Special Music Guidelines

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Music is all around us. And “Christian music” as a genre is very popular today. But what music is the best for special music performances at our church services? Here are some general principles that should be helpful. These guidelines are meant to give direction on why we’re doing special music and how we can be unified in our approach. If you have any further questions, contact Church Administration.

The Starting Point

Special music is a very visible means of serving God’s people, and as such, these guidelines are important and help us set the best godly example we can as we serve God and help direct His people to Him.

Music has been part of worshiping God for thousands of years, and it is a special honor to serve in this way. From a “big picture” perspective, it is essential to understand and remember that special music should not be focused on being “a performance.” It is not a display or show of one’s talents and abilities. Rather, it is using one’s talents and abilities as an offering of praise and worship to God. It is also using one’s talents and abilities to direct God’s people to Him in a more thoughtful or pro-found way. This focus should guide how we view what selections to use and how to pre-pare them.

With that in mind, here are several questions to ask yourself as you prepare special music selections:

1. Do the words glorify God?

Always make sure that the words are scripturally accurate and doctrinally correct. The focus of any lyrics should be honoring and praising God and should not highlight the singer or songwriter.

2. Is the genre appropriate for Church services?

It’s good to have a mix of traditional and contemporary genres for special music. Even so, try to stay out of the extremes when it comes to appropriateness, within each genre. For example, some classical pieces may be technically impressive but not inspiring to the congregation, because they are really focusing more on the expertise of the singer or musician than giving glory to God. Often times for a general audience and worship of God, simple is better.

In regard to contemporary music, some songs may essentially be “love songs for Jesus.” These types of songs might evoke sentimental feelings for Him, but they can trivialize the deep awe and respect we should have for God and Christ. Whether traditional or contemporary music is involved, also be sensitive to the fact that some in the audience may be troubled by music that they associate with their past experience in a mainstream Protestant or Catholic church. Use wisdom and judgment, and if in doubt, ask your pastor for guidance.

3. Is the style consistent with our Church traditions?

When you play or sing music, remember to maintain a level of formality, dignity, and self-restraint. Many well-meaning “contemporary Christian” singers and musicians come across as being “theatrical” in their overuse of emotions. They “emote” for effect. That is, they make the focus of the piece more about the emotional experience they are having, than the message of the song. There should be power and passion in our music! However, we must remember to keep the focus on honoring God and inspiring the congregation. Many “contemporary Christian” pieces sound like run-of-the-mill rock or R&B songs. The style of some songs may be fine for a Church fun show, but their sound may be inappropriate for Sabbath worship services. It is important to distinguish the difference.

4. Does the performer’s dress reflect standards upheld by God’s word and His Church?

Just as the Church has specific dress guidelines for men involved in speaking, song leading and leading in opening and closing prayers, we also need guidelines for those giving special music in front of the congregation. In most western-culture settings, the appropriate clothing for men is coat and tie; for ladies, a dress or skirt and blouse that are modest and conservative. (Other formal-setting attire is appropriate in other cultures in international areas—check with your Regional Office if you have questions).

Ladies should avoid the trendy and immodest apparel that is commonplace for many female per-formers in our society today: short, tight, form-fitting dresses, necklines displaying cleavage, bare shoulders, backless dresses, etc. Because being on an elevated platform or stage makes hemlines appear higher than they actually are, a good rule of thumb when bringing special music is for a dress or skirt to at least reach the knees, including when seated. Be careful with high slits in a dress or skirt. If dress attracts undue attention, it will draw the minds of those in the congregation away from their focus on the music and worship of God.

Final Note

Everything about the special music we give should help direct God’s people to Him. It is a tremendous privilege for all of us to come before the great King each and every Sabbath and to worship Him. Using musical talent to inspire our brethren and praise God is a very special opportunity that should not be taken lightly.

Sermonette Outline: The Two Genealogies of Christ

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Title: “The Two Genealogies of Christ”     

SPS: To explain why there are two genealogies of Christ – one in Matthew and one in Luke.

