Assurance of Pardon: Romans 5:8–10

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (ESV)

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 Larger Catechism - Questions 126-130

Let’s continue to study the WLC by continuing our study of the fifth commandment which is: Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Question #126

Q. What is the general scope of the fifth commandment?

A. The general scope of the fifth commandment is the performance of those duties which we mutually owe in our several relations, as inferiors, superiors, or equals.

Eph. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:17; Rom. 12:10.

Question #127

Q. What is the honor that inferiors owe to their superiors?

A. The honor which inferiors owe to their superiors is, all due reverence in heart, word, and behavior; prayer and thanksgiving for them; imitation of their virtues and graces; willing obedience to their lawful commands and counsels; due submission to their corrections; fidelity to, defence and maintenance of their persons and authority, according to their several ranks, and the nature of their places; bearing with their infirmities, and covering them in love, that so they may be an honor to them and to their government.

Mal. 1:6; Lev. 19:3; Prov. 31:28; 1 Pet. 3:6; Lev. 19:32; 1 Kings 2:19; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; Heb. 13:7; Phil. 3:17; Eph. 6:1-2, 5-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-14; Rom. 13:1-5; Heb. 13:17; Prov. 4:3-4; Prov. 23:22; Ex. 18:19, 24; Heb. 12:9; 1 Pet. 2:18-20; Titus 2:9-10; 1 Sam. 26:15-16; 2 Sam. 18:3; Esther 6:2; Matt. 22:21; Rom. 13:6-7; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; Gal. 6:6; Gen. 45:11; Gen. 47:12; 1 Pet. 2:18; Prov. 23:22; Gen. 9:23; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 31:23.

Question #128

Q. What are the sins of inferiors against their superiors?

A. The sins of inferiors against their superiors are, all neglect of the duties required toward them; envying at, contempt of, and rebellion against, their persons and places, in their lawful counsels, commands, and corrections; cursing, mocking, and all such refractory and scandalous carriage, as proves a shame and dishonor to them and their government.

Matt. 15:4-6; Num. 11:28-29; 1 Sam. 8:7; Isa. 3:5; 2 Sam. 15:1-12; Ex. 21:15; 1 Sam. 10:27; 1 Sam. 2:25; Deut. 21:18-21; Prov. 30:11, 17; Prov. 19:26.

Question #129

Q. What is required of superiors towards their inferiors?

A. It is required of superiors, according to that power they receive from God, and that relation wherein they stand, to love, pray for, and bless their inferiors; to instruct, counsel and admonish them; countenancing, commending, and rewarding such as do well; and discountenancing, reproving, and chastising such as do ill; protecting, and providing for them all things necessary for soul and body: and, by grave, wise, holy, and exemplary carriage, to procure glory to God, honor to themselves, and so to preserve that authority which God hath put upon them.

Col. 3:19; Titus 2:4; 1 Sam. 12:23; Job 1:5; 1 Kings 8:55-56; Heb. 7:7; Gen. 49:28; Deut. 6:6-7; Eph. 6:4; 1 Pet. 3:7; 1 Pet. 2:14; Rom. 13:3; Esther 6:3; Rom. 13:3-4; Prov. 29:15; 1 Pet. 2:14; Job 29:12-17; Isa. 1:10, 17; Eph. 6:4; 1 Tim. 5:8; 1 Tim. 4:12; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Kings 3:28; Titus 2:15.

Question #130

Q. What are the sins of superiors?

A. The sins of superiors are, besides the neglect of the duties required of them, an inordinate seeking of themselves, their own glory, ease, profit, or pleasure; commanding things unlawful, or not in the power of inferiors to perform; counseling, encouraging, or favoring them in that which is evil; dissuading, discouraging, or discountenancing them in that which is good; correcting them unduly; careless exposing, or leaving them to wrong, temptation, and danger; provoking them to wrath; or in any way dishonoring themselves, or lessening their authority, by an unjust, indiscreet, rigorous, or remiss behavior.

Ezek. 34:2-4; Phil. 2:21; John 5:44; John 7:18; Isa. 56:10-11; Deut. 17:17; Dan. 3:4-6; Acts 4:17-18; Ex. 5:10-18; Matt. 23:2, 4; Matt. 14:8; Mark 6:24; 2 Sam. 13:28; 1 Sam. 3:13; John 7:46-49; Col. 3:21; Ex. 5:17; 1 Pet. 2:18-20; Heb. 12:10; Deut. 25:3; Gen. 38:11, 26; Acts 18:17; Eph. 6:4; Gen. 9:21; 1 Kings 12:13-16; 1 Kings 1:6; 1 Sam. 2:29-31.

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Almighty God, heavenly Father, we give you eternal praise and thanks that you have been so gracious to us poor sinners. You have drawn us to your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom you delivered to death for us and have given to us as our nourishment and our dwelling unto eternal life. Grant that we may never forget these mercies, but grow continually in faith toward you, a faith that works through love. May our whole lives be devoted to your praise and to the good of our neighbor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Adapted from Martin Bucer)

Prayer of Supplication:

Almighty and gracious Father, since our salvation depends upon rightly understanding your Holy Word, grant that our hearts may be freed from worldly distractions and that we may hear your Word with diligence and faith. Give us understanding to discern your gracious will, hearts to cherish it, and strength to live according to it, to your praise and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Adapted from Martin Bucer)

Bible reading and commentary: Mark 4:35-41

In this passage of Mark’s gospel Jesus teaches his disciple his power over nature

Questions to think about for the bible passage:

What does this story show us about who Jesus really is?

How does Jesus respond when his disciples feel afraid and overwhelmed?

What does this passage teach us about trusting God during storms in our own lives?

Commentary

Mark transitions from Jesus’ teaching ministry to a moment designed to reveal his authority in a deeply personal way. After a full day of parables by the sea, Jesus tells the disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” They take him just as he is — tired from ministry and asleep in the boat. This detail matters. Mark wants us to see Jesus’ true humanity: he experiences exhaustion, he needs rest, and he trusts his Father enough to sleep even as the journey begins.

Suddenly a violent storm arises. The Sea of Galilee was known for sudden, dangerous squalls, and this one is severe enough that seasoned fishermen fear for their lives. Waves crash into the boat, it begins to fill, and panic sets in. The contrast is striking: the disciples are overwhelmed, while Jesus remains asleep. Their fear exposes a deeper question: Does God care? When they wake him, their cry is raw and honest — “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” It is the kind of question people ask when circumstances feel unbearable and God seems silent.

Jesus rises and responds first to the storm itself. He rebukes the wind and speaks to the sea, “Peace. Be still.” Instantly the chaos collapses into calm. The great storm becomes a great stillness. This is not merely a miracle of rescue; it is a revelation of identity. In the Old Testament, only God commands the seas and subdues the chaotic waters (Psalm 65:7; 89:9). By calming the storm with a word, Jesus shows that the authority of God is present in him.

Then Jesus turns to the disciples: “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” His question is not a harsh rebuke but an invitation. He is teaching them that faith is not the absence of fear; it is trust in his presence and authority even when fear is real. The disciples had focused on the storm; Jesus calls them to focus on him.

Their final reaction captures the heart of the passage. They are filled with awe and ask, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” The storm has driven them to a deeper understanding of Jesus — not just as teacher, but as Lord over creation. Their fear shifts from the storm to reverent wonder at the One in the boat with them.

Discuss these questions from above

What does this story show us about who Jesus really is?

How does Jesus respond when his disciples feel afraid and overwhelmed?

What does this passage teach us about trusting God during storms in our own lives?

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: 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (ESV)

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.