John draws clear contrasts for a world mired in nuance. Bible.com John 1:9-13 (NIV) 9  The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10  He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13  children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel 4 - A Twofold Response to the Gospel God’s wrath remains on those who do not believe this gospel.  But those who  do accept it  and embrace Jesus the Savior  with a true and living faith  are delivered through him  from God’s wrath and from destruction,  and receive the gift of eternal life. Summary The true light. What an interesting adjective John uses here! Certainly there are lots of false lights in the world; most only seem like light because they're lesser shades of darkness, while others only dimly reflect the one true light. But this one true light burns bright enough to give light to everyone . Yet it's obvious that two millennia after this light arrived in the world , most people still bumble around in absolute darkness. As John puts it, the world did not recognize or receive this one true light . This light shines all around them and makes it plain where they ought to go and how they ought to get there, but they have their eyes shut so tightly that it results in self imposed blindness. But you've seen this light! Or better yet, as John puts it, you've received the Light by believing in His name. You've come to recognize that the very One who made the world now stands before you to guide you out of the brokeness our sin has brought to the world and into the perfect righteousness that this One true Light both requires and supplies. Jesus does more than just illuminate the path you need to follow. Because you've received / believed in Him, He changes your eternal identity - He gives you the right to become a child of God! Dig Deeper We're going to spend this entire week in John's gospel because John, more than any other Biblical writer, illustrates the stark contrast between rejecting the gospel and embracing Jesus the Savior with a true and living faith. John contrasts concepts like darkness / light, truth / falsehood, and God / world, as we read in today's passage, as well as numerous others in his gospel, epistles and Revelation. We live in a world in love with nuance that rejects stark contrasts. It wants to stretch the continuum between good and evil by adding steps in between; most things are either sort of good or sort of evil. The world loves to point to the flaws in that which has been considered good and to make excuses for things considered evil in the past. While nuance is good and necessary at times, John will help us recognize this week that ultimately God's judgment is binary. You're either with Him or against Him. You either walk in the Light or wander in darkness. You are either the child of God or your father is the devil (John 8:44). As the Canons put it, you either embrace Jesus the Savior with a true and living faith and are delivered through him from God’s wrath and from destruction , or God's wrath remains on you. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent the one true light into the world , so that you would have the right to become His child; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that God would keep your eyes open so that you walk in His light; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 14

Our God is mightier than the chaos surrounding you. Nathan Dumlao, via Unsplash Psalm 93 (NIV) 1 The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure. 2 Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity. 3 The seas have lifted up, Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. 4 Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is mighty. 5 Your statutes, Lord, stand firm; holiness adorns your house for endless days. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith,  God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful message  to the people  and at the time He wills.  By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. Summary Psalm 93 comes in the midst of a section of psalms that celebrate the kingship of the LORD. Royal terms like reign, majesty, armed and strength pepper the first stanza. But the King being described in this psalm is far different than earthly kings, whose time comes and goes regardless of how mighty they are. This King's throne was established long ago; in fact, He's from all eternity! The psalmist points in an unexpected direction to illustrate the LORD's kingly power. The ancient Hebrews were landlubbers; they wanted nothing to do with the sea, which represented chaos and uncertainty to them. The psalmist here portrays the chaotic sea throwing all that it has at the LORD - pounding waves which consume everything in their path. But the LORD, the very one whose words bounded the chaos as He separated the land from the sea on day two of creation, is mightier than the thunder and the breakers of the sea . Despite all that this fallen, chaotic world can muster against our King, His statutes stand firm. Dig Deeper Despite the massive differences that exist between our modern North American context and the ancient near east that the psalmist called home, one of the commonalities we share is the unpredictable chaos that our sin unleashed upon God's good creation. But The psalmist here seeks to build your confidence in your King in this short song. This psalm is a reminder that, as the old hymn puts, that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet. Despite the fact that you're continually pounded by proverbial waves, you can be confident because this world is established, firm and secure in the King who created it and who continues to sovereignly reign over it. As we come to understand how it is God bestowed His unconditional election upon us, keep Psalm 93 tucked into your memory. It's with the same might that the LORD holds the chaotic seas to their boundary that He holds you in the palm of His hand, where nothing can separate you from His love (Rom. 8:38) AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is mightier than the powerful chaotic forces of this world; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the faith to trust in the LORD's might, even as the waves of chaos crash around you A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 13

