Jan 23rd
JESUS:THE WORD God says, is First and Forever!
Memory Verse:
In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1 NRSV
Message: The Word You Can Trust! God’s Word, First and Forever!
Read: Hebrews 1:10-12
He also says to the Son, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and made the heavens with your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain forever. They will wear out like old clothing.12 You will fold them up like a cloak and discard them like old clothing. But you are always the same you will live forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever…
Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega-the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.”
Revelation 21:6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To All who are thirsty I will give freely from he Springs of the water of life.
Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”.
Matthew 25:35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear
Gospel Story: You can trust THE WORD!
Matthew 17:24-27 Take a coin from the mouth of the first fish you catch.
Reflection:
Our Gospel story reminds us that when God speaks through Jesus, you can take him at his Word, His Word, First and Forever.
I don’t know about you but I’m always hoping my car, my truck, my clothes, the relationships that I treasure, I want them all to last forever! Even Paula recounts a story of a “blanki” she had for years. It kept getting smaller and smaller until at last it was time to part. Sad day it was. Even the earth as we know it, God says, it will not last forever. And yet at some core level I believe we all long to connect with something eternal.
I think it’s because, as Bible tells us, God put a longing for eternity into the human heart (Ecc3:11). We long to have something or someone in our lives forever. There is a new heaven and a new earth coming that will last forever. Yes! A future world filled with the righteousness of God (Hebrews 2:4-10) For more on this “future world” we have to wait till Feb 13,2022. No that’s not when it will happen. Just when we get to talk about it.
Today, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that in this world of constant change, where things come and go and never seem to last forever, God has prepared a way to answer this cry in our hearts for something that is forever! The way? His name is Jesus.
So while some might say, “Nothing lasts forever”. Not so with God. The resurrection of Jesus is our proof on earth, that God has made a way to give us something that lasts forever!
Knowing the only thing that will last forever is God’s kingdom and God’s people, what are we to do? It’s crazy simple. Knowing all this, Peter encourages us in this way, “you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 (check out all of chapter 3).