Key Scripture: Matthew 1

Supporting Scriptures:

Jer.22:30, Luke 3:23, Num.27:1-7,36:6-7

Intro:

Have you ever wondered sometimes why the Bible mentions two genealogies of Christ – one in Matthew 1 and another in Luke 3?  The most confusing thing about them is that they are totally different!  Brethren, why are these two genealogies both in the Bible?  Did God goof up and let this error into the Bible?  Can we learn anything from them?  

  1. Matthew’s Genealogy
    • That of Joseph…
    • Legal purposes – Jews’ custom in keeping records to trace descent through the father.  He was writing to show the Jews that through Joseph, Christ was of the tribe of Judah and was “eligible” to be the Messiah.
    • Joseph’s lineage given to emphasize the fact that Christ had to be born of a virgin.  He could not be a literal son of Joseph even though a legal one:
    • Jeconiah (Jeconias, Coniah, Jehoiachin) was one of His ancestors.
    • Matt.1:11-12 Josiah begot Jeconiah
    • Jer.22:30 “Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper. Sitting on the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah.”
    • Jeconiah had children but God said that he would never more have a descendant to reign on the throne.  Therefore a child of Joseph would never be never be qualified to rule on the throne, (including Christ)
  2.  Luke’s Genealogy:
    • This is Mary’s.  Jewish custom – Mary’s genealogy was given under her husband’s name.
    • Luke 3:23 Joseph was “of Heli” = he was the son-in-law since his father was Jacob (Matt 1:16) “Jacob begot Joseph”
    • Mary’s blood lineage – no block to the throne of David (Her ancestor was David’s other son, Nathan – (Luke 3:31)  God had promised David that He would establish his throne forever – fulfilled that promise through making Nathan the ancestor of the promised King who would sit on David’s throne through eternity.
    • How could Mary transmit David’s royal inheritance?  All inheritances had to pass through the male descendants.
    • Num.27:1-7,36:6-7 When a daughter was the only heir, she could inherit her father’s possessions and rights if she married within her own tribe.  Apparently, Mary had no brothers.  Joseph became heir by marriage to Mary – and inherited the right to rule on David’s throne. – this right passed on to Christ.
  3. Summary:
    • Joseph’s genealogy shows Christ was a descendant of Jeconiah and thus could not sit on the throne through inheriting the right through Joseph.  It further proves the virgin birth: The curse on Jeconiah’s line would have passed on to Christ if He were Joseph’s real son, but He wasn’t — He was begotten by the Holy Spirit and was the Son of God.  But Christ was Mary’s son through Nathan and can inherit the throne legally because of her marriage to Joseph, whose genealogy shows he was of the tribe of Judah.

Sermonette Outline: David and the Shewbread

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Title: “David and the Shewbread”

Key Scripture: Matthew 12:3-4
SPS: To explain what is meant by this passage.

Supporting Scriptures:
1 Samuel 21:1-6, Leviticus 24:5-9, Numbers 28:9-10


Introduction:
Mat 12:3-4 NKJV – “But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he
and those who were with him: “how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not
lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?”

What does this mean? Was Christ validating David breaking the law of God?

Body

  1. Context
    a. Note that the parallel passages are in Mark 2:23-28 and Luke 6:1-5
    b. Just preceding the passage in questions, Christ is challenged by the Pharisees. They
    criticized His disciples for plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath day, as they were passing through
    the fields, saying it was not lawful.
  2. Core issue: the appropriate way to keep the Sabbath
    a. Christ clearly was challenging the Pharisees understanding and application of the scriptures.
    They were taking Him to task – and He was showing their lacking of discernment.
  3. Follow the Scriptures
    a. 1 Samuel 21:1-6 – David and his men eating the shewbread of the priests
    b. What was the instruction concerning the showbread?
    c. Lev 24:6-9 – ““You shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure [gold] table before
    the LORD. “And you shall put pure frankincense on [each] row, that it may be on the bread for a
    memorial, an offering made by fire to the LORD. “Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the
    LORD continually, [being taken] from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. “And it
    shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it [is] most holy to
    him from the offerings of the LORD made by fire, by a perpetual statute.”
  4. Explanation
    a. Ahimelech the priest obviously understood the purpose and procedure for the use of the
    showbread.
    b. When David asked for bread, Ahimelech exercised his appropriate decision- making authority to
    grant David and his men the permission to eat the bread.
    c. Important: Christ, the author of the Sabbath was using this as a good example of proper
    discretion and wisdom in exercising God’s law. This was not putting a stamp of approval on breaking the law! David was not breaking the law! He goes on to add one more layer representing another good example of applying wisdom and judgement to keeping the Sabbath, citing the priests’ vigorous requirements for the Sabbath sacrifices (Number 28:9-10).

