How does God want us to worship Him? In this children's message, we explore the Second Commandment and learn that God not only tells us **who** to worship, but also **how** to worship Him. Using the illustration of a chocolate chip cookie recipe, children learn that just as recipes work best when we follow the instructions, God has given us His "recipe" for worship in His Word. **Core Truth:** *We worship God God's way.* Drawing from Exodus 20:4–6, Deuteronomy 32:46, and Acts 2:42, this lesson teaches that God alone determines the worship He receives. Rather than inventing our own ways of approaching Him, we are called to faithfully follow the means He has appointed—reading Scripture, prayer, singing, fellowship, baptism, communion, and gathering with His people. This message is part of Harvest Liberty Lake Church's catechism teaching ministry, helping children and families learn the truths of the Baptist Catechism and the Ten Commandments together. **Scripture References:** * Exodus 20:4–6 * Deuteronomy 32:46 * Acts 2:42 **Harvest Liberty Lake Church** Meeting Sundays at 10:00 AM Selkirk Middle School • Liberty Lake, Washington

Genesis 2:8-17 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 ¶ And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Scripture Text: John 4:46–54 (Legacy Standard Bible) Thematic Focus: Expository Preaching; Christology; The Nature of Saving Faith; Signs and Wonders. In this systematic exposition of John 4:46–54, we analyze the structural development of the Apostle John's narrative, specifically examining the strategic placement of the second sign at Cana of Galilee. John meticulously contrasts the deficient, sign-hungry consumerism of the Galileans with the exemplary, word-centered faith of the Samaritans observed earlier in the chapter. When an aristocratic royal official from Herod Antipas's court arrives in desperate supplication for his terminally ill son, our Lord delivers a corporate rebuke regarding the nature of sign- dependent unbelief: "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe." This sermon investigates how true, saving faith is systematically stripped of self-sufficiency and romanticism, leaving the believer with no alternative but absolute surrender to the authoritative declaration of Christ. By commanding the official to "Go; your son lives," Jesus demonstrates that His divine power transcends geographical boundaries and requires no physical proximity or ritual action. The subsequent chronological correlation between the precise hour of Christ's statement and the breaking of the fever highlights the absolute synchronization of Christ's word and cosmic reality. This exposition is tailored for believers and students of historical-grammatical interpretation, providing deep doctrinal insights into the growth of corporate household faith and the absolute sufficiency of the Scriptures.

Joseph's rise from prison to second-in-command in Egypt exemplifies God's sovereign reversal of human circumstances, demonstrating that faithfulness in hardship leads to divine appointment. His interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams, coupled with wise counsel to store grain during the years of plenty, reveals a man whose discernment was recognized as divinely inspired, prompting Pharaoh to elevate him as a leader of unparalleled wisdom and integrity. Though exalted with power, wealth, and a new identity, Joseph remains rooted in his faith, naming his sons to commemorate God's faithfulness and fruitfulness in affliction, thus preserving his covenant identity amid Egyptian culture. The narrative draws profound parallels to Christ's life—His descent, betrayal, and exaltation—highlighting how God uses suffering for redemptive purposes, with Jesus bearing His wounds eternally as a testament to His saving work. Ultimately, Joseph's story is not an end but a beginning, foreshadowing God's greater plan to preserve His people through divine providence and grace.

This sermon examines the account of Simon the sorcerer in Samaria, where the gospel preached by Philip brought great joy and many were baptized. Though Simon himself professed faith and was baptized, his true heart was exposed when he tried to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit with money after watching Peter and John lay hands on the believers. The preacher's central burden is the danger of false profession: a man may believe outwardly, submit to baptism, follow the ministry closely, and yet never possess saving faith. Peter's sharp rebuke—that Simon had neither part nor portion in the matter because his heart was not right before God—reveals the bitterness and bondage of iniquity beneath an apparently sincere conversion. The sermon teaches that the gift of God cannot be bought, that authority in the church comes from God alone, and that grace by its very nature is freely given and cannot be merited or purchased, whether by indulgences, works, or simony. It connects this error to the corruptions the Reformers labored to remove and to the Larger Catechism's treatment of the second commandment. Drawing on the parable of the sower, the preacher warns that some who spring up with joy wither in testing, having no root. Yet Peter still calls Simon to repentance, showing the church's duty to correct and the hope held out to the straying. The application turns inward: believers are not to grow suspicious of others but to examine their own hearts, ensuring their profession is genuine, free from hypocrisy, and fruitful in faithful witness.

The first commandment: love The second commandment: love

This sermon centers on the biblical truth that genuine worship is not defined by external rituals or human tradition, but by a heart transformed through faith in Jesus Christ alone, who is the only acceptable mediator between God and humanity. Drawing from the second commandment and 1 Peter 2:5, it emphasizes that true worshipers are those who, as 'lively stones' built into a spiritual house and holy priesthood, approach God through Christ with sincerity, humility, and devotion, offering spiritual sacrifices that are singular, selective, simple, spiritual, sermonic, sacrificial, separated, serious, selfless, and sanctified by Christ's righteousness. The preacher underscores that worship must be biblically grounded, rejecting innovation and idolatry, and calls believers to examine their hearts, ensuring their worship is not self-centered or merely ceremonial, but a life of continual consecration to God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and rooted in the finished work of Christ.

In the second half of 1 Corinthians 11, Paul begins by confronting a broken practice: the Corinthians' gatherings, instead of fostering unity, had become occasions of division, selfishness, and shame—some feasted while others went hungry—so their meal did more harm than good. This concrete abuse reveals the first truth: the Lord's Supper exposes the reality of the heart; how we behave at the table shows whether we truly love one another and honor Christ's body. Second, Paul reminds the church of the Supper's origin and meaning: Jesus took bread and the cup, identified them with his body and blood, and commanded the church to "do this in remembrance of me," so the meal proclaims the sacrifice of Christ and the new covenant. The Supper is a public proclamation of the gospel—Christ's death until he returns—and it is meant to bind the people who share it. Third, because the Supper both exposes hearts and proclaims the cross, it demands self‑examination. Paul warns that partaking "unworthily"—in hypocrisy, selfishness, or without discerning the Body—brings judgment: corrective chastening for believers and, for the unrepentant, the risk of final condemnation. He points to real consequences (weakness, sickness, even death) as God's loving discipline intended to awaken repentance. His remedy is practical: examine yourself, confess sin, seek reconciliation, and wait for one another so that the meal displays unity rather than division.