Proverbs 30:5–6 (NIV) 5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 5: The Authority of Scripture We

Summary In Matthew 5:34-37 Jesus speaks against making oaths, instead encouraging the people to “let In James 5:12, James is restating this same teaching for the recipients of his letter. ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who answers every promise He's made with "YES" in Christ (2 Cor. 1:

Perhaps you have even memorized Galatians 5:22-23: “But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, Upon reading the desires of the flesh listed in Galatians 5, you may be tempted to become hyper-focused not your own desires; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1

[and] death reigned through that one man (v16-17)."

Father who loves you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Thessalonians 1

light of Christ in you; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1

to task for tolerating such an ugly sin and instructed them to "expel the wicked man from among you (1 Cor. 5.13)." ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Corinthians 4

Be strengthened in the name of Christ, the one & only source of salvation. 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 Following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Disciples ventured out into the streets of Jerusalem actively preaching and healing in the name of Jesus. After healing a crippled man unable to walk since birth, Peter shared that this man was healed by the name of Jesus. This was followed by a declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, which included a critique of the Jewish rulers. These same rulers had charge of the temple and played a role in pressuring Pilate to execute Jesus. Word of this made it to the captain of the temple, who had the disciples arrested. After being held in custody overnight, they were then brought before a group of leaders from the Jewish religious council known as the Sanhedrin. In response to their questioning about what had taken place Peter does not back down from his prior declaration, despite knowing the role these men played in Jesus’ crucifixion and the danger they posed for him. Instead, Peter makes a bolder declaration in their midst: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Not only was Peter stating outright that salvation is found in Jesus, but that salvation is ONLY found in Jesus. Dig Deeper The Book of Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I have always been drawn to the fact that the miracles did not stop after the resurrection. Despite Jesus having already ascended to heaven, the Disciples were out healing the sick and making the lame walk. These miracles were a sign to the people that what the Disciples spoke of Jesus was true. These signs also protected the Disciples in this instance, for while it would have been easier to “get rid” of the Disciples, the council’s hands were tied, since the people had already seen the miracles, with thousands coming to faith in Jesus as a result. Instead this group of leaders on the council tried to compel the Disciples to stop telling people about Jesus. Despite the council being a powerful enemy to have, Peter refused. Peter had seen the risen Jesus and been filled with the Holy Spirit. He was not going to give in to the demands of the council; they could not offer him salvation. Instead, Peter held firm and trusted in Jesus, the only one who saves. You will likely never stand before a council and have to speak on behalf of your faith. However, you might be put in a position someday where you are asked to compromise on your faith and values. If that day comes, remember Peter’s example of standing firm on your faith in Jesus and his reason for doing so: “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Almighty God, who raised Jesus from the dead; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will build your life with Christ as the cornerstone. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 9

To begin with, this version of God's Law here in Deuteronomy 5 helps illustrate that the concept that This version of the commandment in Deuteronomy 5 also helps us understand the ultimate goal of the Sabbath ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - 1 Timothy 6

Sin no longer rules you, so you must rule it out. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 43 Q. What further advantage do we receive from Christ’s sacrifice and death on the cross? A. Through Christ’s death our old selves are crucified, put to death, and buried with him, so that the evil desires of the flesh may no longer rule us, but that instead we may dedicate ourselves as an offering of gratitude to him. Summary The resurrection of Jesus is something believers teach our little ones from a young age. While we celebrate the resurrection every time we gather for worship, we especially do so on Easter Sunday. The resurrection receives this well-deserved attention because it is fundamental to our faith. It is because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that we hope, both for this life and the life to come. As Paul wrote to the Romans, if we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we shall also be united to Him with a resurrection like his. This is the promise we celebrate on Easter, that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so too shall those who belong to Him. This is the promise we often focus on with resurrection, however you do not need to wait for this life to pass you by to experience the benefits of the resurrection. Jesus’ death and resurrection has set you free from your enslavement to sin. When Jesus was nailed to the cross, so was your old self. There are multiple things that are considered part of this “old self,” including the sinful life before coming to faith in Christ and your past state of sin through your union with Adam, the first man through whom sin entered the world. This is not a promise of relief from sin that occurs in the future, that once you die then you will be set free from sin. Instead, Paul wrote, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This freedom from sin is already at work in the life of believers. The old self has already passed away, and the evil desires of the flesh no longer reign in you. Dig Deeper The freedom from your enslavement to sin that Christ has won for you does not mean that you no longer sin. Even the most devout of believers is unable to live a life void of sin. While sin is still a reality we all face, a shift does occur in the life of the believer because of the freedom from sin given through Jesus. The old self which was dominated by desires to sin has passed away, and the new self in Christ, which is dominated by a desire for righteousness and holiness, has taken hold. The benefits you receive from the death and resurrection of Jesus are already here. Because you have freedom from your enslavement to sin, you also have an obligation to live into this new life in Christ. Today's passage concludes with these commands in v12-13: 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, who has called you to new life in Jesus; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask for the strength to be increasingly disgusted with sin as you seek to offer yourself to God. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Matthew 11