“For the Word of God is alive and active.” – HEbrews 4:12
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Jesus & the Helpless – John 5:1-18
One of the most widely known bible verses in America is: “God helps those who help themselves”. The only problem is that this isn’t in the bible. In fact, it runs counter to the biblical reality that God helps the helpless (Psalm 72:12-13). God’s salvation and blessing doesn’t come to self-reliant people, but to weak, poor, needy, helpless people who look to God for his gift of grace. We, like this man in this text, are ‘spiritually paralyzed’ before Christ comes into…
Jesus & the Desperate – John 4:43-54
In this passage we see that 1) faith comes from the least likely of places, and 2) faith comes from the most desperate of places. What brings this man to Jesus is his desperate need; and that is what should bring us as well – a realization of how desperately needy we are. And, what this man gets from Jesus is just a bare word – a promise, which he is left to trust. We stand in the same place –…
Jesus & the Outcast – John 4:1-42
[This sermon was not recorded]. In this interaction between Jesus and the Samaritan woman, we see that Jesus brings 1) universally-needed grace, 2) outward reaching compassion, and 3) abundant satisfaction. We are all, like this woman, spiritually thirsty, and we all look to the wrong things – idols – to satisfies us; but Jesus is the living water – who abundantly satisfies our spiritual thirst.
Jesus & the Teacher – John 3:1-21
CS Lewis said that Christ came not to simply make nice people; he came to make new people: “For mere improvement is not redemption…God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature.” Many people think that deep down we are all decent people, and…
Jesus & the Temple – John 2:13-25
Many people picture Jesus as someone who would never confront or challenge anyone, but would only affirm everything about us. But a Jesus who affirms everything about us is a “Jesus” of our own making, which ultimately is nothing more than our own reflection in the mirror. This passage teaches us that Jesus confronts false, corrupt religion, and that he establishes true, pure religion as the true Temple – the true reality of “God with us”.
Jesus & the Wedding – John 2:1-12
Many people think that this life is a thriving party – full of joy – and that Jesus came to put an end to that: that Jesus came to bring stern serious strict rules which exist solely for the sake of repressing and ceasing enjoyment in life. But this passage teaches us that this world is not a thriving party, but a dying party: joy dissipates and inevitably runs out, and that Jesus came to restore joy – abundant and superior joy…
Jesus & the Followers – John 1:35-51
This passage shows us that 1) Jesus is meant to be sought, 2) Jesus is meant to be found, and 3) Jesus is meant to be followed. The question for all of us is the same question Jesus asked of his initial followers: “What are you seeking?” And, the call for all of us is the same call Jesus issued to his initial followers: “Follow me.” Have you sought out Jesus? Have you found him? Are you following him?
Jesus & the Witness – John 1:19-34, 3:22-30
John the Baptist’s ministry pointed towards Jesus and prepared people for his arrival. This text confronts us with some crucially important questions. Are you prepared to meet Jesus? And, if you have met Him, does your life point to yourself, or, like John, does it point people towards Jesus?
Jesus & His Own – John 1:1-18
[The beginning of this sermon was not recorded] This text is John’s famous prologue, which tells us 3 things about Jesus: 1) Who he is – the eternal, fully divine, Son of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us; 2) Why he came – to bring light into darkness and life into death; and 3) How the world responded – ultimately, there are only 2 responses to Jesus: acceptance or rejection. Though he came to “his own” who should have recognized him,…
A Downcast Spirit – Psalm 42
The Psalmist shows us what it looks like to have, and struggle through, a downcast spirit. The Psalmist 1) thirsts, 2) listens to himself, and 3) talks to himself. He recognizes that God is the only thing that satisfies his spiritual thirst, but nevertheless feels distant from him. He lets his emotions speak, but doesn’t let them have the last word – instead, he speaks God’s truth back into how he feels and resolves to continue to hope in and praise…
The God who Never Slumbers – Psalm 121
This Psalm teaches us of 1) our need for divine help, and 2) the nature of divine help. We are completely needy and dependent upon God our creator. And, He “never slumbers nor sleeps” in his watching over of his people, but is fully engaged and attentive to them and their needs. He is never absent, even in the dark times of life, and we can be assured that he is always bringing about our ultimate good, and keeping us from ultimate…
When the Ungodly Prosper – Psalm 73
Have you ever wondered if following Jesus is worth it? In Psalm 73, the Psalmist observes around him ungodly people who prosper in life, and he is tempted to envy them: they have it better, easier, and happier. He looks at his own life, and wonders if he he has been faithful to God in vain. The Psalmist moves from a certain conviction (v1), to a (seeming) conflicting reality (2-15), to a changed perspective (16-28).