The message of the Bible is complex, but it's not complicated. Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 2 Q. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort? A. Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are; second, how I am set free from all my sins and misery; third, how I am to thank God for such deliverance. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Summary The Bible certainly has implications for every facet of life, and over the millenia, tens of thousands of pages of deep and complicated theology have been written unpacking the rich truth contained in scripture. But the primary message of the Bible is elegant in its simplicity. You only need to know three things. Paul explains this to young Pastor Timothy in today's passage. First, know that God has saved you... not because of anything you have done, but because of his own purpose and grace (v9a). The fact that you need salvation in the first place presupposes that you have something that you need salvation from. This is why the Bible goes to such great lengths to show you 'how great [massive] your sin & misery are.' Second, having recognized your need for salvation, you can trust in Christ alone, who who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (v10). Finally, knowing that you have been saved from your overwhelming sin problem must result in gratitude that changes the way you live. Not only did Jesus save you, but He called you to a holy life (v9a). Dig Deeper Notice the aggressive language Paul exhorts you with in this passage: fan into flame the gift of God (v6) Christians aren't timid, rather they're full of power, love & self discipline (v7) Don't be ashamed... suffer for the gospel by the power of God (v8) Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you (v14) As you begin a new year, pray that you will understand these three basic facts: that you'll come to recognize the depth of your sin (your Guilt), the magnitude of what Christ did to save you (Grace), and that in response you'll aggressively demonstrate your Gratitude by living a holy life. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father who by His power saved you and called you to a holy life (v9) ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Repent of your sin, thank God for His salvation through Christ, and ask for strength to live a holy life. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 5

gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Rom. 1: However, verses like 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and Philippians 4:6 remind us that the foundation of a prayerful Then passages like 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 tell us to give thanks in everything. for the promise that He will not leave you on your own and sends the Holy Spirit Who comes with joy (1 Thess 1:6).

How much participation would you like? Jesus tells us in the Great Commission (Matthews 28:19-20) to go and make disciples of all nations and Dig Deeper When I was a kid, my mother would only use her good plates on special occasions like Easter

Summary John 17 is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prays right before being arrested and that's been added to the famous hymn Amazing Grace should be modified a bit: When we've been there 10,000 One of the very first things God assigned Adam to do was to name the animals (Gen 2:19-20). details from the "only true God," all while working and taking care of all that God has made (Gen 2:15 ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Romans 14

Summary Leviticus 19 forms the basis for much of the New Testament book of James. The transition from lying to perjury in verses 11 and 12 demonstrates how one sin can lead into more Christ; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 2 Corinthians 10

But keep in mind the literal meaning of the Greek word paraklēsis: the para part means alongside (like The reason people like us don't feel like we're experiencing the Holy Spirit as often as we'd like is comfort in life and in death is that you belong to your faithful Savior, Jesus Christ (keep reading v8-11

That often leaves us, just like the disciples, feeling deserted and alone. Psalm 139 reminded us of God's omnipresence, and that even though Jesus' body is in heaven, in His divinity Dig Deeper Psalm 24 is a Psalm David wrote about 1,000 years before Jesus ascended into heaven that describes what Jesus' ascension was like from the perspective of the other side of the cloud which hid Jesus from

Summary A of the primary themes in the book of 1 John is love. Reading that reminds me of Romans 5:10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him

“Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience” (1 Tim 1:18-19) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus gives the Christian Church our marching orders. In 1 Cor. 11:23-26, the Apostle Paul is ensuring the church in Corinth knows what the Lord’s Supper means