Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way  

Read Matthew 3

Head 

Throughout this chapter, we see John the Baptist preaching and encouraging others to repent of their sins “for the Kingdom of Heaven is near”. Many people came to see and hear John preach and once they repented of their sins, John then baptized them. However, when John saw the Pharisees and Sadducees coming, he instructed them to prove that they had repented and turned to God by the way they lived. John then tells us that someone much greater than he is coming soon and will baptize us with the Holy Spirit. When Jesus made His arrival, He had John baptize Him too. And when He came out of the water, a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy”. 

Heart 

Even though John did not feel worthy enough to baptize Jesus, Jesus had him do it anyway. This was because Jesus wanted to show and teach us to be obedient to God not only through words but also through actions. For “we must carry out all that God requires”. How cool is it to see Jesus actively showing us what it means to be obedient to God! Jesus doesn’t just tell us to be obedient to God, but instead, He actually shows us through His own actions. We can hear and see the teachings and actions of others obeying God, but it is important to recognize that our own actions will be a reflection of whether we have truly repented and turned to God. 

Hands 

Take time to think about how you show your obedience to God. Do you just speak it or do you actually live of life of obedience to God? What are some ways that you can strengthen your walk with God? 

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, to save us from the evil of this world. Help us to be more like You and give us the strength and courage needed to truly follow You and all of the plans that You have for our lives. Help us to not just speak Your truths, but to actually live our lives according to You.