Hezekiah – Keep Looking to God POHFW

Hezekiah – Keep Looking to God POHFW

Preparing our Hearts to Worship

 

In an effort to help you prepare for the April 29, 2018, Sunday morning corporate worship gathering and to aid you in your own reflections on the God’s Story of Salvation through the Scriptures. I wanted to pose a few questions and provide a few resources to prayerfully consider over the coming days. Our sermon is entitled, “Hezekiah: Keep Looking to God” The main Scriptures for the day are 2King 18-19, 2Chronicles 29-32. The other passages are either referenced in the message or provide additional insight for reflection.

 

(Pick and choose from the many resources and options, which I have tried to make available for your devotional life.)

 

From the Scriptures

 

Please read through Chapter 16 of The Story this week, this is a lightly edited selection of Scriptures from 2 Kings 17-19 and Isaiah 3, 6, 13-14, 49, 53 that seeks to maintain the broad story line of the Scriptures.

You can read or listen to them here.

You can listen to Chapter 15 of The Story here. (22 minutes)

(If you choose to read all of 2Kings (2.25 hrs), 2 Chronicles (2.5 hrs) and Isaiah (3.75 hrs) it will take roughly 8.5 minutes.)

 

From the Creeds and Confessions

 

 Heidelberg Catechism Q 28

Q28. How does the knowledge of God’s creation and providence help us?

We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing in creation will separate us from his love. For all creatures are so completely in God’s hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

 Heidelberg Catechism Q 95

Q95. What is idolatry?

Idolatry is having or inventing something in which one trusts in place of or alongside of the only true God, who has revealed himself in the Word

Heidelberg Catechism Q 120-121

Q120. Why did Christ command us to call God “our Father”?

To awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayer what should be basic to our prayer— a childlike reverence and trust that through Christ God has become our Father, and that just as our parents do not refuse us the things of this life, even less will God our Father refuse to give us  what we ask in faith.

Q121. Why the words “in heaven”?

These words teach us not to think of God’s heavenly majesty as something earthly, and to expect everything needed for body and soul from God’s almighty power.  

a phrase from the Athanasian Creed

Similarly, The Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, the Holy Spirit is almighty. Yet there are not three almighty beings; there is but one almighty being.

 

From the songs, hymns and spiritual songs of the Church

 

Forever (Tomlin): Lyrics, Video

Whom shall I fear (Tomlin): Lyrics, Video

Everlasting God (Brenton Brown): Lyrics, Listen

When trials come (Getty): Lyrics, Video

For Thoughtful Reflection, Prayer, or further Study

 

Here are some excellent articles or articles that will make you think on:

Woodrow Kroll’s Effective Prayer

God is mightier than your storm

Foundations for Freedom has a useful, simple historical background of the Kings before and after Hezekiah and how they relate to the prophecies of Isaiah.  Read it here.

What things or events make it easy for you to shift your focus from God?

What steps could you take now to help counter this shifting focus tendency?

 

 

The Sermon will be available online on April 29, 2018 at 12:30 pm.

 

 

Disclaimer: Reference to a particular article or website does not constitute endorsement or agreement with everything in that article or on that website.

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