As we enter a new year, headlines suggest that there is plenty of bad news on the immediate horizon for South Africa. Neither prosperity nor peace is being prophesied. And yet for the Christian, we can—we must!—have peace on this troubled earth. Psalm 29 points us to this peace, which moves from heaven to earth. May we be encouraged to pursue this as we study these words under three headings:

1. A Call to Worship (vv. 1–2)

2. A Call to Wonder (vv. 3–9)

3. A Call to Wellness (vv. 10–11)

The confession of confidence in God alone demonstrates deep security in the Lord in both life and death. As we study Psalm 16, we consider three things about the security we find in the Lord:

1. The Plea for Security in the Lord (vv. 1–2)

2. The Proof of Security in the Lord (vv. 3–8)

3. The Perpetual Joy that Comes with the Security in the Lord (vv. 9–11)

The story of Christmas is a true story, but one that too often becomes sentimentalised, sanitised, and/or secularised. The truth to be told is that that the Christmas story is both triumphant and tragic. It is a story of God breaking in to the darkness of a sin-cursed, and too often hopeless, world, but it is also a story filled with tragedy of suffering and persecution. Fundamentally, it is a story of God’s faithfulness. We consider this story, from Matthew 1, under four broad headings:

1. The Christmas Story is a Marvellous (and Messy) Messianic Story (vv. 1–17)

2. The Christmas Story is a Majestically Mysterious Story, (v. 18)

3. The Christmas Story is a Mercifully Miraculous Story (vv. 19–21)

4. The Christmas Story Needs to Be a Personally Meaningful Story (vv. 22–25)

The Gospel of Luke recounts the narrative of Jesus and John’s births, both which happened in extraordinary circumstances. It is in this context that Mary’s song (her Magnificat) takes place. It is a song extolling God for the great things he has done, not only for Mary or for Israel, but for all who are humble enough to plead God’s mercy. Since God has looked on the humble estate of his servants Mary and Israel, and since God assumed human flesh in Mary womb, he is worthy to be praised as the God of the humble. We consider, in this text:

1. God’s Mercy to Mary (vv. 46b–49)

2. God’s Mercy to the Humble (vv. 50–55)

David has showed that, redemptively, the Shepherd is sufficient because he is the transcendent Jehovah of his people. Moreover, he is imminent in the person of Christ, which makes him the sole source of your every living moment. We consider two truths as we reflect on how the sheep follow the Shepherd:

1. Redemptively Significant

2. Desperately Dependent

As we approach the countdown to Christmas, we examine a prophecy given by an angel to Joseph, detailing the destiny of the child to be born to Mary. Many things in life are uncertain. Many things about the Messiah had been assumed or misunderstood by the people of Israel. But this prophecy outlines, in no uncertain terms, the purpose for which the Son of God became a man. We will consider our text under four headings:

1. The Child of Destiny (v. 18)

2. The Destined Mission (v. 21)

3. The Destined People (v. 21)

4. The Destined Debt (v. 21)

The opening chapter of John’s Gospel draws attention to the marvel of the incarnation of Christ. As we reflect on God with us in Christ, John 1:9–14 helps us to answer the question, what can we do when it feels like we serve an invisible God?

Dressing “for church” used to be a major concern for those in Christendom. Perhaps not so much in our day. Nevertheless, 1 Corinthians 11:2–16 addresses this very issue, though in a perhaps surprising way. Our text offers five principles to help us think about what to wear to church.

1. ⁠Genesis Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 2–3, 7–9)

2. ⁠Our Gender Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 4–6)

3. ⁠God’s Glory Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 7–10)

4. ⁠The Gospel Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 11–12)

6. ⁠God Tells Us What to Wear (vv. 13–16)

Having been powerfully converted by the gospel of Christ, Paul was unashamed of the gospel that had converted him and confident that it was able to convert the most stubborn of sinners. We can share his unshakable confidence in the power of the gospel because the same God who created the universe and resurrected Christ is the same God who saves souls. Paul offers three reasons, in Romans 1:16–17, that we can be confident in the gospel:

1. It Has Massive Power

2. It Offers and Awesome Gift

3. Its invitation is Wide Open

The apostle Paul lived a cruciform life for the good of others, to the glory of God. He loved his neighbour because he loved his God. He cared about the ultimate good of others because he ultimately cared about God’s glory. We see this in the text before us, which we will study under three broad headings:

1. Love Your Neighbour (10:23–27)

2. Love Your God (10:28–33)

3. Live Like Your Lord (11:1)