The way you worship matters, says Jesus. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 80 Q. How does the Lord’s Supper differ from the Roman Catholic Mass? A. The Lord’s Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself finished on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with his very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father where he wants us to worship him. But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is therefore to be worshiped. Thus the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and a condemnable idolatry. Summary One of the most painful consequences of sin is that the one thing that ought to unite all people - worshipping the God who made us - is arguably the thing that creates the most division and angst. Not only do massive divisions exist between the three great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Islam & Christianity), but the Christian Church itself is rent asunder with all sorts of different ideas and practices on how God ought to be worshipped. Division occurs when different expressions in how people worship begin to affect what they worship. The resulting battles shatter communities and even families, causing pain and bitterness that last generations. Our society's current live and let live attitude wants Jesus to come down and declare that all forms of worship, as long as its sincere and heartfelt, are acceptable to God and therefore all criticisms of divergent worship practices ought to cease. That's exactly what the woman at the well was hoping to hear Jesus say. But Jesus doesn't take her bait. One of the Bible's primary themes is that there are right ways and wrong ways to worship. Jesus doesn't pull His punches, telling the Samaritan woman that her countrymen have been worshipping incorrectly and even ignorantly. Certainly Jesus has lots of criticism for Jewish worship practices elsewhere in the gospels, but at least on the question of where true worship must take place, the Jews were getting it right. What a picture of God's grace, that out of all the people Jesus could have discussed true and proper worship with, it wasn't a learned scholar or a popular prophet, but rather it was this sinful, broken woman, and so she becomes one of the first people to truly worship God as He has ordained: in Spirit and truth. Dig Deeper The question of where to worship would soon become moot when Jesus would send His Church out to the nations before triumphantly ascending back to the right hand of the Father. But notice that the primary requirement for acceptable worship remains constant throughout the entire Bible: to properly know God (v22). The Lord's Supper is one of the primary ways you gain this knowledge that's so critical to fulfilling the purpose you were created for: to worship God. The Lord's Supper declares to you that you've been completely forgiven through Christ's one sacrifice on the cross and that you've been grafted into Him so that you can worship Him in Spirit and truth even while He is in heaven and you are on earth. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God our Father is spirit; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will continue to know God more and more, and thank Him for what He teaches you as you come to His table; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 19

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Gospels: Week 2 - Jesus' Preparation & Beginning of Ministry We're visiting a different book each day BiblePortal.com Luke 4:1–13 (NASB95) 1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil.

1 Timothy 4:7–10 (NIV) 7  Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints Article 2: The Believer’s Reaction Today: 1 Peter

BibleHub.com Genesis 3:1–7 (NIV) 3   Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the 2  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,  3  but God did say Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity longer able to do anything good unless it's given to us from heaven ( Belgic Confession, Art. 14 , John Today: Philippians 2

Photo: Dylan Hendricks, via Unsplash Ephesians 1:11–14 (NIV) 11   In Christ we were also chosen, having Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity But as we begin this final season of 2025, we'll be certainly coming back to this chapter often. This middle section of the Ephesians 1 begins with one of the Bible's clearest descriptions of how you Today: Titus 1

forms the basis of the classic hymn Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken, Zion City of our God Isaiah 26 :1–4 (NIV) 26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2  Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Today: 2 Thessalonians 3

Matthew 1:20-21 (NIV) CONTEXT: Mary has just informed Joseph that she is pregnant through the Holy Spirit , and Joseph understandably is dubious and plans to quietly send Mary away. 20  But after he had considered be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 21: The Atonement We believe that The closing part of Belgic Confession Article 21 takes up this verse, stating: “This is also why the

BiblePic.com Genesis 9:1–6 ( LSB ) CONTEXT: Noah and his family and all the animals have just exited And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity For more on this, see our post on this passage from 2023 as we studied the Heidelberg Catechism .   Today: 1 Timothy 4

The Bible App 1 Peter 5:6-11 (NIV) CONTEXT: For this final week in our year long study of the Canons Amen. 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Point 3 - Total Depravity Point 4 - Irresistible Grace Point 5 - Perseverance John Stott writes , "We are not to be surprised by painful trials, as if something strange were happening : 2026 Unfading Truth Season Preview