Conclusion:
What we are reading in this section is a proper insight in the application of the law concerning
the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day is holy, and should be observed and kept holy. But the 39
Sabbath regulations of the Mishna that the Pharisees meticulously observed did not show wisdom,
judgement or discretion. The priests exercised their prerogative to provide nourishment to David
and his men, using the showbread normally reserved for them. The priests were required to butcher
and prepare animal sacrifices on the Sabbath. As Luke 13:15, and Luke 15-5 explain, animals must be
cared for on the Sabbath.


Far from being permission to ignore the Sabbath, Christ taught how to properly keep the Sabbath,
showing discretion, wisdom, and common sense.

Digging Deeper: Jesus Stopped at a Comma

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Author: Mr. Kenneth Frank | Faculty in Theology, Living Education

Estimated Reading time: 8 min.

Did you know that when Jesus read a passage of Isaiah during a synagogue service He stopped his reading at a comma?

This was a most unusual preaching strategy but it was done deliberately. My last Digging Deeper article entitled “Jesus’ Sermon at His Hometown Synagogue” outlined the liturgy and custom of the first-century Jewish synagogue. In it, I explained that Jesus was recognized as a member of His Nazareth synagogue and was invited by custom to read a portion of either the Law or the Prophets. Jesus may have deliberately chosen the scroll of Isaiah for this sermon to His fellow worshipers. However, what He read and pointedly commented upon caused them to rise up and threaten His life.

Luke alone records this incident in Luke 4:16-30. Jesus quoted two passages from Isaiah He was beginning to fulfill: Isaiah 61:1-2 and Isaiah 58:6. Combining two texts with a similar theme was a common practice called a gezerah shava. If you read Isaiah’s original version, you will notice some rewording of the text in Luke’s account. This was common practice throughout our New Testament. God, the Author and Chief Editor of the Bible, is at liberty to revise and rephrase His word as necessary depending on the context in which it is cited.

Jesus First Came as a Prophet

When Jesus proclaimed that the Spirit was upon Him, He meant that he was moved to do some supernatural work. In Luke 4:18 He explained He was anointed by the Spirit, as Luke later explained in Acts 10:38, that authorized Him to preach. The Old Testament ceremony of anointing with oil inaugurated men into the offices of priest, prophet, or king. Jesus first came as the Prophet (Matthew 21:11; John 7:40), today He is our High Priest in heaven, and He will return as our King. He holds all three offices at once.

Jesus explained this anointing enabled Him to preach the gospel to the poor. He was a master preacher and teacher. One matter Luke emphasized about Jesus’ ministry was His concern for those materially poor. They were often at the mercy of unscrupulous officials and businessmen. It was generally thought that their suffering was due to God’s curse and was their fault. By contrast, those who relieved the poor were considered especially righteous since almsgiving was synonymous with righteousness in the minds of many at the time.

Jesus then proclaimed He was sent to heal the brokenhearted – those who were in despair of heart including those who mourn over their sins leading to repentance. He continued His sermon stating He came to preach deliverance to the captives – i.e., the forgiveness of sins and remission of its penalty. Those who are held in Satan’s snare as his captives in body, mind, or spirit Jesus will deliver.

Jesus added that He had come to recover sight to the blind – including those spiritually blind to God’s truth. During His ministry, Jesus healed many who were physically blind. He next declared that He came to set at liberty those who are bruised – i.e., oppressed, broken people. Jesus came to free people from heavy burdens of sin and oppressive rabbinical restrictions.

