The Sunday Lectionary Readings for SUNDAY, January 26, 2020 — 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany

Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23

The Sunday Lectionary Readings

SUNDAY, January 26, 2020 — 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany

(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Call to Unity

Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23

Opening Statement

In the darkness of winter, these scriptures shine forth with the light of grace. Isaiah speaks of light coming to those in the deep darkness of anguish; Psalm 27 calls the Lord “my light”; and Jesus fulfills the promise of Isaiah as he begins his ministry. The light of God calls people to rejoice and to follow Jesus into a ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing. The light of God calls us to remember our essential unity and our need for one another. By the light of love, we find that the foolishness of the world is the power of God.

Prayer for Unity

Opening Prayer

(Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, Matthew 4)

God of light and love, we come this morning with eyes stinging from the brightness of your glory. We have become so accustomed to the darkness, that your radiant light sometimes overwhelms us. Open our eyes to the light of your dawn, that our souls may be flooded with love and mercy and joy. Open our hearts to receive your message of comfort and peace and security, that we may find rest in your loving, protective presence. Open our spirits to follow the path you put before us, that we may lead lives committed to your Way. Amen.

The Collect

(Book of Common Prayers)

Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Confession

(Isaiah 9, Psalm 27,1 Corinthians 1, Matthew 4)

God of our light and our salvation, sometimes we prefer to live in darkness, embracing the safety and anonymity of the shadows; sometimes we delight in our divisions, believing we are better than others; sometimes the yoke of our calling feels too heavy, and we seek to slip out from under the bar across our shoulders. Forgive our fear. Forgive our aversion to the light. Forgive our unresponsiveness to your call. Forgive our willful blindness and deafness to the Way. Help us know deep in our souls that you are our light and our salvation, our joy and our wonder, our very life. Hear us as we cry aloud in our need. Amen.

Words of Assurance

(Psalm 27)

Our God of light and love hears us when we cry aloud. We have nothing to fear. Know that this God of light wraps us in comforting arms, lifts us from the darkness of our guilt and sin, and forgives us once and for all. Know that we will dwell in safety in God’s house, now and forevermore.

Prayer of the Day

Lord God, your loving-kindness always goes before us and follows after us. Summon us into your light,  and direct our steps in the ways of goodness that come through the cross of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

First Reading

Isaiah 9:1-4

Light shines for those in darkness

9:1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

2  The people walking in darkness
     have seen a great light;
   on those living in the land of deep darkness
     a light has dawned.
3  You have enlarged the nation
     and increased their joy;
   they rejoice before you
     as people rejoice at the harvest,
   as warriors rejoice
     when dividing the plunder.
4  For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,
     you have shattered
   the yoke that burdens them,
     the bar across their shoulders,
     the rod of their oppressor.

Psalm 27:1, 4-9

God is light and salvation

1  The Lord is my light and my salvation—
     whom shall I fear?
   The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
     of whom shall I be afraid?

4  One thing I ask from the Lord,
     this only do I seek:
   that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
     all the days of my life,
   to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
     and to seek him in his temple.
5  For in the day of trouble
     he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
   he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
     and set me high upon a rock.

6  Then my head will be exalted
     above the enemies who surround me;
   at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
     I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7  Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
     be merciful to me and answer me.
8  My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
     Your face, Lord, I will seek.
9  Do not hide your face from me,
     do not turn your servant away in anger;
     you have been my helper.
   Do not reject me or forsake me,
     God my Savior.

Second Reading

1 Corinthians 1:10-18

An appeal for unity in the gospel

10:1 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 11 My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 12 What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. 16 (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) 17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia. Jesus preached the good news of the kingdomand cured every sickness among the people. Alleluia. (Matt. 4:23)

The Gospel

Matthew 4:12-23

Christ revealed as a prophet

4:12 When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— 14 to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

15 “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
     the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
     Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people living in darkness
     have seen a great light;
   on those living in the land of the shadow of death
     a light has dawned.”

17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Here end the Lessons

Click HERE to read today’s Holy Gospel Lesson message

The Nicene Creed

We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven; by the power of the Holy Spirit he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Closing Prayer

In the name of the Father and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God of love and mercy,

You call us to be your people,

You gift us with Your abundant grace.

Make us a holy people,

radiating the fullness of your love.

Form us into a community of people who care,

expressing Your compassion.

Remind us day after day of our baptismal call

to serve with joy and courage.

Teach us how to grow in wisdom and grace

and joy in Your presence.

