He Who is to Come | 9:30

Devotional

Day 1: Confess Jesus and believe for salvation.

You are called to make a personal, volitional choice to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe in his resurrection. It's not about church attendance, baptism style, or rituals; salvation is about the heart's decision to receive Christ as Savior. When you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, the promise of justification and salvation is real and immediate for you. [57:33]

Romans 10:9-10 (ESV)
because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

Reflection: What specific words would you use today to confess Jesus as Lord, and what one doubt or barrier keeps you from fully believing in his resurrection? What first step will you take this week to address it?

Day 2: God's love gave the only Son.

God's love reached into the world and gave his one and only Son as the ultimate gift for sinners. This gift is not a small token but the full provision for eternal life offered to anyone who believes. Receive that gift not because of what you do, but because of what he has done for you. [57:33]

John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Reflection: In what everyday relationship or decision do you most forget that God loved you enough to give his Son? How would acting from that truth change one choice you'll make this week?

Day 3: Whosoever calls will be saved.

Salvation is accessible to anyone who calls on the name of the Lord—no one is excluded and no background disqualifies you. This is a clear and simple invitation: call, and you will be met by God's saving grace. Let that truth free you from shame and move you to speak the name of Jesus aloud in faith. [57:33]

Romans 10:13 (ESV)
For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Reflection: Name one person you think cannot be saved and explore why—how does Romans 10:13 challenge that belief? What step can you take to pray for or share the Gospel with that person this month?

Day 4: Jesus bore wounds to heal us.

The suffering of Christ was substitutionary; he was pierced and crushed for transgressions so that peace and healing could come to us. This means emotional, spiritual, and relational wounds can be brought to the cross where his sacrifice meets our need. Trusting in his wounds is not sentimental—it is the path to the deep, gospel-centered healing your soul needs. [57:33]

Isaiah 53:5 (ESV)
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

Reflection: What wound—emotional, relational, or spiritual—have you been trying to fix on your own? What would it look like this week to bring that need to Jesus and receive his healing?

Day 5: He seeks and saves the lost.

Jesus came with a mission to seek out people who were lost and to bring them into life and hope. If you feel lost, know that he is actively seeking you and invites you to respond and be found. If you know him, this sends you out with the same urgency to seek others with compassion and the Good News. [57:33]

Luke 19:10 (ESV)
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Reflection: Where in your life have you felt lost or overlooked by others but longed to be sought by Jesus? What is one concrete way you will respond to his seeking this week—through prayer, a small act of surrender, or by reaching out to someone else in need?

Sermon Summary

We kicked off the season with gratitude, worship, and a clear focus on Jesus. I welcomed guests, invited everyone to our Christmas Eve services at 3:30 and 5:30, and shared how our Engaged Mission Offering fuels mission work near and far. This single offering—given in August, December, and around Easter—supports the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions, the Mary Maud Church Planting Offering, Mission Georgia’s state-wide ministries, and our missions scholarship fund to send people around the world. I asked us to give above and beyond our regular giving this month so that we can multiply gospel impact through these partners and through those God is calling from our own church family.

From there, we centered our hearts on why we celebrate Christmas: God came near. Because of Adam’s fall, all of us are sinners and separated from a holy God. We could not climb our way up to Him, so He stepped down to us—Jesus, born in a manger, fully God and fully man, to become the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He came to seek and to save the lost. On the cross He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; by His wounds we are healed. Three days later He rose from the dead, proving He is not just a good man but God in the flesh.

I reminded us that He will come again—not as a suffering servant, but as King of kings and Lord of lords. The question is simple and personal: Are you ready? Salvation is not about church attendance, baptism, or communion. It is about confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. I invited anyone listening—on site or online—to respond right now: to bow the heart, confess sin, receive His grace, and trust Jesus as Savior and Lord. There is no greater gift at Christmas than the gift of God’s love in Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus came to rescue the lost. God did what we could never do—He took on flesh to seek and save. The manger is not sentimental decoration; it’s the doorway to a cross and an empty tomb. The incarnation is God’s pursuit of you, not your performance for Him. Receive the rescue He already accomplished. [54:17]
2. Salvation requires trust, not tradition. Rituals can be meaningful, but they cannot save. The gospel calls for a personal response: confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead. This is a surrender of the will, not a checklist of religious tasks. Trust is the doorway; grace is the ground you stand on. [54:17]
3. Live ready for the returning King. Jesus first came in humility; He will return in glory. Readiness is not fear-driven urgency but faith-filled obedience—ordering your life so that His “well done” becomes your deepest aim. Let His future reign shape today’s priorities, habits, and hope. [54:17]
4. Receive the greatest gift today. The gift is not improved circumstances but new life in Christ. If you sense His conviction, don’t postpone what your soul was made for. Bow the heart, call on His name, and begin the life that only resurrection power can give. [57:33]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:45] - Guests and Cookies Invitation
[02:00] - Christmas Eve Service Times
[03:00] - Why Engaged Mission Offering
[05:30] - Prayer for Offering and Missions
[06:30] - Children Lead Us in Worship
[12:00] - Why Jesus Came at Christmas
[15:00] - Our Sin and God’s Holiness
[18:00] - The Cross: Pierced and Crushed for Us
[21:00] - The Resurrection and His Deity
[23:30] - He Will Come Again in Glory
[24:30] - Are You Ready to Meet Him?
[26:00] - Invitation to Receive Christ
[27:30] - Prayer of Surrender and Faith
[29:00] - Gratitude to Choir, Orchestra, and Tech

