Forest Hill PCA Devotionals

Title: I Heard the Bells

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Advent Devotionals 2025

Date: December 4, 2025

Bible: Psalm 29:10-11; John 14:27

In 1863, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote one of the most moving poems about faith in God persevering and triumphing over evil in the world.

This is our 5th devotional in our Advent series on Scripture and Carols.

Title: O Little Town of Bethlehem

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Advent Devotionals 2025

Date: December 3, 2025

Bible: Micah 5:2-5

Pastor Jason presents our fourth Advent devotional, covering "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

Advent is a season of yearning for Christ's second coming while simultaneously looking back at His first. Seven hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah prophesied that the Messiah would come from Bethlehem Ephrathah. Though the town was too little to be counted among the significant clans of Judah, it was the city of King David and the promised source of a Ruler whose origins are from ancient days. This Ruler stands and shepherds His flock in the strength of the Lord, serving as their ultimate peace.

This truth is reflected in the carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem," written by Phillips Brooks, a Philadelphia pastor, following the American Civil War. Inspired by a Christmas Eve visit to the Holy Land in 1865, Brooks wrote of the "everlasting light" shining in the dark streets while mortals slept. The carol teaches that the "wondrous gift" is given silently; just as He came quietly to Bethlehem, Christ enters into "meek souls" who receive Him still. Ultimately, the message is a prayer for Emmanuel to descend, cast out sin, and be spiritually born in our hearts today.

Title: Come, Thou Long-Expected

Speaker: Pastor Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Advent Devotionals 2025

Date: December 1, 2025

Bible: Malachi 3:1; Luke 2:22-32

Our second Advent devotional focuses on "Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus," written by Charles Wesley in 1744.

Title: O Come Emmanuel

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Advent Devotionals 2025

Date: November 28, 2025

Bible: Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 11:1

Day #1 of our Advent Devotionals for 2025 - "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel."

Summary: Let the Redeemed Give Thanks (Psalm 107)Theme: Reflecting on God's Hesed (steadfast, redeeming love) through four pictures of salvation.The Thread of Hesed: The teaching identifies the Hebrew word Hesed (steadfast love) as the central theme, describing it as God's loyal, covenant love toward His people.Four Pictures of Redemption: The pastor breaks the Psalm down into four metaphors describing life without God and the rescue He provides:Desert Wanderers: Represents the soul starving in a world that cannot satisfy. God leads believers out of the wasteland to a "city to dwell in" (the Church/New Jerusalem).Prisoners in Darkness: Represents those bound by the chains of sin and rebellion. When they cry out, God bursts their bonds apart.The Foolish/Afflicted: Represents the insanity of sin, where people loathe the "food" of God's Word. God saves them by sending forth His Word to heal them.Storm-Tossed Ships: Represents the unstable pursuit of earthly wealth and ambition (the stock market rising and falling). God calms the storm and brings them to a haven of peace.Conclusion: The teaching urges the "redeemed of the Lord to say so," reminding believers that real security is found only in God, not in worldly success.

Title: Worship with Thanksgiving

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Psalms of Thanksgiving

Date: November 26, 2025

Bible: Psalm 95

Summary: Worship with Thanksgiving (Psalm 95)

Theme: The call to corporate worship and the danger of a hardened heart.

A Call to "Joyful Noise": The teaching begins by encouraging believers to sing with exuberance, noting that even those not gifted in singing should offer a "joyful noise" from a heart filled with gratitude.

Reasons to Worship: Pastor Van Bemmel highlights two specific reasons the Psalm gives for praising God:

He is the King of Creation: He holds the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains (like the Himalayas) in His hands.

He is Our God: We are the sheep of His hand. This identity as His people supersedes political or national identities.

Gathered Worship: The repeated phrase "Let us" emphasizes that Christianity is not just about private devotion but requires gathering corporately to hear God speak.

A Sober Warning: The teaching concludes with a warning not to "harden your hearts." The pastor notes that the two generations who saw the most miracles (the Exodus generation and the generation of Jesus) largely lacked faith, proving that miracles do not guarantee soft hearts—only trust in God does.