Through Jesus and Your Spirit,

we make this prayer. Amen.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Daily Lectionary for SUNDAY, January 26, 2020 — 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany
A Call to Unity
Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians 1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23

“Fishing for People” The Sermon for SUNDAY, January 26, 2020 — 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany

Our Gospel message comes to us today from the 4th chapter of Matthew, beginning with the 12th verse.

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali—to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:12-23)

Dear Heavenly Father, you have revealed yourself to us through your Word, recorded in the Scriptures, spoken by the prophets, but most clearly through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your Word become flesh. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts and minds to your Word, that we might perceive your presence among us, embrace your truth for our lives, and gain the courage to witness to others of your redeeming grace. This we ask in Christ’s holy name. Amen.

“Fishing for People”

Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior, who is the fisher of people. Amen.

Our gospel lesson is the familiar lesson of the call of the first four disciples. Jesus returns to Galilee to begin his public ministry as he has heard that John is now in prison. Jesus starts by preaching to the people that they must repent for the kingdom of God is near.

God’s time was now breaking upon the earth. It was the time that salvation would come in the form of Jesus. The time was now beginning to be fulfilled. The people who walked in a great darkness were going to see the light. The light of the Epiphany was now upon the earth and was beginning His ministry.

“Time’s up! You’ve been waiting how many years for the Messiah to show up? Well, I’m here. And right on time.” God’s people can trust in the perfect timing of God. He may not always come when you want Him, but He is always right on time, and when He shows up, it’s with supreme authority.

We’ll be a lot happier if we remember that sometimes God answers our prayers by saying, “Not yet.” A man once asked God how long a million years was to Him. God replied, “It’s just like a single second of your time, my child.” So the man asked, “And what about a million dollars?” The Lord replied, “To me, it’s just like a single penny.” So the man gathered himself up and said, “Well, Lord, could I have one of your pennies?” And God said, “Certainly, my child, just a second.”

The timing of God is perfect.

God’s timing was now at hand. The time had been fulfilled, the Messiah had come, and He had to begin His ministry.

And one of the first things he did was to call four common men to follow him, to be his disciples. Jesus had a dream about His ministry. It would be a ministry that would reach out to those who were in deep darkness. Jesus needed others to make His plan a reality.

He needed others to dream along with him.

But dreams can be dangerous.

In 1988, Hollywood came out with a movie about a man named Tucker. It was the story of a man who tried to fight the Detroit auto industry by creating a car named after himself. In one scene, Tucker recalls how, as a young boy, his Italian born mother would warn him, “Don’t get too close to people, you’ll catch their dreams.” She had meant to say, “you’ll catch their germs.” But in broken English, she had mistakenly used the word “dreams.” So Tucker grew up keeping himself apart from others lest he catches their dreams. Dreams are dangerous after all, for they have the power to change the human soul and to overthrow the status quo. Just ask anyone who’s heart was filled with fear when a black preacher declared on national television, “I have a dream.” Dreams are dangerous things. They are to be feared. They are to be avoided at all costs.

But merely avoiding other people’s dreams out of fear of what might happen, can cause us to miss the wonder of what does happen. Jim Egan worked at computer fairs helping customers decorate their booths. In the ’70s, Egan was approached by a couple of long-haired kids who wanted some chrome displays to make their booth “look flashy.” They were short of cash but offered him some stock in their new company as a trade. Egan, who had seen businesses come and go in his twenty-year career, said he would accept only hard cash. So Steve Wozniak and Steven Jobs did without the chrome, fixed up their booth, and kept their stock in Apple Computer to themselves. Presumably, Jim Egan is still decorating booths for hard cash. To be caught up in another person’s dream can be dangerous, but to avoid that same dream could be disastrous. So to dream or not to dream, that is today’s question.

Jesus had a dream, and he let others catch it. The four disciples were not afraid of Jesus’ dream as the text says: “At once they left their nets and followed him.” (Matthew 4:20)

At once, they did not give it a second thought, at once that caught that dream of Jesus and left everything behind to follow him. At once, they left family and friends to follow this man they had just met. At once they left their comfortable trade which was probably making them a comfortable living as they were professional fishermen. They gave that all up to follow Jesus not knowing where they would go or what they would do for sure, or what they would do to sustain their lives, but at once they left and followed Jesus.

And Jesus wants us to catch that dream also. He wants us to go fishing, fishing to spread the forgiveness and grace of Christ to others.