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Romans 10:9-13
9 Because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Observation questions

What two actions does Romans 10:9 connect as the basis for salvation, and how does verse 10 explain the relationship between heart belief and mouth confession? [57:33]
Who is included in the word “everyone” in verses 11–13, and what does that inclusion imply about the reach of the gospel? [57:33]
The sermon spoke of Jesus being “pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities” and that “by his wounds we are healed.” How do those statements connect with the claim in Romans 10 that calling on the Lord brings salvation? [57:33]
Romans 10 ties salvation to the resurrection: why does belief in the raising of Jesus matter for calling him Lord? [54:17]

Interpretation questions

Confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart are presented together as the means of salvation. How should that pairing shape the church’s understanding of faith as both internal trust and public confession? [57:33]
The text says there is “no distinction” and that the same Lord bestows his riches on all who call. What practical differences should this truth make in how the church welcomes and sends people from different backgrounds?
Salvation is described as a personal, volitional response rather than a set of rituals. How does that distinction affect the role of baptism, communion, and church membership in a person’s life of faith? [57:33]
The sermon reminded listeners that Jesus will come again “not as a suffering servant, but as King of kings.” How does the promise of his return reframe present priorities and the urgency of sharing the gospel? [54:17]

Application questions

The invitation to receive Christ is immediate and personal: if you were to bow your heart and call on the Lord today, what concrete first step would you take (pray privately, tell a Christian friend, meet with a leader)? [57:33]
The Engaged Mission Offering pools gifts to send and support missionaries locally and globally. What specific financial or practical step could you take this month to give above your regular giving or to serve someone going on mission? [54:17]
The incarnation is described as God stepping down to rescue the lost. How can you share that simple gospel—confess Jesus as Lord and point to his resurrection—in a clear, non‑technical way with someone this week? [57:33]
Readiness for Christ’s return was presented as faith‑filled obedience rather than fear. What one habit (daily Scripture, prayer, generosity, intentional witness, etc.) will you start or strengthen in the next 30 days so your life is more clearly oriented toward that coming? [54:17]
If you feel convicted now about sin or the need for new life in Christ, who will you ask to walk with you through the next steps (confession, baptism, discipleship)? Make a plan and name the person you will contact this week. [57:33]
The gospel frees people from performance and calls them to receive the rescue Jesus accomplished. In what area of life are you relying on performance rather than grace, and what is one practical step you can take this week to receive and live by that grace?

Sermon Clips

come to seek and to save the lost he came for you and me because of the fall of adam we all became sinners and our sins separated us from the holy holy holy god and so god did for us what we could not do for ourselves he stepped out of heaven into flesh in the form of a baby so that he could become one day the perfect sacrifice to atone for your sin and for my sin [00:54:17] (36 seconds) #CameToSaveTheLost

because of the fall of adam we all became sinners and our sins separated us from the holy holy holy god and so god did for us what we could not do for ourselves he stepped out of heaven into flesh in the form of a baby so that he could become one day the perfect sacrifice to atone for your sin and for my sin [00:54:23] (28 seconds) #IncarnationAtonement

he stepped out of heaven into flesh in the form of a baby so that he could become one day the perfect sacrifice to atone for your sin and for my sin bible says he's going to come again first time he came to be a suffering servant next time he comes to be the king of kings and the lord of the lords and the question is are you ready for that [00:54:35] (37 seconds) #IncarnationAndReturn

bible says he's going to come again first time he came to be a suffering servant next time he comes to be the king of kings and the lord of the lords and the question is are you ready for that has there been a time in your life where you have heard the message that god so loved you that he gave his one and only son that if you would believe in him not just acknowledge him but believe in him and receive him as god's single solution to the problem of your sin that you would be saved [00:54:56] (44 seconds) #ReadyForHisReturn

has there been a time in your life where you have heard the message that god so loved you that he gave his one and only son that if you would believe in him not just acknowledge him but believe in him and receive him as god's single solution to the problem of your sin that you would be saved [00:55:11] (23 seconds) #GodSoLovedYou

the bible is very clear it says you have to confess with your mouth that jesus is lord and believe in your heart that god raised jesus from the dead it's not about going to church it's not about being dunked or sprinkled or anything like that it's not about communion it's about your volitional choice of whether or not you believe and whether you'll receive that jesus is god's solution to the problem of your sin [00:55:34] (29 seconds) #ConfessBelieveSave

``and was pierced for your transgressions and crushed for your iniquities so the punishment that brought his peace was put upon him and by his wounds and only by his wounds can you be healed and then three days later he arose from the dead showing us that he was not just a man he was god in the flesh the perfect sacrifice [00:56:37] (26 seconds) #byHisWoundsHealed

and then three days later he arose from the dead showing us that he was not just a man he was god in the flesh the perfect sacrifice if you've never received christ your savior it's very simple you bend your knee you bow your heart and you say god i recognize that i am a sinner and that my sin separates me from you [00:56:48] (30 seconds) #KneelAndBelieve

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