FOR PRESCHOOL AND YOUNG ELEMENTARY CHILDREN:
We talk about being thankful every year at thanksgiving, but we always have things to be thankful for! What is something you are thankful for today?
Read Psalm 138 aloud. Tell your child to raise his/her hand each time he/she hears the phrase “give thanks.”
Psalm 138 is a psalm of thanksgiving. God loved David and was faithful to him, which means God kept his promises and took care of David. When David thought about this, it made him feel very thankful for God.
Take a few minutes to look through the psalm together. Make a list of everything David’s psalm teaches us about God.
This psalm teaches us many important truths about God. He is loving, faithful, and holy. He listens to us, gives us strength, and cares about each of our lives. He fights for us, protects us, and has a great purpose for every single one of us.
These truths about God remind us that we matter to him. The same God who created the universe created you and wants you to trust him with your life.
Parents, share with your children about a time when God blessed your family, a time you look back on when you need to be reminded that God cares about you and is in control of your life.
As a family, what is one way you can respond to the steadfast love of God?
David responded to God in a prayer or song of thanksgiving. We should regularly thank God for creating us, loving us, caring about us, and promising to be in control of our daily lives. The greatest blessing in our lives is the gospel, the fact that Jesus came down from heaven to pull us out of the pit of sin. The kind of relationship with God that David described is only possible through Jesus.
Review these songs we sing in Sunday School and Catechism worship:
Who made you? God. What else did God make? God made all things. Why did God make you and all things? For his own glory.
Does God know all things? Yes, nothing can be hidden from God.
“Jesus Is the Boss”
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
FOR OLDER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN:
If your child used the listening guide to follow along with the sermon, take a few minutes to talk through his or her notes.
Name someone you look up to. How would you describe that person? What is he or she like?
Read Psalm 138 together. As you read, make a list of all of the descriptions of God that David included in this psalm.
This psalm teaches us many important truths about God. He is loving, faithful, and holy. He listens to us, gives us strength, and cares about each of our lives. He fights for us, protects us, and has a great purpose for every single one of us.
These truths about God remind us that we matter to him. The same God who created the universe created you and wants you to trust him with your life.
If you have a child who just finished the 4th/5th grade Sunday School class, remind them that this is one of the places where God’s name, “El Elyon, the Most High,” is used in the Old Testament.
How did David respond as he reflected on God and his relationship with David?
David responded to God in a prayer or song of thanksgiving. We should regularly thank God for creating us, loving us, caring about us, and promising to be in control of our daily lives.
How does this psalm point forward to Jesus and his work in the world?
In verse 6, David wrote, “For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly.” This is exactly what Jesus did when he came down from heaven. In Matt’s words from the sermon, Jesus “came down from heaven to pull us out of the pit of sin.” He left heaven and all of its glory to offer hope to us and save us from our sin. The life and sacrifice of Jesus shows us just how much God loves and cares for us.
What does Psalm 138 teach us about how we should handle times of trouble or uncertainty that come our way?
As Matt noted in his sermon, especially in times of trouble we need a God who is higher and wiser than us. When we look back and see God’s faithfulness and promise-keeping in our past, it gives us hope and confidence in God for the future.
Parents, one of the ways you can help your kids trust God is by telling them your own stories of his faithfulness in your life and the life of your family. Sharing your own testimonies of God’s glory and faithfulness can help open your child’s eyes to the truth of the gospel and/or help them grow in their relationship with God.