But sometimes we do it all wrong as seen in the following:

“On a beautiful autumn day a few years ago, we went with some friends to float the Muskegon River not far from our home. It was during the Salmon run, and it was something to behold. We lived near world-class tailwaters of Lake Michigan were Salmon as big and nearly as fast as torpedoes cruise the river in the fall. There were seven of us on the river together that day. Tim and three of his sons myself, Kyle and Chuck.

We planned to put in just below the Croton Dam and float down a few miles fishing and enjoying the bracing autumn day. We had taken up fly-fishing, but Tim had rigged a spin-casting rod with some spawn we had gone on ahead with the younger boys while the older boys were taking their time seeking out fishing holes. They had Trout in mind. We were mostly canoeing with plans to take a few Salmon if they were trying to jump in the boat. The older boys had fly-rods, and they were mostly ignoring the Salmon and fly-casting for Brown Trout and Rainbows.

The first time I saw a Salmon cruise by upstream, I was shocked at its size. It was a huge, very fast fish. But about an hour into our trip, we rounded a bend, and ahead of us, three or four huge Salmon were churning the water like a washing machine. It was a spectacle impossible to ignore. I quickly grabbed the rod and began frantically casting into the pool. For the next few minutes, it was like we were taken with a fever. Tim and I are both professional men, but we lost all reserve and reflection and began to flail the water with our lures. My first cast landed on the bank, and the second cast snarled in an overhanging tree. Tim waded over into the whole to get my line free while I made wild gestures up-stream so the boys would know we had found a hole inhabited by monster fish.

Up-river the guys saw we were into something, and they began to paddle fast to see what it was. By the time they were close enough for us to gesture to indicate the size of the monster Salmon, the big fish were gone, and the hole was as still as a church on Monday morning. In our enthusiasm to land a big fish, we had so fouled the hole that there would be no fishing there for the rest of the afternoon. The worst part was that we had to put up with the boys ribbing us for the rest of the day.” — Kenneth L. Pierpont

Jesus called himself a fisher of men, and he expected that all who consider themselves his disciples would follow him in the same pursuit. If we are not careful in our eagerness to catch people for God, though, we can drive them away. This especially happens when people don’t feel that we genuinely care for them. When they sense we see them as a project or a Sunday School assignment, we are clumsy fishermen. When we just unload our canned speech on them while we are keeping them at a distance relationally, they will usually not hear with their hearts. We want to be ready to give the message of the gospel. Without it, no one will ever have eternal life. We need to tell it well and tell it often, but if we are not careful to accompany the words of the gospel with the music of genuine love, we will foul the hole and ruin the fishing.

Sometimes we get so caught up in our selves that we cannot feel the hurt, the pain of those living around us, and we ruin the fishing. We foul up the fishing hole.

Notice the last verse of our lesson. Jesus has asked the four to follow Him. Then it says: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matthew 4:23). Jesus took the disciples and did not foul up the fishing hole but went and told the good news to all who would listen and reached out to the sick and the infirm.

Jesus did not make so much noise with his preaching that he scared the people away as the fishermen did in our story. No, Jesus preached and reached out to those that needed Him the most.

I think Jesus would like us to be like the girl in the following:

Mary was a little girl who was asked to run an errand for her mother shortly before supper. She dashed away to the store to get a loaf of bread. But supper was on the table, and the family all gathered and still no Mary. Finally, she came skipping in with the loaf of bread. Her mother scolded her for fooling around on the way home. Mary said she had seen Susan and Susan’s doll just broke. Her mother asked, “Did you help Susan fix her doll?”

“No,” Mary said, “I helped her cry!!!”

I helped her cry!! Isn’t that what the good news of the gospel is all about. Jesus is with us in our time of need and helping us cry. Jesus, standing with us, giving us a shoulder to lean on.

We are not to foul up the fishing hole with our noise about the gospel, but we are to be there alongside those who yes need to hear the gospel but, more importantly, feel the gospel in their lives. People need to feel the gospel from our helping hand.

Will you go at once and become a fisher of people?

Let us pray: Dear Lord, how easy it is to get wrapped up in our own lives and priorities and forget there is a sea of men, women, and children who need to know Your love and salvation. Give us a longing, Father, and the desire to fish for men, women, and children and be faithful witnesses until You return to take us home to be with You forever. Amen.

Seeking God?

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relationship with Jesus Christ

Scripture is taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Sermon contributed by Rev. Tim Zingale.
The call of the first four disciples.

The Daily Prayer for SUNDAY, January 26, 2020

The Daily Prayer

SUNDAY, January 26, 2020

A poem from American farmer Wendell Berry:

As soon as the generals and the politicos

can predict the motions of your mind,

lose it. Leave it as a sign

to mark the false trail, the way

you didn’t go. Be like the fox

who makes more tracks than necessary,

some in the wrong direction.

