Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

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the Word

1 John 1:1 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;" We are studying the acrostic GRACED : G o to God in prayer daily. R ead God’s Word daily. A ttend worship regularly. C onnect in a study group. E ngage in service. D edicate yourself to the tithe and beyond. Last week we focused on “Attend worship regularly.” Christian fellowship and mutual encouragement are very important. We want to attend worship regularly in order to provoke one another to love and good works. We are called to active engagement rather than passive attendance, using encouragement to spur one another forward in the faith. This week we will study “Connect in a study group.” Today’s verse serves as the prologue to this letter, emphasizing that Jesus Christ is the eternal “Word of life,” who existed before creation and was physically present on earth. The apostle John uses sensory lan...

serve in the house of God

Psalm 84:10 "For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." Jesus is the supreme ruler over all existence, worthy of our worship and praise every day. We marvel at Jesus’ obedience unto death. God the Father responded to the Son’s obedience by highly exalting Him to the highest place and bestowing upon Him a name above every name. Jesus is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in their relationships with one another and with God. With such a great God, Christian fellowship and mutual encouragement are very important. We want to attend worship regularly in order to provoke one another to love and good works. We are called to active engagement rather than passive attendance, using encouragement to spur others forward in their faith. With this perspective on worship, today’s verse makes a lot of sense. Communion with God is infinitely more val...

assembly required

Hebrews 10:24&25 "24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." As we study “Attend worship regularly,” we marvel at Jesus Christ’s obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. We read from Philippians to remind us that Jesus Christ is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in our relationships with one another and with God. God the Father responded to the Son’s obedience by highly exalting Him to the highest place and bestowing upon Him a name above every name. He is the supreme ruler over all existence, worthy of our worship and praise every day. In today’s verses, we read about the critical importance of Christian fellowship and mutual encouragement as a means of spiritual perseverance. Written to Jewish believers facing persecution and t...

universal confession

Philippians 2:9-11 "9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." We have marvelled at Jesus Christ’s obedience, obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. And we often cannot be obedient even in small ways. Many of us struggle with “Attend worship regularly.” These verses from Philippians remind us that Jesus Christ is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in their relationships with one another and with God. Yesterday we asked, “What are you called to do? Will you do it?” In today’s verses we read the answer: “Confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” And we can look inside ourselves to answer whether we do it or not. God the Father responded to the Son’s obedience by h...

obedience

Philippians 2:8 "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Obedient. Obedient unto death. Obedient unto the death of the cross. Do we understand this? No. We often cannot even be obedient in small ways. Many of us struggle with “Attend worship regularly.” We cannot keep the Ten Commandments, much less the 613 Mosaic laws. Still we try to do our best. God knows our hearts and minds. We read the Holy Bible to remember God’s character and plan. Attending worship will help us in our faith journey. We are reading Philippians to remember that Jesus Christ is the supreme model of humility and selfless service for believers to emulate in their relationships with one another and with God. Remember: •Believers are called to reject selfishness and pride, considering others more significant than themselves. •Jesus’ descent from the highest place in the universe to the lowest position of a servant was a deliberat...

continuous whole

Philippians 2:5-7 "5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:" We are studying “Attend worship regularly.” We began by reading from Psalm 122. These verses express the joyful anticipation of pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for worship. Those same ideas and themes continue in church services around the world today: communal worship that is a shared experience and brings joy to those who love God. In these gatherings, the Holy Ghost helps people encounter God and transforms their lives. Jewish tradition was centered on the coming Messiah. Jesus is that Messiah. Christian tradition centers on the life, death, resurrection, and eventual return of our Lord and Savior. We are tempted to see these as distinct traditions. The more accurate perspective is that they form one conti...