These devotional materials guide you through the Bible readings for the January 3, 2020 Sunday worship service. We pray they are a blessing to you and your family!

Why study God's Word and pray together?

• Bible study and prayer strengthens faith and brings you closer to God and to one another.
• Study of readings and hymns for the weekend prepares you for worship.
• The way parents express and model their faith helps shape young people’s faith lives.
• God's Word gives life!---new life now and eternal life with Jesus in heaven. (John 20:31)

• Five Days of devotional material. Catch up or review on the 6th day, worship on Sunday!
• Bible Readings are the LCMS 3-year lectionary readings for the upcoming Sunday.
• Talk about It and Dig Deeper guide discussion and meditation on the Bible passages.
• Kid Talk has questions and activities especially for kids and families.
• Prayer starters are given--add your own as well! Scroll to the bottom for the Lord's Prayer and Luther's Morning and Evening Prayers.

Heavenly Father, bless our time together as we study Your Word. Amen.

These verses contain Jesus’ first words recorded in any of the Gospels.

• What does Jesus’ response to His mother, Mary, teach us about who Jesus is and what He is about?

At the age of twelve, Jewish boys began preparing to take their places in the religious community.

• How might this parallel confirmation in our tradition? Why is confirmation not the end of our religious study and training?

• What thoughts come to mind as you read this passage?
• What is confusing or surprising about this passage?
• What does this passage teach you about God, His love for you, and His will for your life?

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all (2 Corinthians 13:14).

Heavenly Father, bless our time together as we study Your Word. Amen.

Read verse 13 again. Compare this promise to Jesus’ promise in Luke 12:31.

• What do these promises suggest regarding seeking God’s spiritual benefits versus the material goods of this world?

God promises Solomon blessings and long life if he walked in His ways.

• Did Solomon do as God commanded? What happened? (See 1 Kings 11:1-11.)

• What thoughts come to mind as you read this passage?
• What is confusing or surprising about this passage?
• What does this passage teach you about God, His love for you, and His will for your life?

Pray the Lord's Prayer, Luther's Morning or Evening Prayers, and/or add your own prayers.

Heavenly Father, bless our time together as we study Your Word. Amen.

This section of Paul’s letter was all one sentence in the original Greek language! Often this part of Ephesians is called a “doxology,” which is a hymn of praise to God.

• Read through this section again and write down all the reasons that Paul gives praise to God.

Notice how many times in this reading you see the phrase “in Christ” or “in Him” (or something similar). Look also at John 1:17.

• What does this tell us about God’s grace?

• What thoughts come to mind as you read this passage?
• What is confusing or surprising about this passage?
• What does this passage teach you about God, His love for you, and His will for your life?

Pray the Lord's Prayer, Luther's Morning or Evening Prayers, and/or add your own prayers.

Heavenly Father, bless our time together as we study Your Word. Amen.

What does God require of us in the First Commandment? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.

To fear God is not to be afraid of Him, but to respect and be in awe of Him.

• What are some reasons the psalmist gives for fearing, or respecting, our awesome God?

• What thoughts come to mind as you read this passage?
• What is confusing or surprising about this passage?
• What does this passage teach you about God, His love for you, and His will for your life?

Pray the Lord's Prayer, Luther's Morning or Evening Prayers, and/or add your own prayers.

Heavenly Father, bless our time together as we study Your Word. Amen.

Within the Father’s house

The Son has found His home,

And to His temple suddenly

The Lord of life has come.

The doctors of the Law

Gaze on the wondrous child

And marvel at His gracious words

Of wisdom undefiled.

Yet not to them is giv’n

The mighty truth to know,

To lift the earthly veil that hides

Incarnate God below.

The secret of the Lord

Escapes each human eye,

And faithful pond’ring hearts await

The full epiphany.

Lord, visit Thou our souls

And teach us by Thy grace

Each dim revealing of Thyself

With loving awe to trace.

Till we behold Thy face

And know as we are known

Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

Coequal Three in One.

Public domain

Jesus has come! And yet, the hymn writer notes, an “earthly veil” hides who He really is to those scholars at the temple. They marvel at Him, yet God’s “secret” of who the boy Jesus is escapes them.

• Pray aloud stanza 5 as we ask Jesus to reveal Himself to us.

Pray the Lord's Prayer, Luther's Morning or Evening Prayers, and/or add your own prayers.

I thank you my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.