Practice resurrection.

Lord, the power of song can stir our hearts to courage and break down walls of resistance. Help us compose lyrics of our lives that move enemies to compassion and make justice to rise up and dance in every corner of the world. Amen.

Verse of the Day SUNDAY, January 26, 2020

James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Read all of James 4

Listen to James 4

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Un dia a la Vez - Domingo 26 de enero de 2020

Dios siempre tiene la razón

Anímense unos a otros con salmos, himnos y canciones espirituales. Canten y alaben al Señor con el corazón, dando siempre gracias a Dios el Padre por todo.

—Efesios 5:19-20 (NVI)

Creo que sufrí por amor el noventa por ciento de mi vida. Siempre me equivocaba cuando buscaba pareja y nunca tenía a Dios como consejero. Por eso, el noventa por ciento de mi vida lo viví en desamor.

Hoy en día, supe esperar en Dios y Él fue el que trajo a mi vida a mi esposo, Edgar. Así que pude ver la diferencia: Cuando las cosas son de Dios, permanecen. De modo que pueden pasar tormentas y dificultades, pero ese amor lucha y enfrenta cada crisis en la ROCA que es Cristo.

Cuando queremos hacer nuestra voluntad y actuar como decía una antigua canción «Hagamos lo que diga el corazón», viviremos aventuras y romances que terminan en grandes tragedias, desilusiones y hasta traumas que arrastraremos por años en nuestra vida. El Manual de Instrucciones nos deja ver bien claro que «engañoso es el corazón» (Jeremías 17:8, rv-60).

Con tantas experiencias dolorosas que tuve a lo largo de mi vida y cansada de sufrir, un día por fin decidí hacer un ALTO en mi vida emocional e hice un pacto con mi Dios al decirle las siguientes palabras: «Quiero desintoxicarme de los hombres y deseo guardarme para ti y para mis princesas». Y Dios, que es amor, me tomó en sus brazos. Entonces, a partir de ese momento, pude experimentar lo que es estar quieta y esperar en Él.

Si estás cansado de una vida amorosa tormentosa, es tiempo de hacer un ALTO y pedirle a tu Padre que te dé la fuerza para dejar esa relación que está destruyendo tu vida. Así, serás capaz de decir, como yo lo hice un día: «Dios quiere lo mejor para sus hijos y siempre tiene la razón».

Un Día a la Vez Copyright © by Claudia Pinzón
Creo que sufrí por amor el noventa por ciento de mi vida.

Standing Strong Through the Storm - Saturday, January 18, 2020

SATAN’S TACTICS

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

—James 4:7 (NIV)

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can’t even keep them from family values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding experience in Christ.

“If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ.

“This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day.”

“How shall we do this?” shouted the evil angels.

“Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered.

“Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work and the husbands to work six or seven days a week, ten to twelve hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work.

“Overstimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to keep the TV, the DVD, and their CD’s going constantly in their homes. Tempt them to spend more time on their computers, especially watching internet pornography.

“Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news twenty-four-hours-a-day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogs, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering, free products, services, and false hopes.

“When they meet for fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotions. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength.”

RESPONSE: Today I will live in awareness of Satan’s subtle tactics to keep me from victory. I will stand against him and he will flee.

PRAYER: Lord, help me remain close to You today and not allow the “things” and “busyness” of life to crowd You out.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS), a daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks. © 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission.

LHM Daily Devotions - January 26, 2020 - God Loved the World So That He Gave

"God Loved the World So That He Gave"

Jan. 26, 2020

♫ "God loved the world so that He gave, His only Son the lost to save, That all who would in Him believe, should everlasting life receive.

"Christ Jesus is the ground of faith, Who was made flesh and suffered death; All then who trust in Him alone, are built on this chief Cornerstone." ♫

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Our hymn reflects the familiar verse that has been called "the Gospel in a nutshell." In these few words, we have a concise summary of the Gospel, the essential facts of the Good News that Scripture calls the power of God for salvation—God's love for the world, the gift of His Son, and the promise of eternal life for those who believe in Jesus.

The description, "in a nutshell," may imply something small, even insignificant. Still, there is nothing small or insignificant about this message. This brief passage contains within itself the mighty, creative power of the Gospel. It is a small seed that holds the promise of the living plant that will grow and thrive through the seed's nourishment. As the apostle Peter writes, "You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God ... and this Word is the good news that was preached to you" (1 Peter 1:23, 25). That small but mighty Gospel seed formed the heart and center of the apostle Paul's proclamation, as he explained to the church in Corinth: "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2).