If the world calls you foolish, you're likely on the right track! 1 Corinthians 1:21-25 (NIV) 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith,  God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful message  to the people  and at the time He wills.  By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. Summary Sometimes it's easy to think of ancient people like Paul as being simplistic and ignorant since they didn't have the technology and sophistication that we associate with our modern ages, but in many ways, the wisdom and philosophy of the world had already reached its zenith long before Paul wrote these words. But despite all of the world class thinkers who'd already had come and gone, their thinking had a huge deficit: they did not know God. All though thick books, erudite debates and philosophical contemplations play an important and significant role in shaping our world, and even fulfilling our mandate to exercise dominion over God's creation, God choose a much humbler method to save those who believe : He choose preaching. I n many ways, preaching isn't all that different from what the great orators who traveled throughout the Roman empire did, speaking to large assemblies in amphitheaters in every city. It's the message being proclaimed that's so different. The proclamation of a crucified Savior who has risen to rule all things seems like pure foolishness to the 'wise' of this world. But, as Paul reminds us, the 'foolishness' of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the 'weakness' of God is stronger than human strength! Dig Deeper Listening well to a preacher involves much more than just sitting there; you need to listen, watch, read along, think deeply and then apply the preached Word to your life. This is hard work! But it's also a key reason that God utilizes preaching as the primary way He conveys grace to people. There are lots of ways to short circuit this process, and lots of churches try to do so often to make it an easier and more entertaining experience, and many of their innovations really seem to make sense. After all, anything that makes it easier for people to understand the gospel seems like it ought to be a good thing, right? But yet our God, who spoke the universe into existence, opened the ocean for His people to walk through, and sent fire from heaven to demonstrate His power when pitted against idols didn't ordain any sort of flashy show to communicate His grace. It is through preaching that God saves those who believe , and as we'll see more and more this year that it's through this same process that God preserves people in this salvation. That's why it's so critical that you train yourself and your children to do the hard work of listening to God's preached Word each Lord's Day. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose Son is the power of God and the wisdom of God; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the desire and ability to listen well to God's preached Word as He uses it to preserve you in His grace; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 12

Preaching ought to be your top priority Biblia.com Romans 10:13-17 (NIV) 13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”  14  How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  16  But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?”  17  Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Grace 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith,  God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful message  to the people  and at the time He wills.  By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. Summary Paul announces the proper - and only - path to salvation by first quoting the prophet Joel: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. You will not be saved by accomplishing a certain amount of good deeds or even just by being really sorry for your sins; the only way to come to your Father, as Jesus told His disciples in John 14, is by calling on His name. But Paul points out the obvious: before a person can call on the name of the Lord, they need to know who the Lord is! Theoretically, a person can come to find out the Lord's name and their need to call on Him by sitting down on their own and reading through scripture; certainly there have been people who've done just that throughout history and found salvation on their own. But ordinarily, this knowledge necessary for salvation comes via preaching, which is both the public and private proclamation of God's Word. So as the NET Bible puts it, faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached Word of Christ. Dig Deeper As you begin your year of coming to understand God's sovereignty as it relates to your salvation - that is, His omnipotent control, authority and presence in choosing you to belong to Him and then shaping all of history to work this election out in your life - you need to be warned of a potential trap so you don't fall into it. One of the criticisms that are put up against these doctrines of grace is that if God controls every aspect of salvation and everything necessary for it will happen no matter what, that Christians will have no incentive to preach to all people. After all, if God has foreordained a person's salvation, they'll be saved even if they never hear preaching, right? Consequently, Calvinists like us are often branded the 'frozen chosen,' content to just sit back and wait for God to miraculously convert those He will without any of our effort whatsoever. And unfortunately, many Calvinists have earned this unfortunate moniker. But the reality is that the most effective evangelists over the past several centuries have been ardent Calvinists, because we know the power of Biblical preaching, and how it is that God uses preachers as His preeminent means of conveying saving grace to His people. This is why you need to make preaching the central activity in your life - both regularly hearing it proclaimed to you in a formal setting, and then privately proclaiming what you've learned to those closest to you. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who saves His people through the powerful preaching of His Word; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that preaching will be your top priority - both hearing it and sharing it; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 11

