Forest Hill PCA Devotionals

Title: Marriage & Freedom Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Unpacking Corinthians Date: June 29, 2026 Bible: 1 Corinthians 7 Today, we tackle 1 Corinthians 7, a chapter packed with practical, often thorny, wisdom regarding marriage, singleness, and human freedom. In this episode, we explore: • The Corinthian Context: Why Paul's practical advice must be read with an understanding of Co...

Title: Baptizing Babies? Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Heidelberg Catechism Devos Date: June 22, 2026 Should we baptize infants? Why? Pastor Jason addresses this question using Heidelberg Catechism Question #74.

Title: Glorify God in Your Body Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Unpacking Corinthians Date: June 24, 2026 Glorifying God in Our Bodies & Rejecting Worldliness 1 Corinthians 6 In this bold and penetrating devotional on 1 Corinthians 6, we confront the ways Christians are often tempted to compromise with a litigious and sexually immoral culture. In this episode, we explore: - Lawsuits Amo...

Title: Washed by Baptism? Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Heidelberg Catechism Devos Date: June 24, 2026 If water baptism doesn't itself wash away sin, why does the Bible use the kind of language it sometimes does about baptism? Pastor Jason explains in this devotional from Heidelberg Catechism Question #73. www.foresthillpca.org

Title: The Danger of Compromise Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Unpacking Corinthians Date: June 23, 2026 Bible: 1 Corinthians 5 Purity in the Church & The Danger of Compromise 1 Corinthians 5 In today's devotional, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel explores the challenging but necessary instructions given in 1 Corinthians 5. When the Corinthian church began boasting about their tolerance of...

What's the difference between a Gospel sacrament and an idolatrous sacramentalism? It's found in today's vital question, Heidelberg Catechism #72. Q. Does this outward washing with water itself wash away sins? A. No, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit cleanse us from all sins.

Pastor Jason's devotional on Heidelberg Catechism Question #71

In this devotional on 1 Corinthians 4, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel addresses the danger of adopting a worldly worldview within the church. The core issue for the Corinthian church was that they evaluated people and ministries based on how culturally impressive they were. Key takeaways from the text include:Confronting Worldly Pride: The gospel does not conform to the value systems of the surrounding c...

Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church continues our study of the Heidelberg Catechism by exploring Question 70: What does it mean to be washed with Christ's blood and Spirit? Building on the foundation of baptism and the sacraments, this message dives into the beautiful, biblical reality of what it means to be truly cleansed by God. Pastor Jason breaks down this spiritual...

Paul addresses the Corinthian church's division and jealousy, noting they are acting like "infants in Christ". The congregation had splintered into factions loyal to different leaders, such as Paul, Apollos, and Peter. To correct this, Paul emphasizes that ministers are merely God's workers; it is God alone who provides the growth. Jesus Christ is the sole foundation of the churc...

Baptism is a divine sacrament instituted by Christ as a visible sign and seal of the gospel, pointing believers to the one sacrifice of Jesus on the cross as the sole basis of salvation. It signifies and seals the cleansing of the soul from sin through the blood of Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, not through the water itself, which is merely a symbol of spiritual purification. Pastor Jason...

Title: How Many Sacraments? Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Heidelberg Catechism Devos Date: June 9, 2026 68. Q. How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant? A. Two: holy baptism and the holy supper.

In today's devotional, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel explores 1 Corinthians chapter 2. The city of Corinth was sophisticated, highly educated, and proud. Yet, when the Apostle Paul arrived, he didn't try to impress them with eloquent philosophy or classical rhetoric. Instead, he resolved to preach nothing but "Jesus Christ and Him crucified". Why? Because the cross—though it seems like...

Title: Sacraments Point Us to Christ Speaker: Rev. Jason Van Bemmel Series: Heidelberg Catechism Devos Date: June 10, 2026 67. Q. Are both the Word and the sacraments then intended to focus our faith on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation? A. Yes, indeed. The Holy Spirit teaches us in the gospel and assures us by the sacraments that our entire salvation r...

Welcome back to Walking with Jesus Through the Word! Today, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church kicks off our study of 1 Corinthians with a deep dive into chapter 1. In this devotional, we explore three key truths from Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth: We Are Saints United in Christ: True holiness means being set apart in Christ, which unites believers across all earth...

What are Sacraments? Pastor Jason leads us on a devotional study of Heidelberg Catechism Question #66 on the Sacraments. Learn how Baptism and the Lord's Supper picture and promise the grace of the Gospel.

Welcome to our Heidelberg Catechism devotionals! In this episode, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church wraps up Week 22 by exploring Question #65. If we are made right before God by faith alone, where does that saving faith actually come from? Pastor Jason unpacks how God doesn't just demand faith, but actively provides it. In this episode, we cover: The Source of Faith:...

Welcome to the final episode of Exploring Romans! In this concluding devotional (Day 177), Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church walks us through Romans Chapter 16.In this episode, we cover:The Saints of Rome: Paul's extensive greetings highlight the many dedicated individuals who worked hard to support his ministry. This demonstrates that the vital work of the church reli...

In this Heidelberg Catechism Devotional, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church explores Question #64. If salvation is completely by grace, doesn't that make people careless and wicked? Pastor Jason answers this age-old question by delving into the nature of true, living faith. He unpacks why true faith cannot be dead and must produce the fruit of thankfulness, and why it i...

Welcome to Exploring Romans! In this episode, Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church walks us through the powerful message of Romans Chapter 15. In this study, we cover: Supporting the Weak: The biblical mandate for "strong" believers to bear with the weak, contrasting modern culture's heavy focus on "self-care" with the Christian call to selflessly buil...

Grace to Gratitude: Why Our Good Works Aren't Enough | Heidelberg Catechism Week 22, Day 1, Questions 62-63 Welcome to Week 22 of the Heidelberg Catechism Devotionals with Pastor Jason Van Bemmel from Forest Hill Presbyterian Church. This week, we pivot from the topic of God's grace to our response of gratitude, specifically exploring Questions 62 and 63. Join us as we explore why our good...

Pastor Jason Van Bemmel of Forest Hill Presbyterian Church leads a study on Question 61 of the Heidelberg Catechism. He explores the theological concept of imputed righteousness, explaining that believers are justified before God not because their faith itself has intrinsic saving merit, but because faith is the instrument used to lay hold of Jesus Christ's perfect satisfaction, righteousness,...

Exploring Romans: Day 171 – Christian Liberty and Matters of Conscience (Romans 14) Join Pastor Jason Van Bemmel from Forest Hill Presbyterian Church for a morning devotional set against the beautiful backdrop of Lake Blue Ridge, Georgia. In this episode of Exploring Romans, we read and study Romans 14, where the Apostle Paul addresses the early church's struggles with "adiaphora"—ma...

How can you be righteous before God? Heidelberg Catechism Question #60 answers this vital question. Join Pastor Jason Van Bemmel as we explore what the Bible says about our justification by faith before God.

Exploring Romans: Day 168 – Submission, Love, and Living in the Light (Romans 13) Join Pastor Jason Van Bemmel from the beautiful North Georgia mountains for Day 168 of our Exploring Romans journey. In this daily devotional, we dive into Romans chapter 13 to uncover the practical applications of offering our bodies as "living sacrifices" in a fallen world. Pastor Jason breaks down three...