Which books of the Bible are about Jesus? All of them! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 19 Q. How do you come to know this? A. The holy gospel tells me. God himself began to reveal the gospel already in Paradise; later, he proclaimed it by the holy patriarchs and prophets, and portrayed it by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law; finally, he fulfilled it through his own dear Son. Summary These words of Jesus come as part of his response to those who were upset that he healed a man on the Sabbath. As Jesus pointed out to the crowd, they had been looking for salvation in the Old Testament scriptures. This was not a problem, as God’s plan of salvation can be seen throughout the Old Testament. The issue was with those who look to the words of the Old Testament for salvation while refusing to see the repeated foreshadowing of the coming of Christ. Those who search for salvation in the scriptures apart from Christ will not find it. The patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament foretold that Jesus would come, and so it was not Jesus accusing them, but the words of Moses. Jesus does not quote a specific passage but speaks of Moses writing about him. Even so, it is easy enough to find examples in the Old Testament of Moses writing about Jesus, particularly Deuteronomy 18:15: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen! Not only does Moses point forward to this new prophet, but also declares that the people shall listen to him. This again puts the critics in the crowd at odds not only with Jesus, but also with the words of Moses. Dig Deeper The five solas are thought of as a rallying cry of the Reformation. The first of these 5 key beliefs is sola scriptura which means 'scripture alone'. In a world that wants to turn everything into a 'gray area', sola scriptura is a reminder that the Bible alone is the source of authority for Christians. In the Bible we see God’s plan for redemption laid out. The Old Testament foreshadows the coming of Christ, the Gospels share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and the rest of the New Testament addresses how to live in light of the resurrection. The Bible is authoritative not because it teaches about Jesus, but because it is the inspired Word of God. People are imperfect, we are all prone to mistakes, including your pastor. But the Bible is the inspired Word of God, meaning that the Holy Spirit directed the writings of the authors of scripture. While the Bible has human authors, what differentiates the Word of God is the role of the Holy Spirit in the writing process. The authority we find in scripture comes not from those who wrote it, but from our God who inspired these writings. What that means for you as a believer is that you have a rule of faith to measure against. You do not need to have blind trust in what others teach because you can go to the source and read that which is true. The Bible is a wonderful gift from God; do not rely solely on the word of others when God’s Word is close at hand. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father, you sent your Son in your name, which we read about so clearly in your Word, which is inspired by your Spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that the words of Scripture would continue to come to Christ to have life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 13

When he asked them, I pulled up the gospel of John, and we read through John 1:1-5.

Gospels: Week 5 - Jesus' power over creation, demons, hunger and unbelief CONTEXT: John the Baptist has Matthew 14:13–21 (NASB95) 13 Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 When And the news of John's sudden execution hit him hard.

You can't produce fruit if you're disconnected from Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 64 Q. But doesn’t this teaching (that our works do not contribute to our salvation) make people indifferent and wicked? A. No. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude. Summary There are two words the Bible uses to describe how to live a fruitful life. The word used most often to describe successful Christians is the word Jesus uses in the example of a grape plant which bears fruit. This word has a passive feel to it. Jesus explains that as long as a branch remains connected to the vine, it will bear fruit. In other words, the fruit is going to come as long as the connection is maintained, just like a grape branch, when given the proper inputs, can't help but bear fruit. Sadly this isn't the case for every branch. Some grow off as long, wild shoots with lots of stem but no leaves or flowers. Others bury themselves under other branches, hidden from the sunlight. Still others seem to be in just the right condition, getting plenty of water, nutrients and sunlight, but for whatever reason nothing comes out of them. In each of these cases the unfruitful branches are cut of and thrown into the burn pile. In the second half of this passage, Jesus puts 'flesh' on this metaphor so to speak. He is the vine, and you and I are the branches. As long as we remain connected to Him - that is, as long as His Word and Spirit are flowing into our lives - He assures us that we will bear fruit. But some people are not content with this relationship, and shoot off on their own. Many bury themselves in the busyness of life, and although connected to the nutrients, do not absorb them. Apart from me, Jesus says, these people can do nothing, and their unfruitful lives will be cut off and thrown away. Dig Deeper Our instinct is to prefer the other word the Bible uses in regards to fruitfulness. We want to be people who produce fruit in our lives. Produce is a much more active word, and conjures up images of hard work, resourcefulness, and downright determination. Those are all good things, but most of the time the Bible uses the word produce, it does so in a negative way. Pharisees are quite often the people the Bible speaks of in connection with trying to produce fruit. They work super hard to impress their neighbors and appease their own consciences, but their reliance is totally on themselves, disconnected from the nutrients of the the true vine. The result is often like a Red Delicious apple: it looks really good and shiny on the outside, but not very appealing when the skin is peeled back. You've been created to be fruitful - to do and make things that reflect and glorify the image of God that you've been created in. Most of this world, separated from the vine by sin, is either desperately expending energy trying to produce fruit on their own, or they've given up trying and consequentially have very little meaning in their lives. So stay connected to the Vine - Jesus Christ. As you immerse yourself in the nutrients that flow from His Word, your life will naturally bear fruit. NOTE: The English Bible translations often use 'bear' and 'produce' interchangeably (even the Catechism uses the word produce). The contrast is much more noticeable in the Greek. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the gardner, who cuts away unfruitful branches; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you remain connected to the vine so that your life bears the fruit it was designed for. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 2

