Family Worship

The SCBC theme for 2025 is “Faith. Focus.” To begin the year, I preached a series of messages, on that theme, from Matthew 14:22-33.

One of the last points, from based on Matthew 14:32, was:

Our Focus Determines Our Worship.

In preparation for the messages that I preached on worship, I came across Bible teaching related to Family Worship which was written by Dr. Clarence Sexton, the former pastor of Temple Pastor Church in Powell, Tenn. which is the home of The Crown College. (Dr. Sexton went home to be with the Lord in December of 2023.)

The staff of FaithFortheFamily.com has graciously allowed me to reproduce, for your benefit, these truths about Family Worship.

(I am just giving you the main points from Dr. Sexton’s article with the exception of one quote from the last point. Otherwise, the points fairly speak for themselves.)

1. Husbands and fathers should take the lead spiritually in the home.

2. Read a portion of God’s Word each day with your family.

3. Pray together allowing each family member to voice prayers to the Lord.

4. Familiarize your family with the great stories of the Bible.

5. Be a forgiving person, always aware of God’s forgiveness.

6. Plan Saturday evening around church attendance on Sunday, preparing the family for the Lord’s day.

7. Attend church faithfully.

8. Be on time for church meetings.

9. Fill your home with good Christian music and choose this music carefully.

10. Provide good reading materials, books, and Christian periodicals for those in your family.

11. Support the ministry of your church with financial gifts, prayers, positive comments, and participation.

12. Have the entire family work together as a team reaching out to your neighbors with the Gospel and inviting them to attend your church.

13. Do not allow the things of the world to take the place of the things of God, especially as you consider the Lord’s Day.

14. Refuse to be critical of your church or leaders in the church, even in the privacy of your home.

15. Get your children involved in the ministries and the activities of the church.

16. Take the High Road.

“Taking the high road is not a matter of choosing between the good and the bad; it is a matter of discerning between the good and the best and choosing the best. To take the high road does not mean saying, ‘Here is something bad. I am not going to do it. Here is something good, I am going to do it.’ That is not taking the high road. Anyone can make those choices. Taking the high road in life is discerning what is good from what is best and choosing the best: the unending pursuit of Jesus Christ.” - Dr. Clarence Sexton

(The following is written by me, Pastor Campbell.)

Individually, our worship begins in our own hearts. However, our collective or corporate worship as a church family, begins in the home.

Of the above points, the one that I think is most practical in helping a family prepare for their collective worship with their church family is #6: Plan Saturday evening around church attendance on Sunday, preparing the family for the Lord's Day.

How many families, I wonder, wake up late on Sunday mornings and find themselves rushed and hurried to make it to church on time?!?!? (Let's not even think about trying to get to Sunday school!) In all the rush, tensions run high between mom and dad and between parents and children as they attempt to get out of the house, into the car, and on their way "to church." When they do finally arrive at church, their hearts have not been prepared for the coming worship with their church family.

Anything that you can do, on Saturday night, to prepare to make Sunday morning as peacefull as possibly will go a long way to prepare your heart and the heart's of your family for worship!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4

Until next time...reach 1!