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

Revelation 1:4–8 (NIV) Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from Moses says that God “created the world”; and John says that “all things were created by the Word,” which not just a story, but the entire history of man's creation, redemption, salvation and consummation - John But John, along with every other New Testament author, tells it as it is.

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

John brings up this anointing in this passage of his first letter. claims faced opposition through false teachers who tried to lead these young Christians astray that John So, John directs them to abide in the truth of God’s Word that they have been taught from the beginning We face different opponents and false teachers than John’s audience did in the first century, but his “Fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience” (1 Tim 1:18-19) ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU

Romans 6:1-4 (NIV) What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 4  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised

Romans 10:1-4 (NIV) Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4  Today: 1 Corinthians 7

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

Summary John 17 is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prays right before being arrested and

Galatians 4:1-7 (NIV) ...As long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental spiritual forces of the world. 4  shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5).

Romans 8:1-4 (NIV) Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully Christ We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined