Question 42: How is the Word of God to be read and heard? Answer: With diligence, preparation, and prayer; so that we may accept it with faith, store it in our hearts, and practice it in our lives. When Isaiah the prophet was commissioned to proclaim the Word of the Lord to Judah, the message he was given was, "Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive. Make the hearts of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they

This week we begin with Question 42 of the New City Catechism, found in Part 3 (questions 36-52), which focuses on the Spirit, restoration, and growing in grace. Question 42: How is the Word of God to be read and heard? Answer: With diligence, preparation, and prayer; so that we may accept it with faith, store it in our hearts, and practice it in our lives. Psalm 1 lays out for us two divergent paths of life: one that follows the leading of the Word of God (vv. 1-3), and the

It is possible to hear God's Word without understanding and to see God's truth without perceiving. May it not be so for us.

In a world full of voices that seek to pull us toward God-defying thoughts and actions, Psalm 1 calls us to pursue Scripture diligently.

Sermons typically fall flat if they fail to land on the biblical text and/or on the hearts of the congregation.