Baptism symbolizes you've been washed with the costliest of all detergents. 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 In his letter to the church in Ephesus Paul writes of the redemption we have through the blood of Christ. Redemption is deliverance through a price or ransom that is paid. The redemption to which Paul is speaking is the deliverance from the guilt of sin which has been paid by the blood of Christ shed for us on the cross. Redemption is not free; there is a price that must be paid. That price has been paid by Jesus and is offered freely to those who believe in Him for salvation. Dig Deeper When Katie and I were first married, she worked for a ministry out of Sioux Falls, SD named LifeLight. LifeLight’s claim to fame is being the largest outdoor free Christian music festival. Being a free music festival there was no required entrance fee, however that does not mean that there were no costs. As you can imagine, it can be quite expensive to hire some of the best Christian bands in the world to come sing at the festival, plus all the other costs (electricity, water, etc.) that come with hosting a festival. And while entry was free, these costs still had to be paid. LifeLight ran on donations. While many enjoyed a free experience, others would donate above and beyond to make sure there was enough to cover the festival. Essentially, some people gave more than the value they received in order that others could come for free and hear the gospel proclaimed. In this case, some paid for the many. When it comes to redemption it is not some, but the one who has paid for all. The people of God receive this gift via the grace of God seen in the blood of Christ poured out for us in his sacrifice on the cross. In baptism, we are reminded of Christ’s death on our behalf. This sacrament points to the redemption found in Christ and the price paid for our deliverance. Recognizing the price that has been paid on your behalf, live as one who has been forgiven, turning away from the vices of this world and living a life full of gratitude for the gift of grace found in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who lavishes grace and forgiveness of sin upon us, His children; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will understand more and more the cost of your salvation so that more and more your life will reflect the necessary gratitude for such a gift; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philemon

Baptism doesn't just join you to the Church, it joins you to Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 69 Q. How does baptism remind you and assure you that Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross is for you personally? A. In this way: Christ instituted this outward washing and with it gave the promise that, as surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly his blood and his Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, in other words, all my sins Summary In his letter to the Romans, Paul shares the significance of baptism. Baptism is a sign and a seal of God’s covenant of grace. In baptism, we proclaim that those who belong to Christ through faith are united to Him in His death and resurrection. Just as Jesus died and rose from the grave, the believer likewise dies to sin and is raised to new life. Notice that baptism is not just an external rite to perform, but rather it's a sign of full participation in Christ. When you were baptized, it was much more than a photo op: you were spiritually joined into Christ's death & resurrection! This means that those who've experienced baptism must live differently than those who've not. Those who've been joined to Christ's death have also been joined to His resurrection so that they may live a new life. Dig Deeper After a long day, few things are as refreshing as a nice hot shower. The water washes away the dirt and sweat that have accumulated throughout the day. And once you wash yourself clean, the water along with its newly acquired contaminates do not stay with you. The water, dirt, and sweat are washed down the drain never to be seen or heard of again. Just as water washes away the visible filth our bodies accumulate, by the blood of Christ your inward impurities, your sin, is washed away. This is no partial cleansing, Jesus’ death and resurrection wash away all the sins of those whose faith is in Him for salvation. Baptism does not bring about this cleansing, it instead points to the work of Christ. The visible cleansing of water seen in baptism is a visible representation of the invisible work of God in the life of a believer. Baptism points us to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and the cleansing that washes away your soul’s impurity, that is, all your sins. In the sacrament of baptism all present, not just those being baptized or bringing their child forward to be baptized, are reminded of Christ’s promise to wash away all our sins. If your faith is in Christ and you have not been baptized, take a step of faith and talk to your minister about baptism. If you have been baptized already, remember the significance of this baptism and Jesus’ promise of new life in Him. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, whose glory raised Christ, and those who've been baptised into Him, from the dead ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: If you've been baptised, pray that you'll live the new life that you've been raised with Christ into. If you haven't, pray that God will lead you to the fount. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Colossians 4

Summary The NIV has an excellent translation of the opening words of Colossians 3.

