Immutable in Love

Psalm 138, NIRV

A psalm of David.

138 Lord, I will praise you with all my heart.
In front of those who think they are gods
I will sing praise to you.
²I will bow down facing your holy temple.
I will praise your name,
because you are always loving and faithful.
You have honored your holy word
even more than your own fame.
³ When I called out to you, you answered me.
You made me strong and brave.

⁴ Lord, may all the kings on earth praise you
when they hear about what you have decided.
⁵ Lord, may they sing about what you have done,
because your glory is great.

⁶ Though the Lord is high above all, he cares for the lowly.
Though he is in heaven above, he sees them on earth below.
⁷ Trouble is all around me,
but you keep me alive.
You reach out your hand to put a stop to the anger of my enemies.
With your powerful right hand you save me.
⁸ Lord, you will show that I was right to trust you.
Lord, your faithful love continues forever.
You have done so much for us, so don’t stop now.

New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Word:

Depend

Message:

Today, we are going to continue with our game called “Rhyme Time” to help us learn and remember stories from the Bible. Does anyone remember last week’s rhyme-time word? (Have the board with last week’s word still written on it in view for the children; allow the children to answer.) That’s right, last week our word was “mend.” That means that this week, our word must rhyme with “send” (from the first week) and “mend” (last week’s word). I will remove the letter “m” from the board, as we discover a new word that rhymes with “mend.”

Ready? Let’s play “Rhyme Time.” Together, as loud as you can, say, “Hit me with a rhyme!” One, two, three… (“Hit me with a rhyme” collectively).

This week, I want to read you a psalm from the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms, remember, is a collection of songs that express directly to God almost every human emotion and feeling that we may experience in life. There are psalms of lament, which is crying out in grief. There are psalms of thanksgiving, giving God thanks in all things. Many of the psalms express fear, anger, joy, and praise to God. As we read the Psalms, we can use them to be honest with God about our feelings. As I read this psalm, I want you to think about what feelings this psalm expresses. Today’s psalm is named “A psalm of David.”

(Reinforce or read Psalm 138 if you haven’t already done so).

Today’s psalm is about God who rescued and delivered God’s people to safety. It is a psalm of thanksgiving. Many believe that this psalm was written by King David after he conquered Palestine and the surrounding regions as he established a peaceful kingdom. King David was thinking back to all the battles with his enemies and was giving thanks to God for protection and guidance until those days became peaceful. This is a psalm of thanksgiving not because of what David and his armies did, but because of who God was. God is loyal, loving, and faithful. This song of thanksgiving came out of a tough time, as God’s people looked back at where they had been. Singing this psalm gave King David the strength to face hard times.

Our Bible is filled with stories of people who won battles by praising God. Relying on God wins the battles in our lives. As we face those battles of difficult days and bad news, we need to remember David and sing a song of thanksgiving. A song of thanksgiving will give us the strength we need to face difficult moments in our lives.

Listen to verse 8: “Lord, you will show that I was right to trust you. Lord, your faithful love continues forever. You have done so much for us, so don’t stop now.” The songs I sing when I am happy are great and joyful, but the songs I sing when I am down, sad, and in deep trouble support me. They give me hope and strength. They become my prayer, and I discover that in those moments, I can depend on God!

Depend on God! Depend! Today’s rhyming word can be discovered by adding three letters to “END.” Let’s add the letters “D,” “E,” and “P”: D-E-P-E-N-D. Depend means to place reliance or trust in something or someone. (Write/affix the word “Depend” on the board.) Whom do you rely on and give thanks to when things are going great? (Allow children to answer.) And whom do you depend on to help you through life’s struggles when you’re having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”? (Allow children to answer.) That’s right; it is the same answer. That answer is and will always be God!

Before we pray, to help us remember our “rhyme-time” word, I have a hand motion to teach you. First, extend your right hand in front of you like you are about to shake hands with someone. Next, extend your left hand in front of you. While you do that, clasp your hands together. Finally, bend your elbows and bring your arms toward your chest. Squeeze your arms to remind yourself how tightly you need to cling to God in all moments of your life. Three steps.

1. Always – extend your right hand.
2. Depend – extend your left hand.
3. On God! – clasp hands together, bringing them toward your chest.

Let’s try it while I say the words, then a second time with no words, just the motions. (Walk children through the steps as described.)

Now let’s pray.

Prayer:

Lord, you are there for me when things are going great. You are there for me when I am having a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.” Thank you for the fact that I can depend on you every day of my life. Amen.

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Family Conversation Starters

To assist with conversations within the family during the week, a series of conversation starters has been added to each children’s message series. We encourage families to use these questions to guide them through conversations and subject matter discussed during the worship service, including the children’s messages on Sundays. These conversations will reinforce the learning as and nurture faith formation for the entire family.

1. Share a time when you felt God calling you to do something. How did you respond?
2. Give one example of how God used you to share the good news of the gospel.
3. How does it feel knowing that God knew you first before anyone else (including your parents)?
4. Talk about a time when you witnessed God giving you the strength to face a challenging time in your life.
5. Together as a family, listen to the song, “Bound to Come Some Trouble,” written and performed by Rich Mullins. Regardless of age, we will all go through tough times in life. How do the lyrics of Rich’s song speak to you? How do they compare to Psalm 20:1-5, 9, NIRV? How does it make you feel knowing you can rely on the words of this song and the words of the psalmist?
6. Throughout this worship series, we have used rhyming words—send, mend, depend, and tend—to describe our relationship with God. As a family, discuss how each word makes you feel in your relationship with God. Find other rhyming words to add to the words send, mend, depend, and tend that could describe your relationship with God and one another. Spend time searching the Bible to discover scripture passages that reinforce your “rhyme time” words. How many new words did you discover?