Family Worship Guide

Call to Worship –Psalm 95:6–7a

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. (ESV)

Psalm Reading –Psalm 46:1–7

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah (ESV)

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

Hymn:‍ All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name

Reading of the Law: Matthew 4:19–22

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. (ESV)

Silent Confession of Sin/Confession of Sin: Our great and glorious God, You who know and judge the secrets of every human heart, we do acknowledge and confess that we have followed our father Adam in revolting against your commandments. We have turned from your ways and from your blessed Presence and have reaped the misery of turning away from You, the very Author of life. None of us is righteous, no not one. None of us has understanding, none of us seeks God. We use our tongues to deceive, our mouths are full of cursing and bitterness, our feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in our paths, and the way of peace we have not known. There is no fear of God before our eyes. We appeal to you, through your great mercy made manifest in Jesus Christ Your obedient Son, that you would forgive our sins for His sake, that you would make many righteous through His one act of obedience, that where our sins have increased, Your grace would abound. Just as Christ was raised from the dead by your glory, so also may we walk in newness of life. Amen

Assurance of Pardon: Colossians 1:13–14

He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (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 76-80

Let’s continue to study the WLC by thinking about repentance and the link between justification and sanctification

Question #76

Q. What is repentance unto life?

A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and word of God, whereby, out of the sight and sense, not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, and upon the apprehension of God’s mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, he so grieves for and hates his sins, as that he turns from them all to God, purposing and endeavouring constantly to walk with him in all the ways of new obedience.

2 Tim. 2:25; Zech. 12:10; Acts 11:18, 20-21; Ezek. 18:28, 30, 32; Luke 15:17-18; Hos. 2:6-7; Ezek. 36:31; Isa. 30:22; Joel 2:12-13; Jer. 31:18-19; 2 Cor. 7:11; Acts 26:18; Ezek. 14:6; 1 Kings 8:47-48; Ps. 119:6, 59, 128; Luke 1:6; 2 Kings 23:25.

Question #77

Q. Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?

A. Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued; the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation; the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection.

1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 4:6, 8; Ezek. 36:27; Rom. 3:24-25; Rom. 6:6, 14; Rom. 8:33-34; 1 John 2:12-14; Heb. 5:12-14; 1 John 1:8, 10; 2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 3:12-14.

Question #78

Q. Whence ariseth the imperfection of sanctification in believers?

A. The imperfection of sanctification in believers ariseth from the remnants of sin abiding in every part of them, and the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit; whereby they are often foiled with temptations, and fall into many sins, are hindered in all their spiritual services, and their best works are imperfect and defiled in the sight of God.

Rom. 7:18, 23; Mark 14:66-72; Gal. 2:11-12; Heb. 12:1; Isa. 64:6; Ex. 28:38.

Question #79

Q. May not true believers, by reason of their imperfections, and the many temptations and sins they are overtaken with, fall away from the state of grace?

A. True believers, by reason of the unchangeable love of God, and his decree and covenant to give them perseverance, their inseparable union with Christ, his continual intercession for them, and the Spirit and seed of God abiding in them, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

Jer. 31:3; 2 Tim. 2:19; Heb. 13:20-21; 2 Sam. 23:5; 1 Cor. 1:8-9; Heb. 7:25; Luke 22:32; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 2:27; Jer. 32:40; John 10:28; 1 Peter 1:5.

Question #80

Q. Can true believers be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace, and that they shall persevere therein unto salvation?

A. Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, and bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God, be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace and shall persevere therein unto salvation.

1 John 2:3; 1 Cor. 2:12; 1 John 3:14, 18-19, 21, 24; 1 John 4:13, 16; Heb. 6:11-12; Rom. 8:16; 1 John 5:13.

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Gracious Father, we thank You that in Christ You call sinners into new life and reframe our work and purpose by Your sovereign word. We praise You that Jesus, the beloved Son, teaches with authority and that His word both forms faith and defeats the powers that bind us. Thank You that He calls ordinary people, changes their vocation, and makes them instruments of Your kingdom. We bless You for the gift of union with the King, for the Spirit who equips us, and for the victory already won over darkness. Accept our praise and use us to bear witness to the authority and mercy of Jesus Christ and it is his name we pray.

Prayer of Supplication:

Lord God, by Your sovereign call draw us from lesser loyalties and give us the courage to follow with immediacy and trust. Grant that Your word would have power in our hearts so that we become doers, not merely hearers, of the gospel. Deliver us from the influence of the powers that oppose Your reign and strengthen us to stand in spiritual conflict. Fill us with the Spirit’s authority and grace so our lives display the kingdom you bring near. Shape us into faithful disciples who leave nets behind and live for Your glory. We pray for your glory and in His name, Amen.

Bible reading and commentary: Mark 1:16-28 (Mark 1 - ESV.org)

Jesus calls disciples to follow Him, teaches with unmatched authority, and displays the power of His kingdom over the forces of darkness.

Mark 1:16–28 stages the inauguration of Jesus’ public ministry by pairing the call to discipleship with the demonstration of his authority, showing both who he is and how his kingdom advances. At the Sea of Galilee Jesus issues a simple, sovereign summons: “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” The immediacy of the disciples’ response—leaving nets, livelihoods, and family—underscores that this is not merely persuasive speech but an effectual call. From a Reformed perspective, Christ’s word carries saving power: the initiative belongs to him, and the conversion of vocation is his work (“I will make you”), signaling that discipleship is both summons and gift.

Calvin - “The power of Christ’s word is such that it compels our obedience, not by force, but by a holy persuasion.”

The narrative then moves to Capernaum, where Jesus teaches with an authority unlike the scribes. His teaching is not derivative; it issues from his person. Mark uses the Greek term exousia to mark a different kind of authority—one that commands reality rather than merely interprets tradition. This intrinsic authority is immediately authenticated in the exorcism that follows. The unclean spirit’s confession—“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”—and Jesus’ command to be silent and depart reveal that his reign extends into the spiritual realm. Christ’s kingdom is not only proclaimed; it is enacted against the powers that oppose God.

Bavinck - “Where Christ’s kingdom advances, the dominion of darkness retreats.”

Doctrinally, the passage ties together calling, union, and victory. The disciples are called into union with the King, who alone has authority to reconstitute human vocation and to subdue the dominion of darkness. Their leaving of nets models repentance and immediate trust; their following models the sanctifying path of obedience that flows from being called. The crowd’s astonishment—“A new teaching with authority!”—points to the scandal and hope of the gospel: God’s rule arrives in a person whose word effects change.

Mark sets the tone for the whole Gospel: Jesus calls, transforms, teaches, and conquers. The proper human response is decisive faith and obedient following, sustained by the sovereign grace that issues the call and secures the victory.

Luther - “The Word of Christ is a mighty hammer; it breaks the devil’s work and builds faith in the heart.”

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: Hebrews 13:20–21

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (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.