Mary’s Song of Exaltation (Magnificat)
Worship is focused on God and His Gospel, is formed and filled by the Word of God, and arises from personally experiencing God’s faithfulness to His people through the ages.
Luke 1:46-55
Elizabeth’s Song of Joyful Blessing (Beatitude)
Those who delight in the supremacy of Jesus will believe the Word of God and receive the joy of God’s deepest, richest blessing.
Luke 1:39-45
Lessons for Disciples – The Kingdom, Disciples, and the Little Children
Unlike the kingdoms of this world, the Kingdom of God does not give preference to the powerful or wealthy but is open to everyone who will receive it like a little child by recognizing their helplessness and great need that only Jesus can meet.
Mark 10:13-16
Humble Faith
The Syro-Phoenician woman is a paragon of humility and faith, accepting her utter need for God’s grace and actively seeking until she receives it.
Mark 7:24-30
The Humble and Gentle King
Jesus came as the humble and gentle King, and He demonstrated these qualities, taught them and He gives His people the power to live them.
Zechariah 9:9
The Humble King
Jesus is the Humble King, the One Who is truly and fully God but came as a lowly human to save us.
Luke 2:8-14
The Handwriting On the Wall
God brought mighty Babylon and her arrogant king to a swift end as He had promised, and this is a warning to all who arrogantly trust in themselves rather than Christ.
Daniel 5
Born By Grace
Rebirth is radical spiritual transformation and a free gift from the Father, by the Son, through the
Spirit.John 3:1-15
Humbling the Proud
God is Sovereign over the world, both nations and individuals, and is able to humble the proud and exalt the humble.
Daniel 4 (Daniel 4:1-3, 34-37)
Standing Strong In Exile
To stand strong in our land of exile we must remember our true identity as God’s people, trust in His Sovereignty, and walk with wisdom and humility as we are in the world but not of it.
Daniel 1
Purity in an Impure Age
The world is constantly working to press us into its mold. Jesus promises the blessing of seeing God if, in humility, we allow Him to purify our hearts through single-mindedly focusing on Him.
Matthew 5:8 ESV
The Church – The Community of Servanthood
Question 71: Are Christians only called to be part of the universal Church?
The local church community is where we are taught humble servanthood as a virtue, where we practice acts of servanthood, and where our souls are shaped so that our whole life becomes characterized by the attitude and practices of servanthood.
Galatians 5:13-15
The Beautiful Community – Humble Servanthood
If the Church is to be a beautiful community of unity and diversity, we must walk in humility, being willing to sacrifice our own rights in order to serve our brothers and sisters.
Philippians2:1-11
The Sovereign King
Jesus is the Sovereign Lord over all Who calls us to embrace Him in humble faith for Who He is, not for what we want Him to do for us.
John 4:43-54
The Elder Brother’s Trouble
The elder brother in the parable mistakenly thought that success, life and joy was found in attempting to keep the rules rather than in relationship with the father, who he misunderstood and disdained.
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
The Younger Son’s Story
The younger son in the parable mistakenly thought that his identity and joy would be found through self-discovery and self-indulgence apart from the father’s presence and will.
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Dress for Success
Christians are called to walk according to their new nature, which requires being clothed in the virtues of Christ.
Colossians 3:12-17
The Legacy of David
Because of grace, in spite of his many sins the legacy of David is that of a man after God’s own heart who should be honored.
1 Chronicles 29:26-30
The True King
David displays the character of a true leader, and is a great pointer to Jesus, the True King.
2 Samuel 15-20 (2 Samuel 15:19-30)
Absalom the Rebel
Combining the ingredients of others’ sin, our own pride, lust for power, and the desire for a legacy makes for a powerful concoction of the deadly poison of rebellion.
2 Samuel 15 – 18 (2 Samuel 15:1-15)
Pride
Pride is a disordered love that seeks to exalt myself above God and His will for my life, refusing to accept my God-given limitations.
Proverbs 16:18
Laodicea : The Lukewarm Church
The church must not try to be independent and sufficient in its own resources but find its sufficiency for life and ministry only in Christ.
Revelation 3:14-22
In the Hall of the Mad King
David experienced God’s favor and protection as Saul descended into madness and tried to kill him.
1 Samuel 18-19 (18:6-16)
Luke – The Ox
Luke presents Jesus as the ox, full of strength yet suffering as a sacrifice for sin, so that we might repent and be forgiven of our sins and then serve others.
Luke 1:5; 9:22; 22:15; 24:44-47
Joseph – The Obedience of True Righteousness
True righteousness desires to submit to God, show mercy to others, and humbly receive correction from God so that it might fully obey.
Matthew 1:18-25