Jesus knew what it was like to be poor, brokenhearted, and bruised (Isaiah 53:3-5). The phrase “to set at liberty them that are bruised” in Luke 4:18 was Jesus’ insertion of a paraphrase from Isaiah 58:6. He was announcing a time when salvation was available to His audiences. The final phrase of Isaiah 61:2 states that throughout His ministry He came to comfort all that mourn: those who mourn over loss or sin. He still does today!

Stopping at a comma

In Luke 4:19, Jesus quoted only part of Isaiah 61:2. Notice the complete verse: Isaiah 61:2 KJV  “To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.” “The acceptable year of the Lord” sometimes refers to the Jubilee year of Leviticus 25:8-17. However, Jesus applied it to His ministry then. He offered liberation from sin and its consequences. Those who accepted His salvation offer became His disciples.

As He quoted Isaiah 61:2 He stopped at the first comma (in the English Bible) and omitted “the day of vengeance of our God” and the rest of that verse (Luke 4:19). His reason seems to have been that the day of vengeance of our God is reserved for His second coming when He returns as conquering King and administers vengeance (justice) on those who willfully oppose Him.

Many Jews at the time believed that salvation was for them a matter of nationality rather than of submission to God. They considered vengeance and retribution to be reserved for the Gentiles. Some of the Jewish sects believed that Messiah would return as a powerful, conquering prince at the head of a mighty army to vanquish their enemies. When Jesus came instead as a suffering Servant Messiah who died for human sin, they rejected Him because He did not meet their messianic expectations. Their pride, prejudice, and preconceived opinion blinded them to their own spiritual need for repentance. What follows in this story is the result of this attitude.

Scripture fulfilled in a Man from Nazareth

In Luke 4:20 Jesus ended His reading, rolled up the scroll of Isaiah, and handed it back to the chazzan so He could sit down, as was customary, to deliver a sermon about these passages. The eyes of the congregation were fixed upon Him. There was an atmosphere of suspense building as they wondered what He would say next. He proclaimed that these texts were being fulfilled in their hearing (Luke 4:21). By contrast, they expected these passages to be fulfilled in a coming messianic age. Jesus said this phase of His ministry had already begun and they were being given an offer of repentance and discipleship.

The audience wondered at such gracious words coming from one they had known since He was a boy. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”, they asked (Luke 4:22). “How could He be the Messiah?” Rather than respond favorably to His offer, in Luke 4:23 Jesus predicted they would recite to Him a proverb that questions a person’s power and authority: “Physician, heal thyself.” Instead of responding to His offer, they asked Him to perform a miracle such as those they had probably heard about from His earlier ministry in Judea and Capernaum. By this point, Jesus had already turned water into wine and healed the nobleman’s son. Out of mere curiosity, they wanted to see a miracle but not transform their lives through genuine spiritual responsiveness.

Not accepted at home

Jesus then explained that prophets are seldom fully trusted back home (Luke 4:24). Jesus recited a proverbial expression that placed Him in the long line of prophets who were rejected by their people. What led to their rejecting Him was His noting examples of two Old Testament prophets, Elijah and Elisha, who performed miracles for Gentiles during an age of Israelite apostasy (Luke 4:25-27).

This was more than they could stand so they arose in wrath (Luke 4:28). Their rage had been building as they sat listening to Him but now it boiled over. They were not slow to see how Jesus applied these Old Testament stories to them. He inferred they were just as apostate as Israelites in the time of Elijah and Elisha. Instead of accepting the message to repent of their sins, they chose to destroy the messenger. Familiarity had bred contempt for one of their own. 

To accept His words meant they would have to accept that God offered salvation to Gentiles whom they looked down upon as “dogs.” They were unwilling to humble their hearts. Their fierce, nationalistic pride and bigotry resented the thought of God’s blessing faith-filled Gentiles in the time of Elijah and Elisha. In effect, Jesus had compared his townsfolk to their unbelieving ancestors. Jesus even gave them another opportunity about a year later but instead they were offended in Him. As a result, He did not work many mighty miracles in his hometown (Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:5). At the time, even His siblings did not believe in Him (John 7:5).

