Summary From Q&A 6 and Genesis 1 and 2, we learned that God is not the culprit of the corruption of human

'Keep your head in all situations' and don't follow your 'itching ears.' 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NIV) In the Certainly it means scripture itself, but the Greek word logos is also used as a name for Jesus (John 1:1, 14).

Lots of people say 'Jesus Christ' often... be one of the people who knows what it means! Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 29 Q. Why is the Son of God called “Jesus,” meaning “Savior”? A. Because he saves us from our sins. Salvation cannot be found in anyone else; it is futile to look for any salvation elsewhere. Summary While we celebrate the birth of Jesus on Christmas, there is no reason to limit our study of these verses to one season. Just as the resurrection is relevant all year long, so too is the virgin birth. Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus is less detailed than the one found in the Gospel of Luke (which gets the most love around Christmas time). However, what we see in Matthew’s condensed telling of Jesus’ birth is the most important details being highlighted: the role of the Holy Spirit in Mary conceiving Jesus, the name and purpose of this child, and the faithfulness of Joseph to the angels command in naming the child. Dig Deeper When each of our children were born, there was a time at the hospital when my wife and I had to fill out information for the birth certificate. It is common today for parents to name their child either on the day they are born or shortly after. For us, this was something my wife and I did together. Things were a little different when Jesus was born into the world. According to the custom of the day, the duty of naming a son was reserved for the father, who would do so when the child was circumcised, eight days after birth. The visit from the angel changed Joseph’s perspective. Instead of doubting Mary, he now knew the truth of this miraculous child. Instead of leaving Mary, Joseph was faithful to the directions given to him by the angel. When the day came, Joseph gave the child the name Jesus, as he had been instructed. The name Jesus is significant because its Hebrew root means Yahweh saves. As the angel explains to Joseph, this name is fitting because Jesus would go on to save his people from their sins. What is shown in the angel’s message is how Jesus’ purpose was made clear before he was ever born. Jesus came to save us from our sins. Rejoice this day not just in the grace given by Jesus on the cross, but that saving believers like you and me is the reason Jesus came into the world at all. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: God almighty, who became Immanuel - God with us; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you, like Joseph, will do what the Lord has commanded you to do. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 7

Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and

(Job 42:1-2) Dig Deeper Most of us will never endure a storm like what Job suffered through, but yet will hear your prayers; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1

God's Word is worth more than a thousand images. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 98 Q. But may not images be permitted in the churches as teaching aids for the unlearned? A. No, we shouldn’t try to be wiser than God. He wants his people instructed by the living preaching of his Word— not by idols that cannot even talk. Summary In the early Christian Church, when the people of God gathered for worship, they would read from God’s Word. It is incredible to think that the people of God have been hearing from this very same Word in worship for thousands of years. Just as you have read and listened to scripture read during worship this year, believers all over the world have as well. Just as you have read and listened to scripture during worship this year, so too have believers for centuries. The Apostle Peter reminds the Church that the Word of God, the Bible, is completely reliable. It shines a light on the darkness of this world, telling you of God’s incredible power, sovereignty, and grace as it helps you to understand who God is, and how much he loves you. God reveals Himself to you in his Word. Dig Deeper On Tuesday, we briefly discussed the three parts of a worship service: Approach, Word, Response. The Word is central to our worship. We hear from the Bible, God’s Word. The sermon expounds upon God’s word, helping us to better understand what God wants from His people as it instructs us how we can worship and serve Him. The Lord’s Supper and baptism are visible signs of God’s incredible grace, helping us to understand in a tangible way what he has done for us. The Word is central to worship because of how important it is to the Christian life. If we are not spending time in God’s Word, how can we be transformed by the Holy Spirit through it? The Apostle Peter reminds fellow believers that the prophets foretold of Jesus. They spoke of the one who would come: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (Is. 7:14).” God did not give the Church images or pictures for worship; He gave us the Bible. The Bible is to be read in worship, just as it has been for thousands of years. The scriptures are to be used for preaching and teaching God’s people. God wants us to know Him. The only way to know God is to read His Word, and hear it preached. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Heavenly Father, who cannot be depicted in an image; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: May I seek out the true preaching of your word so that I may be transformed by it; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 7

