God Is Eternal & Never Changes

March 23, 2025

Isaiah 6:1-4; Hebrews 12:10-14; Leviticus 11:44-45; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 — God is a holy God. God’s holiness is His complete otherness and separation from His creation. He is unique, distinct, and radically different in a class of His own with no comparison. No one is holy like the Lord; there is no one besides Him (1 Sam 2:2). His holiness stands apart: unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible, and unattainable. It’s His transcendence, majesty, and moral purity. No sin, evil, or impurity can survive in the presence of his holiness. God revealed his holiness to us in Scripture and Jesus Christ, the Holy One. In Christ, we are made holy, and now, as his children, we are called to be holy as He is holy. His commandments reflect his holiness and how we should live holy as his people. His holiness should bring us to the cross in humility, repentance, and thanksgiving that God has provided us a way to be in His holy presence and for Him to dwell with us and in us. His holiness gives us a posture of dependence and reliance on God. We seek after Him. And through his Holy Spirit, his character and holiness is lived out through us.

This is part of the 40 Days of Prayer Series 2025, which is based on the Christian & Missionary Alliance’s annual 40 Days of Prayer Series. However, our church decided to do this during the Lent season instead of at the beginning of the year.

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Attributes of GodSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
The Holiness of God

March 9, 2025

Isaiah 6:1-4; Hebrews 12:10-14; Leviticus 11:44-45; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 — God is a holy God. God’s holiness is His complete otherness and separation from His creation. He is unique, distinct, and radically different in a class of His own with no comparison. No one is holy like the Lord; there is no one besides Him (1 Sam 2:2). His holiness stands apart: unique, unapproachable, incomprehensible, and unattainable. It’s His transcendence, majesty, and moral purity. No sin, evil, or impurity can survive in the presence of his holiness. God revealed his holiness to us in Scripture and Jesus Christ, the Holy One. In Christ, we are made holy, and now, as his children, we are called to be holy as He is holy. His commandments reflect his holiness and how we should live holy as his people. His holiness should bring us to the cross in humility, repentance, and thanksgiving that God has provided us a way to be in His holy presence and for Him to dwell with us and in us. His holiness gives us a posture of dependence and reliance on God. We seek after Him. And through his Holy Spirit, his character and holiness is lived out through us.

This is part of the 40 Days of Prayer Series 2025, which is based on the Christian & Missionary Alliance’s annual 40 Days of Prayer Series. However, our church decided to do this during the Lent season instead of at the beginning of the year.

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Attributes of GodSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
Unfailing Love & Amazing Grace

March 2, 2025

Hosea 11:1-11 & 14:1-9 — God as the Father loves his children. When He as a Father is rejected and forgotten, we see God’s mind and heart exposed as He is torn between agonizing alternatives, his steadfast love, and his righteousness and holiness that must judge and punish sin. Consequently, God executes his loving discipline to purify, refine, and test his people. God’s love and mercy ensure the survival and future of his people, though they deserve neither. He tempers his judgment and discipline with mercy. He does not destroy his people totally. Because He is God and not human, He can change his heart. Now, He calls his people to repent, to return to Him, and follow the Lord. However, this requires a true change of heart and authentic repentance by his people; otherwise, history will just be repeated. In response to his people’s return, God’s gracious response and loving care restores, reconciles, and revives his people so that they can experience stability and fruitfulness. He has done this ultimately and supremely in Jesus Christ.

Series on the Old Testament Prophets — Walk in God’s Ways.

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Prophets, HoseaSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
Knowing God

February 23, 2025

Hosea 4; 5:1-4; 6:5-6; 7:10; 8:4, 11-14; 9:7-9; 12:7-8 — We are to know God more than we know anything else, love Him more than we love anything else, and delight in Him more than we delight in anything else. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. That is, to know God intimately, living in a personal relationship with Him, and not merely to know about God. Not knowing God has serious consequences, as we see in the life of Israel. Knowing God enables us to weather the storms of life, but we need to know God daily.

Series on the Old Testament Prophets — Walk in God’s Ways.