In Luke 4:29, these congregants led Him to the brow of a hill overlooking Nazareth, intending to cast Him down headfirst and then stone Him to death for blasphemy. This was contrary to Jewish custom that forbad execution without trial and forbad it being conducted on the Sabbath. Not only that, but Roman law required the governor’s permission before executing one of their own. They were acting like a lynch mob. In Luke 4:30-32, Jesus miraculously passed through their midst and continued His ministry in Capernaum. His time of sacrificial death had not yet come (John 7:30). Many elsewhere became His disciples. Jesus lived this proverbial expression: “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house”  (Matthew 13:57 KJV).

Kenneth Frank headshot

Kenneth Frank was born and raised in New Jersey, USA, and attended Ambassador College, graduating in 1973. He served in the Canadian ministry from 1973-1999, after which he returned to the USA to pastor churches in Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina for 15 years. Having earned a BA degree from Ambassador College he later earned a MA degree from Grand Canyon University before being assigned to the Charlotte office to teach at Living University, now Living Education. Currently, he teaches the Survey of the Bible course to the on-campus students and writes the Digging Deeper column for our online Bible study program. He is married, has four children, and seven grandchildren.

Course Spotlight: A Sign from God

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There are many instances in the Bible where God’s people ask Him for a sign. Does God want us to look for signs for Him in everything that we do?

Course Spotlight From The Life, Teachings, and Ministry of Jesus Christ: (Unit 3) The Judean Ministry
Find the answer!

Programme biblique pour enfants : niveau 3 – NT leçon 5 “Les béatitudes”

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Passage étudié : Matthieu 5

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Jésus-Christ a commencé Son ministère sur la terre. De nombreuses personnes Le suivent, impatientes de voir les miracles qu’Il accomplit et d’entendre ce qu’Il dit. Un jour, Jésus monte sur une montagne pour enseigner des leçons très importantes aux gens et à Ses disciples. Le discours qu’Il prononce ce jour-là est l’un des plus célèbres jamais donné, et il est souvent appelé “le sermon sur la Montagne”. Il commence Son discours par une liste de qualités que nous appelons “les béatitudes”. Les béatitudes sont un bon début pour apprendre ce que le Christ recherche chez chaque chrétien.

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Discussion :

  1. Les béatitudes expriment les attitudes qui devraient faire partie de la vie d’un chrétien. Quelles sont les béatitudes enseignées par le Christ ?
  2. Le mot grec traduit par “heureux”, dans la Bible Louis Segond, est parfois traduit par “béni”, dans d’autres versions. Quelle conclusion peux-tu tirer sur les personnes qui ont ces qualités ?
  3. Que signifie “être pauvre en esprit” ?
  4. Que signifie “avoir faim et soif de la justice” ? (Psaume 119:172 définie la justice ; dans ce passage, le mot “justes” peut aussi être traduit par “justice”.)
  5. Pense à une situation où tu pourrais agir comme un pacificateur (c’est-à-dire “procurer la paix”).
  6. Le Christ a dit que les véritables chrétiens seraient persécutés. As-tu déjà fait ce genre d’expérience ? Peux-tu donner des exemples de chrétiens à qui cela est arrivé ?
  7. Quelles promesses Dieu fait-Il à ceux qui développent les qualités mentionnées dans les béatitudes ?
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Mémorisation :

Matthieu 5:3-12

Aidez votre enfant à mémoriser les béatitudes !

Programme biblique pour enfants : niveau 2 – NT leçon 5 “La piscine de Béthesda”

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Passage étudié : Jean 5

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L’histoire se passe à l’époque de la Fête des Tabernacles. La ville de Jérusalem grouille de gens qui viennent de partout. Il y a une piscine à Jérusalem où, de temps en temps, un ange vient agiter l’eau de la piscine, et la première personne qui entre dans l’eau est guérie. C’est pour cette raison que de nombreux malades se trouvent au bord de la piscine, mais à chaque fois, un seul d’entre eux peut être guéri. Par compassion, Jésus guérit un homme qui attend là depuis longtemps, mais tout le monde n’est pas heureux de voir ce boiteux marcher à nouveau.

