Child Dedication Service 2024

* Families of the Children being dedicated please come to the front of Worship Center at this time.

Responsive reading and commitment:

Pastor:

(Psalm 127:3-5)

Psalm 127:3–5 (NLT)

3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

4 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.

5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

(Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

Deuteronomy 6:4–7 (NLT)

4 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.

5 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today.

7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.

People: (Psalm 127:1,3-5)

Psalm 127:1 (NLT)

1 Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

Psalm 127:3–5 (NLT)

3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

4 Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.

5 How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Pastor (to Parents): God has blessed you with the joys and responsibilities of parenthood.

Do you therefore dedicate yourselves before God and these witnesses to the building of a Christian home and to the rearing of your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

Parents: We dedicate ourselves to this Holy task.

Pastor (to congregation): God has blessed us with the joys and responsibilities of living together in Christian community. Do you therefore dedicate yourselves before God to live as Christians before all men and to help these parents make this a community in which children can grow up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?

People: We dedicate ourselves to this Holy task.

Pastor: Once when Jesus' disciples sought to keep children away from Him, our Lord said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15).

Mark 10:14–15 (NLT)

14 When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.

15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”

Prayer of Dedication: .........................................................................................Pastor

God's Message: ……………………………………………..……………………..Pastor

Essential Lessons for Moms and Dads

Psalm 78:1-8

Psalm 78:1–8 (NLT)

1 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,

2 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—

3 stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.

4 We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.

5 For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,

6 so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children.

7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

8 Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

INTRODUCTION:

I- WE NEED TO REMEMBER AND HEED GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS. (Psalm 78:1-3)

Psalm 78:1–3 (NLT)

1 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,

2 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—

3 stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.

A- God calls for us to hear and heed God’s word.

1- We wind up with destroyed lives because we don’t know our God. (Hosea 4:6)

Hosea 4:6 (NLT)

6 My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.

2- God desires for us to hear and obey his word. (James 1:22-25)

James 1:22–25 (NLT)

22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.

24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Remember: The greatest lessons our children can learn are taught through our obedience to God and His word.

II- WE MUST TEACH GOD’S WORD TO OUR CHILDREN. (Psalm 78:4-6)

Psalm 78:4–6 (NLT)

4 We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.

5 For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,

6 so the next generation might know them— even the children not yet born— and they in turn will teach their own children.

A- God calls us to teach our children about the Lord, his word and his ways.

1- If we neglect to teach our children God’s word and his works, we are hiding vital truths from them.

2- We need to teach them so that they will have a vital spiritual foundation for life.

(Proverbs 19:18)

Proverbs 19:18 (NLT)

18 Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.

3- We are to teach our children well enough that they can pass godly teaching on to successive generations.

(Proverbs 22:6)

Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

6 Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Remember: Teaching our children God’s Word is the best thing we can do for them.

III- WE MUST HELP SUCCESSIVE GENERATION MAKE VITAL CHOICES. (Psalm 78:7-8)

Psalm 78:7–8 (NLT)

7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

8 Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

A- Help the make the choice to set their hope in the Lord. (Psalm 78:7)

Psalm 78:7 (NLT)

7 So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

1- They need to understand the things God has done so that they will trust Him during the trials of life.

(1 Thessalonians 5:24)

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NLT)

24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.

2- They need to understand that God’s commands and teachings are for practical use.

(2 Timothy 3:16)

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

B- Help them make the choice to give their hearts to Christ. (Psalm 78:8)

Psalm 78:8 (NLT)

8 Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.

1- The most important decision that our children can make is the one to give him their hearts- trusting in Christ as savior and Lord.

a- Failing to do so puts them in eternal danger.

(John 3:16-18)

John 3:16–18 (NLT)

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

Remember: The most important things we can help our children do is to give their hearts to Christ and trust Him.

CONCLUSION:

A- The first step (as a parent or grand-parent) is to make sure that you have given Christ your heart.

1- The Three Circles

Invitation To Discipleship: