After our offering, Doxology, and Lord's Prayer, we read the passage from Samuel, which is the highlight of the history of David--God's covenant promise with David and his descendants. David has established Jerusalem as his capital city, has built a palace, and has brought the Ark of the Covenant as an act of worship as well as a statement of God's backing of his government. He believes he should build a temple to honor God, but God makes it clear that He is in charge and rejects the temple plan. God then proclaims that He will build David a house, and that David's descendants will be forever loved and protected by God, even when they commit sin. This is a dramatic step in Israel's relationship with God--letting the Israelites know that God loves them even if they don't follow the law to the letter, and that His presence is not limited to the Ark. There is now a much broader and encompassing concept of God's love and the promise of His eternal presence. This marks the beginning of a new era of faith.
We did not do the family picture project--only two children had brought their photos, so if next weeks' leaders would like to do the project, they may want to contact the families and pick up the supplies from Ms. Emily.
