Lesson One: As for Me and My House
For 2019, our theme is “Take it Home”. The last Wednesday of every month we cancel service and encourage every family to have a Family Bible Study night. Here’s the Bible study we provide for each family.
FOCUS VERSE
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
BEGINNING TOPIC
The beauty of God’s plan for humanity is that we all have the benefit of free-will. The Oxford Dictionary describes free-will as “the power of acting without the constraint of necessity or fate; the ability to act at one's own discretion.”
Every individual has a choice to serve God or not. A relationship with God cannot be forced upon someone. Outside influences may push you in one way or the other, but ultimately it is your choice.
HISTORICAL SETTING
After spending forty years wondering aimlessly in the wilderness, the children of Israel were finally going to arrive at a place they could call “home”. Each of the twelve tribes of Israel fought tirelessly to secure their section of Canaan and the areas around it. Before they could settle down and enjoy the fruits of this new land, God required for them to rid it of those who practiced false doctrine and would influence the children of Israel to follow.
The choice that Joshua presented to the children of Israel was a crucial one. It would determine their future. If they chose to serve God, they would gain the security and blessing the Bible promises to those who walk with God. If they chose not to serve God and to walk in the ways of the Amorites, they would have to deal with the repercussions of that choice.
VERSES TO CONSIDER
The man in Jesus’ parable that built his house on the rock, which is the word of God, was secure. The man that built his house on sand had an unstable foundation and the house did not last. (read Matthew 7:24-27; Psalms 127:1)
David sought to do God’s will by building Him a temple. But it was God’s plan for David’s son, Solomon, to build the temple. However, because David sought to build God a house, God promised to build and bless David’s house. (2 Samuel 7:27-29)
CONCLUSION
Individually, each of us will have to choose to serve the Lord. But today, as a family, we can choose to build this home upon the rock.