Community And Comparison | John 21:18-25
Community And Comparison | Do you ever find yourself comparing your life to someone else? Do you ever get lost in wishing your circumstances were different? One of the side effects of sin is for humans to look horizontally to others to determine their significance rather than looking vertically to God. Comparison is a dangerous trap that either leaves people wrongfully prideful, or stuck in despair. Interestingly enough, John ends his gospel story with a reminder to avoid this trap…read more
Failure And Restoration | John 21:1-19
Failure And Restoration | We live in a performance driven society. Often people are recognized for what they can accomplish and we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to succeed. My question is, what happens when we fail? Better yet, what does God do with us when we fail? Does God expect perfection from us? Is God angry and disappointed when we blow it? Does God give up and move on? Knowing the answers to these questions will determine how we relate to ourselves and to God in seasons of failure. Join us this Sunday as we continue studying the gospel of John and see how Jesus interacted with Peter after He failed miserably.
The Resurrection | John 20:1-31
The Resurrection | There are a lot of people throughout human history that sacrificed their life for another. What sets Jesus apart from all the rest is that His death was followed by His resurrection from the dead. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 15, the hope believers have in Christ was made possible by the resurrection. Jesus conquered sin and death by rising from the dead, thus displaying His power as God.
The King Of The Jews | John 18:28-19:16
The King Of The Jews | As we continue to look at the redemptive section of John’s gospel. We will see Jesus brought before Pilate and flogged by the Romans. We will observe the rage of the mob and the cowardly inaction of Pilate. We will watch Jesus, the innocent one, be condemned to death and Barabbas, a guilty murder, set free. All of this is meant to remind us of the chaotic nature of sin and the depth of God’s love to save sinners.
Denial And Betrayal | John 18:15-18, 25-27
Denial And Betrayal | While Jesus was being condemned by the religious leaders, as prophesied, Peter denied his association with Jesus.
Witness And Persecution | John 15:18-16:4
Witness And Persecution | Having appropriate expectations is important for finding success in almost every area of life. Living the Christian life is no different. The Bible teaches that Christian’s are meant to live in the world but not be of the world. This means Christian’s should not isolate themselves from the culture, but rather be actively engaged in it….read more
I AM The Vine | John 15:1-17
Have you ever felt dry or empty in your Christian walk? The Christian life does not always feel like a mountain top experience, but can sometimes feel like walking through a valley. It is during those times when Jesus’ teaching on the vine and the branches is especially helpful. Join us this week as we study John 15 and learn how Jesus is the source of life for every Christian. Our hope is that you will better understand how to walk daily with Jesus and overcome the feeling of emptiness.
The Holy Spirit | John 14:15-31; 16:5-15
The Holy Spirit | If you have been around church any amount of time you will hear people talk about God as Father, and you will certainly hear about Jesus, God the son. But it's possible you hear less about God the Spirit. So who is the Holy Spirit and what does He do? As we look at the Gospel of John, we are going to explore who the Holy Spirit is and what roles he plays.
I AM The Way The Truth And The Life | John 14:1-14
I AM The Way The Truth And The Life | There is an Indian parable about four blind men trying to describe an elephant for the first time. They all stood around different parts of the elephant, and to their surprise, all described it differently. The lesson the parable is designed to teach is this: there are many ways to interpret and understand God. Some might understand God through Christianity, others through Buddhism, Judaism, or Islam, but all roads lead to God. While this might be a popular idea among many in our world, this concept stands in sharp contrast to the teachings of the Bible…Read more
Service And Leadership | John 13:1-20
Service And Leadership | Leaders are sometimes defined as those who are the loudest, or those who take charge. Maybe they are considered the heroes that fix dire situations, or the ones who have all the ideas. There are a lot of ideas of leadership in our world, but do any of those ideas fit with God's definition?…Read more
Man’s Glory Or God’s Glory | John 12:1-50
Man’s Glory Or God’s Glory | In the beginning of his gospel, John told us that Jesus would be rejected by his own people. As we have been working our way through the Gospel of John, we have seen that very thing happen. As Jesus has revealed himself as the Messiah in various ways, there has been a growing tension building between Him and the religious leaders. This tension finally reaches a breaking point as we arrive at the climax of Jesus’ public ministry. His time has finally come—to accomplish the purpose in which He came to earth. Listen in as we see Jesus anointed for His death, ride into Jerusalem as the coming Messiah, and declare the purpose of His death.