John 3:19–21 (NIV) 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 14: The Creation and Fall of Man Here John calls men “darkness.” Summary Two words. That's all it took. Two single syllable words. Dig Deeper The context of today's passage from John 3 is fascinating. Christians, on the other hand, defined by John here as "people who live by the truth," seek to "come

Matthew 24:1–14 (NASB95) 1 Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14

Throughout John’s gospel Jesus has been talking to us... in fact, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He's When you find yourself doubting your faith, reread the gospel of John - it will only take half an hour After all, John tells us exactly why he wrote these words down in v31: "So that you may believe that

If you're a Christian, you're a born-again Christian. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 70 Q. What does it mean to be washed with Christ’s blood and Spirit? A. To be washed with Christ’s blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ’s blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ’s Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life. Summary Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had shown respect for Jesus because of the signs, also known as miracles, that Jesus had done. It was during this discussion that Jesus explained to Nicodemus how he needed to be born again. This rebirth was not a second physical birth, but a birth of water and spirit. Jesus makes this spiritual rebirth an absolute necessity, proclaiming that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Unless is a strong word, setting an absolute condition that must be met for one to enter the kingdom of God. This spiritual rebirth is not an optional addition to one’s faith, instead this rebirth has been set apart by Jesus as an essential part of following Him. Without this spiritual rebirth, one cannot enter God’s kingdom. Dig Deeper Regeneration is the theological term we use to describe this spiritual rebirth. Much like how Jesus’ physical body had died and was raised to new life on the third day, regeneration points to one’s spiritual death and new life in Christ. This is not an action you take as a believer, since regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit. This regeneration, or rebirth, is more than a change of heart; it is an entrance into a new life. Where you were once spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins, you are now made alive. This spiritual rebirth is your entryway into a new life, one receptive and inclined towards God. Regeneration originates with God, it is not something we can initiate for ourselves or for others. While this lack of personal control may spark different feelings in various individuals, I feel an appropriate response to this regeneration is to turn to God in prayer. For those who have either a long held or newly formed faith in Christ, we pray out of gratitude for God’s work of regeneration in their lives. For those who do not yet have faith in Christ, we pray that God may work in their lives, planting a desire for Christ where there previously was none. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the King, whose kingdom we long to enter into; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will recognize and live into the regeneration (rebirth) you've been given by the Holy Spirit signified and sealed in your baptism ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 1

We see that with 1 John 1:5-7.

God's law is simple, but step one in salvation is confessing you can't keep it. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 5 Q. Can you live up to all this (God's Law) perfectly? A. No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor. Summary A sinful nature is part of the human condition, as part of our inheritance of original sin from the first human, Adam. To say that we are without sin is a falsehood. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, has granted us forgiveness, and made us a new creation; yet we are not without sin. God enables spiritual growth in the life of the believer, however none of us will reach a point of complete righteousness in this life. It is part of our condition to continually battle our fallen nature. Those who deny their sinful nature do more than fool themselves. Not only would such a claim betray the truth, but it would also suggest a belief that you were not in need of the grace of Jesus. The truth is that we have all fallen short and are in desperate need for the grace of Christ. To claim otherwise is to disregard, or at minimum misunderstand, the Gospel. Dig Deeper While Jesus calls us to love our God and our neighbor, our natural tendency is to do the exact opposite. Respect, manners, and sharing are all things that are taught to children either in the home or at school. None of us teaches a child to be selfish, hit when angry, or throw a fit when you don’t get your way; yet these behaviors are still commonplace. These tendencies are ingrained in our very being. Part of living as a Child of God is battling our fallen nature. While the Holy Spirit does empower believers to do good; the faithful remain locked in combat with our fallen nature. This battle will continue to rage on until the end of the age when our sanctification is complete. As you acknowledge your natural state of sinfulness, lean on the Holy Spirit for the strength to do what you cannot do on your own, which is to love God and love others. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Help me to recognize and confess my own sin, and strengthen me with the Spirit to trust in the righteousness of my Savior. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 10