Title: ABCs of Thankful Praise

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Psalms of Thanksgiving

Date: November 25, 2025

Bible: Psalm 111

This devotional focuses on Psalm 111 as a call to wholehearted praise and thanksgiving to God.

The teaching highlights two primary reasons for this praise:

God's Works and Character: God is praised for the greatness of His creation and history (His splendor and majesty) and for His goodness (being gracious and merciful). He is celebrated for His reliable provision of daily needs and for being trustworthy in keeping His precepts and covenant.

Redemption and Wisdom: The ultimate reason for praise is the redemption He has sent, which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, making all of God's promises "yes and amen." The devotional concludes that the proper response to this reality is living in the "fear of the Lord," which is presented as the "beginning of wisdom." The entire Psalm's structure, which is revealed to be an acrostic poem in Hebrew, emphasizes the complete and deliberate nature of this thankful praise.

Title: Thankful Praise

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Psalms of Thanksgiving

Date: November 24, 2025

Bible: Psalm 100

Psalm 100 is a stirring call to Thanksgiving and Praise!

1. The Universal and Joyful Call to Worship

The psalm begins with a universal call to "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth." This is not just for one nation, but for everyone. We are to "Serve the Lord with gladness" and "Come into his presence with singing." The service and worship we offer should be characterized by joy and cheerfulness, not a begrudging sense of duty.

2. The Reasons We Worship God

The teaching outlines three powerful reasons for this worship, all based on knowing that "the Lord, He is God":

By Nature: We worship Him simply because He is God (Yahweh).

By Creation: "It is He who made us and we are His." He is our Maker and sustainer.

By Redemption: "We are His people and the sheep of His pasture." He has made us His own by calling us to Himself.

3. The Central Role of Thanksgiving

We are commanded to "Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise." Thanksgiving is crucial because it gives us the right perspective:

It Humbles Us: It reminds us that we have nothing in and of ourselves; every gift, every breath, and every achievement comes from God.

It Encourages Us: It assures us that we have all these things because God loves us as His dearly loved people.

4. The Unfailing Goodness of God

The ultimate foundation for all this worship is the truth stated in the final verse: "For the Lord is good. His steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

The sermon emphasizes that God is good in an undiminished, unfailing way, and His steadfast love (Chesed—covenant faithfulness and loyal love) and faithfulness are constant.

Title: Flourishing in Thanksgiving

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Psalms of Thanksgiving

Date: November 21, 2025

Bible: Psalm 92

Psalm 92 is a joyful psalm of praise meant for Sabbath worship. It opens with the declaration that “it is good to give thanks to the Lord,” reminding God’s people that gathered worship helps reset their hearts, lift their eyes from discouragement, and renew their joy in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

The psalm celebrates God’s great works—His deep wisdom in salvation history, His mighty acts from Genesis onward, and His sovereign judgment over the wicked. Though evildoers may flourish for a time, they are like grass that quickly withers, while the Lord reigns exalted forever.

The psalm also contrasts the fate of the wicked with the flourishing of the righteous. Because of God’s blessing and the victory of His anointed King, the righteous “flourish like the palm tree,” planted in God’s presence, fruitful even in old age, “full of sap and green,” continuing to declare that “the Lord is upright… my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

The devotional concludes by encouraging believers to gather for worship, give thanks daily, rejoice in the victory of Christ the King, and continue declaring God’s praises throughout their lives.

Title: Thanksgiving for Judgment Day?

Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel

Series: Psalms of Thanksgiving

Date: November 20, 2025

Bible: Psalm 9

Psalm 9 teaches an unexpected kind of thanksgiving—giving thanks not only for what God has done, but also for His future justice. David resolves to praise God because the Lord is the righteous Judge who defends the oppressed, defeats their enemies, and never forgets His people. Even in hardship, believers can give thanks with confidence, looking back to the cross, trusting God’s care in the present, and rejoicing that Christ will return to judge the nations and make all things right.