How much good news do you want to hear? Be excited to learn more and more details about the victory Christ has won for you! Isaiah 52:7 (NIV) 7  How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith,  God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful message  to the people  and at the time He wills.  By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. Summary We live in a day and age of instant communication in which events that occur anywhere on the globe are instantly beamed to a screen in your hand. You've likely experienced times where you were cut off either because you didn't have your phone or had no signal, and immediately your anxiety increased because you felt cut off from the rest of the world. Now put yourself in the sandals of a resident of the ancient near east waiting for important news to arrive. As you scour the hillsides, suddenly the image of the coming herald comes into view, and it doesn't take long before his body language betrays whether he brings bad or good news. But even when the spring in his step conveys the good news of a victory won, the anticipation would continue to build as the herald approached because you'd certainly want to know the details and the full scope of the success. As soon as the herald arrived, he'd be peppered with questions from excited people wanting to know more. That's exactly the kind of excitement Isaiah wants you to have each and every time you get to hear the gospel (good news) preached or read your Bible each weekday. Certainly you already know the general gist of what the Bible says, but you need to have an ever increasing appetite to want to know more and more about the victory Christ has won for you. Dig Deeper Isaiah builds anticipation in this short verse the same way anticipation would build in those waiting for the approaching herald to finally arrive. Notice the repetition Isaiah uses: The herald: brings good news proclaims peace brings good tidings proclaims salvation All of these lead up to the climactic declaration: "Your God reigns!" What a beautiful description of the gospel! Certainly the gospel includes lots of really important details about Jesus' birth, life, atoning death, resurrection, and victorious ascension into heaven, but Isaiah consolidates all of that good news, peace, good tidings and salvation into one simple yet powerful statement: God is always in control and will be faithful to His covenant. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who reigns! A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will have a growing appetite to be excited to hear of the gospel's peace & salvation; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 10

God wants all people to be saved! BibleHub.com 1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NIV) I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2  for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4  who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5  For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6  who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7  And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle —I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election Article 3 - The Preaching of the Gospel In order that people may be brought to faith,  God mercifully sends messengers of this very joyful message  to the people  and at the time He wills.  By this ministry people are called to repentance and faith in Christ crucified. Summary We noted last year when we read this passage that God wants us to pray for our civil and government leaders so that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Today we're going to key on why it is that God wants this lifestyle for us, and it's way more than Him just wanting you to live the good life. He wants communities in which the Gospel can be proclaimed. Notice how Paul refers to God in this passage - He is God our Savior. We often properly refer to Jesus as our Savior , since we know that He is the one mediator who stands between God and us . But as we've seen already this year, if you're going to understand your salvation properly, you must understand that God the Father planned and provided for your salvation. We'll continue to see as we go on this year that He continues to preserve you in the salvation that He planned and provided for. He truly is our Savior! Over the coming weeks and months we're going to wrestle with the Biblical teaching that God elected those who would be saved and at the same time chose to leave other in their sin. But we need to begin by understanding what Paul writes here: God wants all people to be saved. Dig Deeper Paul mentions two things God our Savior wants for all people: To be saved, and To come to a knowledge of the truth. Of course those two things are only really one, but the way Paul presents it here teaches an important lesson. Too many people mistakenly think that being 'saved' means praying a prayer or raising their hand in a darkened room when the preacher softly calls and 'no one else is looking.' Those sort of things may be significant chapters in many people's personal salvation story, but this passage illustrates that true and lasting salvation has a deeper element. Salvation is the result of coming to a knowledge of the truth. This knowledge isn't complicated; many young children have already mastered it. It simply involves a basic understanding of who God is, who you are, and how it is you're reconciled to the God you've rebelled from. But Christians ought never to be content with just a simple, basic understanding; your life ought to be marked by a steady growth in your knowledge of the truth. This means that ordinarily, salvation is conveyed didactically - that is, it is taught. It must be, as Paul refers to his own calling as one who heralded and proclaimed. This is one of the Church's biggest needs at this point in history: solid men who can preach and be faithful teachers of this wonderful gospel. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : God our Savior; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will grow this year in your knowledge of the truth and that God will raise up preachers for His Church; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 9