Can you trust your friends & family? Are you sure? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 112 Q. What is God’s will for you in the ninth commandment? A. God’s will is that I never give false testimony against anyone, twist no one’s words, not gossip or slander, nor join in condemning anyone without a hearing or without a just cause. Rather, in court and everywhere else, I should avoid lying and deceit of every kind; these are devices the devil himself uses, and they would call down on me God’s intense anger. I should love the truth, speak it candidly, and openly acknowledge it. And I should do what I can to guard and advance my neighbor’s good name. Summary Sometimes the best way to know something is to study its opposite. In other words, if we want to understand what it means to "love the truth and speak it candidly," we can begin by examining the consequences of doing the opposite: what happens when people who "taught their tongues to lie... and in their deceit refused to acknowledge the Lord (v5-6)?" As we see so often in scripture, there's a direct link between your tongue and your overall actions. The truthfulness of your words is directly correlated to the honesty of your daily living. As God describes it, a life steeped in deceit has terrible consequences: trust is shattered and slander abounds. Even as the people "all speak cordially to their neighbors, in their hearts they set traps for them (v8)." Israel's descent into falsehood left God no choice. "What else can I do?" asks God in v7, "I will refine and test them." He continues, "Should I not punish them for this? ...Should I not avenge myself on such a nation as this?" In many ways, the constant lies and deception you are bombarded with - both from the media and from the people around you - are nothing new. But be on guard: Know that God will punish people severely, both in this life and the next, who continually exchange the truth for a lie. Dig Deeper Truth is much more than giving an accurate accounting or a correct definition. Truth is a bedrock upon which a solid community can be built, but that solid bedrock quickly turns to shifting sand when truth is replaced with deception. When that happens, you can't trust even your friends or family, because no one speaks the truth (v4-5). Although deception can take many forms, it always springs from the same source. God refers to this source twice in today's passage: "in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me (v3, 6)." When people lose their knowledge of God, they lose their grip on truthfulness, and it doesn't take long after that for entire societies to implode. The best way to reverse our own society's implosion is to restore people's knowledge of God so that they turn to Him in repentance and once again find solid footing in the bedrock of truth. And the best way for you to restore other people's knowledge of God is to continue building up your own! You can't stop other people from sliding unless you're firmly planted in the truth! AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The LORD God, who will punish those who do not acknowledge Him; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that your knowledge of God will increase so that your influence will cause others to find the bedrock of truth once again; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John 9

In chapter 3, Paul uses the language that is found in this week’s questions and answers— putting to death Christian’s union with Christ’s resurrection, “You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ” (3: 3). Colossians 3 describes a vision of a community working in perfect harmony and giving thanks to God in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (3:

away from sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 3

Summary We're jumping into a discussion here in 1 Corinthians 3 in which Paul is helping these early

John 3 illustrates this supernatural work of God and where the often used phrase “born again” originates

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 38 Q. In Galatians 3, we read why the crucifixion was necessary. For Jesus to take the wrath of God, he had to be nailed to the cross, or as it is stated in Galatians 3: Dig Deeper Paul uses a word several times in Galatians 3 to describe the law: cursed. Yet, Galatians 3:13 says that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us

The only constant is change, except when it comes to God. Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God— eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Summary You can feel the pain being expressed in Psalm 102. The writer is crushed in anguish and it seems like the end of his life is near as his days "vanish like smoke." Yet this person is doing exactly as one ought to do in such a situation - cry out to God for help. It's often been said that there are no atheists in foxholes, meaning that when push comes to shove, and people have no other hope, most people will pray to God, even if it's been decades since they last prayed. But it doesn't appear here that the author is throwing up a last minute prayer just in case there does happen to be a God that's listening. Although we don't know who wrote this psalm, it seems likely that the psalmist knew who he was praying to. This psalmist prays confidently and hopefully because he has a rock solid theology. He doesn't just have a 'relationship' with God, he knows who and what God is, what He's done, and why He can help in this situation. The final stanza make this clear: v25 - God laid the foundations of the earth and formed the heavens; v26 - Although the world will "wear out like a garment," God will "remain the same, and His years will never end." It's interesting how this Psalm ends with this praise of God, leaving the fate of the author unresolved. Did God answer this beautiful prayer, or did death prevail? One of the big points of Psalm 102 is that for those whose hope is grounded in God's unchangeable character, it really doesn't matter how various crises in our lives play out. Dig Deeper It's what we read in v26 that grabs our attention today: that God is immutable. This simply means that God will "remain the same, and His years will never end." This means that the descriptions of God we read in Psalm 102 are just as accurate today as they were thousands of years ago when first written. This means that the God who made covenant promises to Adam, Abraham, Moses, David and others is the same God that will listen to your prayer today. You're mutable - you change over time, and that's a good thing. You probably don't want to be the same person you were in high school. But the fact that God's unchangeable is one of the most comforting things you can know about Him. His always perfect love for you "remains the same, yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our unchanging Father, who will not hide His face from your distress (v2); ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God that although everything else in this world constantly changes, that He always remains the same; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 6