If there is anything small or insignificant involved in this verse—and in the hymn—well, that description fits us fairly well. The world that God loves is a sinful, rebellious world, and we are sinful, rebellious people. Scripture describes us in an unflattering but accurate way; apart from Christ, we were "dead in our trespasses" (see Ephesians 2:5). We did nothing to deserve the love of God. We were unworthy of the astounding gift of His Son. The gift of salvation begins and ends where the little nutshell verse begins with the love of God. What we deserve for our sins is death and eternal separation from God. But out of His love and grace—His undeserved favor for sinners—God sent His Son into the world. Jesus took onto Himself the penalty of death we earned. All who believe in Jesus, who look to Him in faith, receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

By God's grace through faith, this little nutshell's worth of good news brings us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, into the kingdom of Jesus Christ, our "chief Cornerstone," the rock-solid foundation on whom our lives are built, now and for eternity.

THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we give You thanks and praise for the gift of Your Son. Help us in the power of the Spirit to be faithful witnesses to Your truth, spreading the imperishable seed of the Gospel. Amen.

Reflection Questions:

• Without using John 3:16, can you summarize the Gospel in 25 words or less for someone else?
• What does it mean to say that Jesus is the "Chief Cornerstone"?
• Do you think your life as a Christian stands out to others in a way that intrigues them about your faith and the Savior?

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, "God Loved the World So That He Gave." Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
Without using John 3:16, can you summarize the Gospel in 25 words or less for someone else?

Unser Täglich Brot - Kinder zu Gott führen

Kinder zu Gott führen

Lesung: 2. Timotheus 3,10-15 | Die Bibel in einem Jahr: 2. Mose 14–15; Matthäus 17

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Du aber sollst dich treu an das halten, was ich dich gelehrt habe . . . Von Kindheit an bist du in der heiligen Schrift unterwiesen worden. — 2. Timotheus 3,14-15

Ein überzeugter Atheist hält es für unmoralisch, wenn Eltern ihren Kindern die Religion beibringen, als ob sie tatsächlich wahr wäre. Er behauptet sogar, dass Eltern, die ihren Glauben an ihre Kinder weitergeben, Kindesmissbrauch begehen. Obwohl diese Ansichten extrem sind, höre ich von Eltern, die zögern, ihre Kinder offen zum Glauben zu ermutigen. Während die meisten von uns bereitwillig hoffen, ihre Kinder in Bezug auf Politik, Ernährung oder Sport zu beeinflussen, gehen einige von uns aus irgendeinem Grund anders mit ihrem Glauben an Gott um.

Im Gegensatz dazu schrieb Paulus, wie Timotheus „von Kindheit an“ in der heiligen Schrift unterwiesen worden ist, und „sie kann dich weise machen, die Rettung anzunehmen, die der Glaube an Christus Jesus schenkt!“ (2. Timotheus 3,15). Timotheus kam als Erwachsener nicht durch die Kraft seiner eigenen Vernunft zum Glauben. Vielmehr nährte seine Mutter sein Herz gegenüber Gott. Dann fuhr er mit dem fort, was er gelernt hatte (V. 14). Wenn Gott das Leben ist, die Quelle wahrer Weisheit, dann ist es wichtig, in unseren Familien behutsam die Liebe zu Gott pflegen.

Es gibt viele Glaubenssysteme, die unsere Kinder beeinflussen: Fernsehsendungen, Filme, Musik, Lehrer, Freunde, die Medien. Alle davon enthalten Thesen (entweder offensichtlich oder unterschwellig) über den Glauben, die einen wirklichen Einfluss ausüben. Mögen wir uns dafür entscheiden, nicht zu schweigen. Die Schönheit und Gnade, die wir erfahren haben, zwingt uns, unsere Kinder zu Gott zu führen.

Denke einmal über die vielen Einflüsse und Botschaften nach, die wir alle an einem Tag erhalten. Wie formen diese Kräfte dich und die, die du liebst?

Lieber Vater, ich danke dir für die Freude und das Privileg, Kinderherzen in deine Nähe zuführen.

Von Winn Collier

© 2020 Unser Täglich Brot
Ein überzeugter Atheist hält es für unmoralisch, wenn Eltern ihren Kindern die Religion beibringen, als ob sie tatsächlich wahr wäre. Er behauptet sogar, dass Eltern, die ihren Glauben an ihre Kinder weitergeben, Kindesmissbrauch begehen.