Jesus' healing of the paralytic exposes our greatest need: God's forgiveness. It also reveals that Jesus came to reconcile sinners to God and bring them into His eternal kingdom through taking the penalty we deserved for our sin. Our response to God's forgiveness in Jesus is living in humble adoration and in godly awe of His grace and mercy.

The opening chapters of the Bible provide the context for what we celebrate at Christmas. Here, God's big story to save sinners through Jesus begins. We meet the villains - Satan and a humanity that had rebelled against God. We hear the curses - suffering, death and judgement. We rejoice in the hero - God preaches the gospel in Genesis 3:15 that a hero would come to undo the curse and reconcile men and women to God. It's because of this that we can rejoice with the angels who announce in Luke 2 that in the birth of Jesus a Saviour had been born.

Psalm 25 is an acrostic poem with each line beginning with a subsequent letter in the Hebrew alphabet. It is structured this way to aid in memorisation. David understood that when we are distressed, we often forget the basics. This psalm provides us with a GPS in our trouble. We're taught to come to God praying, "Guide me; pardon me; secure me."

In Jesus, we have a treasure of surpassing worth. It's in knowing Jesus that we can have contentment - no matter our circumstances. All our needs are provided for from the riches we have received in Christ. His grace is what settles our spirits.

Looking at the state of the world, the church and even our own lives, there is cause for worry. If we know the Lord Jesus, however, we have peace with God. Experiencing this peace in our lives is a result of adding 3 'r's: reconciling with brothers and sisters in the Lord, rejoicing in all circumstances and reflecting on the gospel.

December can be a busy and difficult month. We find ourselves stressed and low on energy. It can be easy to lose sight of what is most important. What we most need is the real, living Saviour who empowers us through the gospel. Jesus is the One, even in the hectic ending of the year, who energises us to press on, walk straight and remember home.

Paul explains that it’s only when you consider everything a loss and Christ alone as your gain that you can have true confidence in your acceptance before God. False confidence is jamming our good works into our credit column and will collapse before God’s righteousness. True confidence is found when Jesus alone is in our credit column. It's this true confidence that gives us certainty amidst the uncertainty of life and enables us to rejoice in the Lord whatever the circumstance.

After giving the call to have the same mindset as Christ and to work out our own salvation, Paul gives models of those instructions in Timothy and Epaphroditus. They display a selfless sympathy, side by side service and sacrificial sending that is to characterise all who know and love the Lord Jesus.

As we have received a new mindset in Christ (others before ourselves), we are now called to work out our salvation. To work out our salvation refers to the process of sanctification: working out what God works in. Instead of grumbling and disputing, in living out the gospel we shine like stars and hold fast onto the gospel.

In a dog-eat-dog world, how can we possibly put the needs of others before ourselves? Doesn't that mean we'll become a doormat? Who can afford to be humble? Of what advantage is humility? Paul explains that the gospel changes our mindset. Philippians 2:1-11 shows us how to think (put others first), what to think (Jesus humbled Himself for us) and why to think. It's in humility that we receive salvation and it is how we grow together as Christ's redeemed people.

As Paul listens to the guards shuffling outside his cell, he knows at any moment he could face death. However, he communicates to the Philippians his great joy. To live is fruitful labour in Christ and to die is to be with Christ. Thus, in Paul's last words we are given words to live by.

As we watch our culture becoming less tolerant of Christianity, we wonder how the good news of Jesus can continue to advance in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. The same question played on the minds of the Philippians as they watched their beloved church planter, Paul, imprisoned for preaching Christ. However, Paul assures the Philippians - and us - that the gospel is not chained! It continually advances because the gospel is not hindered by circumstance or even the false motives of its preachers. Instead, this passage reminds us that there are always opportunities to share Jesus, no matter what position we find ourselves as God's people.

From the very beginning of Paul's letter, the apostle prompts the church to remember the gospel. They are slaves and saints of Christ through His life, death and resurrection. This gospel of grace that had saved both Paul and the Philippians is the same good news they defended and confirmed in partnership. Paul reminds the church that he is praying that they would continue to abound in their love for one another. This passage gently reminds us that joy in God's church begins with joy in God's Christ. 

Psalm 24 asks the question 'Who is the King of Glory?' The answer is that the LORD is King of Glory. He is the King of creation, the King of holiness and the King of heaven. Incredibly, this great King invites us into fellowship with Him through His Son. The eternal Son of God descended from the holy hill of the LORD. He came down and rescued us from our sin through shedding His blood on the cross. Then, He ascended back up the holy hill with His redeemed people in His train.

Psalm 23 is perhaps the most well-known and well-loved passages of Scripture in the Bible. Yet, it raises an important point that we may miss due to familiarity with the psalm: you need a shepherd. David tells us that it is only when the God of the Bible is our shepherd that our souls can be restored, that comfort in death can be found and that we can have certainty about our future. We're reminded that Jesus is our Good Shepherd and because He laid down His life for us, we are always assured of His presence and have the bright hope of calling God's house our home forever.

The beginning of this psalm is one of the most well-known verses in Scripture. Jesus cries it from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Perhaps this cry is so familiar because it is exactly what we feel when we're suffering. Psalm 22 points us to the suffering of Christ and reminds us that there is always suffering before glory; a cross before the crown. However, because the Man of Sorrows rose as the King of Glory, we are assured that God will also deliver the King's people.

This psalm celebrates God's strength given to and God's blessing poured out on His king. The result of a blessed king is a blessed people. We have experienced this in Jesus' kingship. The blessing of His rule and reign means we can find salvation, comfort and hope in Him. We are also warned that there is a day coming where all of King Jesus' enemies will be defeated. If we haven't closed with Jesus, we will be swallowed up in God's wrath. The only way we can be saved is if Jesus takes the wrath we deserve at the cross. If He is our Saviour and Lord, we too can sing and rejoice in God's power.

This psalm is written for a special occasion: a king set to go to war. The people pray that God would protect the king and the king prays that God would give him success in battle. We're reminded in this psalm that our deliverance is bound up in God's blessing of our King, the Lord Jesus. Thus, this psalm reminds us to rest in Jesus' victory and bring others before the throne of grace in their days of trouble.

The creation proclaims constantly, universally and wordlessly the glory of God, its Creator. We can see in the beautiful canvas of creation a glimpse of what its Artist - the true and living God - is like. What is even more extraordinary is that God has entered into His own painting to speak to us. It's through God's Word that we know even more of who God is; especially that He is a saving God. Jesus, the Word who became flesh, is God's ultimate, special, personal revelation of Himself. God's revelation in creation, His Word and in Jesus calls us to respond by valuing His revelation and listening to it. We also pray that God would reveal our hearts and that we would rest in Him as our Rock and Redeemer.

David reflects on God's hand in throughout the course of his life in this psalm. God has powerfully delivered him, kept his walk blameless and gave him strength over his enemies. This psalm is an account of our history, our life because Jesus is our King. He leads us in singing this psalm as our Deliverer, righteousness and strength.