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Discussion :

  1. Pourquoi Jésus Se trouvait-Il à Jérusalem à ce moment-là ?
  2. Depuis combien de temps cet homme guéri par Jésus était-il malade ?
  3. En voyant l’homme porter son lit, les Juifs pensaient qu’il transgressait une loi. Quelle était cette loi, selon eux ? Pourquoi étaient-ils contrariés que l’homme ait été guéri ?
  4. Pourquoi les Juifs voulaient-ils tuer Jésus ?
  5. Qu’a dit Jésus au sujet de Sa relation avec le Père ?
  6. Quelle autorité Dieu a-t-Il donnée à Jésus-Christ ?
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Mémorisation :

Jean 5:19

“Jésus reprit donc la parole, et leur dit : En vérité, en vérité, je vous le dis, le Fils ne peut rien faire de lui-même, il ne fait que ce qu’il voit faire au Père ; et tout ce que le Père fait, le Fils aussi le fait pareillement.”

Programme biblique pour enfants : niveau 1 – NT leçon 5 “Pêcheurs d’hommes”

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Passage étudié : Luc 5

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Jésus-Christ a affronté Satan et Il a gagné. Il peut maintenant S’occuper des affaires de Son Père en prêchant la bonne nouvelle du futur Royaume de Dieu. Jésus commence à prêcher aux habitants de la Galilée, Il accomplit des miracles étonnants et les gens commencent à Le suivent. Le plan de Jésus est de bâtir Son Église pour aider à propager l’Évangile, à former les gens et à les préparer pour le Royaume. Il va chercher douze hommes qui accepteront de Le suivre pour être Ses élèves – Ses disciples ! Un jour, alors que Jésus est en train d’enseigner devant une foule nombreuse, au bord de la mer de Galilée, les gens sont tellement serrés autour de Lui, qu’Il a besoin de plus d’espace. Il saute dans une barque qui appartient à un pêcheur local, et Il continue d’enseigner aux gens restés sur le rivage. Mais le pêcheur ne sait pas encore que Jésus a prévu de lui confier une mission très spéciale.

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Discussion :

  1. À qui appartenait la barque dans laquelle Jésus est monté pour prêcher à la foule restée sur le rivage ?
  2. Quel métier faisaient Pierre, André, Jacques et Jean ? Quels liens unissaient ces quatre hommes ?
  3. Pierre, André, Jacques et Jean avaient-ils réussi à pêcher la nuit précédente ?
  4. Pourquoi Pierre a-t-il été surpris lorsque Jésus lui a demandé de jeter son filet ? Que s’est-il passé lorsqu’ils ont ramené leurs filets ? Combien de poissons ont-ils pris ?
  5.  À ton avis, que signifie être “pêcheurs d’hommes” ?
  6. Comment Pierre, André, Jacques et Jean ont-ils réagi lorsque le Christ leur a demandé de Le suivre ?
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Mémorisation :

Marc 1:17

“Jésus leur dit : Suivez-moi, et je vous ferai pêcheurs d’hommes.”

Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 3: Lección 17 “Israel se prepara para encontrarse con Dios”

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Pasajes Destacados: Éxodo 1:1–14; 14:5–31; 19:1–11

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Dios cambió el nombre de Jacob a Israel. Los descendientes de Israel vivieron en Egipto y se convirtieron en una gran nación. Pero los egipcios los esclavizaron y les impusieron trabajos forzados. Dios hizo muchos milagros para liberar a Israel de la esclavitud. Después de la muerte de todos los primogénitos en Egipto, Dios condujo a Israel fuera de Egipto bajo el liderazgo de Moisés. Dios separó las aguas del Mar Rojo para que los israelitas lo atravesaran caminando en seco, y así protegió a Su pueblo del ejército egipcio. Dios dijo a Moisés que trajera a los hijos de Israel ante Él en el Monte Sinaí después de que hubieran salido de Egipto (Éxodo 3:12). Pocas semanas después de salir de Egipto, los hijos de Israel estaban acampando cerca del Monte Sinaí. Dios llamó a Moisés y le explicó que haría un acuerdo especial con el pueblo de Israel llamado pacto. Este pacto consistía en que el pueblo de Israel lo obedecería y, a cambio, Dios los haría su pueblo especial. El pueblo aceptó. Dios dio instrucciones a los israelitas de que se bañaran, lavaran sus vestidos y “se consagraran”; es decir, que se prepararan para encontrarse con Dios. ¡Para encontrarse con su Creador!