Learning theology is the most practical thing you can do! Learning theology increases your ability to praise the LORD! Psalm 103 (NIV) Of David. 1  Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2  Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— 3  who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4  who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5  who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s . 6  The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7  He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: 8  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9  He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10  he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. 11  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12  as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. 13  As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14  for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. 15  The life of men is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; 16  the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17  But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s childr en— 18  with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. 19  The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. 20  Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21  Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22  Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, my soul. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ. But this is how God showed his love:   he sent his only begotten Son  into the world, so that whoever believes in him  should not perish  but have eternal life Summary Psalm 103 has an antiphonal construction, meaning that it has two aspects that bounce off of one another. It begins each of it's stanzas identifying who and what God is, and then the section that follows echoes the statement and explains why the LORD ought to be praised. It works well to read an antiphonal Psalm like this one responsively, where the leader reads the imperatives to praise the LORD, and the congregation respond by reciting the verses indicating who they're praising and why: LEADER: The LORD is... CONGREGATION: He is... Psalm 103 is deeply theological, telling how God conducts Himself - He forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies, works righteousness, is compassionate, gracious, patient, and His kingdom rules over all. Not only does His sovereign rule extend over this world, but the heavens are His dominion as well, and so the angels and mighty ones who do His bidding must praise the LORD as well. But the divine attribute that brings us to Psalm 103 today is God's love . He crowns us with love and compassion , He abounds in love for those who fear Him (mentioned twice). This is the same love the Canons speak of that moved the LORD to send His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Dig Deeper Theology is often scoffed in our uber-practical society. We like ideas that produce immediate results, not deep thoughts that are so heavenly minded that don't seem to have any earthly good. But David here in Psalm 103 shows how necessary solid theology is for you at the most practical level. You were created to praise the LORD with all of your inmost being (literally with all your guts!) . But you cannot praise that which you do not know. Try it - try to praise something around you right now without mentioning anything about it. It's impossible! All of this means that in order for you to fulfill the purpose you were created for - praising the LORD - you have to have a comprehensive knowledge of the One you're praising. This comprehensive knowledge is called theology . Certainly it's possible to have a vast theology that's disconnected from praise, but that doesn't happen often (so when it does, it sticks out like a sore thumb). And the stronger your theology is, the stronger your praise will be. As we spend this year diving into some of the deepest theology there is - the Canons of Dordt - be reminded that we're not just doing it do accumulate useless bits of trivia, but to continually build up our theological understanding so that we can more and more fulfill the purpose we've been created for: to praise the LORD! AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that as we study theology this year, your ability to praise the LORD will ever increase; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 8

Your definition of love defines the way you live. DailyVerses.net 1 John 4:8-10 (NIV) 8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ. But this is how God showed his love:   he sent his only begotten Son  into the world, so that whoever believes in him  should not perish  but have eternal life Summary The reason that God's grace is so much stronger than you are is because it's a product of His character. Last year around this time we learned that God is self defining; in other words, He is and defines His attributes, which are multifaceted. In today's passage, John reminds us that that God is love . This doesn't just mean that God is lov ing , it means that God is the very definition of love, and that everything He does is perfectly consistent with it. Yet we wouldn't know a thing about God's love - or even love in general - had God not revealed it to us. You could certainly count off lots of ways that God has shown His love to you if you took a moment to think about it (which you should!), but the best example of God's love comes in sending His one and only Son into the world. In John's poetic writing style, he often repeats concepts with a slight twist, and today he doesn't disappoint us. He already explained as plainly as possible in v9 the divine nature of love, writing that God is love , but then he restates in v10 what love is by first explaining what it's not: love does not originate with us - it's not that we [first] loved God , but rather that He loved us and sent His Son. And it's not that He just sent His Son to be immanuel (God with us) or to be a friend when we need one. In His love He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. What a definition of love! Even though we pulled our love from God and gave it to idols, God's love for you was so strong that He sent His one and only Son to pay for your sin! Dig Deeper It's been awhile since we pointed one out, and here at the beginning of the year is a good time to do so. If you're just joining us, it's always good to keep your eye out for what are known as 'hina' clauses , which are often present when you see words or phrases like ' so that' (they're called 'hina' clauses because they translate the Greek word hina ). They function as a conjunction which attaches a concept to a practical conclusion, and there's a big one in v9. God sent His one and only Son into the world so that we might live through Him . It's critically important that you understand the primary reason why God sent His Son: so that He would be the atoning sacrifice [payment] for your sin. But don't miss the HUGE practical conclusion attached to this concept: you must now live through Him - not just alongside or even for Christ, but through Him. To live through Christ means you must be breathing His Word in so that you reflect His glory and image in all that you do. This is how you return the love that God first demonstrated to you. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who demonstrated what love is by sending His one and only Son into the world; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that in 2025 you will concentrate on breathing Christ's Word in so that you will live through Him; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 7

