Let’s be honest. We all like getting our own way. We like it when we’re right and don’t like being told we’re wrong. Our culture today is all about letting people do what they “feel” is right and everyone has an opinion of what is the truth. In the end, however, there is only one real standard of Truth, one person who gets to say what is right or wrong. Our all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing Creator is the source of Truth, His way is always right, and He never changes. Since the Garden of Eden, people have been telling God they don’t think His way is best every time they choose to go their own way and sin. Everyone is guilty of sin so none of us are righteous. But thankfully we have a God who always keeps His promises, who always does what is right and is the only one who is righteous.
RIGHTEOUS: Being Declared Right in God's Sight
MEMORY VERSE: “But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners." Romans 4:5 (NLT)
This Week’s Finish Line: Only God is Righteous
Near the end of their time wandering in the desert, the Israelites started complaining… again. They didn’t have water and had forgotten that God always provided for them. Moses took their complaints to God and God promised to help them. “Speak to the rock,” God told Moses. But Moses had grown impatient with the Israelites, spoke angrily to the people, hit the rock and then took the credit for what God had done. Even Moses, the mighty leader of the Israelites, was capable of deep sin. God, in His mercy, still provided for the Israelites but also reminded them of His holiness and righteousness.
Family Questions:
- Read Numbers 20:2-13. What were the Israelites complaining about? What did Moses do differently than what God told him to do?
- How did God still take care of the Israelites and Moses even though they sinned and were not righteous?
- Why is it easy, sometimes, to go our own way instead of following God’s perfect way?
- Read our memory verse, Romans 4:5. Even though none of us are righteous, what good news does God give us in this verse?
Bring it Home Conversations & Activities:
* Check out our vision for parents and how to use these activities each week.
Teacher: Defining Righteousness
While at dinner, ask your family to explain to you what righteousness or the word righteous means. Give them time to think on it and explain it. Some may have no idea at all and others may have a good grasp of it. Teach them that only God is righteous because by definition righteousness means to be perfect. This means that God is ALWAYS right, He is never wrong and everything that He does is justified. We can only be righteous if God declares us right. We are made right in God’s sight when we believe that Jesus came to this earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died on a cross paying the penalty for our sins and then rose from the grave three days later. God alone is righteous but by grace through faith He can declare us righteous too!
Friend: The Six-Week Challenge!
Join us in the six-week challenge by memorizing a verse a week of Psalm 1! It is highly important to memorize scripture and to write it on our hearts. So we have created this challenge for the whole family! We want parents and children alike to be memorizing the same thing together. This is something you can do while driving, while in your living room or while doing dishes and we hope is a bonding activity. You can make flash cards by going to watermark.org/blog/six-week-challenge and printing them off.
Counselor: Can We Be Perfect?
Grab some blank paper and some pencils and have your family join you at a table. Then ask each one of them to draw a perfect line and a perfect circle. Once they are done have them show you and everyone else. Point out that while some may be close or look pretty good that NONE of them are perfect. Explain that we live in a world broken by sin and that we are not and cannot be perfect. God alone is perfect! The amazing thing is that if we have trusted in Christ Jesus God declares us “righteous” which means that He views us as perfect.
Coach: Being Thankful
As you are getting your family ready for the day spend a short time coming up with reasons to be thankful that God is righteous. Finish with a short prayer, personally thanking God for who He is and how he loves us!
Prayer
Thank God for being holy and righteous and for never making a mistake. Ask Him to help you see your need for Him and thank Him for the grace and righteousness He freely gave to you through faith.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will continue the month of January with the Godly characteristic of RIGHTEOUS. We will learn that all who believe in Christ are made right.
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