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The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121:7-8

(This week’s passage starts at about 1:30 on the video.)
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All of the salvation spoken about in Psalm 121 is not for today, or this week, or even for the rest of your life. It’s for forever.

If you are the LORD’s, he is in charge of your safety and he will protect you from permanent harm. No matter what you do.

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Song and Sung by Scott Jamison

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The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.

Psalm 121:5-6

(This week’s passage starts at about 1:10 on the video.)
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Have you ever been in the bright hot sun and wished for shade? The sun can damage and cause thirst and weariness. But the LORD is your shade. He protects, and quenches thirst and gives you strength.

He is your keeper. Be kept in him.

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Song and Sung by Scott Jamison

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He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

Psalm 121:3-4

(This week’s passage starts at about 0:50 on the video.)
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God doesn’t sleep. You might think, “He can’t see me,” but he does.

We’re talking about the God who can protect and watch and help a whole nation. He can keep you from tripping up.

Pray to this God. Worship Him. Seek His Help.

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Song and Sung by Scott Jamison

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I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

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“Where can I get help?”
As I look at my situation (I might be in the hills, or the city, or the sea) I might ask –
“well, who made this place? Who made the place that I now find myself?”

There is only one answer. The LORD did. He can help you.

And He will.

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Song and Sung by Scott Jamison

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“Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:13

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I had the opportunity to talk about this song with the Kindergarten/First Grade class that I lead every Wednesday night and I told them there are two wrong things to think about salvation:

1. That you’re probably good enough to be accepted by God into his kingdom or
2. That you’re too sinful to be accepted by God into his kingdom.

This verse shows both of these beliefs are wrong. He didn’t come to call the righteous (those who think themselves good enough), but he did come to call sinners.

So both of these ideas are true:

1. We’ll never be good enough to get into heaven.
2. We don’t need to be good to get into heaven.

Because God calls sinner. And thank the God of Heaven for that.

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Sung by Scott Jamison and the Krause Kids. Song by Scott Jamison

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Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding.

Daniel 2:20-21

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Here’s a good foundation to start the year – a listing of some of God’s amazing qualities.

He is strong (might belongs to Him)
He is sovereign (He changes times and sets up kings)
He is wise and is generous with his wisdom (he gives wisdom and knowledge)

This is the kind of God we should worship. And yes, this is the kind of God we should want to be blessed.

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Keyboard by Becki Warnock, Sung by Becki Warnock, Tom Dodds, Krause Family, Jamison Family, Song by Scott Jamison

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“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.

Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26

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What an important passage. It’s a pretty good way to end 2014.

The unspoken question is “Do you want to avoid death?” The answer, for most of us, is Yes. And Jesus is the way to do that. Specifically, we need belief in him. Deep, complete, life-changing belief in him.

Because he is the resurrection.

“Do you believe this?” is an important question.

So I hope as we finish up this year, that your answer to Jesus’ question is “Yes, I believe this.” And may it be a saving belief for you and others in your life in 2015.

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Sung by Megan and Jeff Warren and Scott Jamison, Guitar by Jeff Warren, Song by Scott Jamison

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Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:58

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What can motivate you to do hard work when it is sometimes unpleasant, or dangerous, or painful?
Here is one thing: the certainty that good will happen as a result of your work. And here we have the Apostle Paul telling us that we can have this certainty.

Does this give you the encouragement to do the Lord’s work with steadfastness? Does this make you want to abound in what he wants you to do?

Be immovable in this good work!

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Sung by Kevin Shull, Dashon Burton, Scott Jamison — Song by Scott Jamison

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Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

Hebrews 3:12-13

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In this verse, we are explicitly warned about two dangers in any Christian community – two bad things that can happen: That we might be lead away, falling from the living God and that we might become hardened by sin.

That this is a potential reality is the bad news. The good news is the writer of Hebrews has steps we can take to prevent it.

(1) We should take steps to make sure our leaders are real believers in our Father and His will. We should be led by people who want us to move towards God.

(2) We should each (not just the leaders) exhort each other, question each other, challenge each other in God’s Truth. And not once a year, or once every few months, but every day.

Have you done this with someone today?

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Sung by Kevin Shull and Scott Jamison, Keyboard by Becki Warnock, Song by Scott Jamison
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Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

Proverbs 16:32

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First, consider the God of the Universe – the one who created everything – the all powerful and all wise Being. Do you want to be the kind of person who He calls ‘better’? You should. And that is the motivator in this verse.

“Better than what or who?” you might ask. Better than the mighty or “He who takes a city”

If so, if you want God to call you better, then choose the wise path: being slow to anger and controlling over your own spirit.

In other words, by God’s grace, don’t be quick to lose control of your temper, or your emotions. Keep yourself in check. Because we have it on good authority, this will be better long-term than being a person who rules over many people.

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Song and Sung by Kevin Shull – Keyboard by Becki Warnock