Family Worship
Lord’s Day 4
Starting January 18, 2026
* These elements are the best for families new to family worship.
Call to Worship
Hear God call the family to worship and respond in unison:
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!Serve the Lord with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing! Psalm 100:1-2
Or:
Praise the Lord!
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
His steadfast love endures forever! Psalm 106:1
Confession
(Optional) Take a moment and give each family member an opportunity to confess their sins verbally.
The father prays on behalf of the family:
Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have sinned against you
and done what was evil in your sight. Psalm 51:4
We have done things we should not do,
and we have not done things we should do.
O Lord, have mercy upon us. Psalm 51:1
Grant us to live a godly and righteous life,
To the glory of your holy Name. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
Receive the Word of God as the father reads:
God has said in His Word that:
We have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.
He is the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 2:1-2
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
*Song of Adoration
Sing a song of your choosing with your family in worship to God.
Suggested songs of the week: The father holds out his fist and asks the question which the whole family responds while raising a finger for each answer:
What does the Lord your God require of you? Sing together:
Gloria Patri: Or:
Doxology: Either recite the memory verse together or have the children do it individually.
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
The father leads the family in a Bible lesson or a catechism question. Catechism Questions
9.Q. Who is God? Bible Study Weekly Bible study for older children/teens: Colossians 1:21-29. Weekly Bible study for younger children: Read Genesis 4:1-2.
Q. How many sons did Adam and Eve have? Read Genesis 4:3-5.
Q. Cain and Abel each brought to God an offering. What is an offering? Read Genesis 4:6-7.
Q. Why did God not accept Cain’s offering? Read Genesis 4:8-9.
Q. Why did God not accept Cain’s offering? Read Genesis 4:10-14.
Q. How did God know that Cain had killed his brother? Read Genesis 4:15-16.
Q. Even though Cain had sinned greatly and God punished him for his sin, God still loved Cain and promised to protect him and care for him. Why would God do that for a man like Cain? Take turns letting everyone pray and conclude with the Lord’s Prayer in unison:
Our Father in heaven, Confess together what you believe about the Christian faith:
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
“"To God Be the Glory"
*The Requirements of God
1. Fear the Lord your God
2. Walk in all his ways
3. Love him
4. Serve the Lord with all your heart
and all your soul
5. Keep the commandments and
statutes of the LORD Deuteronomy 10:12-13
*Gloria Patri or Doxology
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.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above you heavenly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.
Memory Verse
Romans 11:33
Bible Lesson or Catechism
A. God is a Spirit, and does not have a body like men.
John 4:24; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:17
10.Q. Where is God?
A. God is everywhere.
Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23,24; Acts 17:27,28
11.Q. Can you see God?
A. No. I cannot see God, but He always sees me.
Exodus 33:20; John 1:18; 1 Timothy 6:16; Psalm 139 esp. vv. 1-5: Proverbs 5:21; Hebrews 4:12, 13
A. Two.
Q. What were their names?
A. Cain and Abel.
Q. What kind of work did Cain do?
A. He was a keeper of the ground.
Q. What kind of work did Abel do?
A. He was a keeper of sheep.
A. A gift of worship which we give to God.
Q. What did Cain offer to God?
A. Fruit of the ground.
Q. What did Abel offer to God?
A. The firstborn of his flock.
Q. Did God accept both of their offerings?
A. No. God had no regard for Cain’s offering.
Q. How did this make Cain feel?
A. Cain was angry at God.
Q. Do you think we should get angry at God?
A. Let them answer.
Q. Why do we get angry at God?
A. Sometimes we do get mad at God when things do not go the way we think they should. However, we are not God and we are not in control. God wants us to obey Him and trust Him in everything.
A. Cain was not doing what he was supposed to do.
Q. What does God say is “crouching at the door?”
A. Sin.
Q. Do you remember what sin is?
A. Sin is when we disobey God.
Q. What does God tell Cain to do about sin?
A. God told Cain to rule over it.
Q. What do you think it means to rule over sin?
A. When you start feeling like you want to do something you should not, you resist that feeling and do what is right instead.
Q. Do you think Cain was able to rule over sin?
A. Let them answer.
A. Cain was not doing what he was supposed to do.
Q. What does God say is “crouching at the door?”
A. Sin.
Q. Do you remember what sin is?
A. Sin is when we disobey God.
Q. What does God tell Cain to do about sin?
A. God told Cain to rule over it.
Q. What do you think it means to rule over sin?
A. When you start feeling like you want to do something you should not, you resist that feeling and do what is right instead.
Q. Do you think Cain was able to rule over sin?
A. Let them answer.
A. God is all knowing.
Q. What was God’s punishment for Cain’s sin?
A. He was cursed and the ground would no longer grow fruit for him and he would wander the earth for the rest of his life.
Q. Cain was very sad about God’s punishment and declared to God that it was more than he could bear. Why do you think this punishment was so painful to Cain?
A. Cain loved to grow plants and the plants provided food for him. God took away that which Cain loved.
Q. Why did God punish Cain?
A. There are consequences for our sins and the Lord is a just God who will judge us for our disobedience.
A. God is a loving, merciful, and gracious God.
Q. Have you ever sinned?
A. Let them answer.
Q. Do you think that God is happy with you when you sin?
A. Let them answer.
Q. Do you see from our Bible story how wonderful it is that God still loves us even though we have sinned against Him? Has God provided a way for our sins to be forgiven?
A. Yes. We have the Gospel that Jesus Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and rose again on the third day to give us new life. God has told us to believe in that Gospel, repent (turn from our sins), and to be baptized.
*Prayer
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, forever. Amen.
*Apostles’ Creed
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.