Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:4; Luke 3:1-5“Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.” — Isaiah 40:4This passage in Isaiah describes the content of John the Baptist’s preaching, as shown in Luke 3
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:1-10“In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” — Isaiah 40:3The prophet Isaiah looks ahead, pointing to a prophet who would prepare the way for the coming Messiah. John the Baptist was
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:2; Ephesians 1:7-10Proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for. . . . — Isaiah 40:2God’s people had ignored his law and had closed their ears to the words of his prophets. As a consequence, the people were take
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 40:1, 9-11, 28-31Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. — Isaiah 40:1The book of Isaiah is sometimes called “the gospel of the Old Testament” because it announces the good news (gospel) of the coming of God’s servant, the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ. In
Scripture Reading — Matthew 5:21-48“You have heard that it was said. . . . But I tell you. . . .” — Matthew 5:21-22In this passage from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, our Lord cites several references from the Old Testament Law, such as “Do not murder,” “Do not commit adultery,” and so o
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 4:1-6The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ. . . . — 2 Corinthians 4:4In this passage Paul speaks of people’s minds being blinded by “the god of this
Scripture Reading — Romans 7:14-25I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin. . . . — Romans 7:22-23It is hard to overstate how much our minds are like battlefields. This is true for all
Scripture Reading — Romans 8:5-11Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. — Romans 8:5There are two basic directions we can follow in life: our own desires or God’s desires. If we believe in Christ, we should aim to follow God’s des
Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 14:6-17I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. — 1 Corinthians 14:15This passage addresses the gift of speaking in tongues. I do not have that spir
Scripture Reading — Proverbs 3:13-20If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. — James 1:5The highest degree a person can earn in a field of study is a doctorate. But education is not a true measure of wisdom. There are lots of f
Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:1-11Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus. — Philippians 2:5One of the most important goals for a believer in Christ is to have the same mindset as Jesus.Wouldn’t that be amazing?! In Philippians 2, the apostle Paul describes the attitude Jesus had wh
Scripture Reading — Revelation 5:9-14“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!” — Revelation 5:13Maybe you have heard Handel’s Messiah, which includes this song and many others that we find in the Bible. Maybe the music