Please read Psalm 112: 1-10 and Matthew 5: 13-20 and use these notes to prepare for Sunday morning worship.
Sermon Focus: New Year, Same Promises: Guidance
Key Verse: “Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.” (Psalm 112:1) The Psalm goes on to say that those who put their trust in God have steady hearts. What commandments of God do you delight in? How does faithfulness and trust in God steady your heart in times of uncertainty?
Key Verse: “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot.” (Matthew 3: 13) How are you “salt” in the world? Are there times that you feel you have lost some of your saltiness? What helps you restore your spirit so that indeed you can be the flavor in the world that calls for love and justice?
God seeks to guide our lives with commandments and inspiration. We have the commandments to love one another and to follow the ways of God as modeled by Jesus, in this world. That is our saltiness – to be God’s love and justice in the world.