The Seventh Miracle: I AM The Resurrection | John 11:1-57
The Seventh Miracle - I AM The Resurrection | There are a lot of things that can cause fear in our everyday lives, and death is certainly one of them. How many of us spend countless hours consumed with the fear of life and death? The good news of Jesus reminds us that He is powerful not only over life, but also death. Listen in as as we look at the seventh miracle—the raising of Lazarus. As Jesus is on His journey to the cross to pay for the sins of the world, we will watch Him display His glory as He demonstrates His power over death and reveals the hope of eternal life found through faith in Him.
I AM The Door And The Good Shepherd | John 10:1-42
I AM The Door And The Good Shepherd | All humans are on a quest for a great life. Each person goes about their quest differently, but everyone is looking for fulfillment and satisfaction from life. The interesting thing is that the Bible speaks to this very question: where is abundant life found? Listen in as we continue our series on the Gospel of John and learn that Jesus is the path to abundant life.
The Sixth Miracle | John 9:1-41
The Sixth Miracle | All we have to do is turn on the TV, or have a conversation with someone to find out that pain is pervasive in our world. The hard part is understanding why, why do people suffer? Christians seem to talk about a God who is loving and powerful, so why would he allow the people he loves to suffer? This is one of the most important questions for Christians to wrestle with. As we look at the Gospel of John, we are going to see Jesus interact with suffering and we will have an opportunity to see what he says about it.
Grace And Truth | John 8:1-11
Grace And Truth | Most families have secrets that if they were dragged out into the open, would create a lot of confusion and doubt for those finding them out for the first time. How the Bible came to be, what is considered Scripture, and what is not can have similar effects on Christians. As we continue our series on the Gospel of John, we come to John 8:1-11, which in most of your Bibles have a little footnote that reads—the earliest manuscripts do not include. It is possible you have read that before and have been confused, but because no one is talking about it, you moved on. Listen in as we bring the “secret” of textual criticism into the light. We will explain where the Bible comes from, why we can trust it, and how it impacts our understanding of John 8:1-11.
I AM The Bread Of Life | John 6:22-71
I AM The Bread Of Life | Have you ever turned to God for the wrong reasons? Following the feeding of the 5,000, we see a crowd of people longing for Jesus to meet their physical need of hunger, and dismissing who He is and what He has come to do. In this week’s passage, Jesus is going to confront their wrong motives and clarify two main things for them. First, the work that leads to eternal life is belief in His Son—the true bread from heaven. Second, this can only be embraced through drawing by the Father. Listen in as we discover how Jesus is the true Bread from heaven.
The Third Miracle | John 5:1-17
The Third Miracle | Have you ever faced resistance or persecution for your faith? If so, you are not alone. As we begin chapter 5, Jesus started to face resistance from the Jewish religious leaders as He continued to fulfill His mission on earth. He specifically healed a lame man on the Sabbath causing the religious leaders to question His integrity for “breaking” the law. Listen in as we look closely at John 5:1-17 and better understand what Jesus came to do—not only bring physical healing, but to reveal humanity’s need for spiritual healing.
The Second Miracle | John 4:46-54
The Second Miracle | One of the tragic results from the fall of mankind is dealing with sickness and disease. Many of us have personal experience struggling with illness, or watching loved ones decline due to physical ailments. This reality hits close to home for all of us as we navigate a global pandemic and are reminded more acutely about the fragility of life…read more
Regret To Rejoicing | John 4:1-45
Regret To Rejoicing | Have you ever really blown it? Do you have mistakes in your past that bring you shame and cause you to hide from others? Do you ever wonder how God feels about you in light of your sin? Listen in as we look at a fascinating encounter Jesus had with a woman at a well in John 4:1-45…read more
Increase And Decrease | John 3:22-36
Increase And Decrease | As we have seen already, John the Baptist had a popular ministry in Israel. However, it was not John’s goal to become great, but to redirect the attention he was getting off of himself and on to the ONE who is truly great. As God’s people, we have been saved from the wrath of God, indwelt with the very Spirit of God, and gifted for ministry. Like John, these blessings are not meant primarily for our own sake, but for the glory of God…read more