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Prophets, HoseaSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
God’s Unfailing Love

February 16, 2025

Hosea 1:2-20; 3:1-4:3; 6:1-6; 11: 1-11; 14:1-9 — Hosea’s marriage illustrates God’s relationship with his people. It’s a love story about God’s constant and persistent love for his sinful people. A covenant has been made, and God has been faithful. His love was steadfast, and his commitment unbroken. But Israel was adulterous and unfaithful, spurning God’s love and turning instead to false gods. They broke the covenant. Idolatry is like adultery. The fundamental sin of Israel was that “there is no faithfulness or kindness or knowledge of God in the land” (4:1). God wants people to turn from their sin and return to worshipping him alone, but Israel persisted in their wickedness. They are described as ignorant of God, with no desire to please him. They did not understand God at all. Like a loving husband and father, God wants people to know him and to turn to him daily. God has not changed. He is still merciful and forgiving if we repent and return to him. His love is steadfast and never fails. We have seen and experienced his love in Jesus Christ, who sacrificed himself to give us new life.

Series on the Old Testament Prophets — Walk in God’s Ways.

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Prophets, HoseaSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
Seek the Lord and Live!

February 9, 2025

Amos 4:6-13; 5:4-6, 8-9, 18-24 — In a self-obsessed broken world, we all tend to be hyper-focused on self. A self-made and self-seeking religion prevents true religion, faith, and repentance because we cannot put both God and self first at the same time. Only in Christ can we experience God’s life-giving presence and the new life He gives. Only in Christ can we experience God’s companionship as Christ lives in us and we in Christ. Only in Jesus Christ has God’s kingdom come, and only through Him can we enter the kingdom and experience eternal life in the new creation. Therefore, we seek the Lord so that we can live, and it’s only in Christ that we find the Lord and live. We seek the Lord by abiding in Christ every day, and abiding in Christ, justice and righteousness roll on and flow through us into the world like rivers and never failing streams.

Series on the Old Testament Prophets — Walk in God’s Ways.

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Prophets, AmosSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
A Tale of Three Shrines

February 2, 2025

Amos 4:4-5:2, 4-9, 21-27 — Although God’s people were very religious and took their religious duties seriously, the Lord rejected their religious practices very strongly because their religion was hollow, superficial, and false. Their pilgrimages and participation in the religious practices at the three shrines of Bethel, Gilgal, and Beersheba were driven by self-pleasing, self-promoting, and self-indulgent motives. They boasted about their religion. They were going through the motions. Their religion and worship remained behind at the sanctuaries, and they went home unchanged. Their religion didn’t translate into a personal spirituality and holiness that transformed their daily lives. Now, the Lord calls them to repent and to seek the Lord instead of seeking religious ceremonies and practices. Seek the Lord and live. The evidence of true religion is that it touches all life with the holiness of obedience to His Word and command.

Series on the Old Testament Prophets — Walk in God’s Ways.

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Prophets, AmosSUCCTag 01, Tag 02
Let Justice Roll On Like A River

January 26, 2025

Amos 3:1-2, 9-10; 4:1; 5:7, 10-12, 24; 6:1-7; 8:4-6 — Amos continues to pronounce God’s judgment against Israel’s sins, which includes various social, political, economic, and legal injustices committed against others. Israel is guilty of the sin of self-indulgence and self-pleasing. They loved gain more than they love honesty and God. Wealth and success brought about a false sense of security. Although they seemed to be very religious, their religion was fake, hypocritical, wrong, and untrue. Their special intimate covenant relationship with God does not ensure privilege without responsibility nor indemnify them from God’s judgment and punishment. Therefore, God will punish them for all their sins. Again, there will be no escape. God’s punishment serves to remove the unfaithful non-members and to discipline and purify his people. As God’s people today, the blood of the Lamb redeemed us for obedience, holiness, and righteous living. Therefore, in all we say and do, we must let justice roll on like a river in all we do.

Series on the Old Testament Prophets — Walk in God’s Ways.

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Prophets, AmosSUCCTag 01, Tag 02