Even good & godly things can become idols. What are you tempted to idolize? Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 97 Q. May we then not make any image at all? A. God can not and may not be visibly portrayed in any way. Although creatures may be portrayed, yet God forbids making or having such images if one’s intention is to worship them or to serve God through them. Summary After the people of Israel had been wandering in the desert for some time, they became impatient with the Lord. They were sick of eating the same food, and they grew frustrated that God was not immediately taking them to the Promised Land. So the LORD sent venomous snakes among the people, and many of the Israelites were bitten and died. The people cried out to God, admitting their sin. God told Moses to create a bronze snake, so that when the people were bitten by a venomous snake, they could look at the bronze snake and be healed (Numbers 21). Seven hundred years later, during the reign of King Hezekiah, the Israelites were burning incense to the bronze snake. You read that correctly, 700 years later the people were burning incense to the same bronze snake that Moses had lifted up in the desert. God had told Moses to make the bronze snake to save the people, and the people ended up burning incense to that snake, turning a symbol of the coming Messiah's salvation into an idol. King Hezekiah came along and destroyed that snake to keep people from falsely worshiping it. Dig Deeper Is there an item in your church building that was donated by someone years ago? Perhaps it has a little plaque by it saying who donated it? Or maybe there is a beautiful tapestry sewn by hand that hangs on a prominent wall. It seems that every church building that is 30+ years old has at least one of those types of items. It was donated at one time, and now it sits there because how do you get rid of something someone donated? We may not worship that item like we worship God, but it may have become sacred. I’ve seen church members leave a church because an item their family donated twenty years ago was being moved to a different place in the building. Something that was meant to honor God has become something that causes division in his church. This is the danger of idolatry and why God has given this commandment. We do not set out to make idols. When Moses made the bronze snake, he did so at God’s command. But over time, these items become sacred, putting them in a place that should only be reserved for God. What item in your church building has become sacred? Is it time to get rid of that item? Would that cause an issue in your congregation? Nothing should be put before the Lord. We are to worship God and serve him alone. The bronze snake - the very symbol of salvation - became an idol to the people of Israel, and it needed to be destroyed. Do not fall into the same trap with an item in your church building. Worship and serve the Lord alone. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Lord of all Creation, nothing is above you; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Lord, what have I placed before you? What it is occupying a place in my heart that should only be reserved for you? ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 6

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

John 10:11-16 (NIV) CONTEXT: Jesus is speaking to a group of incredulous Pharisees “I am the good shepherd Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Point 2 - Limited Atonement Articles 1-7 Article

Being excited about God is good... but make sure your zeal is based on knowledge! 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 With these words Paul expresses his desire that his fellow Jews would be saved. What Paul sees in many of his brethren is a zeal for keeping to the laws of the Old Testament, but a lack of understanding that adherence to the law does not equate righteousness. No matter how you might try, even your best efforts to establish your own righteousness cannot stand up to God’s perfect standard. It's still important for us to strive to live out the teachings of Jesus, as this is the appropriate response of gratitude to the grace of Jesus. Just as Paul’s concern for the Jews was not their zeal for upholding the law, the real concern is a mindset of upholding adherence to the law as a replacement for the righteousness of Christ. Attempts to be “good enough”, instead of depending upon the grace of Jesus, are nothing more than a flawed attempt to circumvent God’s plan of redemption. As Paul writes, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes”. Christ being the “end of the law” carries with it multiple, non-mutually exclusive meanings. First, this points to Jesus as the purpose or end goal the law was working towards. Secondly, Jesus marks for believers an end to our attempts to pursue righteousness via the law. Dig Deeper Every good story has a climax. If Belle had never gone looking for her father none of us would have heard about Beauty and the Beast. Without that action forward, the story would have remained at a standstill and never reached its exciting climax. While the Bible consists of 66 books written by various authors, it is also the ongoing story of God’s interaction with his creation. God’s handiwork can be seen throughout all of human history, culminating with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is undoubtedly the climax of human history. There are many reasons to open up your Bible, and chief among them is that you might come to know your faithful savior Jesus Christ. Jesus is what pushes history forward. Without Jesus, the story of humanity would be a standstill as we would still be waiting for our redeemer. Praise God that he has saved you from your misery, that a redeemer has come, just as God had planned from the beginning. Trust not in yourself for righteousness, but in Jesus. As a dear saint would often remind me, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and HE will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father, you set the standard for righteousness, and you sent your Son that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God will give you a zeal for Him based on knowledge of His Word. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Acts 14