Your salvation is founded in one simple truth. Apologies to Vikings fans for this picture from the Lions John 3:16-18 (NIV) 16  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Grace 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ. But this is how God showed his love:   he sent his only begotten Son  into the world, so that whoever believes in him  should not perish  but have eternal life Summary Today's passage is arguably the most recognized and quoted verse in the entire Bible. John is known for his simple eloquence, and this passage is a great example of why. But these words have the traction they do not simply because of their aesthetic beauty, but because they convey such profound truth with ordinary vocabulary. Notice that God is the primary subject of every sentence and clause. It is God's love which initiates salvation; He gave His one and only Son, and salvation requires belief in Him and comes through Him. And whoever believes in Him is not condemned [by God], but whoever does not believe in Him stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is a critical concept you need to grasp as we begin this year of coming to understand how God's grace is stronger than you are. The immense comfort that comes from knowing God will preserve you in Christ no matter what is predicated on understanding that God Himself is the One who designed, provided for, initiated and delivered your salvation. All of this came about for you because God so loved the world, not because you so loved God. Dig Deeper I often encourage people to practice their 'gospel in a minute' speech. Since you never know when or where an opportunity will come for you to evangelize, you need to be ready all the time! Evangelizing is a skill, and just like any other skill, the best way to get good at it is to practice it over and over. Often times people get flustered when the opportunity to share the Good News pops up and they start tripping all over their words (if they even notice it in the moment... often I don't realize the chance I had until a couple of hours later, but that's a different devotional). What ends up coming out isn't a winsome proclamation of the gospel, but a convoluted word salad that really has no point. That's why you need to be prepared to share the message of the gospel in a minute or less. And memorizing John 3:16-18 is a great way to do that! It tells us who God is - the one who loved the world ; who we are- those condemned because of our sin; and how to achieve salvation: whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, who sent His Son into the world to save the whole world through Him; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Thank God for taking the initiative in your salvation, and pray that you'll be ready to share this good news with others (be sure to practice it too!); A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 6

The more you know God, the more hope you'll experience. Hymnary.org Lamentations 3:19-24 (NIV) 19  I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20  I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21  Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22  Because of the LORD’s great love ( ḥěʹ·sěḏ ) we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24  I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” Canons of Dordt Point 1 - God's Unconditional Election 1 - God's right to condemn all people 2 - God shows His sovereign love in the sending of Jesus Christ. But this is how God showed his love:   he sent his only begotten Son  into the world, so that whoever believes in him  should not perish  but have eternal life Summary Jeremiah knew first hand of the difficulties he wrote of here in Lamentations 3. As a prophet of the LORD, he often bore the brunt of the people's rebellion against their God. He experienced the taste of bitter gall time and time again. Even when his physical pain subsided for a time, he well remembered his pain. He had every reason for his soul to be downcast (the NET Bible renders verse 20 as I continually think about this, and I am depressed ). But notice what it is that brings Jeremiah relief. It wasn't some sort of luxurious indulgence or even just a little 'me-time'. He simply writes this I call to mind. In other words, Jeremiah knew his theology well. He not only knew of God's existence, but he knew God's character and attributes, and just a simple recollection of this knowledge lifted Jeremiah out of the mental (and sometimes even physical) pits he found himself in so often. Jeremiah understood that the awful sins that plagued him - those inflicted by others towards God and towards him, and also his own sinful nature - deserved the wrath and condemnation of the one holy God. But Jeremiah also knew of God's ḥěʹ·sěḏ - the covenant love towards man that God had obligated Himself to. It is this ḥěʹ·sěḏ love that keeps sinners from being consumed . This love is as reliable as the sun coming up each morning. Jeremiah writes that the compassions of our covenant God never fail . Despite all of the hardship Jeremiah faced in his life, he had everything he needed; the LORD was his portion - therefore, I will wait for him. Dig Deeper Jeremiah's tremendous confidence was based on his theology, but even though Jeremiah was a Spirit inspired prophet, the theology he had was quite limited. Jeremiah would have given every earthly possession he had to know what you know: to know Christ. Jeremiah's only relief from his chronic depression was to think about God's ḥěʹ·sěḏ  love, but for all that Jeremiah knew about God's faithfulness, he only knew a fraction of God's love. The Canons today remind us that the primary way that God demonstrated His ḥěʹ·sěḏ  love by sending His only begotten Son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life . As the heaviness of the world and another new year set in upon you, be sure to call to mind often your theology. Remember that in Christ, God's compassions never fail; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. AAA Prayer (About) A CKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS : Our Father, whose ḥěʹ·sěḏ  love keeps us from being consumed; A LIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray for the energy and desire to learn solid theology, so that you can call it to mind and therefore have hope; A SK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Mark 5