The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation Exodus 15:2 (CSB)

Many years before this verse, God had promised to Abraham that his descendants would live in a specific land, but that it would take four hundred years for it to happen. Between the promise and its fulfillment, quite a few things happened. The Israelites grew to rival or even outnumber the Egyptians in Egypt. So the Egyptians enslaved them. Eventually God would raise up Moses to lead his people out of Egypt and to the promised land. God used different plagues to get Pharaoh to let his people go. When they left, the Egyptian army pursued and the Israelites were stuck between a body of water and an army. God would part the waters so the Israelites could cross and then let the waters fall back to normal as the Egyptians tried to cross, wiping them out. This is where this verse comes in. Moses wrote a song about the event and this is part of that song. 

1. The LORD is my strength. 

1 Samuel 30:6; 2 Timothy 4:16-17 … We aren't strong enough to get through this life on our own all the time, so we need help. The best help comes from the LORD. 

2. The LORD is my song. 

What does this mean? Psalm 118:12-14 ... It's the reason we do things. Songs are full of passion and joy and sadness and other emotions. Songs inspire. Songs give us focus. With the LORD as our song, our passion aligns with His, we are inspired by His character, words, and acts, and our focus is on His will. 

3. The LORD has become my salvation. 

Isaiah 12:2; Revelation 15:2-4 … God will get us through the scrapes and close calls, but He also offers the ultimate salvation, a salvation from an eternity separated from Him. Our biggest need in life is for a savior to rescue us from our sins and their ultimate consequence. That is what the LORD offers to us all. Have you accepted His offer? 

The Bible says you should give your father two things:

1. Give your father obedience (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20 Romans 1:28-30; 2 Timothy 3:1-4). … Children should show obedience to their parents with the exception being when a higher authority  (such as God's law) contradicts them. The New Testament lists disobeying parents with other sins that may seem more serious than it, but apparently it is a serious sin. 

2. Give your father honor (Ephesians 6:2-3 Mark 7:9-13). … We all know this commandment. We are to show respect to our parents even if they are bad parents. This is also the first commandment with a promise that tells us if we honor our parents, all other things being equal, we will have long lives. Apparently there was a loophole people would use and the religious leaders allowed that let the people neglect their responsibility to care for their parents. Jesus spoke out against this and reaffirmed the importance of honoring our parents. 

The Bible says fathers should give their children four things:

1. Give your children your presence (Proverbs 27:8). … One of the biggest factors for how children grow up is the presence of a father. Children who grow up without a father are more likely to turn to crime, commit suicide, and get pregnant as a teen. The presence of a father has a large impact on children. Separating doesn't help a marriage. Separating doesn't help the children. 

2. Give your children boundaries (Genesis 2:16-17; Proverbs 29:17). … Boundaries are good. They allow for just discipline and show children right from wrong. Our Heavenly Father has set boundaries for us, so our earthly fathers should too. 

3. Give your children warmth (Ephesians 6:4; Colossians 3:21). … Boundaries are important, but they need to be balanced with warmth. It's important to not always be harsh and cold. Sometimes a father needs to show his love to his children. Laugh with them. Hug them. 

4. Give your children Jesus (Ephesians 6:4). … Without Jesus, all the other gifts that fathers give their children are like dust in the wind. Children need physical food, but they also need spiritual food and the father is tasked with providing both. If you aren't much of a talker, then lead by example. Go to church, volunteer, read your Bible, pray. And do it all where your children can see and learn. 

When we baptize people into the church family, we ask people to confess "Jesus is Lord."

Romans 10:9-10 is one of the places we see this happen in scripture. But what does it really mean?

It means two things:

1. Jesus is boss. Philippians 2:9-11; Ephesians 1:20-22; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26; Colossians 3:23; 1 Corinthians 7:39 … There is one place where the word "lord" is still used in our modern language, "landlord." If you have a landlord then you must get their permission before doing anything to alter the building. They get the final say in any changes. Consider Jesus to be our "lifelord." Jesus is already Lord of all and in charge of everything. However, us humans are quite rebellious and don't always submit to Him as we should, like a tenant breaking the rules laid out by the landlord. When we confess Jesus is Lord, we are saying we are putting our entire lives under Him. Everything we do is for Him. We work our jobs for Christ. We manage our money for Christ. We put Christ above our relationships. 

2. Jesus is God Adonai —> boss, master —> Lord Yahweh —> name of God —> LORD Exodus 3:14-15; Psalm 8:1; Acts 2:22-25, 32-36 … "Adonai" and "Yahweh" are two Hebrew words found in the Old Testament. "Yahweh" is the name God told Moses when Moses asked His name. "Adonai" is a title similar to "boss" or "master" and was what the Jews would say in place of "Yahweh" out of respect for God. In the New Testament, mostly written in Greek, there is only one word translated as Lord. It is used to quote both "Adonai" an "Yahweh" from Old Testament scriptures and combines the two. Jesus is not just Lord. He is LORD. He is boss and He is God.

I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6, CSB).

Who is working in your life? God (John 5:17). … God is working in our lives. He even works while we rest. 

What is the good work He is doing in you? Salvation. … God rested from creation but not from all work. He still works on our redemption. He immediately saves us from Hell when we become bel;ievers, but he continues the work of sanctification in us as we live. 

When did He start this good work in you?

1. When you believed (Ephesians 1:13). This is when we are immediately saved from Hell. The work of salvation and sanctification starts here. 

2. Before you believed (John 16:8-9; 6:44). … The Holy Spirit convicts people of sin, righteousness, and judgment. This is what leads people to believe in Christ for salvation. The Spirit convicts and draws people towards Jesus before they believe. 

3. Before creation (Ephesians 1:4). … God knew us before the world was even created. 

How long will He work in you? Until he completes it on the day Jesus comes back (Philippians 1:6). … God always finishes what He starts. He has started a good work in you and He will finish it. we aren't finished yet and will still make mistakes, but the day of completion is coming. 

Do you have to work, too? Yes (Philippians 2:12-13). … We should cooperate with the work that God is doing in us.