Hebrews 7:25-28 (NIV) 25 Therefore Christ is able to save completely those who come to God through him

Titus 3:3-7 (NIV) 3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 

Cast all your anxiety upon God, because He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6–7 (NIV) 6 Humble yourselves, therefore , under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because Today: Matthew 7

David's sin was much more than a tryst with a beautiful woman; it drove him into a conspiracy that led Just like in a cheesy romantic movie, the wayward protagonist eloquently apologizes to the woman he loves

In Romans 7:4-6, Paul writes: 4 Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body Paul’s teaching to the Romans is that because of Jesus’ death on our behalf, we are released from the

The simple words "Our Father" pack in a ton of comforting theology. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 120 Q. Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”? A. At the very beginning of our prayer Christ wants to kindle in us what is basic to our prayer— the childlike awe and trust that God through Christ has become our Father. Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith. Summary We can't speak of God as our Father without mentioning the ḥěʹ·sěḏ love of God. Isaiah begins this beautiful passage on God's Fatherliness with a proclamation of the kindnesses (NIV; ESV - steadfast love) of the Lord. These English words are examples of how Old Testament word ḥěʹ·sěḏ is translated; they are words that describe the unfailing covenant love of God. This is the love that our Father has legally obligated Himself to in adopting us as His children. In just a few verses Isaiah summarizes the story of God's people. He chose them to be His own, and to make that happen, God Himself "became their Savior... In his love and mercy He redeemed them and carried them all the days of old. Yet they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit, so He turned and became their enemy and He Himself fought against them (v8-10). It would seem having the sovereign, omnipotent Lord God Almighty set against these people would be the end of the story, but it can't be. It's not possible, because of the legal obligation God voluntarily took upon Himself. He cannot, and will not ever abandon His covenant people. Sometimes God, like all fathers, must discipline his insubordinate children, but unlike many fathers, God's discipline is fully rooted and carried out in love. It's this ḥěʹ·sěḏ love that Isaiah appeals to: "Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us, but you, LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from old is your name (v15-16)." Every time you open your prayer to your Father in heaven, you are appealing to that same ḥěʹ·sěḏ love that Isaiah claimed. Dig Deeper You've likely heard God described as a 'father' so many times that you never think twice about it. But take a moment and realize what must be true in order for you to legitimately be able to address God as your Father. First of all, it's a recognition that you are created in His image. This is what the Bible means when it calls God's people sons of God: they look, talk, and act like He does. So make sure your conduct always properly reflects your Father. As Jesus commanded you, "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48)." Second, realize the tremendous price God paid for you to be His child. Just as God the Father "became their Savior" when Israel needed to be set free from slavery in Egypt, Jesus the Son became your Savior by giving His life to set you free from the slavery to sin and make you a child of God. Finally, remember what the catechism says here every time you pray to your Father in heaven: "Our fathers do not refuse us the things of this life; God our Father will even less refuse to give us what we ask in faith." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, our Redeemer from old is your Name (v16); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you "will tell of the kindnesses (ḥěʹ·sěḏ love) of the Lord, the deeds for which He is to be praised (v7)." ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 21

You might be surprised to hear the real reason Christ appeared. 1 John 3:7-10 (ESV) 7  Little children

Psalm 5:1–7 (NIV) For the director of music. For pipes. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, Lord, detest. 7 But I, by your great love, can come into your house

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 75 Q.

God takes worship seriously. Do you? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 96 Q. What is God’s will for us in the second commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word. Summary Just as God gives the Law to the people in the book of Leviticus, He also gives them directions on worship practices. He informs the priests as to what they are to wear. He outlines various festivals that the people are to celebrate. He tells them to make burnt, grain, fellowship, sin, and guilt offerings. Not just anyone could make these offerings. Only the priests were to make these offerings on behalf of the people, and they are to be done in a very specific way - the way God had explicitly commanded. Aaron (Moses’ brother) and his sons were ordained as priests for the people of Israel. They had begun to lead the people of Israel in worship. Unfortunately, rather quickly after being ordained as priests, Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu make a critical error: they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD - meaning they had taken their coals from a different source than what God had commanded. As one commentator put it, Nadab and Abihu did not do something God had prohibited, they were punished because they had did not do exactly what God had commanded. God burned up Nadab and Abihu for offering unauthorized fire before him. At first glance, this seems like an incredibly harsh punishment. Nadab and Abihu were worshiping God after all, so why does it matter if they used fire incorrectly? It was not that they used it incorrectly, it is that they went against the command of the Lord. They were worshipping God in a way different from how He had commanded in His Word. Dig Deeper The Lord had given the people of Israel explicit instructions on worship practices. He had set the priests over them to lead them in worship. When God gave these commands to the people of Israel, He did so to shape them into His people. He had chosen them, and set them apart. As such, they were to live differently from those around them. They were to worship the Lord alone, and they were to worship Him exactly as He had instructed them. Nadab and Abihu were careless as worship leaders, offering unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command. As such, they were leading the people falsely in worship; they were leading people to worship God in a way that was contrary to His commands. Worship is about God. We worship God because He is holy, just, merciful, and so much more. When we worship the Lord, our worship practices must be based on His command, on how God wants to be worshiped. There is a general pattern that we follow to ensure we are worshiping God based on what we read in scripture: Approach, Word, Response. The Approach to God is the first part of the worship service where we come before the Lord with singing, prayer, and scripture reading. We lift the name of the Lord, as we come before our holy God. The Word is where we hear from God’s Word, the Bible. Not only is scripture read, but a sermon is given. This is the central part of our worship service because God is central to our lives. We want to hear from God, and be shaped by Him. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are a part of the Word portion of worship. We end with the Response. We have heard from God, and now we are responding to the Lord as we sing a doxology and leave the worship service to go serve the Lord faithfully. As the people of God, we do not add things to our worship hoping to please God, nor do we take things away to save on time. We worship God as He wants to be worshiped. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who is worthy of praise; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I worship you as you want to be worshiped, not doing what is pleasing in my sight, but is pleasing to yours; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 5