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Discusión:

  1. Explique que a pesar de que habían presenciado las milagrosas intervenciones de Dios, el pueblo de Israel desobedeció desde que salió de Egipto. Se quejaron por el agua y la comida (Éxodo 15:22–25; 16:2–3), transgredieron el sábado (Éxodo 16:26–29), y se quejaron contra Moisés (Éxodo 17: 2–3). Explique que el presenciar milagros no hace que una persona responda teniendo fe en Dios de forma automática, sino que debemos elegir conscientemente obedecer a Dios.
  2. Pregunte a sus hijos por qué piensan que Dios le dijo a Israel que se bañara y lavara su vestimenta. ¿Qué preparación haría uno para visitar a la Reina de Inglaterra? Use esto como una oportunidad para enfatizar por qué nos vestimos lo mejor posible para los servicios del sábado.
  3. Discuta lo que significa ser “consagrado” o “apartado para uso santo”. Explique que la Iglesia es el Israel de Dios bajo el nuevo pacto y que somos apartados por el Espíritu Santo de Dios. Ayude a sus hijos a entender que, si ambos o alguno de nuestros padres se bautizan y están en la Iglesia, eso significa que tenemos la oportunidad de tener una relación con Dios que de lo contrario no necesariamente tendríamos (Hechos 2:38–39, 1 Corintios 7:14).
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Para Memorizar:

Éxodo 20:1–17

Los Diez Mandamientos (Todo el texto sin resumir nada).

Programa Bíblico para Niños – Nivel 2: Lección 17 “Abram sale hacia Canaán”

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Pasajes Destacados: Génesis 11-13

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L2.17 Abram sale hacia CanaánDescargar

Abram nació 292 años después del Diluvio. Su familia vivía en una ciudad llamada “Ur”, que estaba en el área de la nación que conocemos como Iraq. Abram era el hijo menor de su padre Taré, cuyo antepasado fue Sem. Abram se casó con su media hermana Sarai, pero no tenían hijos. Taré salió de Ur hacia Canaán y tomó con él a Abram, Sarai y a su nieto Lot. La familia se detuvo por un tiempo en Harán, donde murió Taré. Abram se había hecho muy rico en Harán. A la edad de 75 años tenía ganado, plata, oro y muchos sirvientes. Esto seguramente habría hecho difícil dejar Harán, pero Dios ordenó a Abram que abandonara su hogar y se fuera a una tierra lejana que le mostraría. A cambio de su obediencia, Dios prometió hacer una gran nación de los descendientes de Abram. Sorprendentemente, Abram inmediatamente obedeció a Dios. Él tomó a su esposa, su sobrino Lot y todas sus posesiones y abandonaron su hogar para siempre.

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Discusión:

  1. Explique a sus hijos que no era raro que las personas se casaran con parientes cercanos en los días de Abram. Recuérdeles que todos estuvieron estrechamente relacionados después del Diluvio porque solo una familia sobrevivió. Dios luego ordenó a los israelitas que no se casaran con parientes cercanos (Levítico 18: 6-17).
  2. Discuta con sus hijos lo difícil que debe haber sido para Abram y Saraí empacar y mudarse a un lugar que no conocían. No había camiones ni hoteles en el camino. Pregunte a sus hijos cuáles podrían haber sido algunos de las dificultades que Abram y Sarai podían anticipar en su viaje.
  3. Abram debe haber sabido lo difícil que sería su viaje. Aun así, no discutió con Dios. Él simplemente obedeció lo que Dios le dijo que hiciera. Hable con sus hijos sobre el carácter de Abram. Realce el buen ejemplo que Abram dio cuando obedeció a Dios de inmediato.
  4. Dios le prometió a Abram que de él saldría en una gran nación, pero esa promesa no se cumplió inmediatamente. Explique a sus hijos que la obediencia a Dios debe venir primero antes de recibir cualquier recompensa.
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Para Memorizar:

Hebreos 11:8

“Por la fe Abraham, siendo llamado, obedeció para salir al lugar que había de recibir como herencia; y salió sin saber a dónde iba”.