Hebrews 4:14–16 calls us to hold fast to our confession because Jesus, our great High Priest, has passed through the heavens and now represents us before God. Unlike any other priest, He sympathizes with our weaknesses, having been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin. Because of this, we can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, where we find mercy and grace to help in our time of need.

James 1:12–18 reminds us that endurance under trial leads to the crown of life, while temptation never comes from God but from our own disordered desires. God is not the author of sin or deception; instead, He is the unchanging Father who gives only good and perfect gifts. Through His word of truth, God brings new life, forming a people who reflect His goodness in a broken world.

In 1 Corinthians 10:1–13, Paul reminds the church that Israel’s wilderness story is our story—written to warn us that spiritual privilege does not remove the danger of temptation. Though Israel experienced deliverance, provision, and God’s presence, many fell because desire and overconfidence replaced trust and obedience. Yet Paul anchors the warning in hope: God is faithful, limits temptation, and always provides a way to endure.

Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is not merely a lesson in resisting sin, but a retelling of Israel’s story and a reversal of humanity’s fall. Where Adam failed in abundance and Israel failed in the wilderness, Jesus remains faithful by trusting the word of God rather than grasping for power, provision, or proof. In the desert, the obedient Son begins to reclaim the kingdom through humility, faithfulness, and love for the Father.

Psalm 55 gives voice to the deep anguish that comes not from distant enemies, but from betrayal by someone once trusted. David refuses to hide his fear and unrest, instead bringing his panic, grief, and confusion honestly before God in prayer. The psalm ultimately invites us to stop carrying the weight alone and to cast our burdens on the Lord, trusting Him to sustain us when our hearts feel unsteady.

In Romans 6:1–11, Paul declares that baptism unites believers with Jesus in His death and resurrection, breaking the power of sin at its root. Because we have died with Christ, sin is no longer our master, and because we have been raised with Him, we now walk in newness of life. The Christian life is not about managing sin better, but about living from a new identity—dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

In Acts 2:37–41, the crowd is pierced to the heart by Peter’s proclamation of the crucified and risen Jesus and asks the most urgent question of faith: “What shall we do?” Peter’s answer—repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins—reveals that the gospel calls for a concrete response that brings forgiveness, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and entry into God’s renewed people. That day, about three thousand are baptized, showing that the church is born as a repentant, forgiven, Spirit-filled community shaped by the saving work of Christ.

1 Peter 3:18–22 teaches us that God saves by bringing His people through death into life.
Just as the flood carried Noah into a new world, baptism carries believers into union with the risen Christ.
And the One who meets us in the water now reigns at God’s right hand, guaranteeing that our suffering will give way to glory.